Daily Republic: Friday, March 17, 2023

Family, friends gather to honor slain man A3

Parity reigns in 2023 MEL baseball race B1

US says video shows Russia ‘flatout lying’ about drone collision

Tribune ConT

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military released video footage of the collision between a Russian fighter jet and an unmanned U.S. mil itary drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday, but said it remained unclear whether the Russian pilot intended to cause the crash.

Russia, meanwhile, said it hopes to find and recover wreckage of the U.S. drone, although Washington officials said the unmanned aerial vehicle would offer little intelligence value to Moscow.

Todd r. H Ansen THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Supervisor

Monica Brown paid a district aide for several months after she had moved to Florida, leading to a tumultuous fallout with another staff member and raising questions about whether Brown violated county protocols.

Stephen Haslett, who joined Brown’s staff from the outset and had been part of her two successful election campaigns, has filed a whistleblower complaint with the Auditor-Controller’s Office over the ordeal.

“I will confirm that,” Haslett said in a Thursday interview.

However, he would not discuss his own employment status with the county or outside the county; whether he discussed his concerns with Brown; the details of his conversation with Auditor-Controller Phyllis Taynton; or what kind of relationship he had with the aide in question. Haslett said he filed the complaint “because I want to make sure the public and the voters have this information and they can use it as they see fit.”

Brown, contacted by phone, said she had to talk to the county counsel before answering any questions, and ultimately refused to even take questions let alone respond to any. Instead, she released this state-

ment in an email: “I don’t want to intrude on any county employee’s privacy by discussing them personally, but I can tell you that the county does have a Mobile Worker, Teleworking and Hoteling Policy and I have allowed my aides to work remotely pursuant to that policy and found them to be productive doing so.”

Brown’s email fails to address several questions including whether she allowed an aide to be paid while living out of state, and what duties, if any, the aide was handling for Brown, and how those duties differed from when that aide worked in the county.

See Brown, Page A8

California.

Los A ngeLes Times

LOS ANGELES — Cal

ifornians shouldn’t put the rain gear away quite yet. March is expected to continue roaring like a lion beyond mid-month.

Models are pointing to another potential atmo spheric river in the first half of next week, fore casters say, the 12th of California’s wet season.

An upper-level low-pres sure system in the Gulf of Alaska is expected to move over the West Coast, and there’s a 60% chance that a plume of atmospheric river moisture could affect the California coast, the National Weather Service said.

The six- to 10-day pre-

cipitation outlook issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday shows well above normal

precipitation for most of the state, with a 70% chance that precipitation will be above normal in the central portion of

A look at the percentage of normal precipitation since the beginning of the water year on Oct. 1 shows the footprint of the 11 atmospheric rivers that have hit California so far this season. Parts of the state from the Bay Area south to Point Conception and northeastward into the Sierra Nevada have received 150% to 200% or more of normal precipitation. The area of above-normal precipitation continues along the Southern California Bight to the Mexican border. In the southeastern California

Russia has denied that there was a collision, claiming instead that the US MQ-9 drone crashed into the water after attempting an evasive manoeuvre.

White House spokesman John Kirby said the video proves that Russia is “flat-out lying” about the incident and clearly shows the Russian

pilot flying aggressively and recklessly and dumping fuel before hitting the drone.

Kirby said it remains unclear, however, if the pilot intended to collide with the drone. The U.S. complained of unprofessional, unsafe and reckless actions by Russian pilots leading up to the crash in international airspace.

“It’s not clear to us whether the pilot

See Russia, Page A8

Debt

limit

breach would be ‘devastating’ for banks, Yellen says

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

WASHINGTON —

Treasury Secretary Janet

L. Yellen told senators on Thursday that the banking system remains sound in the after math of Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse. But she warned that failure to raise the debt limit in time would be devas tating for banks after the turmoil.

try’s fiscal and economic health took center stage at the Senate Finance Committee’s hearing with Yellen on President Joe Biden’s fiscal 2024 budget request, as senators pressed her over concerns about avoiding a debt ceiling breach, ensuring stability of the banking system, combating inflation and shoring up Social Security’s finances.

In a new refrain on the debt limit fight, Democrats and Yellen tied the

failure of Santa Clara, California-based Silicon Valley Bank, and the subsequent collapse of New York-based Signature Bank, to the need to raise the limit before the government can’t pay its bills in full. Experts’ estimates for when that would happen range from June “One of the most importantgress can take now is to make sure there are no questions about the full faith and credit of the United States,” Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said. “That means paying the bills incurred by presidents of both parties.”

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., pointed out that a lending program implemented to address the SVB collapse is backed up by Treasury securities and the inability of the

See Rain, Page A8

Chet Monez Ford was driven to succeed

When many Fairfield longtimers hear the name Chet Monez, they instantly think of automobile sales, specifically Fords, although in his later years he took over a Dodge dealership.

Chester Manuel Monez was born in 1935 in Vallejo and graduated with the Class of 1934 at Armijo High School. His parents, Manuel and Elma Monez, built the iconic Ice House building near the corner of Rockville and Suisun Valley roads in the 1930s. It was used as a cold storage facility for area fruit and produce farmers and was later home to an antique shop for 40 years and run by Monez’s wife, Ruth.

According to Mike Monez, his father was not only into automobiles.

“In the 1940s he had an airplane and he used to land at the airport near Suisun [it was located near where the water tower off of Highway 12 is now],” Mike Monez said. “It was mainly dirt. The story went that he would buzz the house and my mom would drive down Highway 12 and leave her lights on so he could see to land.”

Chet Monez purchased Broadway Motors in Vallejo in 1947 and six years later he bought the Wilson Motor Company in downtown Fairfield. It was located at 739 Texas St. in a building that was 125 feet by 150 feet and it became Monez Ford Sales.

A week after the sale was announced in the local newspaper, Monez ran an ad offering an “amazing trial service offer” that was designed to gain customers’ good will and merit their future business. He sold

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

At that time, there were quite a few car dealerships located in the downtown, not the least of which was Monez’s chief rival right across the street, Woodard Chevrolet.

Monez Ford Sales oper ated at that site from 1953 until 1961 then moved to a much bigger space at 1350 N. Texas St. It tripled the size of the parts and service departments. The grand opening was Thanksgiv ing weekend and grateful locals perused Monez’s ample selec tion of Ford Falcons, Fairlanes, Galaxies and Thunderbirds, among others.

While those were popular models, what blew the doors off was the introduction three years later of the Ford Mustang. Ford had a goal of selling 100,000 Mustangs that year but had to adjust their projec tion when they sold 22,000 on the first day

An April 30, 1964, Chet

Monez Ford ad listed several items Mustang buyers got for no added charge. They included deep foam bucket seats, sporty 3-speed floor shift, 170 cubic inch 6 cylinder engine, all vinyl interiors, wall to wall carpeting, padded instrument panel and more. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price? A mere $2,368 ($23,054 in 2023).

Mike Monez worked as his father’s business for years. He started out by walking down

A story that appeared in Tuesday’s Daily Republic on the Soroptimist International of Central Solano County’s 2023 Women Making a Difference Awards should have listed Dorothy Andrews as the club president. Cathy Hall was the Awards Committee chairwoman.

It is the Daily Republic’s policy to correct errors in reporting. If you notice an error, please call the Daily Republic at 425-4646 during business hours weekdays and ask to speak to the editor in charge of the section where the error occurred.

DAILY REPUBLIC

back to 1350 N. Texas St. and headed up a Dodge dealership.

According to Mike Monez, his father was passionate about many things, not the least of which was helping wherever he could. He was in the local Lions Club for many years and served as a trustee on the school board. But his overriding passion was cars. One of his prized possessions was a 1915 Model T Ford, built the year he was born that came complete with a horseless carriage license from the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

“He would buy things no one

Candis Stam Gassner: After Chet Monez Ford closed on Fridays it was where we parked during the cruise and hung out.

Ryan Langlais: We owned that building from 1990-2015. It was then Travis Auto Body. We found an office upstairs with the door boarded up. It had boxes of collectible sales flyers and handwritten letters from Henry Ford II congratulating Chet Monez for the most sales.

Dan Monez: Chet was my uncle and I worked there while in high school, 1966-1968. I started out detailing cars and doing janitorial duties then

Ford as Shay Monay Ford I think my parents laughed for an hour.

Fairfield freelance humor columnist and accidental local historian Tony Wade writes two weekly columns: “ The Last Laugh” on Mondays and “Back in the Day” on Fridays. Wade is also the author of The History Press books “Growing Up In Fairfield, California” and “Lost Restaurants of Fairfield, California” and hosts the Channel 26 government access TV show “Local Legends.”

Whimsical, funny, vulgar: A brief history of the garden gnome

The WashingTon PosT

Despite their small stature, garden gnomes spark big debates. Are they chintzy or classy? Lovable or loathsome? The perfect addition to a garden bed or an easy way to ruin your landscaping? No matter your opinion, there’s no denying that these little folks are conversation starters.

The story of how these sometimes whimsical, sometimes comical, sometimes vulgar statues became fixtures in yards and gardens is as colorful and complex as the creatures themselves. “That’s the trouble with gnomes,” says Twigs Way, garden historian and author of “Garden Gnomes: A History.” “They come from lots of different kinds of sources.”

There are plenty of little characters in mythologies from around the world – including the Egyptian god Bes, and brownies, house spirits in British and Scottish folklore – and small stone figures started appearing in Italian gardens during the Renaissance. However, according to Way, what have become known as garden gnomes in the United States and England can be traced to dwarf statues that originated in Germany’s Black Forest region around the early 19th century. They were initially carved out of wood; by the mid19th century, they were cast in terra cotta and porcelain. They weren’t a garden fixture, though; they were handpainted, usually about three feet tall and expensive, so they were intended to be displayed inside as pieces of art.

Although those figures were often depicted in what has become their trademark red conical hats, blue shirts and boots, they didn’t strike lazy or lackadaisical poses. They were gardeners, carpenters, fishermen, even hunters. “To see pictures of gnomes with shotguns kind of took me aback,” says Way, who uncovered such images in old catalogues.

Sir Charles Isham gets credit for bringing the dwarves into Britain and out into the garden, importing a number of them from Germany in the 1840s to decorate his massive

rockery garden at Lamport Hall, his estate in Northamptonshire. It wasn’t the most auspicious introduction. “He was extremely eccentric,” Way says. “The fact that the first person that starts collecting them in England is a pro-socialist vegetarian teetotaler who believes dwarfs and little folk are real is not a great way to establish their legitimacy.”

The next ambassador of the small statues was another oddball: Sir Frank Crisp, whose roughly 62-acre estate in Henley-on-Thames, Friar Park, was dotted with German garden gnomes and open to the public in the early 20th century. (George Harrison of the Beatles bought the property in 1970 and claimed to unearth a few of the original gnomes, which he posed with on the cover of his album “All Things Must Pass.”) Wealthy landowners began adopting the gnomes – as they were commonly called by then - as sophisticated garden accessories, thanks to Isham and Crisp. Photos of them even appeared in Britain’s arbiter of high-end style, Country Life magazine.

In 1912, gnomes were featured at the Royal International Horticultural Exhibition, a forerunner of the Chelsea Flower Show, which began the following year and didn’t allow gnomes to be featured, because trendsetters of the time determined they weren’t tasteful enough. Their 15 minutes of fame with the posh crowd was almost over.

The gnomes fell further out of favor during the two world wars, when the British spurned anything related to Germany, but they enjoyed a resurgence in the 1950s and ‘60s. Mass-produced and often made of concrete, they were cheaper and smaller, making them more accessible to middle- and lower-class homeowners. This democratization was the nail in the coffin for posh gardeners. “They’re no longer suitable for upper-class gardens now that they’re down in the suburbs,” Way says. No matter. Gnomes went international, immigrating across the Atlantic, where Americans were infatu-

ated by them, in part thanks to the popularity of Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Though there isn’t a particular mythology associated with them in the United States, people lump them in with other good-natured mystical beings, such as fairies and Chinese dragons. “I think a lot of people who get a gnome –we’re not talking about people who cover their entire front garden with them – do often attribute some kind of luck to them,” Way says. Their popularity skyrocketed in the United States in 1976, when Wil Huygen’s book “Gnomes,” featuring charming illustrations by Rien Poortvliet, became a sensation, selling more than a million copies. The collaborators claimed their fictional work was based on observations of actual living gnomes in their native Holland, documenting history, housebuilding, courtship and copulation (which was apparently so robust that the female gnomes almost always gave birth to twins).

Poortvliet’s playful pictures of gnomes rubbing noses, helping injured animals and building snug underground cabins painted them as endearing, warmhearted characters full of good intentions. The statues took a bit of an irreverent turn in the 1980s, when, Way notes, topless

Pexels.com

female gnomes and farting gnomes began showing up on lawns. It was downhill from there. Now it’s possible to find statues of gnomes mooning, sitting on the toilet and vomiting rainbows. We think Isham would not approve.

Despite all the mockery, there have been many loving homages to the diminutive yard fixtures. In the 2001 film “Amélie,” a stolen garden gnome is sent around the world to be photographed with famous landmarks, the inspiration for Travelocity’s Roaming Gnome ad series. There have been a pair of successful, star-studded animated films, “Gnomeo & Juliet” and “Sherlock Gnomes.” (Our fingers are crossed they come out with “Mad Max Beyond Thundergnome” next.)

The Chelsea Flower Show finally warmed up to them, allowing gnomes decorated by the likes of Elton John and Judi Dench to grace the gardens at the show’s 2013 centenary celebration. There was even a giant-size gnome on display, a perfect prop for early adopters of Instagram looking for a selfie mate.

And don’t expect them to stop popping up in flower beds, at events or on your screens. “They’re here to stay, because we keep reinventing them,” Way says. “Who knows what we’ll do with them next?”

Tony Wade Back in the day

Chet Monez car dealership.

A garden gnome.

Family, friends gather to honor slain Suisun City man with balloon release

A Aron rosenblAtt AROSENBLATT@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Friends and family of a Suisun City man who was shot and killed a year ago in Fairfield gathered Wednesday to release balloons into the sky to mark the anniversary of the man’s death.

Damion Davis, 36, was shot shortly before 5:20 a.m. March 13, 2022, outside the 7-Eleven on East Tabor Avenue and died two days later.

Davis was one of three people shot during the incident. Earl W. Wyatt III, 44, of Fairfield, died at the scene. A Suisun City man who was 28 at the time was also shot and hospitalized with what police initially described as life-threatening injuries. Family members of Davis spoke Wednesday of his significance to the family and how his death affected their lives.

“He was a protector. He’d give you something even if he didn’t have it to give.”

“I always felt protected and that was for all of us,” Davis’ brother Chad Williams said as he recalled his brother’s influence. “He was a protector. He’d give you something even if he didn’t have it to give.”

“I now feel closer to

my dad,” Kaylonne Davis said during the informal ceremony. “I am more connected to his half of my family.”

Trine D. Martinez, 26, of Fairfield, pleaded not guilty March 16, 2023, to two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in connection with the shooting.

Police have said the shooting was not random but rather the result of some type of altercation involving Martinez and the other men.

Martinez was identified as the suspect soon after the shooting. Police obtained and then served a search warrant at Martinez’s home on the 300 block of San Jose Street, but he was not there. Martinez, accompanied by an attorney, soon surrendered to Fairfield police.

Martinez is scheduled to return to court April 10 in advance of a preliminary hearing that is scheduled April 17.

Glen Faison contributed to this report.

her

Solano waits on state, feds to clear up budget uncertainties

FAIRFIELD — Solano

County must wait for the state budget picture to come into focus before knowing where possible program cuts could be felt.

The Board of Supervisors, which received a legislative update at its Tuesday meeting, also will have to wait to learn more about what the Farm Bill is going to look like and the possible impact on nutrition and other programs.

The board did take positions on seven pieces of state legislation, each following the recommendation of the Legislative Committee, including support for a bill by Sen. Bill Dodd, D- Napa, that would “require each (California State University) campus president and either a vice president or vice chancellor to approve all sexual harassment settlements.”

It also would “require

In brief

Fairfield locks down

1st of 7 ‘Listening

Tour’ meetings

FAIRFIELD — The first of seven monthly Fairfield City Council “Listening Tours” has been set for March 25. The event, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be

a report to the Legis lature on the number of sexual harassment complaints filed, the length of time taken to complete the inves tigative process, and the disposition of those cases, as specified, and . . . prohibit retreat rights for any campus president, provost, or other senior adminis trator who has violated any California State University or campus Title IX policy.”

Other bills the board threw its support behind are:

n Assembly Bill 910: The bill would amend the Government Code relating to county officers by broadening the educational requirements for the position of auditor, including the possession of a certificate from the Institute of Internal Auditors, and add a minimum of 24 college semester units in accounting, finan-

held in Councilwoman Doriss Panduro’s District 5 at Bethel Community Church, 600 E. Tabor Ave. Six others will follow, once a month, in the five other districts, plus one as yet unannounced venue.

The listening tour concept was hatched in December by Mayor Catherine Moy and Vice Mayor Pam Bertani. The idea was

cial reporting, auditing or taxation. Phyllis Taynton, Solano County AuditorController, supports the legislation.

n Senate Bill 548: The bill would authorize a county and the trial court located within the county to elect to separate their joint Public Employees’ Retirement System contract to individual contracts. It is not a mandate

to hold informal gather ings to include the district representative for the dis trict in which the gathering was scheduled.

However, communication issues created some concerns among council members, so the tour has now morphed into formal council meetings with informal residentdriven agendas. For more information, visit www.fairfield. ca.gov/listen.

to so. Taynton supports the legislation, and the Superior Court of Solano County supports having its PERS contract as individual contracts.

n AB 909: The bill would require the Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery to expand a program to collect and properly manage illegally disposed of hazardous waste and household hazardous waste at solid waste disposal sites. Terry Schmidtbauer, director of Department of Resource Management, supports the legislation.

Bills the board took opposition positions are:

n AB 78: The bill would require that the body of a grand jury receive a fee equal to 70% of the county median daily

income for each day’s attendance. By increasing the fee for grand jurors, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

n AB 40: The bill would require the Emergency Medical Services

Authority to develop an electronic signature process that documents ambulance patient offload times; a statewide standard of 20 minutes, 90% of the time, for ambulance patient offload; the development of an audit tool to improve the accuracy of care; the establishment of a stakeholders group to review, update and publish a toolkit to reduce patient offload times in emergency rooms, and local EMS agencies to create, in collaboration with hospitals, a joint plan to respond to

surges in demand for medical services and submit by or before March 1, 2024.

The board also took a watch position on Assembly Bill 99, which would require the state Department of Transportation to adopt a policy to only use integrated pest management that does not use herbicides or pesticides on state roads and highways in areas that have adopted an ordinance prohibiting roadside spraying of herbicides and pesticides. Schmidtbauer recommended the watch position.

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic photos

Friends and family release balloons to honor Damion Davis at the 7-Eleven along East Tabor Avenue in Fairfield.

— Chad Williams, brother

Kaylonne Davis, 15, hugs her cousin, Montana Mimms, 8, after releasing balloons to honor

father, Damion Davis, at the 7-Eleven along East Tabor Avenue in Fairfield, Wednesday.

Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic file (2019) Phyllis Taynton speaks after being sworn in to her new position as Solano County Auditor/Controller, Jan. 8, 2019.

SCHMIDTBAUER

Road failures in Vaca hills linked to LNU Fire nearly 3 years ago

Todd R. H ansen

THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

VACAVILLE — A third road failure on Gates Canyon Road – bisecting the prior two breaks –and a new slide causing a break on Cantelow Road will likely add close to $1 million to Solano County’s winter repairs.

“We are still trying to assess costs, but it will probably be more than $1 million,” Matt Tuggle, the county engineering manager, said Wednesday in a phone interview.

“So (Tuesday) was an expensive day,” he said.

Cantelow is closed between Steiger Hills and English Hills roads.

The county had already committed $1.4 million in emergency contracts for the other two failures on Gates Canyon Road and one on Mix Canyon Road.

The three downslide events on Gates Canyon, the failure on Mix Canyon Road and now Cantelow are being attributed, in part, to the LNU Lighting Complex Fire burning away all the hillside vegetation in August 2020.

“We knew we were going to have erosion security issues because there is no vegetation cover up there,” Tuggle said.

The county was told it could take up to five years for full vegetation recovery.

Crews will spend the next couple of goodweather days on final

drainage fixes on Mix Canyon Road, which was closed in late January above the 1.2-mile marker, close to Pleasants Valley Road, and reopened to local use in early February.

But the heavy winter storms that have rolled in one behind the other since the start of 2023 have wreaked havoc and delayed work. Gates Canyon, at one point, was expected to be open to local use on March 9.

The initial road issues on Gates Canyon and Mix Canyon roads caused an evacuation warning to be issued for residents above the road closures because there was no way for fire and other emergency services to get in to those

areas. Shortly after that, the second break on Gates Canyon occurred. This latest failure – caused, like the others, when the hillside below the road gives way and collapses part of the pavement – will prevent the contract crews from continuing their work on the other repairs.

Tuggle said the work will be delayed until after the next storm passes through this weekend. That storm, at least, is not expected to be as big as the more recent downpours.

And while the most serious problems are the road failures on Mix Canyon, Gates Canyon and Cantelow roads, they are not the only road problems

Vaca burger joint raising money for Young Farmers & Ranchers

VACAVILLE —

Burger City is hosting a “dine and donate event” to raise moeny for the Young Farmers & Ranchers.

Show the promotional poster at the restaurant, located at 500 Elmira

Road, and 20% of the purchase will be donated. The event is from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 28.

The poster can be found at https://tinyurl. com/3hr5kdcn.

Albert Jeffery Melton Jr. was born on February 5, 1957 and passed away on February 18, 2023. A Celebration of Life will be held soon.

Raymond Tapley

Raymond Marvine Tapley, 84, passed into his Heavenly home on March 4, 2023. He was born on June 8, 1939 in Pedernal New Mexico to Marvin & Tinnie Tapley. He was married to Sharon Tapley on June 17, 1962.

Raymond worked as a Railroad Car repairman for 25 years. Then he began working as a maintenance man for Fairfield Suisun Unified School District.

He loved doing woodworking. He also enjoyed doing puzzles with his grandchildren. He also enjoyed reading Western novels by Louis Lemar. He also loved working at his church. He also enjoyed working at the Western Railway Museum.

with which the county must contend.

Many of the gravel roads, such as Morrow Lane, have become little more than “mud pits,” Tuggle said, and remain closed until crews can clean up the messes and lay down more gravel.

There also have had fallen trees and other debris slides, including hill stability issues along Pleasants Valley Road, Tuggle said.

Signs of hillside movement along Pleasants Valley caused that road to close for evaluation about one-tenth of a mile south of Putah Creek Road, the county reported Tuesday evening. It was reopened Wednesday morning.

New bill would make it easier for broadband leases on state property

daily Republic sTaff

DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — The state would be allowed to lease its property to broadband providers under terms of a bill introduced Thursday.

“We all know how important it is to have fast, reliable broadband,”

Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, said in a statement. “You need it to survive in today’s economy. Unfortunately, broadband isn’t yet deployed adequately or equitably in many areas of our state. My bill will ensure the state can effectively partner with internet service providers to lease state properties for deployment of broadband infrastructure.”

Existing law limits

In

Native Plant Sale returns to Suisun Valley

SUISUN VALLEY —

The Solano Resource Conservation District’s annual spring plant sale returns from noon to 5 p.m. March 25.

People are invited to join district staff and local partners for a native plant sale at Mangels Vineyards in Suisun Valley, located at 4529 Suisun Valley Road in rural Fairfield.

They will have a wide selection of California native plants available that are drought-tolerant, pollinator-friendly and appropriate for fire-scaping. Local fire safe councils and environmental organizations will be present, and Morningsun Herb Farm will be selling herbs, vegetables and landscape plants.

A free workshops on wildfire safety takes place at 1 and 3 p.m.

Organizers ask that people bring their own box for their new plants.

the ability of the Department of General Services to execute leases of stateowned real property.

Senate Bill 387 would give General Services “more flexibility in setting lease terms, creating incentives for broadband providers to invest in much-needed infrastructure improvements. Also, it would allow the department to execute leases on behalf of other state departments such as Caltrans, Parks and Recreation and Fish and Wildlife, with their consent,” the statement from Dodd’s office said.

“With this bill, the state can use its property to generate revenue while enticing providers to expand their offerings,” Dodd said in the statement.

A limited supply of cardboard boxes and trays will be available for use.

Parking and admission for this event is free. Forms of payment accepted for the plant sale include card, cash or check. Beverages will be available to purchase separately from Mangels Vineyards.

For more information on this event, visit solanorcd.org/events, call 707-678-1655, ext. 3 or send an email to info@ solanorcd.org.

“It will fill in unserved zones and help get highspeed data to those who need it for work, school and home life.”

The bill is expected

Vaca Vets reschedule St. Patrick’s event to March 25

VACAVILLE — American Legion Post 165 has rescheduled its St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser to March 23 due to work being done on the local veterans hall.

The no-host social begins at 5 p.m. followed by the corned beef dinner at 6 p.m.

Tickets are still available. Place a reservation by sending an email to vacavillelegionpost165@gmail.

to be heard in the Governmental Organization Committee within the next month. Dodd chairs the committee.

com. Tickets are $25. The money goes to support the post’s children and youth programs, veterans rehabilitation, the monthly meal at the Fisher House on Travis Air Force Base and to support local Gold Star families.

The dinner will take place at the Vacaville Veterans Memorial Building, 549 Merchant St.

He was a member and deacon at Landmark Missionary Baptist Church of Martinez. He is survived by son Dale Tapley of Citrus Heights. Daughter Darla and Carlos Salgado of Fairfield, Grandchildren Cody & Tahlia of Citrus Heights, sisters Delma Dennis of Elizabethton, Tennessee and Velma Mae Spencer of Jacksonville, Florida. Extended family the Snows of Sacramento and Rod and Brenda Skillman of Fairfield. He is preceded in d eath by his wife Sharon Tapley; pa rents Marvin and Tinnie Ta pley; brothers Allton Tapley and Claude Tapley; and sister Verna Lee Cameron. Extended family Bill Snow. Services will be held on Saturday March 18 at 11:00 a.m. at Landmark Missionary Baptist Church, 391 Arthur Road, Martinez, CA. Arrangements are under the direction of Bryan-Braker Funeral Home. You can sign the guest book at www.bryanbraker.com.

Linda Stepp

May 20, 1941 — March 6, 2023

Mrs. Linda L. Stepp, age 81, of Winston, GA, went to be with her Lord and Savior on March 6, 2023, after a 7 year battle with Alzheimer’s. She was born May 20, 1941, in Chewelah, Washington, to the late John T. Couch and Dorothy R. Couch. Linda was briefly employed by Weldon Leather Co. as secretary, by the Sears and Roebuck catalogue store in Fairfield, CA (where she met her soon-to-be husband, Lloyd), and hired out to clean homes. In retirement her husband taught Linda the game of golf where, to his envy, she eventually achieved 3 holes-in-one. Linda excelled at making quilts, sewing, crocheting, and greatly enjoyed camping, fishing, bowling, canning, card-making and (in the ‘60s) singing for The Dulcetones, a women’s concert choir Linda is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her sister-in-law Sharon Couch.

She is survived by her brother Gary Couch, her daughter and son-in-law Christine and Robert Beaudreau, grandchildren thew, Jeremie, Courtney, and Maverick, great-grandchildren Morgan, Brielle, Louden, Nico, and Josie, her nephew Scott Couch, his wife Amanda, and their children Joshua and Audrie, w ell as many dear friends like Diana Schultz whom she sidered a sister. It is not known whether Tim Stepp, her son, also survives her. The Reverend Danny Horsley will officiate a graveside service to be held at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, GA., later this month.

Messages of condolence may be sent to www jones-wynn.com Jones-Wynn Funeral Home and Crematory of Douglasville is in ge of the arrangements. 770-942-2311.

Donald Maurice Glenn

On Tuesday, March 19, 1940, in Paducah, KY, Dorothy Glenn gave birth to a baby boy whom she decided to name Donald Maurice Glenn. His mother, the Glenn and Cobb families, and Mr. Virdell Hanson Harris aka Sarge were devoted to his nurture and care. Though he was an only child, he was the first cousin of Carol Vinson Lea and at a very early age began to assume the role of her Big Brother, with much love and affection, until he departed earth for glory.

Don passed away peacefully, on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, at 10:18 p.m. He was preceded in death by his wife: Mary Glenn; two of his three sons: Lynell Frederick Glenn and Larry Antonio Glenn; his parents: Dorothy Glenn-Harris and Virdell Hanson Harris. He leaves to cherish his memories his son, Todd M. Glenn; five grandchildren: Ava, Dana, Dawn, Faith, and Samantha; six great-grandchildren: Luis, Phoenix, Justice, Isaac, Savanna, and Anthony; first cousin whom he viewed as a sister: Carol; three nephews: Ronald, Claybon, and Francios; two nieces: Renita, and Tasha; his last uncle of the Glenn clan: James (Uncle Jimmie), and his beloved daughter-in-law: Hope.

Homegoing Celebration Services are planned as follows:

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

10:00 a.m. Public Viewing

11:00 a.m. Celebration Service

Mount Calvary Baptist Church

1735 Enterprise Dr., Bldg. 3 Fairfield, CA 94533

Daniel “Dan” Clayton Whitteaker

Daniel “Dan” Clayton Whitteaker, age 61, passed away at his home in Monterey, Tennessee, after a short bout with cancer. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, on March 17, 1962, and died on March 12, 2023. He spent most of his life in Texas. He was a star 6 ft. 8 in. basketball player at Ennis High school and attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, on a basketball scholarship.

After graduating with a marketing and business degree, he opened an insurance business and consulting agency. After a few years of business in Ennis, his insurance company transferred him to California. He subsequently concentrated on marketing and business consulting. During his career, he represented large accounting and legal firms and many small businesses. He was a speaker at many real estate and mortgage lending institution where he trained hundreds of people in sales and marketing. As a hobby, he loved cooking and barbecu-

ing. At one time Dan belonged to a barbecue team that competed in nationwide barbecuing competitions. Dan, from a very early age, was very friendly and a natural born comedian. His many stories and jokes kept his family and friends entertained. He never met a stranger. He became friends with everyone he met in stores, airplanes, or wherever; and invited many over to his house for a barbecue. He was known to his friends as The WHITT or BIG Dan.

He leaves behind his loving wife, Marie; son, Nicholas; mother and father, Donald and Dorothy Whitteaker; sister, Denise Whitteaker; two nephews, Jake and Nathan Price; and many cousins, aunts and uncles. He was preceded in death by his brother David Whitteaker; sister, Dolores Price; and both sets of grandparents, Virgle and Zora Whitteaker and Floyd and Irene Pope.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in his name to the Monterey Freewill Baptist Church, 311 South Elm Street, Monterey, TN 38574.

A guest register may be signed at www.gofffuneralhome.com

D.M. Goff Funeral Home, Inc. of Monterey Tennessee is in char ge of arrangements, (931) 839-2311.

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic

A portion of Cantelow Road near Steigler Hill Road in Vacaville was damaged from Tuesday’s storm and is closed, Wednesday.

Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic file (2018)

Sen. Bill Dodd speaks at the groundbreaking event for the new KC-46 hangar, at Travis Air Force Base, Dec. 14, 2018.

GOP made gains in Latino-majority districts in California, 2022 election figures show

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

SACRAMENTO — A new report shows Republicans are gaining footholds in some California electoral districts where Latinos make up the majority population, a development that might concern some Democrats moving forward.

The report from Third Way, a self-described “center-left” national think tank, shows although those areas lagged in voter turnout last year, Republicans saw marginal gains.

One expert says the results are an indicator Republicans are continuing to receive a higher level of support from one of America’s fastest-growing voting blocs.

The data examines heavily concentrated Latino congressional districts in seven states –Arizona, California, New York, Texas, Nevada, New Mexico and Florida.

In California’s 14 Latino-majority districts, for example, where a Democrat and a Republican both made the 2022 ballot, 10.8% more voters swung Republican from 2020 to 2022, compared to 7.1% from 2018 to 2022, the data shows. Most of the districts were located in Central and Southern California.

The report highlighted the Central Valley’s 13th and 22nd districts, where conservatives Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, and Rep. John Duarte, R-Turlock, triumphed over Democratic competitors in close November races, respectively.

In those California districts, which had the highest percentage of voting-age Latinos in the report, Republicans saw gains of 3% and .04%, respectively. While those gains may be considered small, in close races every vote counts.

Lucas Holtz, political analyst and author of the report, said the research differentiates midterm and presidential election results as they are “ideologically varied” as midterms are generally known for receiving less turnout.

“California Democrats have a major challenge on their hands,” Holtz said. “They’re not driving turnout . . . even with an insane amount of invest-

3 Solano County nonprofits land combined $2.5M from Magic Cabinet

DAily r ePubliC sTAff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Three Solano County nonprofits will receive a total of $2.5 million from the philanthropic foundation Magic Cabinet over the next five years.

capacity-building funding that results in more equitable and well-resourced nonprofits,” the statement added.

ments and those that they are turning out, they’re clearly not persuading.”

Holtz warned against making broad conclusions about the Latino vote, since the report only examines voting at the geographic level. Regardless, Holtz said the report reveals Democrats will need to improve at persuading Latino voters as 2024 approaches.

Matt Barreto, president of BSP Research in Los Angeles, which studies Latino voting trends, also cautioned against making definitive statements about what the data says about how Latinos as a group are voting.

Barreto said historically, in areas with a growing Latino population, white voters will turn out to vote at higher rates. This would mean that white voters in a congressional district could result in a rightward shift.

Case in point: A district heavily composed of Latinos does not necessarily mean they are the majority voting.

“There’s a long history in American politics that shows that when a minority group starts to increase in presence, it can cause whites to vote more conservative,” Barreto said.

More conclusive numbers on the Latino vote will be available in the coming months, with the release of the precinct and individual data.

California Latino vote no longer a certainty for Democrats?

Latino support for Republicans has fluctuated over the years, but a rightward trend became apparent during the Trump administration. Between 2016 and 2020, Trump garnered 37% support to Joe Biden’s 63%.

California Latinos were regarded as the exception to the trend, reflecting the legacy of the antiimmigrant rhetoric Republicans employed in the 1990s. Most notably, Proposition 187 in 1994 sought to ban immigrants from receiving social services, health care and education. The measure is regarded for setting a decadeslong antiRepublican narrative.

But that may soon change, according to a Republican Latino voting trends expert Mike Madrid.

“It is more pronounced outside of California, but it is now finally happening,” Madrid said. “One of the great ironies of California is that it prides itself on being sort of the preview of coming attractions, but in the largest demographic shift in the history of the country, California is behind the rest of the country.”

Madrid believes Latinos in the Golden State are entering a post-Proposition 187 era, in which Democrats will need to improve their economic agenda to drive the Latino electorate. He said Latino lawmakers, in particular, have for too long focused on issues that won’t

help solve the economic concerns of the community Madrid added that Democrats also need to invest money to fix the “Latino turnout problem.”

“Democrats just never had to worry about it, because the Republicans have never been a viable alternative,” Madrid said. “But now when you see a rightward shift, some alarm bells go off.”

While Latinos make up almost 40% of the state’s adult population, they only account for 22% of likely voters, according to an August 2022 report from the Public Policy Institute of California.

Mindy Romero, director of the University of Southern California’s Center for Inclusive Democracy, called the 2022 midterm election turnout for California Latinos “deeply disappointing.” She said, unlike other states, California saw a reduction in turnout compared to 2018.

“A lot of people working in Latino communities across the state are trying to grapple with not only lower turnout, but why,” Romero said.

Low midterm election turnout – particularly for Latinos – has long been an issue, Romero said. This trend stems from outdated voter outreach models and a perceived lack of sincerity from candidates who do not visit a community until election season. Other people might not participate for fear of choosing the wrong person or option.

Shasta county offers top job to secessionist leader

A ngeles Times

los

The Shasta County Board of Supervisors has offered the job of running the day-to-day-operations of its government to a top figure in the New California movement pushing to split California into two states.

In an unusual news release, county officials announced that “a majority of the board” had made a “preliminary job offer” to Chriss Street, vice president of New California and a former treasurer of Orange County, to be the county’s chief executive officer.

Proponents of New California, formed in 2018, maintain that old California has become ungovernable and seek to gather much of the rural parts of California, along with San Diego and Orange counties, and form a 51st state. Street cannot be formally offered the job until the board votes March 28 following a completed background check. He did not respond to calls requesting comment.

But some board critics questioned how the county could hire a leader who doesn’t believe in California. “What does it mean that

the vice president of an organization that claims to be its own state (would be) running a county?” asked Redding resident Susanne Baremore, who is trying to organize fellow county residents to demand a more “stable” government.

County officials declined to comment on Street on Wednesday beyond issuing the news release confirming the preliminary job offer, which had become a topic of fevered discussion in the county after it was leaked to the media. The news release also said the divided board had taken a rare 5-0 vote to order an investigation into who had

made “unauthorized disclosures” from its closed session deliberations.

The development is the latest sign of a rightward shift in Shasta County, in the northern part of the state, following the election of an ultraconservative majority on the board. Last month, the board, responding to unfounded claims of voter fraud, canceled its contract with Dominion Voting Systems and set about pursuing other options for counting votes, including hand-counting.

At that time, Supervisor Kevin Crye also announced that he had been in talks with MyPillow Chief Executive Mike

Mile High Residential Treatment & Behavioral Health, the North Bay Housing Coalition and Sustainable Solano will divide $500,000 the first year for “capacity-building funding that will strengthen those organizations to support their community-driven work over the next five years,” an announcement about the award said.

“This long-term financial support will elevate NBHC to the next level,” Mary Eble, executive director of North Bay Housing Coalition, said in the statement. “We are excited for what we can accomplish and learn from this experience.”

The nonprofits were selected by an advisory committee consisting of Solano County community leaders in partnership with Magic Cabinet board members.

This is the second group of Solano County nonprofits that have benefited from Magic Cabinet. Funding in 2022 went to A Place-2-Live, Rio Vista Care and Solano Advocates for Victims of Violence.

“Our grant-making process is designed to support the whole nonprofit, not just the programs. We encourage our nonprofit partners to build capacity and infrastructure that will support their missions for the long-term,”

Christina Engel, executive director of Magic Cabinet, said in the statement.

Magic Cabinet “amplifies the work of community-driven organizations by offering collaborative multiyear

“We are changing how philanthropy works with the nonprofit community it supports. To put it simply, it’s all about relationships and shifting power to our nonprofit partners,” Engel said.

Mile High Residential Treatment & Behavioral Health helps foster youth by creating an environment that allows for a new beginning, positive growth and independence.

For more information, visit https://www.milehighbh.org/.

North Bay Housing Coalition works to “increase affordable housing for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, based on the belief that people living with intellectual/developmental disabilities can and should have equal access to affordable housing, independence and the opportunity to live a vital life in their community.” For more information, visit https://www.northbayhousingcoalition.org/. Sustainable Solano “brings together programs that support and sustain one another and the Solano County community to promote ecologically regenerative, economically and socially just communities in a world that works for everyone.”

Initiatives include sustainable landscaping, local food, resilient neighborhoods, youth leadership, sustaining conversations and community gardens. For more information, visit https://sustainable solano.org/.

Snow is as high as ski lifts in California as drought abates

The WAshingTon PosT

625 inches

Lindell, a prominent proDonald Trump election conspiracy theorist, about supporting a pilot voting system in the rural Northern California county.

The county’s leadership began its rightward turn about a year ago, after far-right activists, including members of a local militia, led a successful recall of a Republican supervisor and former police chief, in part because he enforced statemandated coronavirus restrictions. In the months since, the county has been losing top appointed leaders at a rapid clip, through both resignations and terminations.

In May, the new conservative majority on the Board of Supervisors fired the county’s health officer, Dr. Karen Ramstrom. Shortly after, the county’s chief administrator, Matt Pontes, announced he was leaving — but not before he told the local paper that one of the pro-recall supervisors, gun store manager Patrick Jones, had been “blackmailing” him. Jones said at the time that the allegation was a “total lie.”

Street has roots in Shasta County, and local media has reported that See Shasta, Page A9

The snow just keeps piling up in California, so much so that some ski lifts are buried as the record snowpack erases drought concerns for much of the state. Topping the incredible snow totals across the Sierra Nevada is Mammoth Mountain, with 618 inches at its lodge and 780 inches at its summit, enough to almost bury entire houses.

“It’s truly an incredible and historic winter here,” said Justin Romano, communications coordinator for Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. “We are having our second-biggest winter on record and chasing down the snowiest on record. The town is buried.” The most snow on record for Mammoth, at its lodge, is 668.5 inches in 2010-2011.

In addition to Mammoth Mountain, a number of California ski resorts are reporting more than 600 inches of snow for the season, according to totals compiled by Snow Brains:

n Sugar Bowl: 695 inches

n Palisades Tahoe: 662 inches

n Dodge Ridge Mountain: 660 inches

n Kirkwood: 648 inches

n China Peak: 634 inches

n Boreal: 630 inches

n Sierra-at-Tahoe:

n Bear Valley Resort: 623 inches

n Northstar: 608 inches

The 662 inches at Palisades Tahoe is an record for the resort. “We have so much snow … that we are having to manually dig out this lift line with shovels every day after snowfall,” the resort said in an update on its website.

Dodge Ridge has also surpassed its record, and Bear Valley should do the same soon. Sierra-at-Tahoe has tied its third-highest snow total on record and could soon approach the second-highest, which was 647 inches in 2005-2006, while the record there sits at 763 inches in 2010-2011.

Pictures from several resorts show chairlifts buried by snow. The season’s snow total is up to 668 inches at the University of California at Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab, just 3 inches away from surpassing 1982-83 as the second snowiest winter there, with more snow likely on the way this weekend.

Snowpack across the Sierra Nevada is now 180 to 271 percent of the seasonal average and on pace to be the highest or second-highest on record by April 1, when the snowpack typical reaches its peak.

Eric Paul Zamora/The Fresno Bee/TNS file (2016) Volunteer Jadon Gutierrez, left, points down the block as he and Uziel Jimenez, right, search for Latinos living in an apartment complex to encourage voting in Fresno, Oct. 15, 2016.

Marc Martin/Los Angeles Times/TNS file (2007) Chriss Street, in 2007, then treasurer of Orange County. Shasta County has offered its chief executive officer job to Street, vice president of the New California secessionist group.

California’s ghostly Tulare Lake will be revived this year

Spanish soldier and California explorer Pedro Fages was chasing deserters in 1772 when he came across a vast marshy lake and named it Los Tules for the reeds and rushes that lined its shore. Situated between the later cities of Fresno and Bakersfield, Tulare Lake, as it was named in English, was the nation’s largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River. It spread out to as much as 1,000 square miles as snow in the Sierra melted each spring, feeding five rivers flowing into the lake.

Dan Walters

Its abundance of fish and other wildlife supported several Native American tribes, who built boats from the lake’s reeds to gather its bounty.

When the snowmelt was particularly heavy, the lake rose high enough that a natural spillway would divert water into the San Joaquin River and thence to the Pacific Ocean through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay.

It was a fairly common phenomenon in the 19th century, but the last time it happened naturally was in 1878. With the arrival of the railroad, the region was becoming an agricultural center and farmers were diverting water from Tulare’s tributaries for irrigation.

As those diversions expanded in the 20th century, Tulare Lake gradually shrank and disappeared altogether after World War II, when Pine Flat Dam blocked the Kings River, its major tributary, and levees channeled natural flows.

Once dry, the lakebed became the site of immense cotton farms, principally those of the Boswell and Salyer families. However, every few decades nature would reassert itself, piling up so much snow in the Sierra that the dams and levees were unable to contain the Kings and other rivers and Tulare Lake would be recreated.

I personally witnessed one such recreation, in the spring of 1970, as editor of the Hanford Sentinel. The Kings River runoff was so intense that Pine Flat Dam came within a few feet of being overtopped. I visited the dam during that period to report on what was happening and was taken inside the concrete structure, which was groaning and slightly leaking – a bizarre and somewhat eerie experience.

Pine Flat Dam held but water roared down the mountains in the Kings and other rivers and very quickly, or so it seemed, Tulare Lake reappeared.

The Boswell and Salyer families, which had feuded for years, battled over whose lands would be flooded. Guards with shotguns patrolled the Tulare Basin Water Storage District’s levees as rumors spread about clandestine plans to dynamite them. That didn’t happen, but the Salyer holdings were inundated and the two agribusiness giants waged a legal battle that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The most spectacular re-emergence of Tulare Lake in recent years occurred in 1983 as record snows in the Sierra once again overcame human efforts to control its rivers. The lake was so high that two men, Bill Cooper and John Sweetser, kayaked 450 miles in 11 days from central Bakersfield to San Francisco Bay. They paddled down the Kern River, across Tulare Lake, up the Kings River and through the Fresno Slough into the San Joaquin River for a downstream run into the Delta and San Francisco Bay.

This bit of California history is offered because snowfall in the watersheds of the Kings and other rivers that flow naturally into the Tulare Lake basin is surpassing the record level of 1982-83. It’s almost certain that Tulare Lake will once again spring to life.

The probability is even generating some hopeful, if unrealistic, speculation that state and/or federal governments could buy up the lakebed’s fields and bring back Tulare Lake permanently.

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.

2022 Measure J bond oversight report

The Fairfield-Suisun School District has been using the funds generated by Measure J, the $249 million ballot measure passed by voters in 2016, to modernize, renovate and build school facilities and buildings.

As required by the state Education Code, a citizens’ bond oversight committee was formed at the first sale of the bonds.

One of the responsibilities of the oversight committee is to advise the public with an annual report on the school district spending of the bond monies for construction of school facilities in accordance with the bond ballot measure. Another duty of the committee is to review and accept the annual performance audit and financial audit conducted by an appropriate agency hired by the school district.

During 2022, the oversight committee met five times to review and discuss expenditure reports generated by the district which identified projects and their costs. The Annual Report for 2022 is posted on the school district’s website and copies are available at our local libraries.

To inform district taxpayers of how their tax dollars were spent, this is a summation of the project expenditures from the Measure J bond, as

reported by the district, for the 2022 calendar year.

Starting in January 2022, the Measure J building fund had $78,407,266 available from the $249 million in bonds sold, which included $6.1 million available interest. The State Allocation Board awarded matching funds of $5,533,642 for work on the Public Safety Academy Library and Gym. The board also identified five other projects eligible for funding grants and awarded $14,593,787 for completed work at Grange Middle School, Fairview Elementary and Dan O. Root Elementary.

The most expensive projects completed to date were the Sheldon Middle School modifications and new classroom building construction at a cost of $35.7 million, and the Fairview Elementary School modernization and new library costing $29.9 million.

Work on the Fairfield High School Performing Arts Center has begun and when completed will be the most expensive project yet paid by the bond at an estimated cost of $47.6 million.

At the end of 2022, the Measure J fund balance was $62,013,652. There were 17 completed projects and nine work-in-progress projects remaining.

As the mandated taxpayer associ-

ation representative on the Measure J oversight committee, it is one of my responsibilities to provide the public with information on the facilities work being done at the district using the bond revenue paid by your tax dollars. From my perspective, and not that of the oversight committee, I found the project planning by the district facilities staff to be detailed, the construction work to be well-managed and the contractor payments to be well-controlled. I also considered a few projects to be overly expensive. The cost to taxpayers to repay the Measure J bonds in principal and interest will likely be more than $550 million, with the payback period to end in 2046.

The Central Solano Citizens Taxpayer Group meets monthly to review current government activities and school district bond project spending as it benefits or affects the community. Contact us at 707-771-5481 for meeting time and location, and for further information about what we are working on to improve government efficiencies and its use of tax money.

Barbara Pisching is a member of the Central Solano Citizen Taxpayer Group and of the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee for Measure J.

Before I had kids, I can remember thinking, as I watched a mom strug gling with her toddler in the grocery store: I won’t ever find myself in such a predicament. I’ve read a ton about effective parent ing strategies. I will know what to do. It’s simple.

Eight years into motherhood, I recognize the absurdity of such a thought.

In parenting, there are factors and considerations you don’t realize until your kid is throwing a tantrum in aisle 9.

That’s when your high ideals fade away, and the “simple tricks” heralded by all the “parenting experts” go out the window very quickly.

Because, reality.

Governing is the same way: There are challenges you don’t truly appreciate until you’re in the thick of it.

And, of course, you never imagined that your proposed solutions, so seemingly simple and straightforward, might actually fail – sometimes spectacularly.

That’s the first thought that crossed my mind when I read a headline about how the Biden administration is considering restoring the Trump-era immigration policy of family detention – a policy that President Joe Biden vehemently criticized during his campaign and swiftly ended after taking office.

Reality seems to have set in for the president, along with the realization that there aren’t any easy fixes and that many of his idealized, progressive border policies have only exacerbated existing problems.

This reality includes months and months of record border crossings, increased violence along the TexasMexico border, and the bombshell

story that many of the migrant children released into U.S. custody (under Biden-era policy) end up with sponsors who force them to work full-time jobs in violation of federal law.

The approach to migrant families crossing the border illegally that he once called “pretty simple” actually creates even more complications.

And two years of administration officials demonizing Border Patrol agents and sparring with border governors have proved to be folly as well.

The risky but ultimately genius political maneuver by Gov. Greg Abbott, who bused hundreds of migrants to northern “sanctuary cities,” also proved effective at driving home the practical challenges of having a porous border.

Big-city mayors like New York’s Eric Adams, who only weeks before were befuddled by the inability of tiny border towns to absorb and care for the endless stream of migrants, quickly found themselves on the verge of self-proclaimed humanitarian crises.

Public services and even charity groups were overwhelmed by what amounted to a fraction of the humanity entering Texas border towns every day.

But a window into the practical consequences of oversimplifying our nation’s border challenges was opened, as Texas problems became New York City and Chicago problems, too.

It’s probably safe to assume that behind closed doors, there is pressure on the Biden administration to take some definitive action.

That seems evident in the flurry of new policy proposals coming out of Washington.

Indeed, only last month the administration announced a proposed rule that would establish “a rebuttable presumption of asylum ineligibility” for anyone who passes through another country to reach the U.S. border with Mexico without first seeking protection there.

While the rule would offer a few exceptions to migrants in extreme circumstances, it is otherwise very similar to – surprise – another vilified Trump-era proposal that was struck down by a federal court.

Still, news of the possible policy reversal is a trial balloon and not yet a decisive policy change. The administration is testing the waters to see just how angry its most progressive allies will get.

If the musings of MSNBC analysts and op-ed writers in progressive journals are any indication, the pushback will be fierce.

But the return of family detention will be only one of many immigration proposals the Biden administration will tease before Title 42, the pandemic-era policy that allows for the rapid expulsion of migrants at the southern border for public health reasons, expires May 11, when illegal entries are expected to soar.

Whether the Biden administration’s apparent immigration policy reversals are an attempt at triangulation as the presidential campaign draws closer or just a trial balloon that will pop all too quickly, it’s evident that when it comes to immigration, the realities of governing don’t fit nicely onto a bumper sticker.

Even for Biden, nothing is “pretty simple” when it comes to managing the border.

Cynthia M. Allen is a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Readers may send her email at cmallen@ star-telegram.com.

CALMATTERS COMMENTARY

THE TAX WATCHERS COMMENTARY

Biden finds border isn’t ‘pretty simple’ after all

Cynthia M. Allen

Barbara Pisching

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Los A ngeLes Times

Ben Affleck knows he’s meme material and doesn’t seem to mind.

In a cover story for the Hollywood Reporter published Thursday the “Air” star and director opened up about his new production company, his family life and his appearance at the 65th Grammys that resurrected those “sadfleck” memes.

“I had a good time at the Grammys,” he told the Hollywood Reporter in a wide-ranging interview. “My wife was going, and I thought, ‘Well, there’ll be good music. It might be fun.’”

On Feb. 5, the Oscar winner joined wife Jennifer Lopez at the annual music celebration, held

at Los Angeles’ Crypto. com Arena. Eagle-eyed viewers spotted Affleck in the background, seemingly disengaged during host Trevor Noah’s monologues.

One viewer said that Affleck looked “miserable” while the Chicks in the Office account urged, “Someone please check on Ben Affleck #GRAMMYs.”

Affleck told THR that he was hoping to get away from the spotlight when Noah came around for one of his monologues, but that Lopez told him, “you better f— not leave.”

“That’s a husbandand-wife thing,” he added.

The actor said he’s no stranger to being “pissed,” “bored” or “drunk” at awards shows.

Pickles Brian Crane

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Candorville Darrin Bell

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú

Despite Sadfleck memes, Ben Affleck says he actually ‘had a good time’ at the Grammys

FairField

TUESDAY, MARCH 14

9:04 a.m. — Assault with a deadly weapon, 1000 block of OLIVER ROAD

9:27 a.m. — Vehicle burglary, 1300 block of CANTERBURY DRIVE

10:22 a.m. — Commercial burglary, 5100 block of BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE

10:27 a.m. — Forgery, 1400 block of WEST TEXAS STREET

11:32 a.m. — Grand theft, 1700 block of SUNSET AVENUE

1:11 p.m. — Vehicle theft, 300 block of PITTMAN ROAD

3:26 p.m. — Forgery, 5100 block of BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE

7:16 p.m. — Drunk and disorderly, 1300 block of TRAVIS

BOULEVARD

7:52 p.m. — Reckless driver, MANUEL CAMPOS PARKWAY

9:09 p.m. — Vehicle burglary, 1000 block of HORIZON DRIVE

9:15 p.m. — Robbery, 2400 block of WATERMAN

BOULEVARD

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15

8:02 a.m. — Reckless driver, MANUEL CAMPOS PARKWAY

9:31 a.m. — Residential burglary, 1100 block of OHIO STREET

9:56

SuiSun City

Ukraine demoted commander who gave interview about ill-trained troops

The WashingTon PosT

KYIV, Ukraine — A Ukrainian battalion commander who gave an interview to The Washington Post describing how ill-trained troops were weakening Ukraine’s position on the battlefield quit his post this week, after his superiors demoted him because of his remarks, he said.

The commander, a lieutenant colonel who goes by the call sign Kupol, served in the 46th Air Assault Brigade. He declined to provide further details or to grant another interview.

He said that he decided to speak out, despite the risks, hoping the United States would ensure better training for Ukrainian soldiers, including some who have gone into battle without knowing how to throw a grenade or handle their weapons. Some abandoned their positions while under Russian fire,

Rain

From Page One

deserts, precipitation is below normal.

he said in the interview.

Ukrainian military and government officials did not immediately respond on Thursday evening to request from The Post for comment on Kupol’s status.

But a spokesman for the Airborne Assault Forces, Valentyn Shevchenko, confirmed to the Ukrainska Pravda news site that Kupol had been removed from his battalion command and reassigned to a training center. Shevchenko said that Kupol did not have permission from his commander, as required, to speak to the press, and that he had exaggerated his unit’s losses, as well as the poor level of training of replacement troops.

Kupol’s punishment has spurred outrage among some in Ukraine, who said his comments reflected a necessary truth that Ukrainian leaders are unwilling to hear.

Kupol voiced his con-

cerns as Russian and Ukrainian forces are locked in a grinding artillery war with neither side seemingly strong enough to make serious territorial gains. Russian leaders are insisting that their war aims, including the seizure of four southeast Ukrainian regions, will be achieved. Ukraine is preparing for what many analysts expect will be a spring counteroffensive that will require significant manpower and ammunition to push Russian forces out of territory they control.

Kupol and other military personnel have warned that task will be extremely difficult with so many of Ukraine’s most experienced fighters now wounded or killed. Ukraine keeps its casualties secret but U.S. and European officials have estimated as many as 120,000 dead and wounded. Russia is believed to have lost about

200,000 but has a much larger population.

“These are exactly the kind of people we need at the front,” Oleksiy Goncharenko, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, wrote on his Telegram channel about Kupol. “He emphasized in the interview that the soldiers should be trained even better. Of course, the better prepared a warrior is, the better he fights. What is wrong here? I believe that this story should be publicized.”

Another lawmaker, Volodymyr Ariev, wrote on Facebook: “This government wants to hear only what they want.”

Yuri Butusov, a prominent Ukrainian war reporter, said that Kupol’s troops are the ones who will suffer from his departure. Butusov expressed hope that Kupol would be reinstated and that the military leadership would be willing to hear hard truths.

Brown did not respond to a request for an interview made after issuing the statement.

Her statement, however, directly conflicts with information provided by County Counsel Bernadette Curry, who said there is not a written policy regarding a county employee living out of state. Curry said she had to research whether any directives or other memos had been issued so that supervisors and department heads knew it is a w orking arrangement that is not favored, at the very least.

While it was not clear if Brown and Curry actually talked, the county counsel did respond when contacted about the supervisor’s statement. In an email, Curry wrote: “County does have a telework policy for sure. We don’t have a policy that addresses out of state work.”

Curry noted in an interview that the job descriptions of the board aides are specific to the supervisor’s needs and not general public work requirements.

Taynton did not return calls to her office or her cellphone seeking comment.

A dditionally, there were no timely responses to a call or email to Matthew Davis, the county public information officer. The Daily Republic was trying to confirm the aide’s and Haslett’s employment status, and

From Page

intended to hit the drone,” Kirby said. “At best, it’s reckless flying.”

Russia has denied any responsibility for the crash and accused the U.S. side of provocation.

Footage of the inci-

if no longer working for the county, the departure dates. The Department of Human Resources would not answer the questions directly. Instead, it referred the Daily Republic to Davis.

Curry said she was aware of one other example of an employee, not Brown’s aide, who raised the possibility of working from out of state. She said that employee was told it was not a situation that would work.

Curry also said the issue had never really surfaced until the Covid-19 pandemic when many county employees telecommuted.

Among the possible conflicts are income taxes, workers’ compensation, health, retirement benefits and other laws, regulations or rules that can differ from one state to another.

Haslett said he raised some of those concerns in his complaint, and noted in the interview that all board aides are considered to be disaster response employees who must be available to help out with related county duties in the event of a disaster, something unlikely to be possible if living out of state.

The aide in question came to Brown’s staff after having served as a district representative for Skip Thomson. When Thomson chose not to run for re-election, the aide transferred to Brown’s staff.

It is believed the aide moved to Florida in or near August 2022, but continued to receive a county salary through the start of the new year, possibly into the start of February.

dent released by the U.S. shows the Russian fighter jet dumping fuel as it approaches the US drone and then flying extremely close.

On a second approach, the Russian Su-27 jet dumped fuel again and then collided with the drone, the U.S. European Command Center said on Thursday.

California, with its Mediterranean climate, depends heavily on moisture stored in the state’s deep freeze –the snowpack in the high Sierra – during the dry summer months. As of Wednesday, the average snow water equivalent – a measure of water available in the snow – is 56 inches, which is 223% of normal for this date.

California’s wet season isn’t over. And March might not go out like a lamb because the eight- to 14-day precipitation outlook through

Debt

From Page One

Treasury to pay its bills on time could have a cascading effect on those loans.

Yellen responded that the possibility would be beyond contemplation and said breaching the debt limit would be “completely devastating” for regional banks and the financial system at large.

Democrats also targeted a Republican bill to prioritize some federal payments over others if the debt limit is breached, after the GOP-controlled House Ways and Means Committee approved that legislation last week.

The Finance panel’s top Republican, Michael D. Crapo of Idaho, pressed Yellen for engagement in negotiations with the GOP on fiscal restraint measures that would be tied to a debt limit increase and dismissed Biden’s proposal to increase taxes as a means of deficit reduction.

Yellen said Biden was prepared to discuss and negotiate his plan with Republicans, but she reiterated the administration’s stance for a “clean” debt limit increase.

“It can’t be a condition for raising the debt ceiling,” she said. “The debt ceiling simply must be raised.”

Senators on both sides of the aisle peppered Yellen with questions on the SVB collapse. She said the banking system remains sound after regulators stepped in to protect depositors and that Americans can feel confident in the reliability of their deposits.

Several Republicans, including Crapo, blamed Biden administration policies along with regulators for the banking woes, pointing to high inflation as well as the Federal Reserve’s ensuing inter-

March 29 shows most of the state north of L.A. with above-normal chances of precipitation. From L.A.

southward, the outlook is for normal precipitation, but extended outlooks show below-average

temperatures across the state through the end of the month.

est rate hikes.

Some Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, are pressing to repeal a 2018 law that eased regulations for some banks as a response. But one moderate Democrat who played a lead role in that law, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, pointed to an interest in addressing social media’s role in spurring the run at SVB.

Republicans also pressed Yellen on whether the president has a plan to shore up Social Security’s finances, with estimates predicting the government won’t be able to pay benefits in full in about a decade.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., questioned whether it would be realistic to impose Biden’s $4.7 trillion in proposed tax increases on households making over $400,000 per year and corporations while also expanding the payroll tax that funds Social Security, as Biden has previously supported. That proposal was not in Biden’s budget request. Cassidy also said

the president hasn’t responded to meeting requests from a bipartisan group of senators working on a proposal to shore up Social Security’s finances that he’s leading with Sen. Angus King, I-Maine. Yellen reiterated Biden’s commitment to seniors and that he is ready to work with Congress on the issue.

While much of Yellen’s appearance was dedicated to new economic concerns, senators asked questions on a range of tax issues. Republicans pressed Yellen on the Treasury Department’s international tax negotiations and stance on extending provisions of the 2017 GOP tax law that expire after 2025.

Several Democrats urged bipartisan work to expand tax incentives for affordable housing amid a shortfall in the housing supply. Biden’s budget included requests to expand housing tax credits and Finance held a hearing this month on proposals including a package from Wyden, who vowed to take up the issue.

“The only matter that’s off the table is taking a

pass on it,” Wyden said. “We’ve got to act.” Wyden also joined House lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who raised concerns to Yellen last week about how Treasury is interpreting rules for clean vehicle tax credits from Democrats’ August budget reconciliation law. To qualify for the full subsidy, a certain portion of critical minerals used in a vehicle’s battery must be sourced from the U.S. or countries with a free trade agreement in effect.

That could exclude some allies like the European Union and Japan, but the Biden administration is seeking ways for more allies to qualify and launched negotiations last week with the EU on a targeted trade agreement for critical minerals.

Wyden said he has “serious concerns” about the administration’s actions and that Congress’ purview over trade would still apply to a critical mineral-specific agreement.

“Free trade agreements cannot be unilaterally decided by the executive branch,” he said.

during a winter storm in Manhattan Beach, March 14, 2023.

Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press/TNS

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asks questions to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a Senate Finance Committee hearing to examine President Joe Biden’s proposed budget request for fiscal year 2024 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Thursday.

Newsom says California is on track to cut unsheltered homelessness by 15%

SACRAMENTO — After criticizing local officials for failing to adequately address the pernicious problem of homelessness in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced that the state is on track to cut the number of unsheltered people by an ambitious 15% in two years and vowed to provide 1,200 tiny homes to help achieve that goal.

The announcement kicked off Newsom’s atypical State of the State tour around California, which replaces a speech outlining his political agenda that governors traditionally deliver annually to the state Legislature at the Capitol. Newsom, who dislikes reading off teleprompters because of his dyslexia, is instead taking his speech on the road this year and intends to make policy announcements at stops in Sacramento, the Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego through the weekend.

Three years ago and weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic forced a state of emergency, Newsom dedicated his entire address to homelessness and his commitment to ending it. Newsom called the crisis a disgrace to California and said it was his “calling” to alleviate that human misery.

Since then, the numbers have only increased. California is now home to more than 171,000 homeless individuals, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a 6.2% increase since 2020. Roughly 67%, or more than 115,000 people, are unsheltered, meaning that they’re living outside. That’s despite Newsom’s attention to the issue, the roughly $15 billion he’s dedicated to the problem since the start of the pandemic, and new housing programs that have sheltered thousands of Californians.

During his first tour stop in Sacramento, Newsom acknowledged “how angry we are as Californians about what’s going on in the streets and sidewalks in our state.”

But he said the state has made “progress” on ambitions to solve its greatest challenge, starting with the goal to reduce the most visible homelessness population by 15%.

“It’s a new day,” he said. “New energy demands new expectations, new results.”

In the fall, Newsom cracked down on what he’s called a lack of accountability by local governments to aggressively tackle the problem and requested greater urgency on homelessness.

To start, he symbolically tossed out the plans that cities and counties submitted to receive funding from the state’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Grant Program, which funnels hundreds of millions of dollars each year to local jurisdictions.

The plans vary across communities, depending on homelessness populations and what resources are needed in the area. But taken together, those blueprints had projected a 2% reduction in unsheltered homelessness statewide, a number that Newsom had rebuffed as inadequate.

Newsom halted state funding, convened local officials in Sacramento and asked them to sign a pledge promising more audacious goals for this year’s round of funding. The revised plans project a 15% reduction in unsheltered homelessness by 2025. Although it’s a bolder goal than last year’s, that means tens of thousands of Californians will still be homeless.

The state has allocated nearly $3 billion for HHAP so far, and Newsom has proposed an additional

$1 billion in next year’s budget for a fifth round of funding.

Newsom’s also said he will provide 1,200 tiny homes to jurisdictions across the state – including 500 in Los Angeles, 150 in San Diego County, 200 in San Jose and 350 in Sacramento – to be used as a temporary housing option for people immediately leaving the streets. He’s tapped the National Guard to help deliver the units.

The tiny homes will add to a list of other housing initiatives Newsom has rolled out during his tenure, including his signature Homekey program, born from the pandemic out of urgency to quickly shelter homeless and vulnerable individuals in hotels and motels.

Homekey has evolved into a sweeping program for the state to acquire and remodel these sites into more permanent and interim housing options for homeless individuals. The program has created 12,774 new homes so far with $2.7 billion in funding, according to the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.

A similar initiative, Project Roomkey, was created as a temporary shelter option during the pandemic and has since served more than 61,000 people, according to the California Department of Social Services.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, a strong supporter of Newsom, said the tiny homes would be a welcome addition to the shelter options for those currently living on the streets.

Steinberg said he’d like to place Sacramento’s

share of the tiny homes on excess land at Cal Expo, where the state fair is held each year and where Newsom kicked off his tour and made his announcement against a backdrop of tiny homes lined up in a large exhibit hall.

The model tiny homes were set up with some of the comforts of home, including small desks and bunk beds made up with blankets and teddy bears.

“It’s another really important contribution and investment,” Steinberg said.

Alluding to criticism that 1,200 tiny homes will do little to solve an outof-control crisis, Newsom said that the state had to “provide more options.”

“The urgency of the moment requires that one of the tools, in terms of our strategy, is to immediately address the anxiety … of being able to actually get someone off the street and have a place to go,” he said.

Still, others argued that greater investments were needed to provide permanent housing options and substance use and mental health treatment programs.

“I think housing has to be a part of the solution. But 1,200 tiny homes, when we have 115,000 unsheltered homeless in our state, I think is probably not going to make a huge dent,” said GOP Assemblymember Josh Hoover. “I think this is another splashy announcement that I’m skeptical will get actual results.”

Citing the lack of “a comprehensive homelessness plan with clear lines of responsibility and accountability,” California counties unveiled a proposal this week to work with the state and cities to develop a blueprint for reducing homelessness.

“Every level of government is doing everything possible to make progress on homelessness,” said Graham Knaus, chief executive of the California State Association of Counties. “But it is also true that we don’t have a real system to address homelessness in California and until we do our progress will always be far more limited than it should be.”

Energy Department briefs senators on Covid-19 origins

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

WASHINGTON — Department of Energy and intelligence community officials briefed members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on classified information related to Covid-19’s origins Thursday but offered no definitive revelations, according to lawmakers.

The briefing follows the news that the department now concludes with “low confidence” that the virus more likely originated in a lab in Wuhan, China, rather than through natural evolution. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also believes the “lab leak” theory with “moderate confidence,” although the National Intelligence Council and four other agencies hold the opposite view.

The officials offered details on why they changed from their previously neutral position, according to senators in the briefing. The DOE’s national labs employ scientists in a range of specialties beyond energy.

“They were very, very

From Page A5

he returned to the area to care for his parents. His tenure in Orange County was marked by controversy. A former investment banker, he correctly predicted Orange County’s bankruptcy in the 1990s and eventually became county treasurer. In 2010, he announced that he would not run for reelection after a federal judge rebuked him for breaching his fiduciary

generous and explicit as far as what they know, how they know, when they knew — things of this sort,” said Chairman Joe Manchin III, D-W. Va. “But no one’s exactly 1,000 percent.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who also attended the briefing, sponsored a bill to declassify relevant intelligence that passed the Senate by unanimous consent on March 1 and passed the House 419-0 on March 10. That bill still awaits President Joe Biden’s signature, but the White House has not indicated whether Biden will sign.

“Hopefully that will all soon be declassified,” Hawley said of the Energy Department’s assessment. “But it’s not like shattering. I mean, it’s nothing that the FBI and others hadn’t really already weighed.”

Manchin said he questioned the officials on the country’s preparedness for future pandemics during the briefing, and that officials are working to improve security measures.

“They’re moving in that direction,” he said. “They’re very much aware of it.”

duties in an earlier stint as a bankruptcy trustee. Street later sued his lawyer in that case for malpractice and won a $10 million judgment.

In an interview with KRCR News Channel 7 this week, Street spoke about his vision for the 51st state, New California, and his belief that Shasta County could become an important economic engine for such a new state. Referencing the county’s ability to generate power at low rates, he said, “Shasta is probably the next place for a real economic” center.

K.C. Alfred/San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS file (2022) California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference after helping clean up a homeless encampment in San Diego, Jan. 12, 2022.

No. 15 Princeton ousts No. 2 Arizona

Joe davidSon THE SACRAMENTO BEE SACRAMENTO

—

Somewhere, Pete Carril is working over a stale cigar, nodding with pride and approval.

Carril was the beloved Hall of Fame coach who led the Princeton Tigers for 30 seasons and presided over some epic NCAA Tournament efforts before finishing his career as a sage and wise Sacramento Kings assistant, big on backdoor cuts and

the belief that anything can happen.

Carril died in August at 92, but his spirit lives on, and his legacy was on the minds of Princeton players and coaches Thursday afternoon. A darkhorse again and always, 15th-seeded Princeton stunned No. 2-seeded Arizona 59-55 in a first-round NCAA Tournament thriller at Golden 1 Center, where only Wildcats fans and their band were pulling for the Pac-12 program with

Final Four aspirations. Everyone else was pulling for an upset because it’s the upsets that make this March Madness.

In another tournament stunner, No. 13 Furman took out No. 4 Virginia at the Orlando, Fla. regional.

Tosan Evbuomwan had 15 points and seven rebounds in muscling around the bigger and taller Arizona Wildcats.

Caden Pierce had two late free throws to stun Arizona, nearly 27 years to the day that Carril led 13th-seeded

Princeton past defending champion UCLA in a tournament opener. Princeton (22-9) scored the final nine points and held Arizona scoreless in the final 4:43. This is Princeton’s first tournament triumph since eliminating UNLV in 1998. Princeton coach Mitch Henderson was on that team, and he was s a member of the storied 1996 Tigers team, scoring eight points. He rejoiced in this one, too, in a job he never expected to have, saying Thursday: “I pinch

Parity reigns: MEL baseball race should be very competitive

FAIRFIELD — Monticello

Empire League baseball coaches got together Tuesday night for an informal meeting to go over some things about the season and came to one conclusion: This is going to be a very competitive campaign.

“There is a lot of parity, top to bottom,” Vanden High School head coach Ryan Adams said. “There will be no given days where you can assume you’re going to get a league win, and that’s what is going to make it fun. It’s time to put on the hard hat and go to work.”

Rodriguez baseball coach James Maldonado added, “I think anyone can win it this year. I don’t think anyone is going undefeated. Three games a week is really going to test

people’s pitching.”

Vanden and Rodriguez shared the MEL title last season at 13-2 with the Vikings winning two of the three games in the series between the city rivals. Vacaville (8-7) and Armijo (8-7) were playoff teams, while Will C. Wood (3-12) and Fairfield (0-15) followed.

The 2021 season stacked up much the same way after the Covid season of 2020. Prior to that, Vacaville was an MEL power with back-to-back Sac-Joaquin Section titles.

“Vacaville will be back up this year,” Maldonado said, “and Armijo might have something to say. Fairfield is also on the rise.”

Adams added, “Vacaville might be the front-runners. Armijo is also a team that surprised some people last year. So far, so good for us. We accept the challenge.”

The season begins Monday with Will C. Wood at Armijo, Fairfield at Vanden and Rodriguez at Vacaville. Games will be contested in blocks of three with the next games Wednesday and Friday.

Four of the six MEL teams went to the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs last year. Vanden went the furthest by beating Beyer, Roseville and Central Catholic before losing the Division III championship game to Del Campo 4-2 in eight innings.

Rodriguez had Division II wins over Cordoba and Downey before being eliminated by eventualchampion Granite Bay. Vacaville defeated River City and top-seed Franklin in Division I before being eliminated by McClatchy. Armijo lost its playoff opener in Division II

See MEL, Page B6

Prized free agent Javon Hargrave shocked to join forces with 49ers

JeRRy Mcdonald

BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

When the free agency negotiating period began, Javon Hargrave was curious as to where he would wind up.

With 11 sacks and in the prime of his career after a big year with the Philadelphia Eagles, Hargrave was secure in the knowledge that he was about to sign a life-changing contract. What he didn’t expect was to be signing with the 49ers.

“I couldn’t believe it myself. I really couldn’t,” Hargrave said Thursday in a video conference.

“Sometimes when you’re trying to get the money,

you have to go to a team that’s in a rebuild mode. When you get a chance to go a team that was just in the NFC championship it was an easy for choice for me.

“It made me really

happy because I was nervous about free agency, where I was going to have to go. I felt this was the perfect situation for me.”

The 49ers officially announced the signings

myself every day.”

His players are pinching themselves, too, but there wasn’t a single player or coach in Tigers stripes who didn’t expect this outcome. Why make the trip from New Jersey otherwise, right?

It’s the third consecutive year that a No. 15 seed topped a 2-seed in an opener and the 11th overall. Arizona is the lone program to have suffered such an upset twice, losing to Santa Clara and guard Steve Nash in 1993.

“Pretty surreal feeling,” Tigers guard Matt Allocco said. “To beat a great team like that on this stage is a pretty special feeling. But also I can’t say I’m surprised. This team has been so good all year, so gritty. On paper, it’s going to look like a big upset. But we believe in each other and we think we’re a really good team. When we’re at our best, then I think we can beat anybody in the country.” Princeton players wore a patch that honors Carril.

NBA suspends Warriors’ star Green after latest technical

M adeline K enney BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

LOS ANGELES —

Draymond Green had been walking a tight rope for the last month as he sat one technical foul short of an automatic suspension. But the Warriors star slipped up Wednesday night, and it’ll cost him a paycheck and a game.

Green will serve his one-game suspension Friday in Atlanta after picking up his 16th technical foul.

Green was assessed a technical foul with 40 seconds remaining in the first half of Golden State’s 134-126 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers after he appeared to intentionally toss the ball at Russell Westbrook.

After the loss, Green said he was optimistic the league would rescind his 16th technical foul. But the league announced Thursday evening that the technical would stand, triggering an automatic one-game suspension (per league rules.) Green picked up

his 15th technical on Feb. 13 against Washington, but the Warriors had remained confident their loud star would be able to avoid another one that would mean an automatic onegame suspension. Now that he’s picked up his 16th tech, Green would face another one-game suspension for any additional two technicals he may incur the rest of the regular season.

Green’s suspension may not have come at a worse time for the Warriors, who are already playing short handed as they try to battle for playoff seeding in a tight Western Conference race.

Without Green on Friday, that leaves the Warriors with just nine active players against the Hawks – assuming Steph Curry, who’s listed as questionable with a sore thumb, and Kevon Looney, who’s probable with a sore back, are each cleared to play.

Green’s absence exacerbates Golden

See Green, Page B6

Fairfield’s baseball team holds off Napa

daily Republic Staff DRNEWS@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD —

run in the first and two in the third.

of Hargrave, quarterback Sam Darnold, defensive end Clelin Ferrell and defensive back Isaiah Oliver, with each conducting a video conference with local media.

Hargrave, 30, reportedly received a four-year deal worth a maximum of $84 million that included a $23 million signing bonus and $40 million guaranteed. The 49ers wanted him badly enough to pay Hargrave the second-largest amount in free agency to a non-quarterback, behind only departed offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey.

Hargrave, whose first name is pronounced

Donavan Luu went 3-for-3 at the top of the order and set the table for Fairfield High School’s baseball team in a 3-1 win Thursday over visiting Napa.

Joey Mason had a hit and drove in two runs.

Trustin Mitchell tripled and delivered an RBI.

Fairfield improve to 4-2 on the season after having won just five games all of last year.

Christian Rambeau pitched four innings, allowing five hits, one walk and no earned runs to go with three strikeouts. Amari Bryant threw three innings and gave up only one hit and one run with three walks and eight strikeouts.

Napa scored its one run in the fifth inning. Fairfield scored one

Fairfield is scheduled to host Salesian at 4 p.m. Friday.

Vanden can’t

slow visiting Benicia

FAIRFIELD — The Benicia High School baseball team had five hits and took advantage of seven walks in a 7-1 win Wednesday at Vanden.

The Panthers scored one run in the third inning and added six more in the fourth. Vanden was held to one run that came in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Jacob French went 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs for Benicia. French also pitched a three-hitter over 3 1/3 innings with

Alex Cobb is happy to be Giants’ No. 2 starter B2 Friday, March

Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic

Vanden’s Jack Tranchina, left, catches the throw as Benicia’s Jacob French steals third base during

Wednesday’s baseball game in Fairfield. The Vikings are the returning co-champ of the MEL with Rodriguez.

David Maialetti/Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS file (2022)

Javon Hargrave, a former Eagles star, has a new deal with the 49ers that includes $40 million guaranteed.

CALENDAR

Friday’s TV sports

Scoreboard

Kentucky, 5, 13, 4:10 p.m.

• Drake vs. Miami, TBS, 4:25 p.m.

• Grand Canyon vs. Gonzaga, truTV, 4:35 p.m.

• Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis, TNT, 6:20

• Montana State vs. Kansas State, 5, 13, 6:40 p.m.

• Kent State vs. Indiana, TBS, 6:55 p.m.

• TBD vs. TCU, truTV, 7:05 p.m.

NCAA Women’s Tournament

• Marquette vs. South Alabama, ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.

• West Virginia at Arizona, ESPN, 9 a.m.

• Georgia vs. Florida State, ESPN2, 10:30 a.m.

• Norfolk State at South Carolina, ESPN, 11 a.m.

• Holy Cross at Maryland, ESPNEWS, 11:30 a.m.

• UNLV vs. Michigan, ESPNU, Noon.

• Southern Utah vs.Notre Dame, ESPN2, 12:30 p.m.

• SE Louisiana vs. Iowa, ESPN, 1 p.m.

• Chattanooga vs. Virginia Tech, ESPNU, 2:30 p.m.

• Hawaii vs. LSU, ESPN2, 2:30 p.m.

• TBD vs. Creighton, ESPNEWS, 3 p.m.

• TBD vs. Stanford, ESPN2, 4:30 p.m.

• Gardiner Webb vs. Utah, ESPNU, 4:30 p.m.

• South Dakota State vs. USC, ESPNEWS, 5 p.m.

• Gonzaga vs. Ole Miss, ESPNU, 7p.m.

• Princeton vs. NC State, ESPN2, 7 p.m.

NBA

• Golden State at Atlanta, NBCSBA (Fairfield and Suisun City), 4:30 p.m.

Golf

• PGA, Valspar Championship, GOLF, 10 a.m.

• Champions, Hoag Classic, GOLF, 2 p.m.

• Euro Ladies, Aramco Team Series, GOLF, 9 p.m.

Motor Sports

• NASCAR Trucks, Fr8 208, Qualifying, FS1, 11 a.m.

• NASCAR Xfinity Series, RAPTOR 250, Qualifying, FS1, 12:30 p.m.

Soccer EPL Nottingham vs. Newcastle, USA, Noon.

Saturday’s TV sports

Baseball

MLB Exhibition

• Oakland vs. Cincinnati, NBCSCA, 12:05 p.m.

WBC

• United States vs. Venezuela, 2, 40, 4 p.m.

Basketball

NCAA Men’s Tournament Matchups TBD, 5, 13, TBS, TNT, truTV, Times TBD

NCAA Women’s Tournament

• TBD vs. Indiana, ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.

• Saint Louis vs. Tennessee, 7, 10, 10 a.m.

• James Madison vs. Ohio State, ESPN2, 10:30 a.m.

• Miami vs. Oklahoma State, ESPN, 11 a.m.

• Florida Gulf Coast vs. Washington State, ESPNU, 11:30 a.m.

• Vermont vs. UConn, 7, 10, Noon.

• Toledo at Iowa State, ESPN2, 12:30 p.m.

• TBD vs. North Carolina, ESPN, 1 p.m.

• Cleveland State vs. Villanova, ESPNU, 2 p.m.

• Alabama vs. Baylor, ESPN2, 2:30 p.m.

• Middle Tennessee State at Colorado, ESPNEWS, 4 p.m.

• Drake vs. Louisville, ESPN2, 4:30 p.m.

• Portland vs. Oklahoma, ESPNU, 6 p.m.

• Iona vs. Duke, ESPN2, 6:30 p.m.

• East Carolina at Texas, ESPN, 7 p.m.

• Sacramento State at UCLA, ESPN2, 8:30 p.m.

Men’s NIT

• Michigan at Vanderbilt, ESPN, 9 a.m.

NBA

• Sacramento at Washington, NBCSCA (Vacaville and Rio VIsta), 5 p.m.

• Golden State at Memphis, NBCSBA (Fairfield and Suisun CIty), 5 p.m.

Golf

• PGA, Valspar Championship, GOLF, 9 a.m.

• PGA, Valspar Championship, 3, 11 a.m.

• Champions, Hoag Classic, GOLF, Noon.

• Asian Tour, DGC Open, GOLF, 10:30 p.m.

Hockey NHL

• Pittsburgh at N.Y. Rangers, 7, 10, 5 p.m.

• N.Y. Islanders at San Jose, NBCSCA, 6:30 p.m.

Motor Sports

• F1, Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, Practice, ESPN2, 5:25 a.m.

• NASCAR Cup Series, Ambetter Health 400,

Qualifying, 7:30 a.m.

• NASCAR Trucks, Fr8208, FS1, 10 a.m.

• IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship, 12 hours at Sebring, USA, 12:30 p.m.

• NASCAR Xfinity, RAPTOR 250, FS1, 1 p.m.

Rugby Six Nations

• Ireland vs. England, 3, 9 a.m.

Soccer

Giants’ Cobb honored by nod as No. 2 starter in the new rotation

Evan WEbEck

AREA NEWS GROUP

BAY

PEORIA, Ariz. — Alex Cobb began 2022 in the fifth and final spot in the Giants’ rotation, an indication of tough road that preceded his signing in San Francisco. This year, he earned a promotion: Cobb, 35, will slot in behind Logan Webb as the Giants’ No. 2 starter, a statement of how far he’s come.

“I feel honored to get the ball that game, really just with where my career has been,” Cobb said after his latest and most effective spring outing, tossing five scoreless innings against the Mariners in a 0-0 tie on Thursday. “Early in my career, I definitely felt like I was a top-of-the-rotation type of pitcher. I had some tough surgeries that I had to battle back from. . . . I’m just thankful that I’ve had that ability to come back, because there were some

Local

From Page B1

eight strikeouts. Benicia improved to 2-1-1 overall.

No individual statistics were made available for Vanden. The Vikings fell to 2-1.

Benicia will host a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday against American Canyon. Vanden is back in action with a 3:30 p.m. first pitch Friday at McClatchy.

Vacaville falls 2-1 in pitching duel

VACAVILLE — The Vacaville High School baseball lost a tight 2-1 game Wednesday afternoon to Acalanes in Lafayette.

The Bulldogs managed six hits. Bennie Dyer doubled and drove in a run. Cy Dempsay, Drew Carrington, Drew Lammon, Luke Johnson and Nik Rostak also had hits. Vacaville scored its lone run in the third inning.

Finn Chapman and Danny Marino each pitched three innings for the Bulldogs. They combined for a three-hitter with four strikeouts. Acalanes scored one run in the second inning and another in the third.

Vacaville fell to 1-2 overall. The Bulldogs were scheduled to play at home Thursday against College Park.

Delgado homers, but Buckingham falls

VACAVILLE — Diego Delgado hit a home run and singled for the Buckingham Charter baseball team Wednesday, but the Knights lost in five innings 12-2 at Woodland Christian.

Zack Petit also singled for Buckingham (0-3 overall). The Knights

dark times in the mind trying to figure out what I was doing wrong.”

The Giants open the season March 30 in the Bronx against the Yankees.

While their Opening Day starter (Webb) remains the same from

scored single runs in the first and third inning.

Buckingham is scheduled to host Elite at 4 p.m. Friday.

Softball

Vacaville rolls to big win at Fairfield

FAIRFIELD — Makayla Freshour homered, singled and drove in three runs Thursday as the Vacaville High School softball team cruised by host Fairfield 20-1 in the Monticello Empire League opener.

Jordyn Jamison had a double, triple and three RBIs. Jordan Munn delivered two hits and drove in four runs. Vacaville’s run production featured an 11-run fourth inning.

Vacaville starter Xochitl Atayde threw a one-hitter and had 12 strikeouts. Individual statistics for Fairfield were not available. Both teams moved to 2-2 on the season. Fairfield has a nonleague game at 4 p.m. Friday in Woodland. Vacaville plays at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Vanden.

Boys Tennis Rodriguez enjoys big win over Vacaville

FAIRFIELD — The Rodriguez High School boys tennis team defeated Vacaville 9-0 Wednesday with all matches won in straight sets.

Evan Wadsworth, Danton Hsueh, Josh Williams, Theo Keyser, Brandon Wei and Justin Wei won singles matches. The Rodriguez doubles teams of Ian Huey-Paul Lee, Andre Perriard-Patrick Reilly and Drake Bennett-Connor Mackernie also came through with victories. Rodriguez improved to 4-0 in the Monticello

brought by Rodón last season, they believe their deep and experienced group can be even better, banking on Cobb repeating or improving on his breakout 2022.

Last year, Cobb drew attention in spring training for his increased velocity – up to 96 mph, thanks to work at Driveline – and maintained it throughout the season, as he posted his lowest ERA (3.73) since 2017 and a FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) almost a full run lower, 2.80.

last season, it will be Cobb in the second rotation spot vacated by Carlos Rodón, who will be in the opposing dugout but not on the mound because of a forearm strain. While no one of the Giants’ starters can match the octane

Empire League.

Vanden cruises to shutout victory

FAIRFIELD — Vanden High School’s boys tennis team dominated singles competition Wednesday and picked up a 9-0 win over Fairfield.

James Reticado, C.J. Hongo, Romelo Felix, Diego Montano, Matthew David and Jonathan Figueroa secured wins in straight sets. No doubles matches were contested.

Vanden improved to 3-2 in the Monticello Empire League. The Vikings were scheduled to play Thursday at Vacaville.

Armijo boys sweep contested singles

FAIRFIELD — Armijo

High School’s boys tennis team won all five contested singles match Thursday and defeated Will C. Wood, 5-0.

Will Rivera, RJ Tanimoto, Ramon Torres, Joseph Pangelinan and Christian Diaz all picked up wins in straight sets for the Royals.

There was no No. 6 singles match or any doubles.

College

Solano softball loses doubleheader games

ROCKVILLE — The Solano Community College softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader Thursday to College of the Sequoias in Visalia.

Solano lost the first game 5-1. The Falcons were shut out 8-0 in the five-inning second game. Solano fell to 3-14 on the season.

In the first game, Naiya Watts singled, doubled and drove in a run. Alyssa Sellers also had a double. Watts went 3-for-3 with a

This spring, Cobb has been just as effective, still sitting in the mid-90s with his fastball. But he’s incorporated two new pitches, at least one of which he plans to debut at Yankee Stadium in the Giants’ second game of the season. “I think you’ll definitely be seeing the slider,” Cobb said.

double in the second game. Solano will be in action Tuesday with a home doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. against College of the Siskiyous.

Youth hockey

Vacaville Jets 14U-B qualify

for state

VACAVILLE — The Vacaville Jets 14U-B youth hockey team qualified for the upcoming California Amateur Hockey Association State Championships with a strong finish at last weekend’s NorCal finals in San Jose.

Vacaville reached the finals before losing to the Fresno Jr. Monsters 4-2. Both teams advanced to the state tournament March 24-26 at Vacaville Ice Sports. Vacaville will host the B/BB divisions with the upper youth divisions being decided in Valencia.

The Jets defeated the Capital Thunder 3-1 by scoring three goals in the third period. Vacaville went 1-1-1 in round robin play that featured a 5-3 loss to the Thunder, a 3-2 win over the Santa Rosa Flyers and an 8-8 tie with Fresno.

The Jets 14U-B team features goalkeeper Caesar Massari. The team also consists of Alan Blouin, Ryder Blouin, David Brown, Makenzie Brown, Jesse Cruces, Boston V. Heston Rojas, Connor Horn, Brendan KeskullMoffatt, Nicholas Krzan, Albert Reyes, Keenan Smits, Kody Thomas, ElizabethWard, Zoey Wood and Elise Zawisza.

The Vacaville Jets 12U-BB squad also qualified for NorCals. The younger Jets finished 0-1-2 in round robin play. Chris McGrew in their head coach.

The Jets program offers competitive co-ed hockey for all ability levels ages 6-18.

John Medina for Bay Area News Group/TNS/file

Giants pitcher Alex Cobb delivers a pitch during a spring training game against the Kansas City Royals at Scottsdale Stadium in Arizona, March 5.

Columns&Games

Grateful for luck and love

Dear Readers: Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today, March 17, we remember and honor St. Patrick, the patron saint believed to have popularized Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century.

In the spirit of the occasion, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite quotes about luck from Roald Dahl: “We are all a great deal luckier than we realize; we usually get what we want -- or near enough.” Today and always, may we remember just how fortunate we are for the people and blessings in our lives. However you and your circle are celebrating today, I wish you a fun and fortuitous holiday.

Dear Annie: After reading your response to “Missing the Romance,” I felt inclined to add to the conversation. My husband and I have been married nearly 20 years. Prior to that, we were engaged and living separately for two years.

ARIES (March 21-April 19).

Maybe being lazy is good after all. There’s a way to handle today’s problem that’s more useful to others and less work for you. It’s not difficult to find once you stop assuming that hard work is always the way.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You really try to put yourself in another person’s shoes and see the world from there. This is an act of respect that will smooth your interactions, build your relationships and bless your future.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21).

Your self-esteem will waver, but don’t let that knock you off your game. Even though you find yourself among people doing similar things, do not forget that your spiritual essence is unique and beautiful in a way that no one else’s could ever be.

CANCER (June 22-July 22).

When you open your eyes to the day, it can come rushing in like a cold wave or it can just as easily roll out before you, resplendent. It’s not your schedule or responsibilities but how you feel about them that makes the difference.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22).

Accept uncertainty and let go of control. Life is unpredictable, and there are times when trying to steer is counterproductive. Let the wheel turn. Don’t fight it. You’ll pick it back up at the conclusion of the spin.

I can honestly say that we both enjoyed our separate houses just as much as our joint living situation. He joked about living in a duplex, me on one side and him on the other. If it wasn’t for our child, I think we would’ve kept our separate residences. Maybe living separately would motivate them to spend more quality time together. It would also settle the disagreement over expenses and the issue with the dogs. — Loved My Own Place

Dear Loved My Own Place: There is no “right” way to be in a relationship. It sounds like you and your husband found a creative solution that could work for many other couples. Thanks for sharing!

Dear Annie: I’m a senior citizen who’s still in love with a younger man that I had a brief, passionate experience with over two decades ago. A few years before Covid came, I went to visit him. We live in different states now, and although

Today’s birthday

Welcome to your year of angelic audacity. You’ll have the sort of gumption you don’t have to work up. It will just come to you in the moment you need it. The outcome of these bursts may bring you bounty, but none so rich as the knowledge that you are connected to the churning of the world. Returned with interest: your generosity, affection and attention. Education brings a financial boost. Scorpio and Aries adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 14, 20, 5, 19 and 30.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).

In this game, if you think you’re winning, you’re winning, mostly because it’s your game. Have a little talk to yourself about the rules. Imagine the most supportive and creative Mary Poppins type was on your side. What would she allow?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).

“Are you with me or are you against me?” they will ask. It would be better for you if you didn’t have to draw so stark a line. To blur into the gray areas would be more comfortable and truer. If anyone can do this, you can.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

You’ll give generously and then be a little surprised at what

he was kind when I went to visit him, he made it clear that he was never going to come to visit me. We still communicate occasionally by text, but rarely by phone. Also, the texts are becoming more random rather than daily, as they were in the beginning. He said he wants to be friends. I don’t know if I should even continue communicating with him. What’s your advice? -- Lonely

Dear Lonely: My advice is to cut this guy off because he’s clearly not interested in a committed relationship. Try making connections in your area through a church or an adult sports league. You can also try dating apps if you are missing that romantic connection. There are people all around you who are also searching for connection; don’t waste your time on the ones who don’t give you the attention you deserve.

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

they still need from you. Time to lay a boundary. You’ll diplomatically begin with common ground and positivity and move gently to less comfortable realms.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). The rule of gratitude is not to evaluate what you have by comparing it to what others have or what there is to have or what you didn’t get. Gratitude is being thankful you have a thing, as compared to not having it at all.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19). Is there a problem? There could be, but why build a case for it if there’s not tons of evidence to support the premise? To worry needlessly robs you of precious enjoyment of life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). You appreciate support, but you don’t depend on it. There’s something in the idea of a solo journey that challenges your mind now. You want to know who you are, and what you can do. You will find out.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Sometimes felicity is a bluebird landing on your shoulder. But happiness will be a build-ityourself kit today. You have all the elements, though assembly is not included. It will be there because you put it there. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

Word Sleuth Daily Cryptoquotes

Crossword by Phillip Alder

Bridge

was faced with a precarious problem. Rather than commit himself immediately, South called for dummy’s heart two. East went in with the king, and when West dropped the queen, he continued with a low heart, which West ruffed. Later, declarer lost two diamond tricks: down one.

When West used the Unusual No-Trump, showing a long minor two-suiter, it was easy for declarer to read the heart-queen lead as a singleton. Playing West for 2=1=5=5 shape, declarer won immediately with dummy’s ace and drew two rounds of trumps. When the club finesse won a moment later, South claimed his contract, conceding one heart and two diamonds.

CAN YOU TALK THIS LANGUAGE?

Which mammal – apart from Homo sapiens – has the greatest vocabulary? On today’s deal, taken from a U.S. Trial, one West couldn’t resist bidding, and he paid the price. At the first table, West passed throughout. Then he led the club jack against four spades. Declarer finessed dummy’s queen, of course, but then

Don’t bid unless you think you can either buy the contract or steer partner to a good lead he won’t find unaided. Here West had no reason to expect to win the auction at a safe level, especially with the unfavorable vulnerability.

The talkative mammal is the cat, with over 100 separate sounds. This is more than both the chimpanzee and the gorilla.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse . . . perhaps because he heard the cat on the prowl.

COPYRIGHT: 2023, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

Sudoku by Wayne Gould

3/17/23

ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THREE NO-TRUMP Richard M. DeVos, who was a billionaire, said, “Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A word of optimism and hope.

‘you can do it’ when things are tough.”

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9, with no repeats. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box. Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

by

Difficulty level: SILVER

Yesterday’s solution:

Horoscopes by Holiday Mathis

Annie Lane

Dear Annie

B4 Friday, March 17, 2023 — DAILY REPUBLIC

Courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Hulu/TNS

‘Boston Strangler’ a compelling look at infamous murder spree

M ark Meszoros

THE NEWS-HERALD, WILLOUGHBY, OHIO

F

Although the Boston Strangler murders occurred about 50 years ago, the murky story of who exactly killed several unmarried women in and around the Massachusetts city – and why – remains a fascinating if also gruesome subject.

One of the stronger 20th Century Studios films going straight to Hulu, where it debuts this week, “Boston Strangler” revisits the saga from the point of view of one of two women who covered the killings for the city’s RecordAmerican newspaper. And so while it is, in fact, another serving of true-crime-based fare, it also very much is a journalism movie – one highly interested in exploring the sexism faced by women journalists of the era. (Expect to hear derisive phrases such as “girl reporters” tossed around by male characters.)

Written and directed by Matt Ruskin, “Boston Strangler” begins with a murder in 1965 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As with the deaths that follow – taking place only a few years earlier in Massachusetts – Ruskin isn’t interested in glorifying the acts by portraying them with the frame, but he lets us hear them, which is horrifying enough.

In Boston in 1962, Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley), a married mother of three, is languishing on the lifestyle

Here’s

MOVIE Review

or its producers, “Boston Strangler” arrives at what arguably is an opportune time, when content based on true crime is hot.‘Boston Strangler’

Rated R

112 minutes

On Hulu Friday HH (OUT OF FOUR)

desk at the Record American. She wants to cover hard news, but her editor, Jack MacLaine (Chris Cooper, “Adaptation”), isn’t interested. Understandably, Loretta is envious of a female colleague, Jean Cole (Carrie Coon), who writes investigative pieces for the publication.

The dogged Loretta finally convinces Jack to allow her to write a profile of four recent murder victims – and only after she offers to do the work on her own time. After additional similar murders are discovered, however, she’s on the story, as is Jean.

With the possible exception of her deciding, understandably, not to follow a person of interest deep into his apartment, we see fearless reporting by Loretta as she seeks out suspects and cultivates police sources such as Jim Conley (Alessandro Nivola, “The Many Saints of Newark”), a homicide detective working the case.

Even though the story is told from her perspective, it’s disappointing that Loretta is the only character to see any real development in the hands of Ruskin, who earned kudos for his 2017 drama, “Crown Heights.”

We see the strain the job begins to put on her marriage to the previously supportive James (Morgan Spector), and we

witness her growth as a news reporter, even though she’s pretty strong in that area as soon as she gets her shot.

She and Jean don’t just face discrimination in the field and from readers but also from colleagues and supervisors, although Jack has a habit of eventually doing right by them.

Given the talent Coon has shown in television series including “The Leftovers” and “The Gilded Age” (in which she shares myriads scenes with likewise enjoyable Spector), it’s simply a bummer Jean isn’t fleshed out a bit more. However, Knightly (“The Imitation Game,” “Atonement”) is more than up for the task of carrying the affair.

It isn’t Knightley’s fault but, instead, Ruskin’s that “Boston Strangler” loses a little too much steam in the middle of the affair, as the investigation begins to focus on one now-infamous man (David Dastmalchian, “Dune”). The film largely, but not completely, reestablishes its momentum after the mystery grows more complex as time passes.

Plus, there’s a lot to like here from the anything-butflashy filmmaking side, from the grainy look and soft lighting to the aforementioned handling of the story’s requisite violence. Along with hearing the slayings, we hear plenty about them, and that’s enough.

“Boston Stranger” is smart and, perhaps to a fault, measured and steady.

If it doesn’t sound sensationalistic enough to you, there is plenty of murder-filled fare out there.

Word Sleuth

Bridge by Phillip Alder

passed around?

If you don’t mind taking the risk of looking silly, bid three no-trump! This isn’t so crazy because, given the vulnerability, East would have raised with any semblance of heart fit. Here, a takeout double also works well because partner bids three no-trump. However, South overcalled four diamonds, which was raised to five by North.

West led the club queen. East unwisely overtook with the king and returned the heart four: eight, 10, ace. How did South make East pay for his misdefense?

ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THREE NO-TRUMP

Richard M. DeVos, who was a billionaire, said, “Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A word of optimism and hope. A ‘you can do it’ when things are tough.”

In today’s deal, at unfavorable vulnerability, what should South do after West’s three-heart opening bid is

Declarer wondered about drawing trumps and leading a low spade to dummy’s nine, planning, if the finesse won, to establish the clubs. True, West probably wouldn’t have found the entry-killing play of the jack to scuttle South’s scheme, but is he likely to hold the spade jack? West is known to have started with six hearts and one club. (The lead must be a singleton, given his strong heart holding.) So West rates to have 2=6=4=1 or 3=6=3=1 shape rather than 4=6=2=1, which gives East more spades than West.

The winning line is to draw trumps, lead the spade queen to dummy’s king and call for the club 10. When East covers with the ace, discard a heart! East must either return a club to dummy’s winners or lead a spade away from the jack.

COPYRIGHT: 2023, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

Sudoku by Wayne Gould

Dist. by creators.com

3/18/23

Difficulty level: GOLD

Yesterday’s solution:

ALWAYS THINK ABOUT

THREE NO-TRUMP

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9, with no repeats. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box. Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

Richard M. DeVos, who was a billionaire, said, “Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A word of optimism and hope. A ‘you can do it’ when things are tough.”

Keira Knightley stars in “Boston Strangler.”

Jack White pens poetic ode to Meg White after White Stripes drummer was maligned

Los A ngeLes Times

Jack White dedicated a poem on Wednesday to his former wife and band mate, Meg White, after a journalist posted a dis paraging tweet about the White Stripes drummer that went viral.

On Instagram, Jack White shared a photo of Meg White pounding her signature red-and-white drum kit and dreamed of a world “without demons, cowards and vampires out for blood.” The guitarist and the percussionist played together for years as the White Stripes, a punk-rock duo from the late 1990s and early 2000s known for hits such as “Fell in Love With a Girl” and “Seven Nation Army.”

“To be born in another time, any era but our own would’ve been fine,” Jack White wrote.

“one with the positive inspiration to foster what is good. . . . where we could . . . be one with the others all around us, and even still the ones who came before, and help ourselves to all their love, and pass it on again once more. to have bliss upon bliss upon bliss, to be without fear, negativity or pain, and to get up every morning, and be happy to do it all again.”

The musician’s poetic tribute to Meg White came days after journalist Lachlan Markay insulted the trailblazing drummer in a tweet that has been widely condemned by fans, music critics and artists alike.

“The tragedy of the White Stripes is how great they would’ve been with a half-decent drummer,” Markay tweeted. “I’m sorry Meg White was terrible and no band is better for having s— percussion.”

After a resounding backlash, Markay deleted the unpopular tweet, walked back his remarks and apologized to White. He has since made his Twitter account private, so his tweets are now accessible only to his followers.

In a follow-up tweet, Markay deemed his comments about White “over-the-top,” “truly awful in every

way,” “petty,” “obnoxious” and “just plain wrong,” according to NME.

“To Meg White: I am sorry. Really,” he added. “And to women in the music business generally, who I think are disproportionately subject to this sort of s—, I am sorry to have fed that as well. I’m really going to try to be more thoughtful in the future, both on here and off.”

Meg White, who doesn’t appear to be active on social media, has not responded to the uproar. But several of her fellow musicians have spoken up on her behalf.

On Twitter, Roots drummer Questlove called Markay’s “troll” opinion “out of line af.”

“Actually what is wrong w music is people choking the life out of music like an Instagram filter — trying to reach a high of music perfection that doesn’t even serve the song (or music),” Questlove wrote.

Another person who stood up for Meg White was Jack White’s ex-wife, singer-songwriter Karen Elson, who hailed the maligned percussionist as “a fantastic drummer” and revealed that Jack White once said “the White Stripes would be nothing without her.”

“To the journalist who dissed her, keep my ex husband’s ex wife name out of your f— mouth. (Please and Thank You),” Elson tweeted.

Zits Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Pearls Before Swine Stephan Pastis

Candorville Darrin Bell

Baby Blues Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Baldo Hector Cantú and Carlos Castellanos

49ers

From Page B1

“JAY-von,” will be a push-the-pocket presence on the inside at 6-foot-2, 305 pounds. Paired with reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, it in theory gives the 49ers the top insideoutside combination in the NFL.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2016 through 2019 and four seasons with the Eagles, Hargrave has joined another team with a no-nonsense, attacking approach to football on the defensive line as taught by line coach Kris Kocurek.

“Violent and upfield,” Hargrave said. “It’s like a D-lineman’s dream to just go be relentless and disrupt everything. That was a big thing, just knowing I could be part of that, being more disruptive than I’ve been. I’ve heard the D-line coach is a great coach, just taking my game to another level.”

Both Bosa and defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who will pair with Hargrave in the middle, wasted no time extending their greetings.

“They both hit me up and congratulated me and told me they couldn’t wait to be a part of this,” Hargrave said. “I’m just ready to put my head down and see how much better I can be.”

A third-round pick out of South Carolina State by Pittsburgh in 2016, Hargrave has parlayed a relentless bull rush and a low center of gravity into being a difficult matchup on the interior.

“I think the Lord blessed me with these legs and I’ve always been able to anchor and get under people with my leverage,” Hargrave said.

Darnold’s first order of business? Learn the playbook

Having joined the 49ers quarterback room

along with Trey Lance and Brock Purdy, both of whom are rehabbing injuries, Darnold was deflecting all questions as to where he is in the pecking order once the 2023 season gets underway.

But with a contact which pays him $4.5 million ($3.5 million guaranteed) plus playtime incentives that could add millions more, bringing in Darnold isn’t going to stop the speculation.

Lance had a second surgery an his broken ankle but is expected to be good to go by OTAs. Purdy had elbow surgery and likely won’t be full-go until the regular-season approaches.

“There are some unknowns, right?,” Darnold said. “With Brock’s injury and Trey coming back . . . as long as we stick together and we understand we’ve got to work hard and continue to put our best foot forward for each other, then everything is going to work out. I think as long as we’re winning games, that’s the only thing that matters to me.”

Asked if coach Kyle Shanahan had told him his role, Darnold said it was too early to be concerned about it.

“I think for me it’s just doing everything I can to learn the playbook, digest everything and have conversation with coach (Brian Griese) on formations, motions . . . there are so many things that go into it the last thing I’m worried about right now is playtime.”

Darnold, 25, has been in less-than-ideal circumstances with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, with changes in offensive systems and upheaval on the coaching staffs that made the 49ers a preferred option.

“I think being able to find myself in a good organization, from top to bottom, was a priority for me,” Darnold said. “Being

with really good coaches and personnel as well.”

Darnold hasn’t spoken in depth with former Carolina teammate Christian McCaffrey or Steve Wilks, who was the interim head coach when he went 4-2 in his last six starts with the Panthers, but looks forward to renewing acquaintances. Wilks is the 49ers’ new defensive coordinator.

“Christian’s a great dude. We became good good friends in Carolina nad I crated a good bond with coach Wilks through the last half of the season,” Darnold said.

When Ferrell was coming out of Clemson in 2019, he and Bosa were considered two of the edge players in college football.

“We were like neck and neck in terms of who was `the guy’ in terms of college football D-ends,” Ferrell said.

Bosa is expected to sign a contract that could make him the highest paid nonquarterback in the NFL. The Las Vegas Raiders, who took Ferrell No. 4 overall two picks after Bosa went to the 49ers, declined Ferrell’s fifth year option.

Ferrell came to the 49ers on a one-year deal worth a reported $2.5 million with $1.8 million guaranteed and shrugs off his label as an underachiever as related to his draft spot.

“Criticism, whether it’s fair or not, comes with the territory,” Ferrell said. “People always have whatever opinions they have to say. I think for me, it’s been a blessing. We’re still young guys growing and developing in a highstatus job. Going through the ups and downs, the good days, the bad days, I’ve been able to grow and mature into a man.”

Ferrell, at 6-foot-4, 265 pounds, is not a quicktwitch pass rusher but the hope is Kocurek can get him jump-started the way he did with former 49er (and former Raider)

Arden Key as well as departed free agents Samson Ebukam and Charles Omenihu. He is willing to do whatever Kocurek has in mind, which will include playing inside on occasion as he did with the Raiders.

“I’m still a very young player and I’ve got a lot of time to develop and I don’t think I’ve tapped into my potential,” Ferrell said. “I’m coming in with an open mind and I’m excited.”

Oliver is comfortable in the slot

Oliver, who signed a two-year deal for which terms have not been reported, says he’s ready for whatever the 49ers have in mind but he’s the odds-on favorite to replace Jimmie Ward as the slot corner.

With Atlanta, Oliver saw the majority of his snaps in the slot. He has the size (6-foot, 200 pounds) to shed blocks, is a considered a sure tackler, has blitzing skills and enjoys life on the inside.

“I definitely felt much more comfortable in there,” Oliver said. “I was able to lay to my strengths a little more, just being around the ball, being in run fits, doing things I like doing a lot. I thought it was a lot more fun for sure.”

Oliver had a torn ACL in 2021, underwent an arduous rehab and believes he’s now at full strength.

“To go through the offseason rehabbing, go to training camp still rehabbing, and then into the season, it was fun to get back on the field,” Oliver said. “I felt every week I got a little better and more confident in it as time went on. I would say not until December did I feel real good, and that was towards the end of the season.”

The 49ers also resigned LB Demetrius Flangian Fowles and NFL Media reported defensive tackle T.Y. McGill was also back in the fold.

Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group/TNS file Draymond Green of the Warriors warms up before a game against the Phoenix Suns in San Francisco, Monday.

Green

From Page B1

State’s current depleted roster issue. He will join a list of players who won’t play Friday that includes Andrew Wiggins, Andre Iguodala, Gary Payton II and two-way player Andrew Lamb, who has used up his eligibility limit of 50 games this season.

It’s quite possible the Warriors will soon convert

MEL

From Page B1

to Jesuit, a tough 1-0 decision in 10 innings.

Maxpreps.com is taking notice as well. The online high school sports website has Rodriguez ranked No. 7 in the section’s Top 25, Vanden checks in at No. 8 and Vacaville is No. 17.

Plenty of talent returns. Rodriguez ace Nathan Schikore, an all-MEL firstteam selection, is back, along with teammates Landon Troutt, Kaden Wilde and Kyle Sandner, all of whom were honorable mention.

Vanden returns all-MEL catcher Cody Buckley and honorable mention picks Jack Tranchina and DJ Anderson. Trevor Morse is also back on the mound, giving the Vikings a 1-2 punch

Lamb’s contract from a two-way deal into a standard NBA contract, which would fill their currently open 15th roster spot. While Green will be eligible to return to the Warriors when they play the Grizzlies in Memphis on Saturday, there’s no guarantee when or if their other inactive players will returnt. Wiggins has missed more than a month of action now to deal with a family matter.

with Anderson and Morse. Vacaville returns all-MEL outfielder Bennie Dyer, along with honorable mention pick Nick Vierra. The Bulldogs have good pitching in Vierra, Eli Blurton and Drew Carrington, among others.

Also returning this season are honorable mention selections Luis Urias and Charly Reid of Armijo, Mason Sayre of Will C. Wood and Christian Rambeau of Fairfield. How good was the league last year? Player of the Year Jack Brooks is now at Oregon, Pitcher of the Year Erick Diez is at Long Beach State, Rodriguez shortstop Jack Metcho is at University of the Pacific and Vacaville pitcher Aidan Russell is at San Diego State. This season ought to offer plenty of intrigue and surprises as well.

PUBLIC NOTICES

thiscourtatthehearingindicatedbelowto showcause,ifany,whythepetitionfor change ofnameshouldnotbegranted. Anypersonobjectingtothename changesdescribedabovemustfileawrittenobjectionthatincludesthereasonsfor theobjectionatleasttwocourtdaysbeforethematterisscheduledtobeheard andmustappearatthehearingtoshow causewhythepetitionshouldnotbegranted.Ifnowrittenobjectionistimelyfiled, thecourtmaygrantthepetitionwithouta hearing.

Dept: 12; Rm: 1

The address of the court is:

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SOLANO 580 Texas Street 580 Texas Street Fairfield, CA 94533

Old Solano Courthouse AcopyofthisOrdertoShowCauseshall bepublishedatleastonceeachweekfor foursuccessiveweekspriortothedate setforhearingonthepetitioninthefollowingnewspaperofgeneralcirculation,printedinthiscounty:DailyRepublic

Pleasefileproofofnewspaperpublication atleast5businessdaysbeforehearing (newspaperdoesnotfilew/court)zoom ok.zoominvitewillbeemailed1-2days beforehearing

Date:FEB16,2023

/s/ChristineA.Carringer JudgeoftheSuperiorCourt

FILED:FEB242023

DR#00061719

Published:March3,10,17,24,2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING PERSON (PERSONS) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS COLOR NAILS & SPA LOCATEDAT921MerchantStSiteB, VacavilleCA95688Solano.Mailingaddress921MerchantStSiteB,Vacaville CA95688.IS(ARE)HEREBYREGISTEREDBYTHEFOLLOWINGOWNER(S)CongSangVan113NantucketCir Vacaville,95687.THISBUSINESSIS CONDUCTEDBY: anIndividual Theregistrantcommencedtotransact businessunderthefictitiousbusines s nameornameslistedaboveon 03/27/2023. Ideclarethatallinformationinthisstatementistrueandcorrect(Aregistrantwho declaresastrueinformationwhichheor sheknowstobefalseisguiltyofacrime.) /s/CongSangVan INACCORDANCEWITHSUBDIVISION (a)OFSECTION17920AFICTITIOUS NAMESTATEMENTGENERALLYEXPIRESATTHEENDOFFIVEYEARS FROMTHEDATEONWHICHITWAS FILEDINTHEOFFICEOFTHECOUNTY CLERK,EXCEPTASPROVIDEDIN SUBDIVISION(b)OFSECTION17920, WHEREITEXPIRES40DAYSAFTER ANYCHANGEINTHEFACTSSET FORTHINTHESTATEMENTPURSUANTTOSECTION17913OTHERTHAN ACHANGEINTHERESIDENCEADDRESSOFAREGISTEREDOWNER. ANEWFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAME STATEMENTMUSTBEFILEDBEFORE THEEXPIRATIONMarch6,2028.

THEFILINGOFTHISSTATEMENT DOESNOTOFITSELFAUTHORIZE THEUSEINTHISSTATEOFAFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAMEINVIOLATION OFTHERIGHTSOFANOTHERUNDER FEDERAL,STATEORCOMMONLAW (SEESECTION14411ETSEQ.,BUSINESSANDPROFESSIONSCODE).

FiledintheOfficeoftheCountyClerkof SolanoCounty,StateofCaliforniaon: March7,2023 NewASSIGNEDFILENO.2023000415 CHARLESLOMELI,SolanoCountyClerk DR#00061919 Published:March10,17,24,31,2023

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS

NAME STATEMENT

THE FOLLOWING PERSON (PERSONS) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS SNIK APPAREL LOCATEDAT5130FultonDrSte#N, FairfieldCA94534Solano.Mailingaddress2401WatermanBlvd,A4-247,FairfieldCA94534.IS(ARE)HEREBYREGISTEREDBYTHEFOLLOWINGOWNER(S)AllCityEmbroideryCA.THIS BUSINESSISCONDUCTEDBY: aLimitedLiabilityCompany Theregistrantcommencedtotransact businessunderthefictitiousbusiness nameornameslistedaboveonN/A. Ideclarethatallinformationinthisstatementistrueandcorrect(Aregistrantwho declaresastrueinformationwhichheor sheknowstobefalseisguiltyofacrime.) /s/Saman-Owner INACCORDANCEWITHSUBDIVISION (a)OFSECTION17920AFICTITIOUS NAMESTATEMENTGENERALLYEXPIRESATTHEENDOFFIVEYEARS FROMTHEDATEONWHICHITWAS FILEDINTHEOFFICEOFTHECOUNTY CLERK,EXCEPTASPROVIDEDIN SUBDIVISION(b)OFSECTION17920, WHEREITEXPIRES40DAYSAFTER ANYCHANGEINTHEFACTSSET FORTHINTHESTATEMENTPURSUANTTOSECTION17913OTHERTHAN ACHANGEINTHERESIDENCEADDRESSOFAREGISTEREDOWNER. ANEWFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAME STATEMENTMUSTBEFILEDBEFORE THEEXPIRATIONFebruary27,2028. THEFILINGOFTHISSTATEMENT DOESNOTOFITSELFAUTHORIZE THEUSEINTHISSTATEOFAFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAMEINVIOLATION OFTHERIGHTSOFANOTHERUNDER FEDERAL,STATEORCOMMONLAW (SEESECTION14411ETSEQ.,BUSINESSANDPROFESSIONSCODE). FiledintheOfficeoftheCountyClerkof SolanoCounty,StateofCaliforniaon: February28,2023 NewASSIGNEDFILENO.2023000362 CHARLESLOMELI,SolanoCountyClerk DR#00061721 Published:March3,10,17,24,2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING PERSON (PERSONS) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS IMPORT ASTER AUTO SERVICE LOCATEDAT1500N1st,Dixon,CA 95620Solano.Mailingaddress1500N 1st,Dixon,CA95620.IS(ARE)HEREBY REGISTEREDBYTHEFOLLOWING OWNER(S)RalphPerkins1500N1stDixon,95687.THISBUSINESSISCONDUCTEDBY: anIndividual Theregistrantcommencedtotransact businessunderthefictitiousbusiness nameornameslistedaboveon 03/0 1/2023. Ideclarethatallinformationinthisstatementistrueandcorrect(Aregistrantwho declaresastrueinformationwhichheor sheknowstobefalseisguiltyofacrime.) /s/RalphPerkins,Owner INACCORDANCEWITHSUBDIVISION (a)OFSECTION17920AFICTITIOUS NAMESTATEMENTGENERALLYEXPIRESATTHEENDOFFIVEYEARS FROMTHEDATEONWHICHITWAS FILEDINTHEOFFICEOFTHECOUNTY CLERK,EXCEPTASPROVIDEDIN SUBDIVISION(b)OFSECTION17920, WHEREITEXPIRES40DAYSAFTER ANYCHANGEINTHEFACTSSET FORTHINTHESTATEMENTPURSUANTTOSECTION17913OTHERTHAN ACHANGEINTHERESIDENCEADDRESSOFAREGISTEREDOWNER. ANEWFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAME STATEMENTMUSTBEFILEDBEFORE THEEXPIRATIONMarch5,2028. THEFILINGOFTHISSTATEMENT DOESNOTOFITSELFAUTHORIZE THEUSEINTHISSTATEOFAFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAMEINVIOLATION OFTHERIGHTSOFANOTHERUNDER FEDERAL,STATEORCOMMONLAW (SEESECTION14411ETSEQ.,BUSINESSANDPROFESSIONSCODE). FiledintheOfficeoftheCountyClerkof SolanoCounty,StateofCaliforniaon: March6,2023 NewASSIGNEDFILENO.2023000408 CHARLESLOMELI,SolanoCountyClerk DR#00061899 Published:March10,17,24,31,2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING PERSON (PERSONS) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS M-POWER LOCATEDAT100OlsonCt,VallejoCA 94589Solano.Mailingaddress100Olson Ct,VallejoCA94589.IS(ARE)HEREBY REGISTEREDBYTHEFOLLOWING OWNER(S)LisaEscalante100OlsonCt Vallejo,94589.THISBUSINESSISCONDUCTEDBY: anIndividual Theregistrantcommencedtotransact businessunderthefictitiousbusiness nameornameslistedaboveonN/A. Ideclare thatallinformationinthisstatementistrueandcorrect(Aregistrantwho declaresastrueinformationwhichheor sheknowstobefalseisguiltyofacrime.) /s/LisaEscalante INACCORDANCEWITHSUBDIVISION (a)OFSECTION17920AFICTITIOUS NAMESTATEMENTGENERALLYEXPIRESATTHEENDOFFIVEYEARS FROMTHEDATEONWHICHITWAS FILEDINTHEOFFICEOFTHECOUNTY CLERK,EXCEPTASPROVIDEDIN SUBDIVISION(b)OFSECTION17920, WHEREITEXPIRES40DAYSAFTER ANYCHANGEINTHEFACT SSET FORTHINTHESTATEMENTPURSUANTTOSECTION17913OTHERTHAN ACHANGEINTHERESIDENCEADDRESSOFAREGISTEREDOWNER. ANEWFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAME STATEMENTMUSTBEFILEDBEFORE THEEXPIRATIONFebruary7,2028. THEFILINGOFTHISSTATEMENT DOESNOTOFITSELFAUTHORIZE THEUSEINTHISSTATEOFAFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAMEINVIOLATION OFTHERIGHTSOFANOTHERUNDER FEDERAL,STATEORCOMMONLAW (SEESECTION14411ETSEQ.,BUSINESSANDPROFESSIONSCODE). FiledintheOfficeoftheCountyClerkof SolanoCounty,StateofCaliforniaon: February8,2023 NewASSIGNEDFILENO.2023000252 CHARLESLOMELI,SolanoCountyClerk DR#00061522 Published:Feb.24March3,10,17,2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING PERSON (PERSONS) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS SUPERBIKE SOLUTIONS LOCATEDAT101SettleCt,VallejoCA 94591Solano.Mailingaddress101Settle Ct,VallejoCA94591.IS(ARE)HEREBY REGISTEREDBYTHEFOLLOWING OWNER(S)StevenArias101SettleCt Vallejo,94591.THISBUSINESSISCONDUCTEDBY: anIndividual Theregistrantcommencedtotransact businessunderthefictitiousbusiness nameornameslistedaboveo nN/A. Ideclarethatallinformationinthisstatementistrueandcorrect(Aregistrantwho declaresastrueinformationwhichheor sheknowstobefalseisguiltyofacrime.) /s/StevenArias INACCORDANCEWITHSUBDIVISION (a)OFSECTION17920AFICTITIOUS NAMESTATEMENTGENERALLYEXPIRESATTHEENDOFFIVEYEARS FROMTHEDATEONWHICHITWAS FILEDINTHEOFFICEOFTHECOUNTY CLERK,EXCEPTASPROVIDEDIN SUBDIVISION(b)OFSECTION17920, WHEREITEXPIRES40DAYSAFTER ANYCHAN GEINTHEFACTSSET FORTHINTHESTATEMENTPURSUANTTOSECTION17913OTHERTHAN ACHANGEINTHERESIDENCEADDRESSOFAREGISTEREDOWNER. ANEWFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAME STATEMENTMUSTBEFILEDBEFORE THEEXPIRATIONFebruary26,2028. THEFILINGOFTHISSTATEMENT DOESNOTOFITSELFAUTHORIZE THEUSEINTHISSTATEOFAFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAMEINVIOLATION OFTHERIGHTSOFANOTHERUNDER FEDERAL,STATEORCOMMONLAW (SEESECTION14411ETSEQ.,BUSINESSANDPROFESSIONSCODE). FiledintheOfficeoftheCountyClerkof SolanoCounty,StateofCaliforniaon: February27,2023 NewASSIGNEDFILENO.2023000356

PUBLIC NOTICES

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE NUMBER 2018001898

Thefollowingperson(s)has/have abandonedtheuseoftheFictitious BusinessName(s): GENTLE NAILS AND SPA 740 Merchant St Vacaville, CA 95688 Solano

TheFictitiousBusinessNamereferredto abovewasfiledinSolanoCountyon 11/01/18 FileNumber2018001898

1.BillThangDuong 7107RioCavadoWay ElkGrove,CA94757Sacramento

2.JulieTienHoang 7107RioCavadoWay Elk Grove,CA95757Sacramento

THISBUSINESSISCONDUCTEDBY: aMarriedCouple I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.)

SIGNATUREOFREGISTRANT: /s/BillDuong

ThisstatementwasfiledwiththeCounty ClerkofSolanoCountyonthedateindicatedbythefiledstampabove. CHARLES LOMELI, SOLANO COUNTY CLERK DR#00061916 Published:March10,17,24,31,2023

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT THE FOLLOWING PERSON (PERSONS) IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS POLISHED SPA LOCATEDAT5140BusinessCenter Drive,Suite110Fairfield.Mailingaddress 5140BusinessCenterDrive,Suite110 Fairfield.IS(ARE)HEREBYREGISTEREDBYTHEFOLLOWINGOWNER(S)PolishedSpaCaliforniaLLC5140 BusinessCenterDr.Suite110..THIS BUSINESSISCONDUCTEDBY:

aLimitedLiabilityCompany Theregistrantcommencedtotransact business underthefictitiousbusiness nameornameslistedaboveonN/A. Ideclarethatallinformationinthisstatementistrueandcorrect(Aregistrantwho declaresastrueinformationwhichheor sheknowstobefalseisguiltyofacrime.) /s/NganDao,Manager INACCORDANCEWITHSUBDIVISION (a)OFSECTION17920AFICTITIOUS NAMESTATEMENTGENERALLYEXPIRESATTHEENDOFFIVEYEARS FROMTHEDATEONWHICHITWAS FILEDINTHEOFFICEOFTHECOUNTY CLERK,EXCEPTASPROVIDEDIN SUBDIVISION(b)OFSECTION17920, WHEREITEXPIRES40DAYSAFTER ANYCHANGEINTHEFACTSSET FORTHINTHESTATEMENTPURSUANTTOSECTION17913OTHERTHAN ACHANGEINTHERESIDENCEADDRESSOFAREGISTEREDOWNER. ANEWFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAME STATEMENTMUSTBEFILEDBEFORE THEEXPIRATIONMarch9,2028. THEFILINGOFTHISSTATEMENT DOESNOTOFITSELFAUTHORIZE THEUSEINTHISSTATEOFAFICTITIOUSBUSINESSNAMEINVIOLATION OFTHERIGHTSOFANOTHERUNDER FEDERAL,STATEORCOMMONLAW (SEESECTION14411ETSEQ.,BUSINESSANDPROFESSIONSCODE). FiledintheOfficeoftheCountyClerkof SolanoCounty,StateofCaliforniaon: March10,2023 NewASSIGNEDFILENO.2023000445 CHARLESLOMELI,SolanoCountyClerk DR#00061993 Published:March17,24,31April7,2023

Toallheirs,beneficiaries,creditors,contingentcreditors,andpersonswhomay otherwisebeinterestedinthewillorestate,orboth,of: Betty Lue Williams, Betty L. Williams and Betty Williams

A Petition for Probate hasbeenfiledby: Pamela Williams Imaluakhahon intheSuperiorCourtofCalifornia,County of: Solano ThePetitionforProbaterequeststhat: Pamela Williams Imaluakhahon beappointedaspersonalrepresentative toadministertheestateofthedecedent. Thepetitionrequeststhedecedent'swill andcodicils,ifany,beadmittedtoprobate.Thewillandcodicilsareavailablefor examinationinthefilekeptbythecourt. ThepetitionrequestsauthoritytoadministertheestateundertheIndependentAdministrationofEstatesAct.(Thisauthority willallowthepersonalrepresentativeto ta kemanyactionswithoutobtainingcourt approval.Beforetakingcertainveryimportantactions,however,thepersonal representativewillberequiredtogivenoticetointerestedpersonsunlessthey havewaivednoticeorconsentedtothe proposedaction.)Theindependentadministrationauthoritywillbegrantedunless aninterestedpersonfilesanobjectionto thepetitionandshowsgoodcausewhy thecourtshouldnotgranttheauthority.

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

DATE: APRIL 7, 2023

TIME: 8:30 a.m.; DEPT.: 4

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SOLANO

600UnionAvenue Fairfield, CA 94533

If you object tothegrantingofthepetition,youshouldappearatthehearingand stateyourobjectionsorfilewrittenobjectionswiththecourtbeforethehearing. Yourappearancemaybeinpersonorby yourattorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent ,youmustfile yourclaimwiththecourtandmailacopy tothepersonalrepresentativeappointed bythecourtwithinthe later ofeither(1) four months fromthedateoffirstissuanceofletterstoageneralpersonalrepresentative,asdefinedinsection58(b)of theCaliforniaProbateCode,or(2) 60 days fromthedateofmailingorpersonal deliverytoyouofanoticeundersection 9052oftheCaliforniaProbateCode. Other California statues and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to 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.

AttorneyforPetitioner: MatthewR.Lucas Hillman,Lucas&Canning,P.C. 2420MartinRoad,Suite300 Fairfield,CA94534 (707)427-7377 DR#00062054 Published:Marchl17,20,24,2023

Thefollowingpersonsareinlienat MiniStor 621RailroadAvenue SuisunCity,Ca94585

Telephone:707429-2200

Unit#94LUISJVELEZ

Unit#107REBECCARBAVER

Unit#110CYNTHIARIDGLE

Unit#65CYNTHIARIDGLE

Theitemstobesoldinclude: Furniture,clothes,toys,and miscellaneouselectronics,appliancesandboxes.

Thedateofthesalewillbe03/30/23at12:00pm

Thelocationofthesalewillbe: Onlineat www.storagetreasures.com<http://www.storagetreasures.com> <http://www.storagetreasures.com> http://www.storagetreasures.com/ Theauctionenddatewillbe03/30/23at2:00pm. Allbidsmustbeplacedpriortothistime.

DR#00061869 Published:March17,24,2023