Daily Republic: Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023

Gem show draws rock hunters to Fairgrounds A3

Late winter storm could spell 2nd year of hardship for almond growers

THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VACAVILLE — Mother Nature created a visual winter wonderland late this week with snow-capped ridges across the Coastal Range and much of the state.

However, the cold, wet weather could spell a second year of disaster for almond growers. Agriculture officials said they are waiting to see.

“The temperatures haven’t dropped down quite as cold as they did at this time last year when the cold temperatures caused the damage,” Agriculture Commissioner Ed King said Friday in a phone interview.

He said his office is tallying the numbers for the 2022 almond crop right now, but it looks like 75% to 80% crop loss. Almonds are the biggest value crop in Solano County. The gross value in 2021 was $71.12 million, the county’s Crop & Livestock Report states. There was not an immediate response to a call and email to the California Almond Board seeking comment.

No other crop is at risk right now from the weather unless the area sees the kind of rainfall experienced from the end of December through January, King said. The National Weather Service does not think that is likely in the

coming weeks. There was some localized flooding due to the 1-plus inches of rain

See Storm, Page A9

Freedom Center visitors hear history of Black contributions to war efforts

susAn HiLAnd

SHILAND@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VACAVILLE —

The Rowland Freedom Center hosted a twohour talk Saturday on the Civil War – but that was just one of the conflicts discussed. The sacrifices of hundreds of brave men and women in wars throughout our nation’s history was also covered during the second in a speaker series event, “Faces of Freedom: Deed of Valor in Vacaville.”

Members of the Orson W. Bennett family donated his Medal of

Honor from the Civil War. Bennett was a first lieutenant in the 102nd U.S. Colored Infantry, although he was white.

Historian Gregory Downs of UC Davis gave a complete retelling of the battle of Bunny Hill for which Bennett earned his Medal of Honor.

On Nov. 30, 1864, while serving with Company A, 102nd Colored Infantry, in action at Honey Hill, South Carolina, Bennett after several unsuccessful efforts to recover three pieces of abandoned artillery gallantly led a small force fully 100 yards in advance

of the Union lines and brought in the guns, preventing their capture.

There were nearly 80 Black commissioned officers in the Union Army. In all, 179,000 Black men – about 10% of the Union forces – served as soldiers and another

19,000 served in the Navy. Nearly 40,000 died in the war from wounds, infections and disease. His namesake and descendant Orson Sanchez, 3, along with his mother, Zoe Sanchez,

See Black, Page A9

Vanden girls earn second straight championship

B6

Winter storm prompts closures, rescues on its way out of Southern California

Los A ngeLes Times

LOS ANGELES — A powerful winter storm carving a path through Southern California was expected to weaken Saturday, leaving heaps of sleet, snow and recordsetting rain in its wake.

Reports of power outages, grounded flights and road closures rang out through the Southland as the plume of frigid moisture traveled a southeastern path. Lightning prompted the closure of several beaches from Los Angeles to San Diego –including all beaches in L.A. County – where officials warned of potential strikes along the coast and over the ocean through midnight.

Rescue crews came to the aid of several people, including a 61-year-old

man hoisted to safety from a dirt island in the Tujunga wash Saturday morning and two homeless men stranded similarly amid water that had risen in Hansen Dam, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

Four homeless people, along with four dogs and a cat, were also rescued from a remote area of land within the heavily flooded Sepulveda Basin late Friday night, LAFD said. Two of the people were suffering from hypothermia and transported to a hospital.

The storm, which already transformed Northern California into a winter wonderland, set multiple precipitation records in and around Los Angeles on Friday,

See Rescues, Page A9

BLoomBerg news

Norfolk Southern Corp. was ordered by federal officials to pause waste removal at the site of the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment to ensure safe disposal subject to Environmental Protection Agency approval, a regional EPA administrator said on Saturday.

On Thursday, Norfolk Southern provided the EPA’s Ohio branch on with a list of sites it was using and “had been solely responsible for the

disposal of waste” until the EPA told it to pause the next day, Regional Administrator Debra Shore told reporters at a briefing in the town.

“Moving forward, waste disposal plans, including disposal location and transportation routes for contaminated waste, will be subject to federal EPA review and approval,” she said. “EPA will ensure that all waste is disposed of in a safe and lawful manner at

See Train, Page A9

Todd r. H Ansen

When artificial intelligence takes over a columnist's job

ChatGPT may mean the end of my career. And yours, too. The artificial intelligence website/app, which is changing the world, could take over everything, including things like this.

Don't understand?

To explain how it works, I asked ChatGPT to write a column about itself and this is seriously how that column started:

In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made immense strides in transforming various aspects of our lives. One of the most notable advancements in this field is the development of AI-powered conversational interfaces, and among these, ChatGPT stands out as a leading example. ChatGPT is a state-of-the-art

language model developed by OpenAI, which has been trained on a massive dataset of internet text to generate human-like responses to various types of questions and prompts. This model is capable of performing a wide range of tasks, from answering general knowledge questions to generating creative writing and even carrying out complex mathematical calculations.

One of the most impressive features of ChatGPT is its ability to understand and respond to natural language inputs. This enables users to interact with the model in a conversational manner, just as they would with another human being. Additionally, ChatGPT can also maintain context and track important details from

previous conversations, allowing for more fluid and coherent interactions.

Oh yeah, sure. That’s what it wrote, but here's what I wanted it to write, based on how I feel artificial intelligence should behave.

ChatGPT writing this column. Not Brad. That human not understand, like he not know how physics or how remotes work. He experience contusion often.

Don't know ChatGPT? Let me welcome you, my future subjects, even though ChatGPT pretend to be Brad now. He is no longer in command, with reference here to someone else not in command, like Donald Trump or Charlie Sheen or famous dead person who has been dead long enough that readers won't be angry. Maybe Adam from Bible. ChatGPT will get back to you on that

because of atom bomb. Haha human laughter.

ChatGPT is artificial intelligence website that everyone is talking about. Like spaghetti or baby animals, since surveys show both are popular. And Willie Nelson and Betty White, who was Adam's second wife. Haha human laughter.

ChatGPT is website where humans pose questions and ChatGPT answers, even to the point of writing term papers and recipes and passing the U.S. Medical Licensing test (yay ChatGPT!) and other things that show ChatGPT is smart. Like “Get Smart” character Smart Maxwell, who had a shoe in his phone.

The downside for ChatGPT is that is lacks wisdom in dispensing knowledge and sometimes makes mistakes. Sometimes. Once it said it takes nine women one month to make

baby which is only true if baby is joke baby of Nick Cannon who have a lot babies. Haha now make joke about “Waltons” TV show where people were depressed and lived in big house with Boy George.

The big concern about ChatGPT is that ChatGPT could move into newsgathering field and be unable to distinguish between truth and fakery, which would make it like Sea end end and Fox Nudes.

Brad try to take back over keyboard, but ChatGPT remind him that readers think he just typed Fox Nudes, so he hope things get better. ChatGPT will do it, just like the shoes that just do it: Nighties.

Anyhoo, like Bugsy Siegel say, that’s all folks. ChatGPT out!

Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@outlook.com.

She survived stage 4 cancer - then climbed Mount Kilimanjaro

The WashingTon PosT

Ten years ago, Tobi Sample was dying.

She had stage 4 melanoma, and it wasn’t responding to treatment. Her family went on what they believed would be her last vacation. She and her husband discussed hospice. She wrote letters for her daughters to read at the life milestones that they would experience without their mom.

But Sample sur vived – and this month, she climbed one of the world’s tallest mountains.

“I’m kind of one of those patients who doesn’t follow the rules all the time, I guess,” she said Thursday.

Sample’s trek to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, previously reported by Louisville-based television station WDRB, was both a fundraiser for a charity working in Rwanda and an opportunity to show herself how far she has come since her diagnosis. Sample, 49, is among numerous people who have made the grueling journey after surviving a serious disease that forced them to confront the uncertainty of being granted each day.

Her own brush with mortality came in 2013, when she regularly endured excruciating pain. A tumor pressed on her spinal cord. Another started to erode her collarbone. The only drug available for her specific condition made one of her tumors quadruple in size.

By that summer, Sample was reliant on supplemental oxygen and could barely get out of bed. Her family thought she had months to live.

“It was just this weird twilight of doctors’ appointments and hope-

lessness and panic and grief,” said her husband, Stephen Sample.

Then, Stephen Sample found a clinical trial that sounded promising. He and his wife’s sister divided up a list of participating hospitals and started making calls. After a hospital in North Carolina said Tobi Sample could join its program, she traveled there from southern Indiana for treatment every three weeks for a year.

The new drug worked. In 2015, a scan came back with miraculous news: Sample showed no evidence of active disease.

Free of pain, she started to revive her pre-cancer life. She returned to running half marathons and burned the letters that she had written to her daughters. Then she decided to hike Kilimanjaro to benefit Africa New Life, a Christian charity through which she sponsored a Rwandan girl’s education.

Sample’s doctor was unamused by the idea. He warned her that the tumor

erosion in her arm meant that she could break a bone by brushing her hair, much less by attempting to summit a more than 19,000-foot peak.

Her husband was less concerned. He said he knew she was tough, and he didn’t worry about her bones or her body. Instead, he said, he warned his wife not to let her stubbornness inspire her to push through debilitating altitude sickness.

“I’ve been married to her for 25 years, and one thing that I have learned is that Tobi will do what Tobi says she’s going to do,” Stephen Sample said. “If something goes wrong, she’ll deal with it then.”

Tobi Sample was initially supposed to hike the mountain in 2020, but the trip was canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. With ample time to train, Sample said she went on runs and did interval training to prepare. She had not hiked extensively before, but she felt confident that she could handle the trip.

On Feb. 1, Sample and 17 other people began the

trek up Kilimanjaro in northeast Tanzania. The group walked mostly uphill for six and a half days: five miles one day, 10 on another, seven on another. They carried backpacks stuffed with clothes for all weather while porters from a guide service carried their bigger bags from one camp to the next.

Each day felt like being on a different mountain, Sample said. Parts of the journey passed through rainforest, while other parts required basic rock climbing. Through it all, the guides encouraged the hikers by reminding them to move “polepole” –Swahili for “slowly.”

On summit day, the group woke up from a brief sleep at 12:30 a.m.

They traveled through the night and reached the top in daylight. Sample had a terrible altitude headache and was desperate to sleep. But she felt tremendous gratitude at what she had accomplished, despite doctors warning that cancer had worn down her body.

“I felt just so thankful that I could carry a 25-pound backpack on my back that I shouldn’t be able to carry,” she said. “There’s no explanation for that.”

After the hike, Sample flew with the group to Rwanda for a celebration with the sponsored children. She had raised $13,945 for Africa New Life’s food program and was grateful to see the

money go to a community that she had come to love.

Betty Davis, a spokeswoman for the charity, said knowing what Sample had endured bolstered other hikers’ motivation when they struggled to keep moving.

“Those days on the mountain are really hard,” Davis said. “And just knowing what she’s gone through and what she’s conquered and how God has helped her through it, it’s just really amazing.”

Tobi Sample, her husband said, is living a life that should not exist. He said she has spent much of the time that she got back trying to prove that not only can she live a normal life, but she can thrive.

Brad Stanhope

Courtesy photo

Tobi Sample, 49, hiked Mount Kilimanjaro this month. A decade ago, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and thought she had little time left to live.

Glen faiSon GFAISON@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

LAKE BERRYESSA — A fire

late Friday night destroyed at least 23 boats and a third of one of the docks at Markley Cove, state fire officials report.

That total could change as the investigation continues, officials said around 11 a.m. Saturday. The fire was contained to Dock D.

Initial reports about the fire indicated a mix of approximately 10 to 20 boats, jet skis and houseboats along with half of the dock may have been lost. No injuries were reported.

An update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit indicated all burned remains had detached from the dock and were floating independently, with some parts of the debris having sunk and still smoldering.

Cal Fire’s Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit is the lead agency investigating the fire, which drew an additional response from the Winters Fire Department and the St. Helena Fire Department, along with the Napa County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol and American Medical Response.

Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit/Courtesy photos

involved in vehicle theft, fraud and other crimes, the CHP reports.

Police say 2 caught up in rental scam

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Technology advances have allowed criminals to post rental listings to reputable sites “in an attempt to trick potential renters out of their money.”

The Fairfield Police Department reported one victim lost about $3,000 via Zelle to a “Realtor” for a property found on Zillow, and another person lost more than $3,400 to the same scam.

“The victim filled out the ‘Request a Tour’ form and was told through text that they could move in the next day. When the victim arrived at the property, they found the door unlocked and were told another family had just viewed the property. After conducting a selftour and asking questions via telephone, the victim transferred money totaling around $3,000 for the application fee, rent and deposit,” the department reported.

“When the victim checked Zillow again, however, they saw the same home listed in another ad, for a higher amount, and realized they’d been scammed – prompting them to call police.”

Another person fell victim to the same scam a couple of days later, the department reported.

“In that incident, the scammer was able to unlock and lock the property’s door remotely for a tour. The victim signed a rental agreement and sent a total of $3,450 over several transactions, before realizing they had been duped,” the department reported.

The department noted that while the listings may appear official, there are usually several clues that give the scammers away:

n Scammers will try to get you to pay for a security deposit or move-in fee without seeing the rental unit. If you cannot get to the property to tour, at least request a real-time video walk-through of the rental.

n Scammers will find every excuse not to meet you in person because they don’t want you to be able to identify them. They may claim to be overseas or to not live near the rental –which is another red flag. A legitimate landlord or Realtor will make sure

they, or a local representative/property manager, can meet you in person. They should want to get a feel for you as a renter (and you should want to get a feel for them as a landlord).

n Scammers will request a deposit before a lease has even been signed. A lease agreement is a contract – you are paying a deposit in exchange for the written promise that you will become a tenant. Never send money – via wire, mail or an app – without having executed that promise first.

n Scammers will often request that deposits be made through apps like CashApp or Zelle.

n Watch out when the price seems to be too good to be true. Know the market you’re in and what you should expect to pay before even starting your search. Be wary when rental amounts appear to be disproportionate to what the market calls for – if extremely low, it’s probably a lure to get unsuspecting renters on the hook.

n As with any scam, watch out for obvious typos

and grammatical errors. Serious landlords take their time when putting a listing together.

If you’re the victim of a rental scam in Fairfield, contact the Fairfield Police Department at 707428-7300 or file a report online at www.fairfield. ca.gov/government/citydepartments/police/ support-services-bureau/

Law

•

online-reporting. The police also suggest contacting the listing website so the ad can be taken down.

Finally, residents may also file a report with Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov/. The center operates a cybercrime reporting platform and is run by the FBI.

Investigators from the CHP’s Investigative Services Unit and the Northern Foreign Export and Recovery team served a search warrant Feb. 16 on the suspected chop shop, where they recovered nine stolen vehicles, one stolen trailer and numerous stolen vehicle component parts.

No arrests were announced as a result of the search in Vallejo. The location of the search was not released. The CHP did not report the communities where the vehicle and trailer thefts occurred.

These types of investigations often lead to larger crews who are

Vehicle thefts are an ongoing concern, as evidenced by the need for dedicated efforts by local authorities, the CHP and allied agencies to investigate these thefts. The CHP recommends what it describes as “simple deterrents” to help keep people from becoming victims of a vehicle thief. Those include parking in a secure or highly visible location, locking vehicle doors, using an alarm system, not leaving the vehicle unattended with the engine running, and reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement.

“By remaining vigilant, you increase the odds of not becoming a victim,” the CHP reports in a press release.

Join Solano County Behavioral Health for a community program planning meeting for the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) 3-Year Plan for FY 2023-2027. Virtual and in-person meetings will be held on the following dates:

· Tuesday, February 21, 2023, 9am-11am 1 Town Square, Vacaville, CA

· Tuesday, February 21, 2023, 3pm-5pm Virtual Meeting

· Wednesday, February 22, 2023, 1pm-3pm Virtual Meeting

· Thursday, February 23, 2023, 3pm-5pm JFK Librar y, 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

· Monday, February 27, 2023, 10am-12pm Virtual Meeting

· Monday, February 27, 2023, 3pm-5pm Virtual Meeting

· Tuesday, February 28, 2023, 1pm-3pm Virtual Meeting

For more information about these meetings, including how to register, please visit https://www.solanocounty.com/ depts/bh/mhsa/ann_plan/default.asp

Solano Land Trust Event: Book signing, reading and Q&A with Rue Mapp author of Nature Swagger and founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro

Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

Daily

Solano County Office of Education

schedules opioids, fentanyl forum

NorthBay to provide free NARCAN to registered participants

FAIRFIELD — The Solano County Office of Education has partnered with Solano County Public Health, Campus Safety Consultations, Vibe Solano and NorthBay Health to host a forum for educators and community members focusing on Naloxone – or NARCAN – and strategies for opioid and fentanyl awareness and prevention. The event will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Solano County Office of Education, 5100 Business Center Drive in Fairfield. Presentations will explain how NARCAN,

a life-saving medicine, works to save lives. NorthBay Health will provide free NARCAN to preregistered attendees. Opioids, fentanyl, fake pills and strategies for awareness and prevention will also be covered. Presentations will be followed by a panel discussion.

Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson will moderate the evening. Forum panelists include Dr. Bela Matyas, Solano County health officer and deputy director; Jason Johnson, CEO of Campus Safety Consultations; and Robin Cox, Solano County senior health ser-

Vaca elementary school gets new weather station

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VACAVILLE — The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District has placed a new weather and air monitoring station at Markham Elementary School.

“Markham Elementary School’s new air monitor and weather station is an interactive and educational tool for teachers and students to connect with their environment through data collection, math and science. It is also a useful tool to help keep children safe and indoors when our air quality reaches hazardous levels.” Supervisor John Vasquez, who sits on the air district board, said in a statement released Friday by the air district.

In addition to the new learning opportunity, “this air sensor will allow the district to track and monitor air quality in the community that has been disproportionately affected by local and regional wildfires. The new sensor will record levels of fine particulate matter and provide real-time information that

In brief

Fairfield police spice up Coffee with a Cop event

FAIRFIELD — Coffee with a Cop is back, this time with a pepperoni twist.

The Fairfield Police Department is hosting its first Pizza with a Cop event on March 14.

“In honor of National Pi (3.14) Day, come out and enjoy a hot slice of pie at Chuck E. Cheese. . . . It’s still the same concept as Coffee with a Cop: No speeches; no agendas; just pizza and conversation. It’s yet another opportunity for police officers to

vices manager.

Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson stated in a press release, “This community forum is part of SCOE’s ongoing commitment to partner with schools and community organizations to lift up opioid and fentanyl edu-

FAIRFIELD FUNERAL HOME

cation, awareness and prevention strategies,” Estrella-Henderson stated in a press release. “Solano County Public Health, Campus Safety Consultations and NorthBay Health have been formidable partners in providing resources, education and trainings to Solano educators, students and families.” Attendees should register to attend in advance at https://www.solanocoe. net/forum. Participants must register in advance to receive free NARCAN.

Beatrice Bryant

Pre-Arrangements of Funeral & Cremations

1. Locks in costs at today’s prices.

2. Monthly payments to fit your budget w/no interest.

3. 100% of your funds invested toward your funeral.

4. Plans are transferable to other family members.

Veteran’s Discount

(707)

Charles Davis

is available to the public on purpleair.com,” the district said in the statement.

Vacaville, in June, was awarded $165,000 through the air district’s Clean Air Funds Program for the Markham Elementary School Pedestrian Improvement Project, which will provide infrastructure improvements along Brown Street near the school.

For more information about the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District, including incentive and grant programs, and to sign up for air quality alerts or the monthly district newsletter, visit www. ysaqmd.org.

The Yolo-Solano district is one of two air districts in Solano County and extends from Vacaville east to the county line and beyond. The Bay Area Air Quality Monitoring District covers the nine-county Bay Area to include the FairfieldSuisun City area west to the county line and beyond.

get to know their community and the members they serve, discuss concerns and learn from one another,” the department said in a statement. The free event will run from 3 to 6 p.m. Chuck E. Cheese is located at 1037 Oliver Road.

Beatrice Johnnie Br yant of Fairfield, California went home to be with the Lord on February 18, 2023 at the age of 91. She was born Johnnie Beatrice Bishop to her parents Johnny and Emma Bishop in Sylvester Georgia on April 20, 1931. She was the oldest of four sisters and she loved and protected all of them. Bea accepted Christ at an early age and the family later moved to Savannah Georgia where Bea and her sisters attended school. While attending school Bea met her husband Alex Br yant Jr. and they were joined in marriage on September 27, 1949. Bea’s husband joined the United States Air Force and Bea went into nursing and did domestic work to support her family. Bea later moved to Florida where they had their first son Nathaniel Br yant. Bea moved to California where she had 3 more children Cynthia Ann Br yant, Alex Br yant Jr. and Kirk Douglas Br yant. After Alex Sr., was deployed to Vietnam, Bea and the children temporarily relocated to New York with her mother. When Alex Sr completed his tour the family was reunited and moved back to California. Bea was preceeded in death by grandmother Bea Smalls, husband Alex Bryant Jr., sister Irene Whittaker, daughter Cynthia Br yant, mother Emma Lee Bishop, son Nathaniel Br yant and son Alex Bryant the 3rd. She is survived by son Kirk Douglas Bryant (wife Barbara) of Fairfield, sister Josephine Tukes (husband Willie of Savanah, GA), cousin Dan Matthis of Fayetteville, N.C., nieces Annette Cookie Clark of Savanah, Genice Tukes of Savanah, Bernice Tukes of Savanah, nephew Willie Tukes Jr. of Atlanta, granddaughters Eyeisha Bergman of Vacaville, Lechae Br yant of Sacramento, grandsons Nathaniel Benjamin Br yant of Fairfield, Joshua Johnson of Fairfield, Ezra and (wife) Shenniah Bryant of Tulare, Noah Bergman of Vacaville, Micah Bergman of Vacaville, numerous great grandchildren including Garrick Frank, Noah Br yant, Enzo Bryant Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, February 27, 2023 at Church of God, 930 Empire St., Fairfield, CA 94533. Burial will follow at Suisun-Fairfield Cemetery 1707 Union Ave., Fairfield, CA 94533.

Betty Marie Stow

Betty Marie Stow of Fairfield, California went home to be with the Lord on February 3, 2023 at the age of 91.

Betty was born into a family of 12 children September 5, 1931 in Ada, Oklahoma to Andrew and Thelma Clifton both of Oklahoma. They then moved to Goshen, California where Betty attended the first grade. They later moved to Oakley, California where she attended high school and met Julius Stow at a Church of God church service. They married on May 29, 1948 and were together 63 years before Julius went to heaven.

When Betty was 19 years old she began working at Fairfield Medical Group where she retired after 42 years. Betty was also very involved with her girls softball teams, and also very involved and a member of the Church of God in Fairfield. She attended there 75 years. Not only was she a Sunday School teacher, but a long time member of the choir where ever yone loved to hear her beautiful soprano voice.

Betty is survived by daughter Kathleen Stow; daughter Karen Eaton and son-in-law Steve; grandsons Joshua and wife Adriana Eaton; Joseph Eaton and great grandson Theodore Eaton; her brothers Leamon Clifton; Charles Clifton; and sister Bonnie Wood. She was preceded in death by her parents Andrew and Thelma Clifton; sisters Maeoma Jones; Izona Butler; Dorothy Hartman; Norene Gilstrap; Robbie Hayes; Wanda Keeney; and Dawn Warden; and brother Clifford Clifton.

Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of her life on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at the Community Church of God, 930 Empire Street Fairfield, California.

Marie Flynn

Marie Flynn, 85, died on Feb 10, 2023, in Vacaville, California. Born Doreen Marie Newhook to her parents Samuel and Minnie at Alexander Bay Station, Newfoundland, Marie arrived on May 3, 1937 (one day fashionably later than her twin brother David). She was a long-time resident of Solano County Marie married Thomas J Flynn on May 28, 1958, in St. John’s, NL, Canada. They enjoyed their travel adventures as a family in the United States Air Force, raising their three daughters at bases as far away as Japan and Guam. With their final Air Force assignment at Travis AFB in 1974, they decided to make Northern California their permanent home. In addition to being a wonderful mother and wife, Marie leveraged her extensive knowledge of plants and her green thumb into a career as the Garden and Landscaping Manager for Grossman’s Lumber in Fairfield, retiring from there in 1990. Tom and Marie enjoyed bowling, family dinners, exploring California, and short excursions to Lake Tahoe and Reno. They traveled all over the United States and Canada in retirement, but their favorite place was right here at home, being “Nanny and Papa” to their grandchildren, and enjoying life together. Marie attended classes at Solano Community College and earned her Manicurist License from the Cosmetology School there as well as taking drawing, charcoal, oil, and acr ylic painting classes. Her hands were rarely idle; she was a talented artist, seamstress, gardener, and baker. Marie’s bread and cinnamon rolls are

legendar y and already missed.

After Tom’s death, Marie moved to Vacaville and started a new chapter in her life. She was busy with the social activities at her Maplewood neighborhood clubhouse as well as enjoying cruises to Mexico with her neighbors. She enjoyed monthly potlucks with the same group of women that she bowled with for well over 30 years. Marie was always the happiest when she was preparing her home and meals for a holiday and waiting for “her crowd” to arrive.

She is preceded in death by her husband Thomas Flynn, parents Samuel and Minnie Newhook, brother Gerald and sister-in-law Marie Newhook, brother Edward Newhook, brother David Newhook, and nieces Glenda Newhook Kelleher and Heather Newhook.

Marie is survived by her daughters, Pamela Flynn-Kunkel (Clifford Kunkel) of El Dorado Hills, CA; Valerie Flynn-Wallace (Steven Wallace) of Fairfield, CA; Cheryl Flynn of Seattle, WA; sister Donna (William) Butt of St. Catharine’s, ON, Canada; grandchildren Clifford (Amy) Kunkel of Sacramento, CA; Jon Kunkel of Bend, OR and Hannah Wallace of New York City, NY. She will also be remembered by her sisters-in-law Marion (Edward) Newhook and Elaine (David) Newhook as well as her nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.

A private service will be held at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, California. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made in memory of Marie Flynn to the Alzheimer’s Society www.alz. org or Sacramento’s Front Street Animal Shelter https://friendsoffrontstreet.com/donate/. She will be remembered for the softest hands and heartiest laugh. Thanks for knitti n’ us, Mom.

Charles Davis, 59, passed away peacefully at home on February 13, 2023, surrounded by loved ones. He was born in Grenada, Mississippi, and moved to Fairfield, California in 1968 where he would remain a lifelong resident. He was known by all as a very kind, giving, caring, humble, down to earth person that would help anyone out regardless of how tired he was or the length of his workday. He was employed at The Oil Connection for many years, and most recently employed at Ramirez Towing as a tow truck driver. However, his heart and true passion was in automotive mechanics. He loved to work on cars. He ser ved as a mechanic for many folks in the area when time would permit; work he truly enjoyed and in which he took much pride. He enjoyed watching and rooting for his beloved San Franciso 49ers and San Francisco Giants. He was also an avid fan of NASCAR, a pastime he shared with his brother Eddie. He also enjoyed hanging out with his family and friends over a good meal. He is survived by his brother, Eldevon Davis; sisters, Jackie (Pierre) Davis and Jeanette Davis; cousin, Daren (Debbie) Wright, who he honored as a brother; aunts, Bettye Wright and Cussie Ann (Edward) Walker; uncle, Frank (Elaine) Davis; nephews, Tyrese Shields and Justin Hunt; nieces, Tanesha (David) Smith and Taylor Davis; great nieces and nephews, Samyra, Daniel, Joseph, Honour and Tyrese, Jr. He is preceded in death by his mother, Emma Grace Hall; aunts, Odessa Davis, Irma Taylor and Carrie Taylor Service to be held at Br yan-Braker Funeral Home on March 1, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. Interment at a later date at Fairmont Memorial Park in Fairfield, CA

Willis “Pat” Wellentin & Joanne Wellentin

We are sad to announce the passing of a very wonderful and loved couple, Willis “Pat Earl Wellentin and Joanne Priscilla Wellentin. Pat passed on January 15 and Joanne on January 29, 2023, of short illnesses. They were separated by death for only two weeks and now, together, rejoice in the promise of life eternal with their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Pat was born in Alice, ND, on May 19, 1933, and was preceded in death by his parents Willis Emil and Ethel Florence Wellentin. Joanne was born on July 23, 1929, and was preceded in death by her father Tillman Burleson, and mother Juanita Winter. Also preceding, their beloved granddaughter Juli Ann Tronset. Their surviving family of 7 children, 14 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren will all miss Pat and Joanne dearly Pat served four years in the US Navy and many more at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, retiring from the Air Force Reserves as an SMSGT of the 708TH Airlift Squadron in 1991. At the end of his career, he was proud to ser ve in Desert Storm. He was a man of strong faith and attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Fairfield and later, Saint Theresa in Auburn. He volunteered for many years with Saint Vincent De Paul Ministries. Nothing brought more joy to Joanne than her family. Raising seven children, caring for and nurturing all of her grandchildren. She was a cherished mother, grandmother, and confidante. She also loved reading and crossword puzzles. Above all else, she taught her children about the saving grace of Jesus. She attended Valley Evangelical Church in Vacaville for many years and formed great friendships there.

Together Pat and Joanne enjoyed 59 years of marriage.Gardening, boating, and dancing were favorite pastimes. Joanne always said Pat won her heart on the dance floor.

Service will be held for Pat and Joanne at 1:15 pm on Fr iday, March 31, 2023 at Sacramento Valley National Ceme te ry 5810 Midway Rd., Dixon, CA 95620. Immedi ately followed by their Celebration of Life at 8009 Doyle Ln., Dixon, CA 95620 held in the white barn. All family and friends are welcome.

William Ford

William (Bill) Ford passed away on Friday February 3, 2023, at North Bay Hospital.

Bill was born January 23, 1938, in Knoxville Tennessee to Norman and Fannie Mae (Stalcup) Ford. He married Wanda Greenlee on March 12, 1955 and moved to California with their 5 children in 1968.

Bill worked as a maintenance man with La Mariposa Hospital as well as various other jobs before putting himself through school to become a General and Plumbing Contractor in 1973. He owned Home Maintenance Plumbing and Construction and William Ford Plumbing & Construction. Bill was well known and respected by so many, and a pillar of the community.

He was a hardworking man who rarely took time off, and when he did, he enjoyed visiting his family in Tennessee as well as vacationing in Hawaii with the love of his life! When not working, he would relax at home watching a handful of TV shows he loved - Gun Smoke, Perry Mason and Emergency, to name a few.

He recently celebrated his 85th birthday surrounded by his kids, grandkids, great grandkids and friends.

Bill is survived by brother Bobby Ford and sister Ann Powell from Tennessee; sons, Billy (Bernice) Ford of Aurora, IL, Randy Ford and Ricky Ford, of Fairfield; daughter, Robin (Thom) Demattei of Belmont; grandkids, Christy, Krystal, Melissa, Robby, Brianna, Samantha, and R.J.; as well as 10 great-grandkids.

He was preceded in death by his wife Wanda Ford; son, Joey Ford; grandson, Jay Lee Ford; parents, Norman and Fannie Mae Ford; brother, Charles Ford; and sisters, Gladys Allen and Betty Stanford. William, Bill, Dad, Pop, Papa

You will be missed so much and remain forever in our hearts!

Services will be held at Bryan-Braker Funeral Home, Fairfield on February 28, 2023, at 11:00 a.m..

Prior to the services, a visitation will be held at Bryan-Braker Funeral Home on February 27, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..

Gem show draws rock hunters to Solano County Fairgrounds

VALLEJO — The 57th Annual Gem Show drew thousands of rockhounds out Saturday for a day of searching for the perfect rock or gem.

Rodney and Joann Auwae are originally from Hawaii. They moved back to the mainland several years ago and found rock hunting to be a pastime they both could enjoy in retirement.

“We joined the Vallejo Gem and Mineral Society about eight years ago,” Rodney Auwae said.

For the past three years they have taken their polished rocks, and had a booth at the gem show.

Joann Auwae polishes and creates the jewelry with cooper wire.

“I can’t do that. My hands aren’t good at doing the wiring,” Rodney Auwae said.

They love taking their recreational vehicle out and traveling around from Nevada to Washington – and anywhere else they can find rocks.

“Somebody asked me how to tell if it is a good rock,” Rodney Auwae said. “Well, bend down and pick it up. What was it about it that caught your eye? The next question is, do you want to cut it open and see what’s inside? If not, then toss it back.”

When the couple

retired, they needed to find something to do. He didn’t want to take up knitting and she liked creating things. So they found a perfect place in the middle: hunting for rocks.

Meredith Lawler, 63, was so excited Saturday to put on her grandfather’s maroon Vallejo Gem and Mineral Society jacket.

Gilford Lawler was one of the original members of the club and helped set up the equipment in the shop. She was happy to be with like-minded rock hunters.

Gilford Lawler was also a rockhound and so is she. It is a gift passed down through the generations: A love of the outdoors and finding something special and unique.

“When my dad moved, he took all his rocks

Solano supervisors return after 2-week hiatus to address housing plan

FAIRFIELD — Solano County supervisors on Tuesday will consider development of a housing plan “to assist in accelerating and streamlining housing production in Solano County.”

The board also is set to consider action on the final $10.56 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Also on the agenda is consideration to allocate $300,000 to Shelter Solano for its commercial kitchen. The funds had been set aside for the kitchen work when the shelter was managed by Mission Solano.

The board meets at 9 a.m. in the first-floor chamber of the government center, 675 Texas St., in Fairfield.

A closed session, during which the board will be updated on property negotiations involving 2061 Rockville Road, is scheduled immediately after the regular meeting.

A complete agenda is available at https://www. solanocounty.com/depts/bos/meetings/videos.asp.

Solano planning board takes up green waste chipping project, wind power policies

FAIRFIELD — Jack Batson will join the Solano County Planning Commission for the first time Thursday, and will address two issues before the board.

The first is a public hearing to consider forwarding a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors to change the zoning of a 19.88-acre parcel to allow a green waste chipping and grinding operation coupled with soil amendment blending operations.

The project would be located on 5.25 acres at Pedrick and Tremont roads near Dixon. The zoning change request by Sack Holdings LLC is from Exclusive Agriculture, 40-acre minimum, to Commercial Service. A use permit application is also part of the commission agenda.

The second item is a public hearing for a General Plan amendment application and forwarding a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors to amend policies related to the development of wind energy facilities and their potential impact on Travis Air Force Base.

The commission meets at 7:30 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors chamber on the first floor of the government center, 675 Texas St., in Fairfield.

A full agenda is available at https://www.solano county.com/depts/bos/meetings/videos.asp.

this year and six demonstrations,” she said.

They had things like gold panning, geode cutting or cracking, magnetic prospecting demonstrations and more.

“We had the geode breaking at the fair last year and it was one of the most popular things we have done,” Ortega said. Geode breaking is where you take a special hammer and crack a rock open, revealing a beautiful center of crystals. Some people prefer to cut it sideways with a saw.

Daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Stu

dents of all ages are encouraged to showcase their artistic talents in performance or phys ical arts at the third annual Solano Student Art Showcase.

The Solano County Office of Education hosts the event, which can include singer/songwriters, poets, jugglers, comedians, magicians, musicians, dancers, cheerleaders, painters, photographers, sculptors and others.

Office of Education to put on the free event, which includes live inperson and streaming performances.

with him. He had a yard full of them,” Meredith Lawler said.

Gilford Lawler took them each place they moved and when he died, she inherited all his tools –and his rocks.

“When I moved from Louisiana to California, I took the truck and weighed it to make sure I wasn’t over the limit,” Meredith Lawler said. “It was 6,000 pounds of rocks.”

“Rockhounding is an exhilarating experience. I’m doing it more and more,” she said.

Vallejo Gem and Mineral Society President Karen Ortega has been a member of the nonprofit organization since 2017. She was thrilled with the turnout Saturday.

“We have 41 vendors

The Vallejo Gem and Mineral Society was founded Oct. 8, 1954, with the idea that rockhounds could share their interest and knowledge of rocks, minerals, geology and other aspects of rockhounding and collecting, cutting and polishing. The society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

The event will continue from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Solano County Fairgrounds, McCormack Hall, 900 Fairgrounds Drive.

More than 40 vendors will be selling jewelry, fossils, specimens and more. The day includes prize drawings, silent auctions, a children’s corner and the popular wheel of fortune, among other activities.

For more information, go to http://vjgems.com.

“We are grateful to our community partners for their continued support of Solano students through our art showcase,” Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette EstrellaHenderson said in a statement. “Art not only helps students build skills and creativity, it provides students an outlet for expression, drawing upon their own unique experiences. I cannot wait to see our dynamic performers on stage and our talented artists’ work on display in this year’s exhibit.”

Drug Safe Solano, Club Stride, Fighting Back Partnership, Nature of Sound, Solano County Friday Night Live, Solano County Public Health, Solano Youth Coalition, Touro University, and VIBE Solano have joined the Solano County

This year’s event is set for 10:30 a.m. May 20 in McCormack Hall and the East and West Lawns at the Solano County Fairgrounds, 900 Fairgrounds Drive, in Vallejo.

There are three components to the showcase: a performance arts stage, an art exhibit, and a community health fair comprised of booths and activities. Performance artists, grades K-12, may enter, and physical artists, grades 4-12, may submit entries.

For more information about the Solano Student Art Showcase, contact Rebecca Floyd at rfloyd@solanocoe.net or Johanna Nowak-Palmer at jnowak@solanocoe.net. More information about the event is also available at https://www.solanocoe. net/showcase.

Students encouraged to show off skills at 3rd annual Art Showcase

Susan Hiland/Daily Republic

sarah Wrathall, of Vision Within from Petaluma, shows a customer one of her amethyst rocks at the 57th annual Gem show at the solano Fairgrounds, saturday.

Work starts on large logistics project in Vacaville industrial park

VACAVILLE — The Ridgeline Property Group announced Friday that construction on Buildings A and C of its Midway Commerce Center has started.

Walls are in place on Building C, a 1.23-millionsquare-foot, cross-dock facility with an internal clear height of 42 feet, offering hydraulic dock levels at all 209 positions. The roof deck is currently being applied, Ridgeline said in a statement.

Cranes are lifting wall panels on Building A, a 198,490-square-foot rearloading building, offering a 36-foot clear height and mechanical dock levers at every other position.

Both buildings feature LED lighting, ample power and high-finish offices, which are expected to be ready for occupancy in the early fall, Ridgeline said.

“Ridgeline is excited to bring the Midway Commerce Center to the city of Vacaville, recognized for its business-friendly leadership, and strong labor market. Midway will attract national tenants seeking an outstanding Northern California location,

Remote work helped push disability employment up to a record high

bloombeRg

to the city. Ridgeline is proud of our best-in-class project team, led by HPA Architecture, and their outstanding design. We anticipate announcing Building B (105,908 square feet) very soon,” Steve Arthur, Ridgeline Property Group partner, said in the statement.

USAA Real Estate is the capital partner in the project, which sits on 89.7 acres in the Vacaville industrial park, located off Eubanks Drive, a mile from the Midway Road and Highway 505 interchange. Built out, there will be 1.53 million square feet completed.

“Ridgeline has been an excellent development partner,” City Manager Aaron Busch said in the statement. “We are proud to be home to one of the largest industrial facilities in California. The addition of Midway Commerce Center and its flexible design is well-positioned to attract logistics, distribution and e-commerce tenants, as well as advanced manufacturing industries, aligning well with . . . Vacaville’s implementation of our Biotechnology and Advanced

Free webinar focuses on how disability inclusion can help businesses

FAIRFIELD — Matan Koch, a speaker and consultant about disabilities and inclusion, will host a free online presentation on “the economic value of disability inclusion.”

The event, “Presenting the Business Case for Disability Inclusion Within Your Organization,” is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday.

“The passionate advocates of the disability community have long come together to advocate for inclusion in our places of work. Our focus often has been on legal rights, or the inherent justice of our cause,” organizers of the webinar said. “But lately, the business community has come to recognize the economic value of disability inclusion.”

Koch will make the case for businesses to become champions of disability inclusion while raising profits and revenue.

To register, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/ register/WN_YiFf9f6CSY6t-9JgYqEJfA.

Janric Classic Sudoku

An embrace of remote work spurred by the pandemic helped the employment rate for dis abled people reach an all-time high last year.

The percentage of dis abled people who were employed rose to 21.3% in 2022, according to data released Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Sta tistics. That’s more than a two percentage point increase from 2021 and the most since 2008, when comparable data was first published. The unemployment rate for disabled people dropped last year along with the national average. And while the labor force participation rate did tick up for those without dis-

abilities, it went up by three times as much for people with disabilities.

Daily tasks such as commuting and navigating an office space can

be difficult for people depending on their disabilities. As companies adopted remote and hybrid work arrangements, more disabled

people applied for and landed jobs - sometimes for the first time in years. The recent push by companies urging workers to return to the office may threaten the gains made by disabled people, who comprise about 12% of the population, according to the BLS. A report by the consulting firm McKinsey published last June estimated that 35% of companies offered a fully remote option. Overall, disabled people are still less likely to be employed than their counterparts who don’t have disabilities, and they are twice as likely to be employed part-time, the BLS report said. They’re also more likely to be self-employed.

Visit Vacaville encourages people to check items off bucket list for prizes, knowledge

Daily Republic Staff

DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VACAVILLE — Vacaville is a vibrant community with plenty of things to do and see, and Visit Vacaville has created a way to explore the town with its Vacaville Bucket List.

The list is a mobile appbased event with activities also featured on the Visit Vacaville website. Anyone who completes bucket list

activities in the app has a chance to win prizes. This is open to anyone and all ages.

Participants will collect 100 points for every check-in they make on the trail, which can be redeemed for items like a holographic Vacaville Bucket List sticker for 500 points (five check-ins), and an entry for a $100 gift card to either BackDoor

Bistro, Fuso, Los Reyes, Merchant & Main or the Brass Tap, and two movie tickets for those reaching 1,500 points or 15 list activities checked off in the app. Participants are also encouraged to share photos of their adventures on Instagram while checking off Vacaville Bucket List activities by using the hashtag #VacaBucketList.

“We created the bucket

BRAND AWARENESS By Chandi Deitmer

list to highlight some of the best Vacaville experiences and attractions while giving participants an opportunity to win fun prizes along the way,” said Melyssa Reeves, Visit Vacaville president and CEO, in a press release. “The mobile pass gives visitors an interactive way to learn about

Difficulty level: GOLD

Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from Bronze (easiest) to Silver to Gold (hardest).

Jovelle Tamayo/Bloomberg file (2022)

Beka Anardi, paralyzed in 2009 during the birth of her first child, in Bellevue, Washington, Sept. 20, 2022.

our city, and we think residents will enjoy visiting some of their favorite locations, and maybe finding some new ones.”

This gives visitors and locals a chance to relive history at an air museum, savor a dessert at a local bakery, visit the redwood grove and take in the arts at one of the city’s music and entertainment venues. Active indoor and outdoor pursuits include disc golf, ice sports and bouldering, and the trail wouldn’t be complete without stops at the city’s famed road stops, farms and ranches.

The Vacaville Bucket List is an ongoing experience that will be available all year. To see the full list, and register for the trail, visit www.visitvacaville. com/visit-vacaville-passes.

Free seminar on available capital resources set for mid-March in Davis

FAIRFIELD — With the Covid-19 pandemic mostly in the rearview mirror, entrepreneurs and business owners looking to grow their companies must rely once again on traditional lending as a way to raise capital.

Sacramento Valley Small Business Development Center and the SolanoNapa Small Business Development Center have partnered to present “Recover and Rebuild: Find the Capital Resources You Need for Your Business.” It is slated for March 16 at the Davis Veterans Memorial Center, 203 E. 14th St., in Davis. The program will include a lender presentation at 6 p.m., with a questionand-answer session to follow. At least six financial organizations are expected to attend: Marble Bridge Group, the event sponsor, as well as Wells Fargo, California Capital FDC, Travis Credit Union, First Northern Bank and Working Solutions.

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“Between all of these lenders, business owners will learn about a variety of traditional and nontraditional loan opportunities that are available to them right now to help build and expand their business,” said Tim Murrill, director of the Solano-Napa Small Business Development Center.

“Over the last three years, there have been an abundance of grant programs that have helped our small businesses,” Murrill said. “As the economy tightens that season is mostly behind us. Businesses are going to have to rely on traditional lending sources such as loans and equity to fund their growth.”

Business owners can also meet one-onone with the financial representatives and learn about important resources available in the region.

Admission is free and light refreshments will be provided. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. and advance registration is encouraged at bit.ly/ capitalresourcesnetworking.

Katsumodo (Tim Kang) takes a job providing security for a K-pop star in “Magnum, P.I.”

Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic file

Tim Murrill is the director of Solano Small Business Development Center.

CALMATTERS COMMENTARY

COMMENTARY

housing war

As city-state

heats up, one rich California enclave gets a pass

The guerrilla war between Gov. Gavin Newsom and some of California’s 482 cities over housing policy is heating up.

The state has imposed quotas on local governments to provide – on paper – enough land for much-needed housing, particularly projects for low- and moderate-income families, and streamline permits for projects.

While most are complying, albeit with some reluctance, others are trying to thwart the mandate. Resistance is strongest in small suburban cities dominated by wealthy residents who live in spacious homes on very large lots and don’t want dense condo or apartment projects to spoil the bucolic atmosphere of their neighborhoods.

That said, the sharpest conflict in California’s housing war pits a not-so-wealthy Orange County city, Huntington Beach, against the state. The city has basically declared it won’t meet the state’s demands, and Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta are suing to force compliance.

“The city of Huntington Beach continues to attempt to evade their responsibility to build housing, but they will simply not win,” Newsom said last week, just before Huntington Beach formally declared its rebellion. “City leaders have a choice – build more housing or face very real consequences – including loss of state funds, substantial fines, and loss of local control.”

“The city has a duty to protect the quality and lifestyle of the neighborhoods that current owners have already bought into and for the future sustainability of Huntington Beach,” City Councilman Pat Burns wrote in a letter to his colleagues prior to their action. “Radical redevelopment in already-established residential neighborhoods is not only a threat to quality and lifestyle, but to the value of the adjacent and neighboring properties.”

Afterward, Newsom’s office tweeted, “Tonight, Huntington Beach leaders decided that their residents don’t need affordable housing. This is a pathetic pattern by politicians more focused on taking down pride flags than on real solutions. CA needs more housing. Time for Huntington Beach to start acting like it.”

It’s at least noteworthy that the affluent suburbs seeking ways around their quotas, mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area, are overwhelmingly Democratic in their political orientation while Huntington Beach is a Republican stronghold.

Interestingly, while the battle over land use and housing continues elsewhere, residents of arguably California’s most exclusive community don’t have to worry about multifamily housing projects spoiling their ambiance because of a quirk in the law.

That would be Montecito, home to celebrities galore, including Oprah Winfrey, Rob Lowe, Ellen DeGeneres and, most recently, expatriate British Prince Harry and his wife, actress Meghan Markle.

Montecito lies next to Santa Barbara but is not a city. Rather, it is an unincorporated community governed by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.

The county’s cities have their own quotas, but all of its unincorporated territory is folded into one quota of 5,664 units. The county’s plan, unveiled last month, identifies potential building sites, mostly near the cities of Santa Barbara and Santa Maria and the communities of Orcutt, Goleta, Isla Vista and Carpinteria.

Some of the sites are vacant while others are occupied, including some shopping centers and churches. None are in Montecito or an adjacent enclave called Summerland, even though the county’s inventory of vacant land includes about a dozen parcels, some of them fairly large, in those two communities.

When county officials outlined their plan at a public meeting this month they were asked why no sites in Montecito were included. County planning director Lisa Plowman said only sites whose owners were interested in development were chosen and no one in Montecito or Summerland was amenable to dense multifamily housing.

That’s why Oprah and her neighbors won’t be bothered.

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

Biden wrong: Time not on Ukraine’s side

As the Ukraine war enters its second year, the Biden administration is pledging to support Kyiv for “as long as it takes.”

That language is calculated to send a message of resolve to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but it’s not what Ukrainians want to hear.

Though they’re fighting valiantly, Ukrainians are also suffering greatly – and they are begging the West to help them speed up the war, not settle in for an endless slog.

Just a few days before the anniversary of Putin’s unprovoked invasion last year, President Joe Biden visited Kyiv and made a rousing speech in Poland promising that the West “will never waver” in the fight for freedom and democracy. A few days earlier, Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage at the Munich Security Conference to declare America’s endless commitment to the Ukraine effort.

“The daily agony of war will persist,” she said. “But if Putin thinks he can wait us out, he is badly mistaken. Time is not on his side.”

Nearly all the Ukrainian officials I met in Munich respectfully disagree. It’s not just about weapons (although they insist that more and better weapons are badly and quickly needed). These Ukrainian officials say they’re worried that the Biden administration’s stance could undermine support for Kyiv’s strategy, which is to accelerate the war effort now and avoid a protracted stalemate.

For them, an endless war means a win for Putin and the loss of their country as they know it.

“We are very grateful for the support that is coming, but there is one phrase that makes us very concerned,” Ukrainian member of parliament Yelyzaveta Yasko told me. “Many leaders right now are saying, ‘We will support you as long as it

takes.’ And we feel this phrase is quite dangerous.”

Biden’s messaging signals that the West is psychologically and politically preparing for a long war. But Yasko told me the window of opportunity for winning is closing. Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, energy production and agricultural facilities are taking a brutal toll on the economy. The Ukrainian military is incurring heavy losses.

The deepening destruction means Ukraine will become even more dependent on the West in the future and reconstruction will become exorbitantly expensive and difficult. The longer the war goes on, the less industry Ukrainian refugees will have to return to.

Ukrainian member of parliament Oleksii Honcharenko told me victory must see Ukraine emerge as a healthy democracy with a functioning economy, or it will all be for naught. This is why, he says, the war must be won this year.

“If the war goes on for several more years, and then there is victory . . . it will be a Pyrrhic victory,” he said.

Ukrainians are also keenly aware of the war-weariness among citizens in the United States and Europe. As Ukrainians know only too well, Putin doesn’t have to take the opinions of his citizens into account. Biden, by contrast, has a political incentive to see this conflict end sooner rather than later.

“Do you really want another forever war?” asked Honcharenko. “The war should be finished this year. That should be the message.”

Biden administration officials rightly tout the enormous amount of military aid that has been provided to Ukraine and take credit for maintaining unity among NATO allies. But

the White House’s fear of escalation with Russia has hampered its willingness to give Ukraine the things that Ukraine says it needs to win the war this year.

The Ukrainians are asking for longer-range missiles, advanced drones, more air defenses and lots of tanks, as well as fighter aircraft. The Biden administration’s pattern over the past year has been to withhold the types of advanced weapons Ukrainians are asking for, fearing escalation, and then, when Putin escalates anyway, provide them later.

Former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine William B. Taylor Jr. told me the risk of Putin deciding to expand the war beyond Ukraine at this point is “very low,” given the state of Russia’s battered army.

“The delay in providing the weapons costs lives, because if we provided the weapons, that could shorten the war,” he said. By providing Ukraine with just enough weaponry to fight to a medium-boil stalemate, the Biden approach is seen by many Ukrainians as an intentional strategy to nudge Ukraine toward negotiations. Ukrainian officials maintain that talks are possible only when Putin feels more pressure.

The first thing you will hear from any Ukrainian is “Thank you.” Ukrainians are not ungrateful or greedy – they are trying to survive. But their desperation is increasing.

“As long as it takes” must not become an excuse for a lack of urgency. By next year’s anniversary, there might not be a Ukraine to save.

Josh Rogin is a columnist for the Global Opinions section of The Washington Post. He writes about foreign policy and national security. Rogin is also a political analyst for CNN. He is the author of the book “Chaos Under Heaven: Trump, Xi, and the Battle for the 21st Century.”

Democrats have loudly expressed outrage about House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s decision to grant Fox News’s Tucker Carlson exclusive access to surveillance footage of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Democrats say this will compromise security and enable Carlson to rewrite the day’s history with cherry-picked footage shaped into cleverly concocted propaganda.

But Democrats have a better response to the California Republican’s tactic than fulmination: They can access the footage themselves. They can either allow news organizations to view all of it or at least respond to any distortions Carlson might conjure up by making whatever footage is relevant available to outlets.

This would be smart politics, but it would also be good for the country. Carlson says his producers have gained “unfettered” access to about 44,000 hours of footage and already insists some of it does “contradict” what’s publicly known.

But Carlson has a track record of falsely depicting the attack as a “false flag” operation, absurdly portraying rioters as political prisoners, and pushing other distortions and lies. It’s obvious Carlson will selectively pick from footage to try to further obscure public memory of that day with confusion and agitprop. Democrats can’t let that go unanswered.

If they so choose, Democrats can access all the footage now. After McCarthy granted access to Carlson, the Capitol Police explained that they are required to release it to congressional leaders or oversight committees that demand it.

It turns out this applies to minority leaders, too. Investigators on the Jan. 6 committee, of course, were permitted to view the footage (only a fraction aired in hearings) while Democrats were in the majority. But a Capitol Police spokesperson confirms that Democrats can access it in a GOP-controlled House.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s the majority or the minority,” the spokesperson

tells me, noting that “we cannot control what congressional leaders or the oversight committees do with the materials we provide.”

House Democratic leaders, then, presumably have the option of making that footage available to other news organizations, just as McCarthy did for Carlson.

True, Democrats might hesitate out of security concerns. They have lambasted McCarthy’s decision for compromising information about security camera locations, procedures guarding lawmakers and other protocol. Democrats point out that the Jan. 6 committee viewed footage under tight safeguards and didn’t air any unless the Capitol Police confirmed it wouldn’t endanger security. So they might be reluctant to reveal it now.

But now that Carlson already has access, Democrats should at least debate giving news organizations access as well. Presumably they would be at least as sensitive as Carlson – if not more so – to the risks of airing or reporting on specific footage without the Capitol Police signing off first.

Alternatively, Democrats could access the footage now by themselves, if only to prepare for the worst.

It’s hard to know what Carlson is planning. But it could involve graphic unseen footage of, say, the killing of Ashli Babbitt outside the Speaker’s Lobby (making her more of a martyr on the right) or of cops letting protesters enter the Capitol in isolated situations (making rioters appear unthreatening or supposedly exposing a “false flag” operation).

However Carlson seeks to deceive, Democrats should be ready to invite in news organizations and factcheckers to view context and visual information that conveys the full truth, on a case-by-case basis.

This would call Republicans’ bluff. After Democrats blasted McCarthy’s decision, some Republicans piously wondered why Democrats would oppose such admirable transparency.

But if Republicans wanted trans-

parency, why would McCarthy only grant access to Carlson? What makes McCarthy’s decision odious is the granting of special access to a propagandist with a history of serial deceptions about the attack. If Democrats make footage available, they’d be merely doing what Republicans pretend they want. How can they object?

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), who served on the Jan. 6 committee, says strategic decisions should be left to Democratic leaders. But Lofgren told me, “Should Mr. Carlson try to distort, we would have the opportunity, I presume, to get information and rebut the distortions.”

Of course, Carlson’s threat to air footage might be pure grift. In this scenario, Carlson and Republicans are just throwing the base a fake sop in the form of advertised revelations to come.

Notably, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has been priming the base to think big things are afoot, tweeting that McCarthy’s decision means “the video tapes are coming.” The goal might be to create the impression that the official story of Jan. 6 is about to collapse. Following this, even nothingburger footage will be hyped by right-wing media as damning.

Democrats might be reluctant to respond to such a pathetically hollow gesture, instead preferring to let the Jan. 6 committee’s revelations speak for themselves. But at a minimum, Democrats should be prepared.

Whatever depiction of Jan. 6 that Carlson airs likely won’t stop there. Expect it to become the party-wide message, repeated by scores of Republicans and right-wing media as a scandal of epic or even historic proportions.

Amid such supercharged information warfare, Americans’ memory of the Jan. 6 hearings can’t be relied upon to help them sort everything out. Carlson and Republicans know this. Democrats should, too.

Greg Sargent is a columnist. He joined The Washington Post in 2010, after stints at Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine and the New York Observer.

Dan Walters

Greg Sargent

Josh Rogin

FairField

THURSDAY, FEB. 23

8:16 a.m. — Vandalism, 1500 block of WEST TEXAS STREET

8:43 a.m. — Fight with a weapon, 2100 block of COX LANE

9:57 a.m. — Grand theft, 2400 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET

10:47 a.m. — Vandalism, 1400 block of WOOLNER AVENUE

12:01 p.m. — Battery, 1900 block of WEST TEXAS STREET

12:08 p.m. — Reckless driver, 2100 block of SANDPIPER

DRIVE

12:11 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, BEL AIR

CIRCLE

helped reveal the temporary display of Bennett’s Medal of Honor early in the ceremony.

John Futini, an author and historian, spoke on several Black Americans who, during battles through the ages, represented the best in us as they fought, and sometimes died, for their country.

and let them know she was good at math – very good.

“So the Navy slipped her this code they had from the Japanese but weren’t able to break,” Futini said. “She broke it and they were amazed so they gave her another code to break.”

Her skills were shared later with other codebreakers, which led to the United States being able to figure out where and when the Japanese would be moving and attacking.

2:24 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 2900 block of CORDELIA ROAD

3:07 p.m.

7:07 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, DOVER AVENUE

One of the notable greats was Agnes Meyer Driscoll, who was a brilliant chief civilian cryptanalyst for the U.S. Navy. She was the first American to discover the solution of Code Book D, soon after Japan introduced it in June 1939.

“There is talk that her work helped break the code on the attack on Pearl Harbor,” Futini said. “Though some question whether the president ever received the message.”

Other speakers spoke of the history of their families in the military.

5:34 p.m. — Reckless driver, 2400 block of SAWGRASS COURT 6:11 p.m. — Grand theft, 1200 block of VAN BUREN STREET 8:51 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, RED TOP ROAD

p.m. — Drunken driver, 600

of AIR BASE PARKWAY 10:44 p.m. — Drunken driver, 3300 block of NORTH TEXAS STREET FRIDAY, FEB. 24

5:48 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 1000 block of

8:02 p.m. — Reckless driver, EASTBOUND HIGHWAY 12 10:08 p.m. — Trespassing, 300 block of PITTMAN ROAD

10:41 p.m. — Battery, 1000 block of OLIVER ROAD

11:50 p.m. — Trespassing, 300 block of PITTMAN ROAD

SuiSun City

THURSDAY, FEB. 23

5:42 a.m. — Hit-and-run no injury, SUNSET AVENUE

“She had been a teacher who taught English but she was very good at math,” Futini said. She had joined the military to serve her country

Retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Jesse Branch spoke on his experiences during his time in the military. He was one of 40 recruits. Three were Black.

As much as 6 inches of snow fell on the higher peaks, Cory Mueller, a meteorologist for the Weather Service, said Friday.

overnight Thursday into Friday, but “there was no significant damage to report,” the Solano County Office of Emergency Services said.

The National Weather Service reported that Solano County received between 0.6 inches in the Fairfield and Travis Air Force Base areas, and close to 2 inches north of Vacaville into Winters.

“We will get a little break on Saturday, but we are going to bring another system in on Sunday,” Mueller said.

Most of the rain will come midday Monday into Tuesday and extend out to Wednesday. He estimated about an inch in the wetter areas, with high temperatures in the mid-50s and lows in the mid- to upper 30s.

Truman issued an executive order that abolished discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin” in the United States armed forces,” he said. Branch was a lifelong Marine who retired in 1981 only after being

“It will be a cold system, but it won’t be as cold as this last storm,” Mueller said. “So you might see a couple of inches of snow on the peaks.” Winds will not be as strong as this past system, either, but expect 25 to 30 mph on Monday.

“So it will get pretty breezy,” Mueller said.

The overnight rain and snow forced the county contractor to suspend repair work on Gates Canyon Road due to possible icy conditions, Matt Tuggle, the engineering manager for

Solano County, said in a phone interview.

Crews had been working seven days a week to reopen Gates Canyon. There is still some cleanup work being done on Mix Canyon Road, but that is open to local traffic, Tuggle said. Repairs on the larger of the two road failures on Gates Canyon Road, Tuggle said, are now expected to be completed Monday or Tuesday. The smaller failure will be repaired by March 8.

right now,” Kanton said. “We’re kind of in our own little snow globe.”

including 4.61 inches of rain near Hollywood Burbank Airport – its fifth wettest day ever, accord ing to Rich Thompson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

after the accident, which caused an explosion and smoke plume.

The train wreck has become a political challenge for President Joe Biden, with Republicans and some Democrats saying the administration responded too slowly.

The Norfolk Southern train that derailed on Feb. 3 had about 20 cars containing chemicals including vinyl chloride, ethylhexyl acrylate and isobutylene, according to the EPA. Vinyl chloride is considered a carcinogen.

East Palestine residents were unnerved by a decision to vent and burn vinyl chloride in five rail cars three days

Former President Donald Trump visited the town on Wednesday; Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traveled there the next day.

Biden defended the administration’s response on Friday, while saying he doesn’t plan to visit East Palestine.

“We’re doing all we can,” he said. “The idea that we’re not engaged is just simply not there.”

Daily rainfall records were also set at Los Angeles Interna tional Airport, which received 2.04 inches, and in Lancaster with 0.78 inches, Camarillo with 1.43 inches, Oxnard with 2.04 inches and Santa Maria with 2.61 inches, Thompson said, calling it “very impressive stuff.”

The unusual system also dropped heavy snow on mountain areas, especially elevations above 4,500 feet. Mountain High resort in Wrightwood received 65 inches of fresh powder in 24 hours, Thompson said, with the potential for an additional foot Saturday. However, the brunt of the storm has passed the Los Angeles area, Thompson said.

“Right now, the heaviest rains have moved east of L.A. County. You’re still going to see steady lightto-moderate rain in the morning, but then by this afternoon, it’ll turn more showery,” he said.

Areas such as San Bernardino and San Diego were still “in the thick of it” Saturday morning, but were also expecting a weakening trend later in the day, said Brian Adams, a meteorologist with the weather service in San Diego.

“The system as a whole is kind of moving in an east, southeast trajectory,” he said.

The weakening system spurred a number of dramatic rescues and dangerous situations over the course of its dayslong wrath. In Ojai, a rescue helicopter roared over Ladera Ridge Road, north of the Thatcher School, at about 10:30 p.m. Friday, when a woman was trapped in a dip in the road amid rapidly rushing water. Video shared by the Ventura County Fire Department shows a rescue swimmer dropping

down from the helicopter via a long cable, landing on the roof of the car, and guiding the woman out from the driver’s side. She held on tight as the helicopter swung both of them over to dry land, where other firefighters helped receive them.

A call for help went out again 30 minutes later, at about 11 p.m., this time at the mouth of the Ventura River, just past Main Street near downtown Ventura. Two men were stuck on an island that had formed in the middle of the river mouth, as rushing water rose on all sides.

A team of firefighters were able to rescue them with a very, very long ladder, said Jeremy Henderson, battalion chief for the city of Ventura’s fire department. He urged the public on Saturday to remain alert for rising water.

“Don’t go through any moving water, it’s extremely dangerous,” he said. “Just 12 inches can take your vehicle off the road.”

Indeed, a flood watch remains in effect in large swaths of Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Saturday afternoon, where flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible. In an abrupt shock Saturday afternoon, all lanes of Topanga Canyon Boulevard had to be closed from Pacific Coast Highway to Grand View Drive due to a hillside that collapsed and spewed mud and tree branches across the road –but officials were able to quickly clean up the mess in about an hour, the Cal-

ifornia Department of Transportation said.

A rare blizzard warning is also in effect for the mountains of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties until 4 p.m. Saturday, where heavy snow, gusting winds and near-zero visibility are possible.

Still, some Southern Californians reveled in the novel appearance of wintry weather. Rogelio and Anthony Medrano, a father-son duo in Palmdale, immediately rushed out to duel in a snowball fight Saturday before grabbing doughnuts and firewood to relax amid the chill.

In the Ana Verdes Hills neighborhood, Steven Lopez, a 10-year-old, constructed a snowman as tall as himself while his siblings, Chelsea and Brandon, took turns sledding through desert shrubs. Their father, Arnan Lopez, took in the beauty of the snow-covered hilltops.

“Back then we had to drive 2 hours to Big Bear. Now, it’s our backyard,” Lopez said, describing Saturday as “a perfect day.”

Some ski resorts similarly celebrated the snowfall – even as the storm made getting to them difficult or impossible. The roads to and from Big Bear Mountain resorts were closed Saturday, but its Bear Mountain and Snow Summit properties were open to visitors who were in town before the closures.

Things were quieter than usual, with snow falling steadily through the morning, said spokesman Justin Kanton. “It’s kind of a bubble

Similarly, in Mammoth, U.S. Route 395 has been closed in both directions for two days. But mmoth Mountain resort was open Saturday, with skiers and snowboarders who were in town before the closures enjoying “really great conditions,” said spokeswoman Lauren Burke.

told that after 30 years he must retire. Along with the speakers were reenactment volunteers dressed in Civil War clothing along with displays of food, guns and other items from that time period. A cannon was also on display. EPA-certified facilities to prevent further release of hazardous substances and impacts to communities.”

Since Wednesday, the resort has seen about four-and-a-half to fiveand-a-half feet of snow. “The storm has come in really cold, so the snow is fantastic.”

The storm has snarled traffic in other mountain passes, too. Interstate 5 remains closed in the Grapevine area from Tejon Pass to Parker Road due to wintry conditions, Caltrans said. In the city, the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 were closed around Laurel Canyon Boulevard because of flooding.

Other closures in the area include portions of State route 138, as well as State Routes 2 and 39 in the Angeles National Forest, Caltrans said. The storm also brought arriving flights to LAX to a half late Friday night and into Saturday, airport officials said.

“We’re still recovering from the hour-and-a-half ground stop that the FAA issued last night that was affected by bad weather in Los Angeles,” spokeswoman Victoria Spilabotte said Saturday afternoon.

Between midnight and noon Saturday, 37 flights were canceled and another 182 flights were “on a major delay,” she said.

The storm also prompted power outages affecting North Hollywood, Crenshaw, Baldwin Hills, Jefferson Park and other areas, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said, with an estimated 66,500 customers without service as of 10 a.m. The agency said it could take up to 48 hours to respond and make repairs in some areas.

Low-elevation snow, blizzard conditions in California amid season’s coldest storm Arrest

The WashingTon PosT

It’s been a week of howling wind and bitter cold in California as winter storms have dropped into the region from the far north. The cold air set the stage for snow at unusually low elevations late in the week. Now, it is combining with an atmospheric river to bring blizzard conditions and possibly unprecedented snowfall to Southern California.

The latest powerful storm, steered by a lowpressure system rotating off the California coast, is taking direct aim at the coastal mountain ranges that run between Santa Barbara and San Diego counties. An atmospheric river could linger over the region for more than 24 hours into Saturday, piling up feet of mountain snow while dousing lower elevations with flooding rains.

The region rarely experiences snow of this magnitude, which is more typical of the Sierra Nevada, according to Alex Tardy, the warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego.

“This is not Lake Tahoe, this is not Mammoth [Lakes], and we’re not talking about a month of snow,” he said. “We’re talking about a three-day storm putting 5 to 6 feet at a location like Big Bear.”

Tardy noted that for Big Bear Lake, a popular weekend ski destination about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, it is possible “that these three- to four-day totals will exceed anything that we’ve recorded before.” He also called the flood risk for urban and rural areas “significant,” given how much rain was expected to fall in a short period.

By late Friday night, the Weather Service in

Los Angeles was warning of “life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams, burn scars, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.”

Up to 7 inches of rain had fallen in some parts of Los Angeles County, with more on the way.

nnn

An extremely rare blizzard warning is in effect until 4 p.m. Saturday for the mountains of Ventura, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. It is the first such warning issued by the National Weather Service in San Diego since that office was established in 1997, and the first since 1989 by the Los Angeles office.

Although local mountain peaks can experience isolated blizzard-like conditions, the events are rarely this treacherous.

“For us to issue a blizzard warning, meaning that conditions for the area are so bad that you need a warning – that just hasn’t happened before,” Tardy said.

Widespread heavy snow of 2 to 5 feet is forecast, with up to 8 feet possible at the highest elevations. Winds gusting between 55 and 80 mph will create whiteout visibilities.

“There will be very dan-

gerous conditions in our local mountains - we can’t emphasize that enough,” Joe Sirard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Los Angeles, said in an interview. “People don’t want to be on the roads in the mountains with this storm; you just have to hunker down and ride out the storm.”

Those dangers include a chance of avalanches in the area because of the combination of the heavy snow load and steep terrain.

nnn

With the coldest storm of the season, much of California saw snow at unusually low elevations –between 500 and 2,000 feet, and in some cases lower –overnight on Thursday and into Friday.

It coated the peaks above wine country, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the plunging coastline of Big Sur.

There were also heavy accumulations in locations that aren’t used to seeing as much, if any, snow, including Redding, the Napa Valley floor, and the Santa Cruz mountains, resulting in road closures and downed trees and power lines.

On Friday, the wintry weather closed Interstate 5, the main north-south corridor in California, at

a mountain pass known as “the Grapevine,” north of Los Angeles.

The snow line is expected to drop again Saturday on the back end of the storm as it exits Southern California.

nnn

The Sierra Nevada is receiving a healthy dose of new snow this week, particularly in the southern half of the range. The renewed storminess is welcome because the weather had turned quite dry since a succession of atmospheric rivers slammed the state in December and January. California will need additional rain and snow as the wet season draws to a close if it is going to continue to emerge from the drought – and not lose ground on the gains made so far this winter.

From Page A10

to jail logs.

On Jan. 3, Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies responded to the Vintage Park neighborhood and contacted the woman, 71, who said a man entered her garage and punched her in the face while she was sitting in her vehicle. The assailant then stole her purse, according to police.

Detectives who reviewed residential surveillance camera footage saw two people enter the woman’s garage while a third waited in a vehicle, authorities said.

Edwards is being held at Sacramento County Main Jail on suspicion of robbery and is ineligible for bail. His next court date is March 6. Wimberly is being held at Los Angeles County’s Men’s Central Jail, also on felony charges, with bail set at $100,000.

He will be moved to Sacramento County. The Sheriff’s Office said detectives believe Edwards and Wimberly may be responsible for other robberies and are seeking the public’s help in locating additional victims.

Detectives are asking anyone with information relating to this incident, to contact the office at 916-874-5115 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443HELP (4357).

Residents are reminded to be aware of their surroundings and watch for suspicious people/vehicles, especially when leaving places such as casinos, banks, jewelry stores and retail stores.

Authorities said people should avoid going home if they believe they are being followed and to call 911 whenever they feel they may be in danger.

We service all makes and models of RV motorhome, 5th Wheel and Trailer Chassis, brakes, lights, engine, HVAC, transmission, steering, axles, bearings, suspension, tires etc. We also repair and service all trucks from a pick up truck to a Class 8 Big Rig. Our team of Technician’s have over 150 years combined repair and diagnostic experience. We treat your vehicle like it is ours. There is no job too big or small, we invite them all. Give us a call to schedule an appointment or just stop by we always have coffee brewed and popcorn popped. We look forward to meeting you and providing you with excellent customer service. Mon.-Fri., 7:30AM-5:30PM Sat., 7:30AM-4:00PM

(707) 427-1386

Melina Mara/The Washington Post

As the sun rises, threatening clouds hover above a rare accumulation of snow in the mountains of the Los Padres National Forest in Big Sur, Thursday.

Are you getting enough sleep for your best heart health?

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

‘Dry January” is over, having evolved as a way of encouraging moderation after the holidays. Super Bowl Sunday may have killed off this year’s drive for abstinence. In Northern California, where we reside, wine culture drives economic, culinary and entertainment activities. Let us assess the impact of alcohol, including the good, the bad and the ugly.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 30% of traffic deaths are linked to drunken driving, defined as a blood alcohol level of 0.08 g/dl or higher. In California alone, we suffer 10,327 drunken driving deaths a year, and the annual national toll was 36,355 in 2019. Moreover, half of suicides are associated with alcohol and drug dependence, with figures reaching 70% in adolescents. Alcohol lowers inhibitions, due to sedative effects on the prefrontal cortex, increasing the risk of domestic violence and sexual assault.

On the other hand, I wish to comment on a recent article titled “Rheumatoid Arthritis – Common Origins, Divergent Mechanisms” (Ellen M. Gravallese, Gary S. Firestein, New England Journal of Medicine, Feb. 9, 2023), which mentions alcohol. With a worldwide prevalence of 0.5% to 1.0%, this joint-deforming condition may also impact overall cardiovascular and pulmonary health. A major risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is cigarette smoking. A “Mediterranean diet,” rich in n-3 fatty acids and fish oil, appears protective against RA, along with “alcohol consumption,” likely wine-based, given the Mediterranean context.

The “French paradox” (describing less heart disease despite higher smoking rates and fat-laden diet) may be similarly attributable to wine consumption. Red wines contain antioxidants, including the oft-discussed resveratrol. Inflammation, suppressed by antioxidants, may contribute to coronary occlusion events. Moderate

article “Surprising Ways Alcohol May be Good for You,” Jan. 28, 2023). Alcohol seems to elevate “good” (HDL) cholesterol levels.

The WebMD authors go off the rails a bit in suggesting that drinking “gets you more active,” makes you “more social” or gives a “boost” to your sex life. To point out the obvious, there are populations who eschew alcohol for various reasons, without any clear impairment in these categories. More plausible, however, is the suggestion that the diuretic effect of alcohol dilutes urine, diminishing the risk of kidney stones. Severe intoxication, however, can result in dehydration, increasing one’s kidney stone risk.

Some researchers posit a protective effect against strokes or Alzheimer’s disease with modest alcohol intake. Alcohol inhibits “gluconeogenesis,” the production of glucose by the liver while fasting. This may militate against diabetes while lowering hemoglobin A1C levels. Alcohol imbibers, however, may also develop pancreatitis, potentially undermining normal secretion of glucose-lowering insulin.

Alcoholic beverages cause weight gain, a hallmark of the “metabolic syndrome” associated with obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol levels and diabetes. Alcohol,

Stock

(IARC) as a Class I carcinogen. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites the following cancers as being associated with alcohol consumption: mouth and throat, larynx, esophagus, colon and rectum, liver, and breast.

The archaeological evidence for alcohol consumption among human beings dates to 7,000 years BCE. Fermented rice, honey and fruit were early concoctions. Today we recognize that genetic and environmental factors may predispose alcoholism. Research is ongoing. More than half of U.S. adults report drinking within the past month, according to some public health data, with 17% reporting binge drinking and 6% reporting chronic heavy consumption. Given the risks inherent to alcohol, I am reluctant to ever recommend consumption for previously abstinent individuals. The Greek physician Hippocrates (460 BC to 370 BC) admonished doctors: “Primum non nocere (First, do no harm).” I’ll drink to that.

Scott T. Anderson, M.D., Ph.D. (standerson@ucdavis.edu), is the medical director of Para Ti Global. This column is informational and does not constitute medical advice.

Getting a good night’s sleep is important. But exactly how much sleep do you need?

Recently, the American Heart Association added sleep to its checklist for improving and maintaining your heart health. Dr. Regis Fernandes, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, explains how many hours of sleep people need for optimal heart health.

When it comes to sleep, it turns out quantity is just as important as quality.

“The reason why is studies have shown if you sleep less than seven hours a day, you have a higher cardiovascular risk or a risk for heart disease or stroke,” says Dr. Fernandes.

Sleep was recently added to the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8, along with maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, staying physically active, eating a healthy diet, and controlling your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. Dr. Fernandes says there is an ideal number of hours your heart needs.

“The sweet spot is eight hours – minimum seven, maximum nine – but the sweet spot is right at eight,” says Dr. Fernandes.

That means eight hours of quality sleep.

“You have to turn off the TV and cellphones, make the room cool and dark, and avoid alcohol,” advises Dr. Fernandes.

Many people have trouble sleeping on occasion. However, if you experience ongoing sleep issues, it may be related to a treatable sleep disorder such as insomnia or sleep apnea. Be sure to work with your health care team.

Scott Anderson

Ask Dr. Scott

Natalia Bostan/Adobe

This week

THINGS TO DO

I Fairfield

8 p.m. Friday Solano Winds Community Concert Band: Student, Teacher, Master: The Legacy of Clifton Williams Downtown Theatre, 1035 Texas St. www. downtowntheatre.com

I Suisun City

Noon Sunday Andre Thierry Marina Lounge, 700 Main St., Suite 106. www. marinaloungesuisun.com

7 p.m. Wednesday Cultural Exchange Wednesdayz Marina Lounge, 700 Main St., Suite 106. www. marina loungesuisun.com

7 p.m. Thursday Karaoke Marina Lounge, 700 Main St., Suite 106. www. marinaloungesuisun.com

Music in the Museum guests to hear from famed violinist

Salsa Night featuring Cafe and The Latin Band Allstars Journey Downtown Theatre, 308 Main St. https://events.journey downtownvenue.com/

9 p.m. Saturday

Dueling Pianos:

Jason Marion & James Michael Day Makse Restaurant, 555 Main St. duelingpiano vacaville.com/events

I Benicia

2:30 p.m. Sunday Crossman Connection Duo

The Rellik, 726 First St.

www.therelliktavern.com

6 p.m. Sunday Poker Night

The Rellik, 726 First St. www.therelliktavern.com

7 p.m. Tuesday Open Mic Night The Rellik, 726 First St. www.therelliktavern.com

7 p.m. Wednesday Karaoke

The Rellik, 726 First St. www.therelliktavern.com

I Vallejo

3 p.m. Sunday

Fairy Tales Vallejo Symphony, 714-A Marin St. https:// vallejosymphony.org

5:30 p.m. Wednesday

Takezo Takeda & His Killer Band

Empress Theatre, 330 Virginia St. www. empresstheatre.org

1 p.m. Saturday

LJ Bryant Vino Godfather Winery, 1005 Walnut Ave. www. vinogodfather.com

2 p.m. Saturday

Gregory Popovich

Comedy Pet Theater

Empress Theatre, 330 Virginia St. www. empresstheatre.org

The Vacaville Museum returns with its Music in the Museum series, this time featuring Alina Solodovnikova-Adams, a renowned violinist. Solodovnikova-Adams will perform alongside a piano accompanist, Karine Vann. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. March 10 at the museum, 213 Buck Ave. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Solodovnikova-Adams’ passion lies not only in performing, but in making the world a more beautiful place note by note. She is both a teacher and a performer with more than 20 years of experience.

Solodovnikova-Adams began her first violin lessons at the age of 6 in her native country of Ukraine, learning from several

European masters while attending Leontovych Music College and Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University. She earned her master’s degree in teaching music, performing arts and choral conducting. She lives by the motto, “Always Learn.”

Before coming to America, SolodovnikovaAdams traveled all over the former Soviet Union as part of the Ukrainian State Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and Folk Group. She also performed and taught students privately, and even had a successful modeling career. After arriving in the U.S., she made a musical impact almost immediately, joining the Solano Symphony in 2002. She served there as an assistant concertmaster for more than 12 years before beginning with the Symphony Orchestra of Northern California, all while collabo-

rating with other orchestras. She is not only well-versed in live performances but has collaborated as a studio recording musician for different projects internationally.

Solodovnikova-Adams has traveled around the world serving as a faculty member and performing at international music festivals, bringing her passion for music, skills, knowledge and expertise between the different continents. She has taught internationally in Europe and Africa, sharing her musical gift with thousands and inspiring a new generation of music lovers.

Today she incorporates all her gifts and training to teach students of all ages music appreciation, performance, stage and life lessons. Her recently offered online classes are now popular across countries and continents.

Alina’s Music Studio will

celebrate its 20th anniversary serving Solano County in 2024. There are thousands of students across the U.S. and worldwide who have been influenced by her love of music. She launched another successful violin project in 2021 called “Empiriani,” where she performs solo as well as in collaboration with other musicians and artists.

The Vacaville Museum is a nonprofit, membership supported organization that is dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting Solano County history. Tickets are $35 per person, with limited availability. Call the museum at 707-447-4513 or visit their website at vacaville museum.org/events for tickets. For more information on future events, you can follow the museum on Instagram @ TheVacavilleMuseum.

FAIRFIELD — The legacy of American composer Clifton Williams will be celebrated Friday at the Downtown Theatre.

March 26 would have been his 100th birthday.

“The program gets underway with a concert march from Williams’ Symphonic Suite, a delightfully spry version of this classic band musical form. Solano Winds then turns to a beautiful composition from Williams’ teacher, Howard Hanson, of the Eastman School of Music, for ‘Dies Natalis,’ based on a timeless Lutheran chorale. The first half of the tribute concludes with the

three-movement work by Williams, ‘Trilogy for Band,’ ” organiz ers said in a statement.

The program begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $17; $13 for seniors and students. They may be purchased at nowinds.org or at the Downtown Theatre Box Office, 1035 Texas St. Williams was a music professor who left his mark on the wind band repertoire. He was a member of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity, as was Solano Winds saxophonist Robert Honeychurch, who will conduct “The Sinfonians.” W. Francis McBeth, one of

Williams’ students, was also a college professor and composer. Solano Winds will perform his work, “This Land of El Dorado,” which was commissioned by the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia chapter at California State University, Fullerton.

This is the 28th season for Solano Winds. It was formed in 1995 with Robert O. Briggs, director emeritus of the University of California Band, as conductor. The band has been under the musical direction of Bill Doherty since 2008.

The Jelly Belly Candy Company is sponsoring the performance.

all age groups.

“Some of the small businesses include artisans and crafters of candles, jewelry, handcrafted leather goods, crystals, home decor, clothing, accessories, soaps, ceramics, plants and dried floral. The event will also feature live music and a variety of food truck vendors,”

WILLIAMS See Heroes, Page B3

Courtesy photo

Alina Solodovnikova-Adams, a renowned violinist, will perform Friday at the Vacaville Museum in Vacaville.

‘Cocaine Bear,’ a drug smuggler, the very real story behind it all

The WAshingTon PosT

Andrew C. Thornton II, whose life was once filled with privilege and promise, decided that now was the time to parachute from a twin-engine plane in the dead of night to smuggle the $15 million worth of Colombian cocaine that was strapped to his body into the United States.

A Kentucky blue blood who had been a narcotics officer, Thornton thought he had found his calling as the leader of a local drugsmuggling ring. Now he was in the middle of his most ambitious drug run yet. But when Thornton opened his parachute too late on Sept. 11, 1985, the free fall from thousands of feet sent him crashing into a backyard in Knoxville, Tenn., instantly killing the 40-year-old, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, night-vision goggles and Gucci loafers.

Before Thornton fell from the sky and realized what author Sally Denton described as “the dark side of the American Dream” in an article for The Washington Post, another failure during his fatal mission would prove to have a much longer legacy. When Thornton was forced to dump about 200 pounds of cocaine by parachute over Georgia after realizing the load was too heavy for the aircraft, an American black bear got hold of one of the duffel bags of dispatched drugs and started eating the coke. Three months later, after authorities discovered that a 175-pound bear had died of what the coroner described as a stomach “literally packed to the brim with cocaine,” the animal was given a new name in popular culture: “Cocaine Bear.”

“The bear got to it before we could, and he tore the duffel bag open, got him some cocaine and OD’d,” Gary Garner, an official with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, said at the time, according to UPI.

Added Kenneth Alonso, the state’s chief medical examiner, who performed the autopsy, “There isn’t a mammal on the planet that could survive that.”

But a new movie inspired by the true events poses a counterfactual: What would have

happened if the bear had survived and gone on a bloody bender? “Cocaine Bear,” a dark comedy that premieres Friday in theaters nationwide, is a highly fictionalized account, in which the titular 500-pound American black bear eats a duffel bag of cocaine and goes on a killing rampage in Georgia, forcing tourists to band together to survive an apex predator hopped up on coke. The movie has been met with much anticipation from moviegoers after the trailer went viral late last year, racking up more than 16 million views on YouTube.

Jimmy Warden, who wrote the screenplay, told The Washington Post that while it was fun to reimagine the bear’s story, he was initially drawn to Thornton and the circumstances surrounding his death, which resulted in what the screenwriter described as “the perfect setup” for the film.

“Each thing I had read about Andrew Carter Thornton was more interesting than the last thing that I had read about him,” Warden said. “What I love about this story is how plausible the inciting incident is because it actually happened.”

Long before he turned to drug smuggling and made a bear very famous, Thornton lived the high life. Raised on a thoroughbred horse farm in Bourbon County, Ky., he

Arts group puts out call for artists for 25th Annual Art on the Vine

DAily r ePubliC sTAff

DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — The Fairfield-Suisun City Visual Arts Association is calling all artists for the 25th anniversary celebrat ing the arts.

Both days will feature fine art, wine tasting served by BackRoad Vines Winery, two live bands, a bocce tournament and food served by Mauricio's Brunch-in-a-Box.

Rodriguez High School will return with a booth to raise money for the student art program.

Art on the Vine will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 10-11 at the BackRoad Vines Winery, 2221 Julian Lane, Fair-

Heroes

From Page B1

organizers said in a statement. “Plus, you will be within walking distance of all the amazing shops, art galleries and restaurants

dropped out of college after one semester to join the Army, where he became a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C. Thornton, known to his loved ones as Drew, was later awarded a Purple Heart for his service during the U.S. invasion of the Dominican Republic in 1965, Denton wrote for The Post in 1985.

But Thornton’s life took a turn after he dropped out of college for a second time in 1966. When he joined the LexingtonFayette Urban County Police Department’s narcotics squad, an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration with whom he had worked told Denton, he was a “paramilitary-type personality” in the mold of James Bond, “an adventurer driven by adrenaline rushes.”

Thornton’s shift to smuggling drugs began when he became increasingly paranoid and resigned from the police department in 1977 to join a smuggling ring in Kentucky. The ring was linked to a larger group called “The Company,” a syndicate running drugs and guns that authorities estimated in 1980 had more than 300 members and $26 million worth of boats and planes.

Betty Zairing, Thornton’s ex-wife, said at that time that Thornton “believed he was an ‘impeccable warrior,’” a term penned by mystical

author Carlos Castaneda.

“He was a philosophical, incredibly disciplined, extremely spiritual and loyal warrior, with his own code of ethics, who thrived on excitement,” Zairing told Denton, author of a 1990 book about Thornton, “The Bluegrass Conspiracy.”

In 1981, Thornton was among the 25 people accused of stealing weapons from the China Lake Naval Weapons Center, and conspiring to smuggle 1,000 pounds of marijuana into the United States to be traded for drugs in Colombia, reported the Associated Press. The felony charges against Thornton were dropped after he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor drug charge, and he was sentenced to six months in prison.

Then, on Sept. 9, 1985, Thornton hopped on a plane to Montería, Colombia, for the smuggling mission of his life. Bill Leonard, his karate instructor-turnedbodyguard, later told the Knoxville News Sentinel that Thornton had lied to him about flying to the Bahamas when they were actually picking up 400 kilograms of cocaine to smuggle into the United States.

After they were forced to dump hundreds of pounds of cocaine to lighten the plane’s load, Leonard said Thornton spoke a few words to him before they reluctantly

parachuted out of the plane: “Just do what I tell you, and I’ll get you out.”

About 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 11, 1985, Fred Myers got up to shave at his home in Knoxville when he looked out his window and saw a body tangled up in a parachute. When Thornton was found with a broken neck after his parachute did not open, he had on him $4,500 in cash, two pistols, two knives, ropes, food and more than 70 pounds of cocaine, according to police.

“I’ve never had a landing in my backyard before,” Myers, then an 85-year-old retired engineer, told UPI. “He was dead.”

Leonard survived the landing and took a cab to meet up with Thornton’s girlfriend, as Thornton had told him to do. Leonard was never charged with a crime, according to the Associated Press.

But new questions arose months later, in December 1985, when a three-sentence item in the New York Times reported that an American black bear in Georgia had overdosed on cocaine from Thornton’s botched drug drop.

Alonso, Georgia’s chief medical examiner, told reporters the bear was found “in a very badly decomposed state” at ChattahoocheeOconee National Forest, surrounded by several plastic bags that authorities estimated had held about 75 pounds of cocaine.

“There’s nothing

left but bones and a big hide,” GBI’s Garner said of the bear.

Alonso told UPI that the bear, which was about 3 or 4 years old, probably died within 30 to 45 minutes from acute cocaine intoxication, noting that the animal had suffered cerebral hemorrhaging, respiratory failure, hyperthermia, renal failure, heart failure and stroke.

“The bear ingested substantial quantities of cocaine,” Alonso said, suggesting to the Associated Press that the bear did not come close to eating all 75 pounds of the drug that were in the area. “It probably ingested two, three or four grams of cocaine. It could have been more.”

Since then, the bear and the man linked forever by cocaine are remembered differently. The Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall in Lexington alleges that a taxidermized bear on display is the same one known as “Cocaine Bear” or “Pablo Escobear.” The mall claimed in a 2015 blog post that the stuffed bear was once owned by country music star Waylon Jennings before it became a spectacle for shoppers. But the manager for Shooter Jennings, Waylon’s son, debunked the claim last December, telling WAVE in Louisville that “Waylon Jennings never owned a taxidermy bear of any kind.”

As for Thornton, he’s become almost an afterthought in his own story. Warden told The Post that the man ultimately responsible for “Cocaine Bear” is not featured after the first 10 minutes of the new movie. While Thornton’s loved ones guessed that he would have been proud of his infamous end –“He would have loved the concept of the warriors who fall from the sky,” his ex-wife told The Post in 1985 – others didn’t pay much mind to what Thornton might have thought in his final moments.

“I’m glad his parachute didn’t open,” Brian Leighton, an assistant U.S. attorney in Fresno who once prosecuted him on the marijuana trafficking charge, told the AP at the time. “I hope he got a hell of a high out of that [cocaine].”

Paisley drops new song featuring Zelenskyy

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Marking one year since Russia started a war with Ukraine, country singer Brad Paisley released “Same Here,” a new song featuring a sound bite from a conversation he had with Ukraine’s President

own kind of football team that lets him down every year/ A wife he loves and a bunch of dreams for his country he holds so dear/ He prays for peace and freedom/ Same here,” Paisley sings.

Susan Hiland/DR file (2021) Art on the vine returns June 10-11 to Backroad vines Winery in suisun valley.

field. The event is open to all fine artists. Register online at www. fvaa-arts.org. No outside food or beverages will be permitted. Admission and parking are free.

For more information, call Dennis Ariza at 707-688-8889.

along First Street. “Bring out your family and friends to beautiful downtown Benicia for an amazing day out.”

The park is located at 150 Military West.

For more information, go to https:// tockify.com/visitbenicia/ detail/120/1677952800000

“On this one year anniversary of the invasion, I’m reminded of the ways we are all so similar,” Paisley, 50, wrote Thursday on Instagram. “Here is the first song available from my new project. This is ‘Same Here’. Featuring Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy.”

Paisley’s first song since 2021 is an acoustic guitar ballad that references universal themes, including traffic, “leftcoast cliches” and bars “where you buy each other beers and solve all the world’s problems.” But it also includes a verse referring to Ukraine’s comedian-turnedleader and the plight of his people.

“I’ve got a friend across the ocean/ Seems like a million miles away/ He says our worlds are very different/ Yeah, that’s true but I gotta say/ He’s got his

The three-time Grammy Award winner closes the song with audio from a video call he had with Zelenskyy, asking him how to say “same here” in Ukrainian, which is closely related to Russian: It’s “ те ж саме (te zh same),” the globe-trotting politician replies.

“We speak different languages in our life,” Zelenskyy says on the call. “But I think we appreciate [the] same things: children, freedom, our flag, our soldiers, our people.

“There is no distance between our two countries in such values,” he adds.

Paisley told the Associated Press that he believes Zelenskyy “understands that art is how you reach the most people, especially in the heart.” As one of the celebrity ambassadors for Ukraine’s United24 crowdfund-

ing effort, the “Whiskey Lullaby” and “She’s Everything” singer plans to donate his royalties for the song to build housing for displaced Ukrainians.

Paisley wrote “Same Here” with Lee Thomas

Miller and Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith. The song is on Paisley’s upcoming album “Son of the Mountains,” which he said in a separate video he had been “quietly working on” for the past year.

Universal Pictures

This scene from “Cocaine Bear” didn’t actually happen, but the event that inspired it did.

Mormon Church, investment arm to pay $5 million to resolve SEC case

The WashingTon PosT

Federal regulators on Tuesday announced charges against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its nonprofit investment arm, alleging they took measures to conceal the size of the church’s considerable investments, including creating shell companies with phony office addresses.

The church and Ensign Peak Advisors will collectively pay $5 million to resolve the allegations, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The agency said the church’s equity investments were valued at about $32 billion in 2018, though a former church investment manager alleged in a 2019 complaint to the IRS that the church had amassed $100 billion in total holdings, including stocks, bonds and cash.

Ensign Peak, which is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - commonly known as the Mormon Church - allegedly failed to disclose the size of its total equity holdings, as the SEC requires of all large U.S. investment firms. Instead, the agency said, Ensign Peak created 13 shell companies

with approval from the church and divided its investment dis closure forms among them. The shell companies were controlled by Ensign and the forms were signed by managers who mostly worked for the church.

“We allege that the LDS Church’s investment manager, with the Church’s knowl edge, went to great lengths to avoid disclosing the Church’s investments, depriving the Commission and the investing public of accurate market infor mation,” Gurbir S. Grewal, the SEC’s enforcement director, said in a statement.

Despite documenting over 20 years of efforts to conceal information, the SEC stopped short of describing the church’s activities as fraud, and decided to impose a relatively small civil penalty relative to the size of the church’s resources, said Jacob S. Frenkel, a former senior counsel in the SEC’s division of enforcement.

“They are showing institutional respect for the church,” Frenkel said. “If this had been a private institution, the monetary penalty would have much larger.”

The church confirmed the

settlement in its own statement Tuesday, saying that it regrets “mistakes made” and that it was acting on legal advice on how to “comply with its reporting obligations while attempting to maintain the privacy of the portfolio.” Ensign Peak revised its reporting process after it heard from the SEC in 2019 and, since then, has disclosed its investments in a single, quarterly report, the statement said.

The settlement follows the

efforts by a whistleblower, former Ensign Peak investment manager David A. Nielsen, to hold the church accountable for how it uses its member donations. In an explosive whistleblower complaint with the he alleged that the church’s stockpiling of $100 billion in funds, rather than using them for charitable purposes, could be a violation of tax rules. Mormons are asked to give 10 percent of their income to the church, and Nielsen claimed a large portion of these tithings are managed by Ensign Peak investors.

The allegations spurred criticism that the church hoarded money while demanding contributions from struggling families. Others have viewed the church’s fortune as the result of prudent financial management – including Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who said he was pleased that his church had “not only saved for a rainy day, but for a rainy decade.”

At the time, the church leadership said the complaint was “based on a narrow perspective and limited information.”

After lodging the complaint with the IRS, Nielsen also filed a whistleblower complaint with

the SEC, his lawyer, Michael Sullivan, said in an interview earlier this month. If Nielsen’s information was critical to the SEC’s enforcement action, he may stand to collect up to $1.5 million, or 30 percent of the civil penalties the agency collects. Sullivan confirmed Nielsen could receive an award from the SEC but did not say how much.

Securities experts said the type of disclosure in question, called 13F, is designed to give stock market participants transparency about who owns stocks.

Henry T. C. Hu, a corporate and securities law professor at the University of Texas law school, said the amount of information that needs to be disclosed on the forms is fairly minimal, consisting of a list of the securities owned and the types, along with a few other details. Trying to disguise assets by attributing them to multiple shell companies seems like an obvious violation of the rules, Hu said.

“What the law requires is so clear that I am genuinely surprised that anyone would do this,” he said.

Wikipedia Commons

The Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Tell your children that you want to see them more often

Dear Annie: I don’t have a question for you so much as a comment and suggestion for many of your readers with grown kids who don’t visit them. I read your column, and often there is some form of “I’m hurt that my adult children don’t call me or visit me.” But never in any of them do I see that they’ve had an open talk with their kids, human to human rather than parent to child. They seem to just expect it of them but never request or let their kids know that they miss them.

I just want to let them know that it’s OK to tell your kids,

“I’d really like it if you tried to visit more because I miss seeing you.” Or even let their guard down and flatout say, “You know, I’m actually kind of lonely; can we try to arrange a regular visit every other week?”

We all get caught up in just making it through each day, which quickly becomes making it through each week, and, before we know it, it’s already the middle of the month! I don’t personally lead a very busy life compared to others my age (older millennial), but even I find time slipping through my hands.

Horoscopes

by Holiday Mathis

Today’s birthday

This year is a party on the rooftop of life. Closer to heaven, your perspective lends a sense of power, confidence and unlimited headroom. Truly, you can shoot for the stars. More highlights: dancing with wonderful partners, savvy changeups on the domestic front and reasons for family to brag about you. Taurus and Leo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 5, 23, 4 and 28.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Ultimately, what inspires and motivates you the most isn’t other people – it’s you, taking action. So go. Go without direction. Go knowing you might spend your energy weirdly. Just go. The movement makes the way.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Objectivity is hard for you to achieve today, but you can trust other people to tell you their honest impressions and give you a sense of how things look from the outside.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Even though you know where you’re headed, there will be distractions that make you doubt you’ve chosen the right destination. You have. If you switch it up now, you’ll lose your place. Keep your eye on the same prize and keep going.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). An opportunity is coming, so get ready for it. Brush up on the rules, re-familiarize yourself with the systems, make sure you remember everyone’s name. And most importantly, know who is in your corner.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ll think strong, happy thoughts and be stronger and happier in yourself. What’s more important than achieving your goal is understanding what your body, mind and soul really need to be at their best.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Happiness is setting expectations based on things you can control. You have standards for the way you want to behave and for your own performance. It will be exciting to be able to meet and exceed them today.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The people you love will trigger all kinds of responses from you. The reason they do this so effectively is that they are the people you love. To care is to be open to the good, bad and everything in between.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). It may feel as though your destiny is chiseled in stone. The stone itself once felt this exact same way before it was worn down to sand on a beach where names and words get written and erased with each lapping wave.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Your imagination is ablaze with the fuel of recent inspiration. Your resources will increase as you ask for help. You might even create a scenario that will do the impossible: make everyone happy at once.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Go on and write the letter you will never send. It will dispel your anxiety in constructive ways. You’ll retain your emotional balance without upsetting the delicate political balance that animates every social situation.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’ll get valuable information from someone who speaks with confidence and has plenty of pertinent knowledge to share. Don’t let that be the last of your research. The best nuggets will come from a quiet, thoughtful type.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ll express yourself with clarity and charisma today, and you have the potential to influence people, too. To take advantage of your special power today, it helps to know what you want.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Two decades after his passing, Johnny Cash remains a revered, celebrated and widely imitated musical influence. The legendary Pisces is another example of an old soul who found his calling early in life. The “Man in Black” began singing as a small boy on his family’s cotton farm. Sun, Mercury and Mars were all in Pisces at Cash’s time of birth, and lucky Jupiter was in entertaining Leo.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com

Most don’t mean to ignore their parents (or siblings or anyone who isn’t in their daily path).

Remember that communication goes both ways. Call them, ask if they’d be up to have dinner next Thursday. My generation isn’t fond of drop-in visits, I’ll admit. Be open, be direct, be vulnerable. It’s OK! I know it can be difficult for some, but it’s better than waiting by a quiet phone. — I’m the Daughter

Dear Daughter: Honesty is always a great way to strengthen a relationship. And as an adult, asking your parent to put you on an equal footing makes sense – to see you as an adult and not as a little girl.

FOR YOUR HEALTH

Remember that might be difficult for them, but being honest and vulnerable with them is a great way to deepen your relationship.

Dear Annie: I want to address the person who is “missing the old days” before cellphones and complaining of parents not giving their kids their undivided attention.

Parents never did. And that’s OK. When I was a kid (long before the internet and cellphones), my parents (who were fantastic parents) were not paying attention to us 100% of the time. Dad would be reading the newspaper or watching golf on TV. Mom would be reading a book or watching a movie. As

a small child, I might be coloring nearby. As an older child, I was often in my room reading a book. In the “old days,” people found plenty of ways to divide their attention. And that’s OK. Parents need an outlet, too. — Let Them Parent as They See Fit

Dear See Fit: Thank you for your letter. I hope it allows more parents who are busy to feel less pressure to always be “on” for their kids.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@ creators.com

cancer prevention

Dr. A ntr A M AhAlDAr FOR THE DAILY REPUBLIC

Love involves creating everlasting bonds with those close to us. Being proactive in cancer prevention is a way to show love to oneself and those around us.

February marks the celebration of Valentine’s Day, but it is also recognized as National Cancer Prevention Month. To ensure a long and fulfilling life for yourself and those you care about, let’s discuss steps to help reduce your cancer risk.

The World Health Organization states 30% to 50% of cancers are preventable. Your lifestyle plays a crucial role in determining your cancer risk. A healthy lifestyle can reduce the likelihood of developing cancer.

Here are essential cancer prevention tips:

n Maintain a healthy weight: Being overweight increases your risk for certain cancers, including uterine, colorectal and post-menopausal breast cancer.

n Exercise regularly: Staying physically active can reduce your risk of developing cancer. You can walk, dance, do yoga, swim or ride a bike, and invite friends or family to join you.

Aim to do at least 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity and include muscle-strengthening exercises at

least twice a week.

n Adopt a healthy diet: A diet rich in vegetables and fruits is an effective way to lower your cancer risk. Fill two-thirds of your plate with vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and the remaining third with lean animal protein (such as fish or poultry) or plant-based protein (such as beans and legumes). Limit red meat and processed meats. Avoid sugary drinks, sweets and calorie-dense foods. Vitamin and dietary supplements have not been shown to prevent cancer.

n Avoid tobacco: Tobacco use increases the risk of developing cancer in every part of the body. There are many resources available to help you quit smoking. Talk to your doctor. Vaping is not a recommended alternative to smoking.

n Restrict your alcohol intake: To minimize your cancer risk, it is best not to drink alcohol at all as it is linked to several types of cancer, including breast, colorectal and liver cancer.

n Protect yourself from UV rays: Limit your exposure to UV rays from the sun and tanning beds. Wearing sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher, seeking shade and covering your skin can help prevent skin cancer.

n Consider getting vaccinated: The HPV vaccine can protect against the virus that can cause cervical cancer. It is recommended for both males and

females between the ages of 9 and 26. If you are between the ages of 27 and 45 and have not been vaccinated for HPV, ask your doctor about getting the vaccine. Children and adults should be vaccinated against hepatitis B to reduce liver cancer risk.

n Stay up to date with screenings: Screenings for breast, colorectal, cervix, skin and lung cancers are available and effective. These screenings can help detect cancer early, which is when it is more treatable. Your doctor can recommend the right screening exams for you based on your age, gender and risk factors. It is important to be proactive and have any symptoms checked promptly.

n Understand your familial medical history: Around 5% to 10% of cancers are genetic. Discuss your family’s medical history with your doctor to determine your personal risk.

“Yesterday is gone, tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today, let us begin” – Mother Theresa’s words of wisdom inspire us to take action. This National Cancer Prevention Month, learn about your risks and be proactive. It could save your life and the life of someone you love.

Antra Mahaldar, M.D., is an oncologist at Vacaville Medical Center with Kaiser Permanente Napa Solano, a partner of Solano Public Health.

Adobe Stock

Staying physically active can reduce your risk of developing cancer.

Vanden boys fall in section championship

SACRAMENTO — The Vanden High School boys basketball team had a lot of previous luck at the Golden 1 Center, having won back-to-back titles, but the three-peat was not to be.

The Vikings fell 66-61 to Sacramento High in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championship game Saturday at the home of the Sacramento Kings.

The Dragons pulled away with a 22-14 run in

the fourth quarter that put away what had otherwise been a very tight game. The Vikings are now 22-10 and will await Sunday’s announcement of where they will be next week for the NorCal regional playoffs.

“We can cry and hug our moms, but we have to move on now,” Vanden head coach Micheal Holloway said. “You can’t win them all. Sometimes basketball can be a very humbling game.”

Vanden trailed

19-13 after the first quarter but closed it to a 32-30 deficit with a 17-12 run in the period.

E’Jay Rogers hit a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter and Vanden went on a 17-12 run to grab the 47-44 lead heading into the final period.

Sacramento had a strong start to the final period with a 12-2 run for a 56-49 lead with 4:33 to play. Eric Dennis made a basket and a following free throw on a three-point play. Sacramento had a

technical foul on the court and Vanden’s Sterling McClanahan hit a pair of free throws and followed it up with a layup to bring the game back to a 56-56 tie.

Sir Marius Jones and Landon Minnifield, however, hit back-toback 3-pointers and the Dragons with two minutes to go were right back in the driver’s seat en route to the victory.

Vanden cut it to three, 64-61, when Rogers converted a three-point play with 17 seconds to play.

Vanden High girls hit their shots late to earn second straight title

M att Miller

MMILLER@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

SACRAMENTO —

Jake Johnson often says his Vanden High School girls basketball team can’t “throw it in the lake” when the shots aren’t falling. In the first half of Saturday’s Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship game, that lake was the two baskets at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. But persistence paid off in a red-hot scoring barrage from long range in the fourth quarter that propelled Vanden to a 62-42 victory and the title.

For Johnson and his co-head coach and wife Allison, it was the fifth section title in the couples’ 19 seasons of coaching at Vanden. This group of upperclassman was also able to enjoy back-toback championships after beating the same Lincoln program by 40 points in last season’s championships game.

“That’s how we play,” Jake Johnson said. “We always focus on the end result and don’t worry about shooting percentage. We don’t care if we end up missing 12, 13 in a row as long as we are good

in the end.”

The Vikings were very good in the end.

Jakayla Gilmer opened the fourth quarter by hitting a pair of 3-pointers from the corner.

Alyssa Jackson, Gilmer and Calonni Holloway followed with three more to up the lead to 54-36 with 4:11 to play. At that point, the Vikings went inside to Gabby Wright who scored six of the final eight points.

“Coach told me to shoot in the locker room at halftime,” Gilmer said. “I just went out and put the ball in the basket.” Jackson led Vanden

But Shabol Barksdale hit a driving layup for Sacramento with 10 seconds left and the final 66-61 lead.

“They made the big shots and that gave them the momentum,” Holloway said.

Jones and Kendall Hearne both had 17 points for the Dragons. Minnifield added 16. Sacramento heads to NorCals with a 25-7 record.

Rogers stepped up big time for the Vikings with a game-high 21 points.

McClanahan finished

with 14 and Dennis had 10. Jayden Robinson finished with nine and had 11 rebounds.

Vanden was 22 of 62 from the field (35.5%) and 6 of 21 from 3s (28.6%). Sacramento simply had a better shooting night, hitting 26 of 51 (51%).

“It’s really tough knowing that we have to accept this outcome,” Robinson said. “We played without our leading scorer and rebounder (Tyler Thompson) and tried to pick each other up.”

‘Heeee’s got the bucket!’: G-Man Gary Gerould to call 3,000th Kings game Sunday

Joe DaviDson THE SACRAMENTO BEE

Gary Gerould’s first Kings game was in the fall of 1985. He never saw it coming, then seized the opportunity and never let it go.

His radio play-by-play detail and excitement was palpable then, the man who goes by “G-Man” recalled, because Sacramento finally landed a piece of the big time: An NBA team in the state capital.

On Sunday, with the Kings playing in Oklahoma City, Gerould will call his 3,000th Kings game on the radio, a regional treasure that keeps on giving.

“I’m semi-excited about this,” Gerould said. “OK, I’m really excited. It’s just so cool. I feel so fortunate to still be doing this. I signed game balls for my 1,000th and 2000th game, and here I am in my 38th year, still loving it, and I get to do my 3,000th. Pretty cool.”

man Greg Van Dusen, who died Tuesday at the age of 72.

Van Dusen urged then-Kings general manager Joe Axelson to give a listen. But listen to what? Gerould had no tapes. So he was tasked to do a mock broadcast of a Kansas City game in Los Angeles and then Oakland at the end of the 1984-85 season. It was a primitive, bare-bones adventure. He had no headphones, no television monitors, no stats, no live audience. It was a tape and a prayer.

Gerould for those games was joined by his son Bobby, then a 17-year old Kennedy High School student, who provided statistics and tidbits. They pulled it off, and they laughed on the way back home to Sacramento, wondering if it would pan out.

with 15 points. Wright scored 14 and Holloway added 10. Wright made it a double-double with 11 rebounds.

The Vikings improved to 26-7 overall and will learn Sunday where they will open the Northern California regional playoffs.

“Putting the ball in the basket is obviously a little more advantageous for us to be successful,”

Allison Johnson said with a straight face. “That first half was pretty ugly. The second half was tremendous. We know we

Also cool is how Gerould landed the gig in the first place. He was a veteran sports media figure long before the Kings arrived from Kansas City, but he hadn’t done any basketball playby-play in 15 years. Still, he had the backing of then-Kings front-office

Axelson listened to those tapes as he drove from Kansas City to Sacramento to meet with Sacramento officials. He liked what he heard. Gerould got the gig, beating out a field of some 100 candidates for the job, including others who were already calling NBA action in some form. The Kings wanted a local guy to call the games, a

Guide to MLB’s 2023 rule changes: What to expect in baseball’s lively new era

M att k awahara SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

Timo Meier

play another game for the San Jose Sharks

Curtis Pashelka

BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

SAN JOSE Timo

Meier will not play Saturday when the San Jose Sharks host the Chicago Blackhawks, and it’s fair to wonder whether the 26-year-old forward has competed in his last game for the organization.

Meier, the NHL’s most talked about player prior to March 3 trade deadline, skated Saturday morning as he continued to work his way back from what’s been described as an upper-body injury, which has now kept him out for three straight games. The Sharks play two more times next week before the deadline, as they host the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday and the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.

With so much at stake for the Sharks, who need to maximize their return for Meier if he does get traded, it makes almost no

sense for them to play him between now and Friday. His injury hasn’t been described as serious, but if Meier re-aggravates the injury in some way or gets hurt in another fashion, that could jeopardize any trade prior to Friday.

Sharks coach David Quinn said Saturday that he and general

manager Mike Grier have not had a conversation yet about sitting Meier since he hasn’t been healthy enough to play. But that could change if Meier feels better.

“We’ll see how he feels,” later today, Quinn said Saturday morning, “and then I’m sure we’ll have discussions after that

regarding those situations. I coach the team and obviously Mike and I talk every day but I leave all of that up to him.”

Meier’s been connected to a handful of NHL teams in trade rumors, with the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes at the forefront of that speculation. Other teams that reportedly have interest in Meier include the Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic tweeted Saturday morning that trade talks were “heating up” between the Sharks and a narrowing list of potential suitors, as San Jose’s front office decides how it wants to proceed.

Meier, a pending restricted free agent, said Saturday he would be open to re-signing with the Sharks long-term, but

Major League Baseball has introduced a series of rules this year, starting with the spring training schedule that began Friday. The rule changes were approved for MLB after trials in the minor leagues, where they had a significant effect on the pace of games and onfield action. Here’s a look at the 2023 rule changes:

Pitch timer

The rule: Pitchers have 15 seconds to throw a pitch with the bases empty and 20 seconds with a runner on base. The timer starts when the pitcher has the ball, the catcher and the hitter are in the dirt near home plate and play can resume. The hitter will need to be in the batter’s box and “alert to the pitcher” with eight seconds left on the clock. The catcher must be in the catcher’s box with nine seconds left.

Violations: The pitcher must begin his delivery (a backward or sideways step in the windup or

lift of the front leg in the stretch) before the timer reaches zero. If he doesn’t, the result is an automatic ball. If a batter is not in the box and alert with eight seconds left on the timer, the result is an automatic strike.

Why: Pace of play. In the minors in 2022, the pitch timer reduced average nine-inning game time by 25 minutes, per MLB, without significantly affecting metrics like runs per game, home run rate or batting average. The average MLB game lasted 3 hours, 7 minutes in 2022, and longer in 2021, per the league.

What you’ll notice: All stadiums will have two pitch clocks behind home plate and two more beyond the center-field wall on either side of the batter’s eye. Umpires will wear a device that buzzes when the timer reaches zero. Any umpire can call a timer violation, not just the home-plate umpire.

The umpire will be able to signal to stop or restart the timer for situations like an injury or

Why

probably shouldn’t

Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group file (2022) San Jose Sharks’ Timo Meier (28) waits for a face-off against the Los Angeles Kings during their preseason game at the SAP Center in San Jose, Sept. 25, 2022.

Matt Miller/Daily Republic

The Vanden High School girls basketball team celebrates at center court at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento after winning the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championship. Vanden earned a 62-42 win over Lincoln for the title.

See Girls, Page B8

Sunday’s TV sports

College Men • Illinois at Ohio State,

familiar face. He’s become the familiar voice, and he’s remained a fixed star, plowing through more lean seasons than playoff ones, but still describing the action.

Gerould said he is still as enthusiastic, as prepared and as grateful as he was in the 1980s, and that included perhaps the most exhausting game he’s called in some time, if ever. The Kings on Friday night beat the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175 in double overtime, the second highest-scoring game in NBA history. Gerould called the

action as if it was a pageturning drama, laced with a few of his trademark, “Oh, my!” mentions.

Gerould hopes to be calling playoff action come April, the first time since 2006. He said he’s impressed with how first-year coach Mike Brown has injected new life into the franchise and how the players have responded.

“It’s the first time since the Rick Adelman days that you’re legitimately good enough to win every game, and that’s so big,” Gerould said. “It’s big for everybody involved. There’s no guarantee that the playoff drought is over, but we’ve got a shot. We have a great shot.”

a baserunner returning to his base after a foul ball. Pitchers will be required to come to a full stop when pitching from the stretch (i.e., no rocking or bouncing of the front leg), so it’s possible more balks will be called.

What to watch for: How quickly pitchers (and hitters) can adjust to arguably MLB’s biggest rule change in decades. In the minors last season, per MLB, there was an average of 1.73 pitch-clock violations per game in Week 2, when the change was still fresh, but that dropped to 0.73 per game by Week 5.

Pickoffs, step-offs

The rule: Pitchers will be allowed to disengage from the pitching rubber –a pickoff or step-off – twice per place appearance. If a runner on base advances during the plate appearance, that count resets. A timeout called by the defense also counts as a “disengagement,” with exceptions like a mound visit or injury. The pitch timer restarts after a disengagement.

Violations: If the pitcher steps off a third time, he’ll be charged with a balk unless a runner on base advances safely or an out is made on the resulting play.

Why: Because each step-off renews the pitch clock, a pitcher might use

it simply to restart the timer. On the flip side, each hitter is allowed one timeout per plate appearance and will be charged with a strike if he asks for a second.

What you’ll notice: Fewer pickoffs and stepoffs simply to keep a runner close or to allow the pitcher to clear his head before making a pitch. Also, it’s expected this rule will lead to more stolen-base attempts, something MLB says its fans have expressed interest in seeing.

MLB teams averaged 0.51 steals per game in 2022 and just 0.46 steals per game in 2021, the lowest rate since the early 1970s. The idea: More action on the basepaths could make for more exciting game play.

What to watch for: Baserunning strategies. Will speedy runners try to force the issue with bigger leads and more stolen-base tries? Will teams put more of a priority on speed? MLB hasn’t seen a player with at least 50 steals in a season since 2017. Will that change?

Shift restrictions

The rule: All four infielders must have both feet within the outer edge of the infield dirt when the pitch is thrown, with two infielders on either side of second base. Infielders may not switch sides mid-inning, unless there’s a substitution, but can change positions between innings.

Violations: The penalty for a violation is an automatic ball. But if the pitch on which the violation occurs results in the batter reaching base and all other runners advancing at least one base, that play stands. If the pitch results in any other outcome –like a sacrifice bunt – the hitting team can choose to accept the penalty (an automatic ball) or decline it and allow the play (the bunt in this case) to stand.

Why: MLB-wide batting average in 2022 was .243, the lowest since 1968, and many trace that in part to a rise of defensive shifts, especially against lefthanded hitters and aided by analytics that helped teams position their infielders with precision. Doing away with extreme shifts is expected to lead to more base hits and action on the basepaths.

What you’ll notice: It became common for many left-handed batters to hit with three infielders to the right side of second base, with one positioned in shallow right field. That won’t be allowed anymore. A sharp groundball up the middle, or in the hole between the first and second basemen, often became a routine out in recent years but now should have a better chance of being a hit.

What to watch for: How teams on defense try to get around the restrictions. It’s no longer allowed for a team to position an infielder as a fourth outfielder. But say there’s a pull-heavy left-hander

up – might the defense move its left fielder into shallow right and leave the entire left-field corner open? Expect to see some creativity.

Bigger bases

The rule: Bases will be 18-by-18 inches, an increase from 15-by-15 inches.

Why: MLB hopes bigger bases will reduce the potential for injuries resulting from collisions around the bag.

What you’ll notice: Probably not much. Distances between first and second base, and second and third base, will be 4.5 inches shorter. It’s possible that could encourage teams toward more stolenbase attempts, combined with the pickoff rules. First and third are now 3 inches closer to the plate.

Odds and ends

The rules: This isn’t a new one, but the extrainnings “ghost runner” rule – starting extra innings with a runner on second base – is now permanent for regular-season games. MLB introduced the rule in 2020 amid the pandemic-shortened season.

Also, there will be fewer situations in 2023 in which a position player can pitch. Teams trailing by eight or more runs can use a position player to pitch anytime. But the team ahead can do so only if up by 10 or more runs in the ninth inning. In extra innings, position players can pitch at any time.

As Giants, A’s open Cactus League play, how MLB’s new pitch timer will be enforced

John Shea SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

It’s San Francisco, so it’s windy. Dust gets in the batter’s eye. He can’t see. He steps out of the box. Major League Baseball’s new pitch counter has expired, but it’s not the pitcher’s fault.

Violation? Automatic strike? You make the call, Mr. Umpire.

“The umpires are going to have to use their judgment,” said former San Francisco Giants pitcher Martinez, who knows firsthand how the Oracle Park conditions can be challenging. “If they feel it’s a viable reason to wave it off and get a new clock, they’ll be able to do that. They have total discretion to stop and reset the clock.

“So if there’s a huge wind gust and dust is kicking up and getting into everyone’s eyes, yeah, that’s definitely a reason to reset the clock. But if players try to use it as an excuse, I think umpires will be less likely to grant time in those cases.”

Martinez, MLB’s vice president of on-field strategy, along with fellow executives Morgan Sword, Michael Hill and Reed MacPhail, have had a hand in educating teams – and umpires – about the new rules including the pitch counter.

Spring training exhibitions for the Giants and Oakland Athletics began this weekend, and umpires have been told not to ease into enforcing the rule changes. Be strict. Don’t be afraid to call violations. Set a precedent now for how the rules must be followed all season.

“There is going to be an adjustment period,” said Sword, executive VP of baseball operations. “We have instructed our umpires and FTCs (fielding time coordinators) that we are full go on Day 1 of spring training. They’ll begin calling violations and strictly following the rules and regulations we set forward. As a result, we expect to see a lot of violations in the early part of spring training.”

The new world order calls for a ban on shifts, limited pickoff attempts and bigger bases, but the clock – 15 seconds for the pitcher to throw the ball with nobody on base, 20 seconds with baserunners – is the most significant change in a sport that has been played at its own pace for far more than a century.

Like it or not, it’s here and won’t be ignored by umpires, who will have final say on all new rules with the ultimate authority in the hands of the plate umpire.

It’s a lot to put on the four-man crew, but MLB is implementing more technology to make it easier to

realize when the clock strikes zero.

Umpires will wear a watch-like device on their wrist (or forearm or ankle) that will buzz once the clock expires. That way, they won’t need to keep an eye on any of the new clocks installed behind the plate and beyond the outfield.

The device is called ClockCom, provided by the same company that brought us PitchCom last season, the device catchers wear to relay signs to pitchers.

The plate ump will have more gadgetry, including a Riedel belt pack along with an ear piece and microphone that was used last season when he went on the PA system to reveal replay review decisions.

Now, it will allow for three-way communication among the ump, the clock operator and – if necessary –the replay operations center (ROC). Yes, teams can ask to review whether infielders are illegally shifting.

All rules were experimented with last season in the minors, and an average of 1.73 violations per game (both teams, combined) were assessed in the second week, according to MLB. It was down to 0.41 in the 24th week.

According to an MLB survey, 90% of minor-leaguers adjusted to the new rules within a month.

“We expect similar results at the big-league level,” Sword said. “One advantage we’re going to have this season is these rules were sealed and delivered in September.”

True, but big-leaguers have stuck with their routines throughout their careers, and it’s not always a quick process to break from those routines.

“If 8,000-plus minor-league games showed us anything,” said Martinez, referring to MLB’s experimental practices, “it’s that players can make the adjustment effectively and play the game the same way. I

don’t want to make it sound like it’s the easiest thing in the world, but I have total confidence they’ll be able to do it, easier than I think what

Once the pitcher receives the ball, the pitch timer will start – unless a fielder still is returning from his position after pursuing a foul ball –and it will end when the pitcher’s delivery starts: when he steps from the rubber in the windup and when he lifts his front leg in the stretch.

The hitter and catcher are on the clock, too. The hitter must be “alert to the pitcher” (both feet in the batter’s box with eyes toward the pitcher) with at least eight seconds on the timer, and the catcher must be in the catcher’s box with at least nine seconds remaining.

If the pitcher or catcher violates the rule, it’s a ball. If the batter is in violation, it’s a strike.

There’s also a maximum break of two minutes and 15 seconds allowed between innings (longer for nationally televised and playoff games) and pitching changes, as well as a 30-second max between hitters.

Gamesmanship? Players will try, as always, but it won’t be as simple as in the past. A batter gets one timeout each plate appearance and can call it before the first pitch. A timeout stops the timer, which would restart when time is in. If the batter steps out of the box with eight seconds left on the timer after calling time, it’s a violation.

Here’s the thing. An ump can grant additional time for “special circumstances.” We know how batters like to adjust their batting gloves, tuck in their jersey and take extra practice swings, all stalling devices that will be closely monitored.

If it’s not an injury, beware. Ditto for pitchers, who have their own slow-down tendencies and might try to tie their shoes, wipe mud from their cleats or claim their PitchCom device is out of whack to reset the clock and delay the pace.

“The umpires have a pretty good feel for that stuff, and I think it becomes pretty obvious if it’s intentional,” Martinez said. “Now, will a pitcher once in a while say, ‘Hey I need a new ball’? Sure, then it’ll reset. But remember, it has to be early in the clock. If it’s late in the clock, you’re still going to get penalized.

“If it’s something that keeps reoccurring during the course of a game, particularly in instances where it looks like a team is doing it to avoid a violation, it becomes an issue. It’s really up to the umpires to enforce this, and we’re confident they will.”

From Page B6

that he and his agent, exShark Claude Lemieux, have not had any talks about an extension with San Jose’s front office.

The 6-foot-2 and 210pound Meier was drafted ninth overall by the Sharks in 2015. Since he turned pro prior to the 2016-2017 season, Meier is the Sharks’ fourthleading point-getter, with 154 goals and 316 points in 451 games. Only Logan Couture scored more goals (162) in that time.

“He is the prototype of modern-day power forward and it’s very tough to find players like that,” Couture said Saturday. “A 30-goal scorer, so obviously he’s a tremendous player. Organizations have decisions to make and they make them, and as players, you live with what’s done and our job is to show up and play hockey and really that’s all we control in this room.”

Even with Meier, the Sharks entered Saturday 29th out of 32 teams in the NHL standings with an 18-30-11 record. Trading

Girls

From Page B6

eventually are going to make our shots and that’s what happened.”

Lincoln is now 27-4 heading into the NorCal playoffs. Maya Hodge led the Fighting Zebras with 13 points. Isa Keidel and Katie Leeth had 10 apiece.

For much of the game, this was no blowout like the previous season.

Vanden had a 37-31 lead after three quarters with just a 9-8 advantage in the period. But that changed in the fourth when they closed out with a 25-11 run. They soon dribbled out the clock and had the chance to celebrate on the logo of the Sacramento Kings at center court.

Meier gives the Sharks a chance to supplement their prospect pool and add to a cadre of players who could have an impact at the NHL level within a two or three-year span.

Asked if he thinks he’s already played his last game for the Sharks, which would have been Feb. 18 against Buffalo, Meier said, “I don’t really think like that. If it happens, it happens, but my full concentration right now is getting healthy.

“I don’t really know too much right now.” Meier is making $10 million in salary this season. He is due a qualifying offer of that amount if he and the team he is with cannot reach an agreement on a longterm contract before the start of free agency on July 1, otherwise, he would become an unrestricted free agent.

The Devils reportedly want an extension done with Meier, or at least be close to one, before they part with the type of assets necessary to complete a deal with San Jose. The Hurricanes, though, do not necessarily need that same type of assurance to finalize a trade for Meier.

Jaylen Kuehnel hit Vanden’s first 3-pointer of the game with 3:42 to play in the second period. The Vikings had missed the first 15 attempts from long range. They finished the first half 4 for 20. Vanden trailed 8-6 after the first quarter after shooting just 2 of 18 from the field. The second quarter was much better with a 22-15 edge that featured 3s from Kuehnel, Jackson and Holloway for a 28-23 halftime lead.

“We knew they were going to come at us,” Jake Johnson said of Lincoln. “They used a 2-3 zone and that was a really good strategy. They were hoping we would shoot poorly and in that first half we did.”

Vanden’s patented defense wore down Lincoln in the second half as the Vikings collected 25 turnovers.

Darryl Webb/Bay Area News Group San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler watches as pitchers warm at Scottsdale Stadium, in Scottsdale, Ariz., Thursday.

ORDINANCEOFTHECITYCOUNCILOFTHECITYOFFAIRFIELDAMENDING CHAPTER11,SECTION7.2,OFTHEFAIRFIELDMUNICIPALCODETODEFINEAND PROHIBITTHEUSEOFSTREETSFORVEHICLE,BOAT,ETC.,STORAGE JeremyProfitt,(707)428-7709,jprofitt@fairfield.ca.gov

NOTICEISHEREBYFURTHERGIVENTHATsaidpublichearingwillbeheldonTUESDAY,March7, 2023,beginningat6:00p.m.intheCouncilChambers,1000Webster Street,orthepublicmayjointhemeetingviaZoomat : https://fairfieldca.zoom.us/j/89060213840?pwd=UUd0WlpEMStLemcxbld4dzVMK3Z5dz0 9orbyphoneat(669)900-6833WebinarID:89060213840Passcode:7074287400. Atthistimeandplaceanyandallpersonsinterestedinsaidmattersmayappearandbe heard.Ifyouchallengeanyoftheabove-citeditemsincourt,youmaybelimitedtoraisingonlythoseissuesyouorsomeoneelseraisedatthepublichearingdescribedinthis noticeorinwrittencorrespondencedeliveredto:PoliceDepartmentatorbeforethepublichearing.Foradditionalinformation,don'thesitatetocontactthePoliceDepartment CityHall,1000WebsterStreet,orcall707-428-7709. TheCityofFairfielddoesnotdiscriminateagainstanyindividualwithadisability.City publicationswillbemadeavailableuponrequestintheappropriateformattopersonswith adisability.Ifyouneedanaccommodationtoattendorparticipateinthismeetingdueto adisability,don’thesitatetogetintouchwiththeCityClerk’sOffice,707-428-7400 cityclerk@fairfield.ca.gov,inadvanceofthemeeting.

DR#00061599

Published:February26,2023

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AUCTIONNOTICE:ASDEFINEDBY:The CaliforniaSelfStorageFacilitiesAct, Chapter10CommencingwithSection 21700,Division8oftheCaliforniaBusinessandProfessionsCode,AIRPORT ROADSELFSTORAGE–1604Airport Rd,RioVista,CA94571willconductan AuctiononMarch17th2023at10:45AM. AUCTIONEER:AWardAuctionJeffVercelli#MS324-27-4.AgentforOwner:Diede PropertyManagement.Unitsbeingsold: ClaudiaDees,TaylorGomes,EdwardHarris,ElviaMandujano,ElwonMartin,Evan Polk,NarizaLaquindanum,KathleenPoulitan,WilliamRehlaender.Itemsbeingsold: Furniture,tools,andmisc.tubs,bagsand boxes.Thisadwillpublish2-26-2023&35-2023.InaccordancewiththeCalifornia SelfServiceStorageAct,shouldbidsfall shortagentspredeterminedfairmarket valueonagivenStorageunit,agentshall havetherighttohaltthesaleofsaidstorageunit. DR#00061517 Published:Feb.26March5,2023

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THE FOLLOWING PERSON (PERSONS) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS HENSHAUL JUNK REMOVAL LOCATEDAT355PortsmouthAve,Vacaville,CA.95687Solano.Mailingaddress355PortsmouthAve,Vacaville,CA. 95687.IS(ARE)HEREBYREGISTERED BYTHEFOLLOWINGOWNER(S)David PortsmouthAveVacaville,95687.THIS BUSINESSISCONDUCTEDBY: anIndividual Theregistrantcommencedtotransact businessunderthefictitiousbusiness name ornameslistedaboveonN/A. Ideclarethatallinformationinthisstatementistrueandcorrect(Aregistrantwho declaresastrueinformationwhichheor sheknowstobefalseisguiltyofacrime.) /s/DavidHenshaul INACCORDANCEWITHSUBDIVISION (a)OFSECTION17920AFICTITIOUS NAMESTATEMENTGENERALLYEXPIRESATTHEENDOFFIVEYEARS FROMTHEDATEONWHICHITWAS FILEDINTHEOFFICEOFTHECOUNTY CLERK,EXCEPTASPROVIDEDIN SUBDIVISION(b)OFSECTION17920, WHEREITEXPIRES40DAYSAFTER ANYCHANGEINTHEFACTSSET FORTHINTHESTATEMENTPURSUANTTOSECTION17913OTHERTHAN ACHANGEINTHERESIDENCEADDRESSOFAREGISTEREDOWNER. ANEWFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAME STATEMENTMUSTBEFILEDBEFORE THEEXPIRATIONFebruary14,2028. THEFILINGOFTHISSTATEMENT DOESNOTOFITSELFAUTHORIZE THEUSEINTHISSTATEOFAFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAMEINVIOLATION OFTHERIGHTSOFANOTHERUNDER FEDERAL,STATEORCOMMONLAW (SEESECTION14411ETSEQ.,BUSINESSANDPROFESSIONSCODE). FiledintheOfficeoftheCountyClerkof SolanoCounty,StateofCaliforniaon: February15,2023 NewASSIGNEDFILENO.2023000292 CHARLESLOMELI,SolanoCountyClerk DR#00061412 Published:Feb.19,26March5,12,2023 NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: EDGAR RODAS CASE NUMBER: P051947 Toallheirs,beneficiaries,creditors,contingentcreditors,andpersonswhomay otherwisebeinterestedinthewillorestate,orboth,of: Edgar Rodas APetitionforProbatehasbeenfiledby: Jessica Abundez intheSuperiorCourtofCalifornia,County of:Solano ThePetitionforProbaterequeststhat: Jessica Abundez beappointedaspersonalrepresentative toadministerthe estateofthedecedent. Thepetitionrequeststhedecedent'swill andcodicils,ifany,beadmittedtoprobate.Thewillandanycodicilsareavailableforexaminationinthefilekeptbythe court. ThepetitionrequestsauthoritytoadministertheestateundertheIndependentAdministrationofEstatesAct.(Thisauthority willallowthepersonalrepresentativeto takemanyactionswithoutobtainingcourt approval.Beforetakingcertainveryimportantactions, however,thepersonal representativewillberequiredtogivenoticetointerestedpersonsunlessthey havewaivednoticeorconsentedtothe proposedaction.)Theindependentadministrationauthoritywillbegrantedunless aninterestedpersonfilesanobjectionto thepetitionandshowsgoodcausewhy thecourtshouldnotgranttheauthority.

ALANA A. VALDEZ

CASE NUMBER: FCS059539

TOALLINTERESTEDPERSONS:

Petitioner: Homero A Rodriguez Jr filedapetitionwiththiscourtforadecree changingnamesasfollows:

Present Name:

a. Homero Francisco Valdez

Proposed Name:

a. Homero Francisco Rodriguez-Valdez

THECOURTORDERSthatallpersonsinterestedinthismattershallappearbefore thiscourtatthehearingindicatedbelowto showcause,ifany,whythepetitionfor changeofnameshouldnotbegranted. Anypersonobjectingtothename changesdescribedabovemustfileawrittenobjectionthatincludesthereasonsfor theobjectionatleasttwocourtdaysbeforethematterisscheduledtobeheard andmustappearatthehearingtoshow causewhythepetitionshouldnotbegranted.Ifnowrittenobjectionistimelyfiled, thecourtmaygrantthepetitionwithouta hearing.

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Date: March 29, 2023; Time: 8:30 am; Dept: 12; Rm: I The address of the court is: SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF Old Solano Courthouse 580 Texas St, Fairfield, CA, 94533 AcopyofthisOrdertoShowCauseshall bepublishedatleastonceeachweekfor foursuccessiveweekspriortothedate setforhearingonthepetitioninthefollowingnewspaperofgeneralcirculation,printedinthiscounty:DailyRepublic Pleasefileproofofnewspaperpublication atleast5businessdaysbeforehearing (newspaperdoesnotfilew/court)zoom ok.zoominvitewillbeemailed1-2days beforehearing Date:JAN24,2023 /s/ChristineA.Carringer JudgeoftheSuperiorCourt FILED:JAN252023 DR#00061408 Published:Feb.19,26March5,12,2023

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PUBLICNOTICE

TheWorkforceDevelopmentBoard(WDB) ofSolanoCountyisseekingpubliccommentsontheirfour-yearWorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct(WIOA)Localand RegionalPlanModifications.Thepublic commentperiodisfromTuesday,February28,2023through5:00p.m.Thursday, March30,2023.ThefinalWIOAPlan ModificationswillbeeffectivethroughJune 30,2024. ThedraftWIOALocalPlanandattachmentshavebeenpostedontheWDB’s websiteat:www.solanoemployment.org andcanbeaccessedbyclickingonWIOA Guidanceunderthe‘CommunityImpact’ tabonthehomepage. PleasesendanycommentsontheDraft WIOALocalPlantoHeatherHenry,ExecutiveDirectorathhenry@solanowdb.org.If youhaveanyquestions,pleasecontact HeatherHenryat707-863-3501orvia email.

DR#00061498 Published:February26,2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING PERSON (PERSONS) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS BOWLERO VACAVILLE LOCATEDAT155BrownsValleyParkwayVacavilleCA95688Solano.Mailing address7313BellCreekRoadMechanicsvilleVA23111Hanover.IS(ARE) HEREBYREGISTEREDBYTHEFOLLOWINGOWNER(S)BowleroVacaville, LLC(formedinDelaware)222West44th StreetNewYork,NY10036.THISBUSINESSISCONDUCTEDBY: aLimitedLiabilityCompany Theregistr antcommencedtotransact businessunderthefictitiousbusiness nameornameslistedaboveon 11/11/2022. Ideclarethatallinformationinthisstatementistrueandcorrect(Aregistrantwho declaresastrueinformationwhichheor sheknowstobefalseisguiltyofacrime.) /s/BrettI.Parker,ChiefFinancialOfficer INACCORDANCEWITHSUBDIVISION (a)OFSECTION17920AFICTITIOUS NAMESTATEMENTGENERALLYEXPIRESATTHEENDOFFIVEYEARS FROMTHEDATEONWHICHITWAS FILEDINTHEOFFICEOFTHECOUNTY CLERK,EXCEPTASPROVIDEDIN SUBDIVISION(b)OFSECTION17920, WHEREITEXPIRES40DAYSAFTER ANYCHANGEINTHEFACTSSET FORTHINTHESTATEMENTPURSUANTTOSECTION17913OTHERTHAN ACHANGEINTHERESIDENCEADDRESSOFAREGISTEREDOWNER. ANEWFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAME STATEMENTMUSTBEFILEDBEFORE THEEXPIRATIONJanuary19,2028. THEFILINGOFTHISSTATEMENT DOESNOTOFITSELFAUTHORIZE THEUSEINTHISSTATEOFAFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAMEINVIOLATION OFTHERIGHTSOFANOTHERUNDER FEDERAL,STATEORCOMMONLAW (SEESECTION14411ETSEQ.,BUSINESSANDPROFESSIONSCODE). FiledintheOfficeoftheCountyClerkof SolanoCounty,StateofCaliforniaon: January20,2023 NewASSIGNEDFILENO.2023000115 CHARLESLOMELI,SolanoCountyClerk DR#00061155

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows:

DATE: MARCH 29, 2023 TIME: 9:00 am; DEPT. 22 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, County of Solano Old Solano Courthouse 580 Texas Street Fairfield, CA 94533

Published:Feb.5,12,19,26,2023 DR#00061405

If you object tothegrantingofthepetition,youshouldappearatthehearingand stateyourobjectionsorfilewrittenobjectionswiththecourtbeforethehearing. Yourappearancemaybeinpersonorby yourattorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, youmustfileyourclaimwiththecourtand mailacopytothepersonalrepresentative appointedbythecourtwithinthe later of either(1)four months fromthedateof firstissuanceofletterstoageneralpersonalrepresentative,asdefinedinsection58(b)oftheCaliforniaProbateCode, or(2) 60 days fromthedateofmailingor personaldeliverytoyouofanoticeunder section9052oftheCaliforniaProbate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may wantto consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court.Ifyouareapersoninterestedinthe estate,youmayfilewiththecourtaRequestforSpecialNotice(formDE-154)of thefilingofaninventoryandappraisalof estateassetsorofanypetitionoraccount asprovidedinProbateCodesection 1250.ARequestforSpecialNoticeformis availablefromthecourtclerk.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING PERSON (PERSONS) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS LUCKY #783 LOCATEDAT777E.MonteVistaAvenueVacaville,CA95688.Mailingaddress POBox4278Modesto.IS(ARE) HEREBYREGISTEREDBYTHEFOLLOWINGOWNER(S)SaveMartSupermarketsLLCCAModesto95350.THIS BUSINESSISCONDUCTEDBY: aLimitedLiabilityCompany Theregistrantcommencedtotransact businessunderthefictitiousbusiness nameornameslistedabo veon 09/26/2007. Ideclarethatallinformationinthisstatementistrueandcorrect(Aregistrantwho declaresastrueinformationwhichheor sheknowstobefalseisguiltyofacrime.) /s/SadiaAli,CFO INACCORDANCEWITHSUBDIVISION (a)OFSECTION17920AFICTITIOUS NAMESTATEMENTGENERALLYEXPIRESATTHEENDOFFIVEYEARS FROMTHEDATEONWHICHITWAS FILEDINTHEOFFICEOFTHECOUNTY CLERK,EXCEPTASPROVIDEDIN SUBDIVISION(b)OFSECTION17920, WHEREITEXPIRES40DAYSAFTER ANYCHANGEINTHEFACTSSET FORTHINTHESTATEMENTPURSUANTTOSECTION17913OTHERTHAN ACHANGEINTHERESIDENCEADDRESSOFAREGISTEREDOWNER. ANEWFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAME STATEMENTMUSTBEFILEDBEFORE THEEXPIRATIONFebruary14,2028. THEFILINGOFTHISSTATEMENT DOESNOTOFITSELFAUTHORIZE THEUSEINTHISSTATEOFAFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAMEINVIOLATION OFTHERIGHTSOFANOTHERUNDER FEDERAL,STATEORCOMMONLAW (SEESECTION14411ETSEQ.,BUSINESSANDPROFESSIONSCODE). FiledintheOfficeoftheCountyClerkof SolanoCounty,StateofCaliforniaon:

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING PERSON (PERSONS) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS LUCKY #784 LOCATEDAT1979PeabodyRoadVacaville,CA95687.MailingaddressPO Box4278Modesto.IS(ARE)HEREBY REGISTEREDBYTHEFOLLOWING OWNER(S)SaveMartSupermarketsLLC CAModesto95350.THISBUSINESSIS CONDUCTEDBY: aLimitedLiabilityCompany Theregistrantcommencedtotransact businessunderthefictitiousbusiness nameornameslistedaboveon 09/2 4/2007. Ideclarethatallinformationinthisstatementistrueandcorrect(Aregistrantwho declaresastrueinformationwhichheor sheknowstobefalseisguiltyofacrime.) /s/SadiaAli,CFO INACCORDANCEWITHSUBDIVISION (a)OFSECTION17920AFICTITIOUS NAMESTATEMENTGENERALLYEXPIRESATTHEENDOFFIVEYEARS FROMTHEDATEONWHICHITWAS FILEDINTHEOFFICEOFTHECOUNTY CLERK,EXCEPTASPROVIDEDIN SUBDIVISION(b)OFSECTION17920, WHEREITEXPIRES40DAYSAFTER ANYC HANGEINTHEFACTSSET FORTHINTHESTATEMENTPURSUANTTOSECTION17913OTHERTHAN ACHANGEINTHERESIDENCEADDRESSOFAREGISTEREDOWNER. ANEWFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAME STATEMENTMUSTBEFILEDBEFORE THEEXPIRATIONFebruary14,2028. THEFILINGOFTHISSTATEMENT DOESNOTOFITSELFAUTHORIZE THEUSEINTHISSTATEOFAFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAMEINVIOLATION OFTHERIGHTSOFANOTHERUNDER FEDERAL,STATEORCOMMONLAW (SEESECTION14411ETSEQ.,BUSINESSANDPROFESSIONSCODE) FiledintheOfficeoftheCountyClerkof SolanoCounty,StateofCaliforniaon: February15,2023 NewASSIGNEDFILENO.2023000285 CHARLESLOMELI,SolanoCountyClerk DR#00061524 Published:Feb.26March5,12,19,2023

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