Daily Republic: Monday, March 27, 2023

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Kyiv demanded an extraordinary meeting of the U.N. Security Council in its first official response to Vladimir Putin’s announcement that Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

“It is another provocative step, which undermines the principles of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the architecture of nuclear disarmament and the international security system,” the Ukrainian foreign min-

istry said Sunday in a lengthy response to the plan announced by Russia’s president.

The ministry also appealed to Belarusian society to prevent the “implementation of criminal intentions,” saying the plan hatched by Putin with the support of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, “will have catastrophic consequences for its future.”

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled Belarusian opposition leader, said Russia’s planned deployment

Here’s how to view the rare event

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BOISE, Idaho — Look up in the night sky this week, and you might see something that hasn’t been around in almost 10 months.

On Tuesday, a large planetary alignment involving five planets will streak across the sky. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will appear to be in a nearstraight line, according to Star Walk Space.

The last time multiple planets lined up in a similar pattern was in early June 2022, when

Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus aligned across the sky.

Although Tuesday evening is the best time to see the alignment, stargazers can witness the event several days before and after Tuesday. Here’s what to know about the rare solar occurrence.

Planetary alignment, also known as a conjunction between two planets, is, in essence, an optical illusion. The planets of the Solar System all move around the same orbital plane, according to National Geographic, so when several planets are on the same side of the sun as Earth, it looks as if they’re close together.

In reality, the planets are hundreds of millions

The WAshingTon PosT

Every year, millions of monarch butterflies make their way across North America to spend winters in the same forests of central Mexico’s Michoacán state – a phenomenon that remains an evolutionary mystery.

But in just one year, the population of monarch butterflies wintering in those hillsides dropped 22 percent, according to a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Mexico report released last week.

Monarch butterflies

are considered one of the world’s oldest and most resilient species. Their life cycles depend on optimal conditions: temperatures between 55 and the low 70s when they migrate, an abundance of milkweed when they mate, and some rain during the winters.

But climate change has scrambled the consistent weather patterns they rely on, and more butterflies are dying. Monarch butterflies are known as experts of climate

DIXON — Anyone looking for some new ideas for their home could find it at the annual Solano Home and Garden Show this weekend.

Shawna Arzadon watched as people filed through the gates at the Dixon Fairgrounds. Her goal this year was to ensure that everyone had a good time.

“We have new vendors this year and plenty of regulars who have been with us before,” she said. The show had a good turnout of vendors last year, with 86 making it to Dixon, but this year was even better with 115 vendors including

Mikhail Klimentyev Sputnik/AFP/Getty Images/TNS file (2021) Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets his Belarus counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow, April 22, 2021.

How come nobody ever told me about this stuff?

There is a scene in the 1981 Richard Pryor film “Bustin’ Loose” where Pryor as a convict on parole has to help the girlfriend of his parole officer, played by Cicely Tyson, drive a bunch of troubled and special needs students across the country by bus. As Pryor is meeting the kids when they board the bus one of them says, “How come you never took me fishing?” Which is a funny thing to say to someone you just met.

That scene led me to ask similar questions today.

How come nobody told me T-Pain was coming out with an album of cover songs?

T-Pain is a celebrated rapper with incredible talent who popularized the use, and in the opinion of some including Jay-Z, overuse of distorting vocals using Auto-Tune. According to Wikipedia, AutoTune is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. It was originally intended to disguise or correct off-key inaccuracies, allowing vocal tracks to be perfectly tuned despite originally being slightly off-pitch. The 1998 Cher song “Believe” is one of the earliest examples of the Auto-Tune distorted vocal technique.

Now, I am one of those old school people who moan about how back in the day we just listened to people using their God-given vocal abilities who didn’t rely on mechanical fads to alter their voices. Then we would go listen to Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do” and Zapp’s “More Bounce to the Ounce.”

Anyway, T-Pain won TV’s “The Masked Singer” (which I’ve never seen) and his new album, “On Top of the Covers,” features his natural and versatile singing voice. What’s also versatile is the range of music

he chose to include. If you can start an album off by covering Sam Cooke’s version of “A Change is Gonna Come,” close it out with Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” and inbetween include songs by Journey (“Don’t Stop Believing”), Dr. Hook (“Sharing The Night Together”) and George Jones (“Tennessee Whiskey”), you are winning artistically.

I don’t necessarily love the album, but I do love that he did it. It’s awesome to me when artists are not afraid to take risks. Though a different type of situation, it reminds me of when Prince came out with the follow up to “Purple Rain” called “Around the World in a Day” that was nothing like its groundbreaking commercial predecessor. I still don’t really love that album, but love that he did it.

How come no one told me that there are Star Wars prerequisites now?

I consider myself a bit of a Star Wars geek, however, I ain’t a fanatic. For example, there are several series and movies I have just never seen because . . . well, I’m also doing this thing called Having a Life when I’m not watching Star Wars stuff. So when my wife and I sat down to watch season 3 of “The Mandalorian” on Disney+ recently it was a little confusing.

Evidently to avoid confusion you needed to watch the series “The Book of Boba Fett” first, which we had not. So we halted “The Mandalorian” and are enjoying the Boba Fett series. Still, I remember the good ol’ days when you could just watch a Star Wars movie and then just wait for three years for the next one to come out and not have to do any homework first to get it.

How come nobody told me about TikTok Live?

I watched the excellent film

“Everything Everyone All At Once” last week and it was all that I hoped it would be and much more. The concept of everything happening in multiple universes at the same time is similar to what I experienced when I first tried the social media app TikTok a few months ago.

Now, before I tried it thought it was just a way for young people to make dance videos because that’s all I had heard, but it is so much more than that. What was really intriguing and a tad overwhelming, was the TikTok Live feature. I still don’t completely understand it and honestly I could just Google it or watch a YouTube video but my ignorance makes for funnier moments in this column.

People all over the world go live, and some of the things that were going on at exactly the same time when I wrote this column included a couple getting married, some guy moving large rectangular chunks of ice into the back of a truck, a street musician beating on empty 5-gallon drums in a public square, a numismatist cleaning and showing off their coin collection, an employee at Wendy’s cussing out a com-

menter, a woman with a super creeping looking artificial intelligence robot, people bowling, a married couple who crochet together, a Michal Jackson lookalike, some hamsters doing their tiny rodent thing of running on wheels and much more.

Now there are musicians and singers on TikTok and some are incredible, some are good and some need a lot more practice. They often solicit tips via Cash App and other means. There are people who argue about politics and religion, but I avoid that stuff. It’s important not to get sucked into something that ain’t your thing because if you do, the TikTok algorithm will send a bunch more your way.

There’s a guy who owns a boatload of movies on Blu-Ray and DVDs and his live is basically commenters asking him to show them specific movies, trying to stump him. My image of him was blown immediately when he not only did not have a copy of the 1963 classic “Jason and the Argonauts,” but had never even heard of it.

Then there are battles. This is where people will square off with each other for three minutes and solicit watch-

ers to send them digital gifts worth varying amounts of points with roses on the small end to a galaxy on the high end. Whoever ends up with the most points wins. I watched a live called Elmo After Dark, which is some guy who does a passable Elmo imitation of the popular muppet. As the name implies, the little red monster is a little saucy when he lets his hair down and it is often hilarious.

There are people who have hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok (some for reasons I cannot for the life of me figure out) and the thing that comes across is that so many people need a lot of attention.

I have heard about the recent controversy about TikTok being a tool of the Chinese government and how they are spying on Americans. Look, I am not worried about that. Yes, since I’ve been using it I have a slight hankerin’ sometimes for some sweet-and-sour pork with a side of Communism, but I’m sure that’s purely coincidental. 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.”

Kid’s Day at Peña Adobe returns Saturday

VACAVILLE — The Peña Adobe Historical Society will host “Kid’s Day at the Adobe” at the Peña Adobe Park, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Come see the historic Peña Adobe, one of the oldest structures in Solano County. Dating back to 1842, the adobe was once the home of the Juan Felipe Peña family, who with the Vacas, settled in Vacaville more than 180 years ago.

Meet Peña family member descendants. Stop in the adjacent Mowers-Goheen Museum and see local artifacts that include Peña family children’s toys and a woolly mammoth bone.

Face painting for children will also be available.

Peña Adobe Park is located at 4966 Peña Adobe Road in Vacaville’s rural southwest section, just off Interstate 80 to the left of Lagoon Valley Regional Park entrance.

Vaca Parks and Rec hosts egg hunt

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department will host the annual family Underwater Egg Hunt in April.

The Underwater Egg Hunt is scheduled for 1 p.m. April 1 at the Walter V. Graham Aquatic Center, 1100 Alamo Drive. Youth ages 12 and younger may try and gather as many eggs as possible. Arts and crafts as well as games are planned after the egg hunt.

Children younger than 8 must be accompanied and supervised by an adult in the water and within arm’s reach for the entire hunt.

Advance registration is encouraged by Saturday. The cost is $14. The cost on the day of the event is $16 per person. Spectators are welcome. A $5 fee will be charged for those attending but not participating.

Iron Steed chili cook off heats up Saturday

Iron Steed HarleyDavidson will host a Chili Cook Off to help herald the return of spring.

The event will occur from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at 100 Auto Center Drive.

The $10 tasting tickets include a wristband for chili tasting and a ticket for a free burger or hot dog. There will be live music, vendors, beer, and indoor poker walk and gear giveaway.

There is no entry fee to enter the contest. The prizes are $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $100 for third place. The winners will be announced at 3:30 p.m. that day.

To enter the chili cook off, go to https://iron steedhd.com.

Lyttle talks research at genealogy meet up

The Solano County Genealogical Society will host a free virtual Speaker

Series presentation on “Timelines: A Path to Your Next Research Steps.”

The event will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday. The speaker is Annette Burke Lyttle.

A perennial problem for genealogists is how to orga nize a stack of research results: How do you figure out what information you have and what you don’t?

Timelines are powerful tools that enable people to identify the relationships between information items, allowing researchers to draw conclusions and see what research is needed to fill information gaps. In short, timelines can help turn seemingly impossible research projects into manageable ones.

Lyttle owns Heritage Detective LLC, which provides professional genealogical services in research, education and writing. She speaks on a variety of genealogical topics. She is coordinator of the Fall Virtual Intermediate Foundation’s course for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) and has been an instructor in other institute courses on migration, Quaker research, and federal records for SLIG and the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh. She is founder and leader of the Best Practices Study Group, president of the Association of Professional Genealogists and editor of The Florida Genealogist.

To attend, send an email to scgs@scgsca.org no later than 4 p.m. Friday, and request an invitation.

More information on society activities can be found on the society’s webpage at scgsca.org and on its Facebook page.

A few gov’t meetings on week’s calendar

Four government meetings will be held this week in various communities.

Some meetings are inperson and online others are just in-person. Check the websites for more information.

The meetings will include:

n Solano County Board of Supervisors, 9 a.m. Tuesday, County Government Center, 675 Texas St. Info: www.solanocounty. com/depts/bos/meetings/ videos.asp.

n Suisun City Council special meeting, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, 701 Civic Center Blvd. Info: www.suisun. com/government/ city-council/agendas.

n Vacaville City Council, 6 p.m. Tuesday, council chamber, 650 Merchant St. Info: ci.vacaville.ca.us.

n Rio Vista Planning Commission, 6 p.m. Wednesday, 701 Civic Center Blvd. Info: www.riovistacity. com/citycouncil/page/ meeting-agenda-attach ments-minutes-video.

SuSAn HilAnd SHILAND@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET

FAIRFIELD — Rancho Solano Spring Fling Boutique brought a little something for everyone on Sunday, including some much-needed sunshine.

It has been a tradition for 11 years that draws visitors to the spring boutique to find gifts or personal treasures.

Brenda Mossa, the events coordinator and owner of Brenda Mossa Events, finds that the show brings out such happy people, it makes it all the planning worthwhile to see smiling faces.

It’s also a fundraiser for Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, with visitors asked to bring a donation of canned food.

“We have two bins and they overflow in such a lovely way each year,” she said. “It is a great way for people to give back to the community.”

She always finds it exciting to see new vendors, and this year was no exception; they had 78 vendors with a mix of new and old sellers.

“With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day around the corner they can do some shopping for both,” she said.

Mossa also will have a special Mother’s Day Boutique just a few weeks before that big day in the month ahead.

The pandemic unfortunately prevented anything from happening in 2020 and 2021, so when Mossa brought it back in 2022 it was filled with visitors, and the same went for Sunday with hundreds coming to do some shopping.

Macey Cook and her friend Trinity Sweatman, both of Fairfield, saw the signs along the road and decided to make

an impromptu shopping day happen.

“I came to the winter one and it was really great,” Cook said. She loves coming to look at the jewelry, especially the earrings and bracelets.

“I bought some dog treats; this time, they have a couple of new vendors selling dog things,” she said.

Sweatman liked how the vendors were some of the same people from the Holiday Boutique in December.

“The consistency is nice to have,” she said. “I like to look at the food items. I bought some barbecue sauce last time for my dad. It’s nice because really they have something for everyone.”

Vendor Yolanda Daniel of Fairfield’s J.A.M Design has been going to various boutiques and markets for

See Gifts, Page A7

A deadly fungus is spreading at an alarming rate in the US

Here’s what you need to know

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A potentially fatal fungus is spreading in the United States, but those with minimal health risks are likely in the clear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The fungal species –Candida auris – spread at an “alarming rate” from 2020 to 2021, according to recently released CDC data. The agency said Monday it is becoming a more dangerous threat to public health and warned health care facilities to be on the lookout for the fungus in their patients.

Likely factors for its spread in hospitals include poor infection prevention

practices and increased screenings for the fungus among patients, the CDC reported. The fungal infection was first reported in 2016, but why is it resurfacing now and should you be concerned? Here’s what to know about C. auris: What is it?

Candida auris may

Death toll rises to 5 in chocolate factory blast

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy WEST READING, Pa. — Almost 48 hours after an explosion at the R.M. Palmer chocolate factory in Berks County killed five people, all Frankie Gonzalez and his family could do on Sunday was pray.

Pray that his sister Diana Cedeno was found in the wreckage. Pray that the families of those con-

firmed dead could find some solace. Pray for those who survived.

Congregants at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Parish at the edge of West Reading echoed Gonzalez’s prayers.

“West Reading is a small town and everyone is wondering what they could do to help,” said Natalie Parisi, 55, after service.

According to West Reading Council President Ryan Lineaweaver, two people remained unaccounted for going into Sunday evening.

As rescue efforts continued, officials announced the creation of the West Reading Disaster Relief Fund Sunday. The Berks County Community Foundation and the United Way

of Berks County will help distribute the funds to organizations assisting families who lost loved ones in the explosion or those who lost work as a result of the blast. Any remaining funds will go to honoring those who died, said Tammy White with United Way of Berks County.

“People want to help, See Blast, Page A7

sound foreign, but you may be familiar with its sibling – Candida albicans – which is typically what causes vaginal yeast

infections, explained Dr. Julie Trivedi, medical director of infection prevention at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

“Candida in and of itself is found in the intestinal tract and can cause yeast infections, especially in cases where maybe people have had antibiotics,” Trivedi said.

C. auris is a type of yeast that can enter the bloodstream and falls under the fungus kingdom, which encompasses a diverse group of organisms. Fungi are commonly found outdoors, including in mulch and mold, and yeasts like Candida are considered

Hundreds of people came out for some shopping during the 11th annual Rancho Solano Spring Fling Boutique.

Susan Hiland/Daily Republic photos

Jane Lovell displays her handcrafted glass creations during the 11th annual Rancho Solano Spring Fling Boutique at the Clubhouse at Rancho Solano Golf Course in Fairfield, Sunday.

TikTok CEO: Pay no attention to the people who sign my paycheck

Bryan Burack

THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION

TikTok’s CEO is asking America to trust him to stand up to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Let’s not.

Desperate to avoid an imminent ban of the embattled Chinese video app, TikTok CEO Shou Chew came to Washington to make the case that TikTok can be totally walled off from CCP manipulation. In the lead-up to his testimony Thursday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Chew and the company waged a full-on influence campaign against Washington’s national security establishment, complete with implied threats, dubious promises, and of course, TikTok influencers.

Before testifying, Chew recorded a TikTok video to remind U.S. politicians that more than 150 million Americans and 5 million American businesses use the app regularly, a not-so-subtle reminder to the upwardly mobile politician that banning the app would come at a political cost.

The message must have resonated with Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., who soon became Congress’ most prominent TikTok advocate. He later told NBC News that banning TikTok would hurt President Joe Biden’s re-election prospects because the president already struggles with young voters. Perhaps we should thank him for saying the quiet part out loud.

The same day, TikTok launched a new website to compile PR material for the “U.S. Data Security” subsidiary it has established to try to avoid a ban. The site echoes the arguments made in Chew’s prepared testimony. It promises that TikTok parent company Bytedance is not a Chinese company but a “global company.” What it doesn’t mention is that Bytedance is actually a shell company in a notorious offshore tax haven, and that shell company is itself led by the same person in charge of Bytedance’s larger business in China.

Similarly, TikTok promises that the Chinese government doesn’t own a piece of Bytedance, only a separate “subsidiary.” What they don’t say is that this “subsidiary” is the core of Bytedance’s business and user base, and that important parts of TikTok report not to Chew, but to that other “subsidiary.”

Without any way to verify the pledge, TikTok also promises that it has never shared information with the Chinese government, and never would. What they don’t explain is that Bytedance CEO and Chairman of the Board Liang Rubo is legally required under Chinese law to do exactly that if the government asks.

Furthermore, TikTok promises that eventually every line of code will be reviewed by third parties. What they don’t say is who will be writing TikTok’s code and whether TikTok plans to separate its engineering teams from Bytedance.

These omissions make TikTok’s critical national security promises dubious at best. But the biggest red flags are also the simplest: U.S. national security officials have no confidence that TikTok’s leadership can, or will, disobey the CCP. Only a fool would believe the CCP has no interest in the sensitive personal data of 150 million Americans, when for decades the Chinese government has been hell bent on stealing sensitive information through unprecedented espionage.

TikTok and Shou Chew are making grandiose promises about engineering protection from the totalitarian reach of the CCP with complicated corporate structures and technical solutions. They’re urging Congress to look at the security protocols they’ve ostensibly put in place, to look at the popularity of their influencers, to look at the political consequences of crossing TikTok – to look anywhere but behind the curtain, where the CCP can always pull the strings.

Bryan Burack is a senior policy adviser for China and the Indo-Pacific in The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center.

Follow the Money: Part 2

Ipromised last week there was more to see with regard to China’s infiltration of our colleges and universities.

President Donald Trump’s Department of Education was delving into this problem but this was stopped under President Joe Biden’s administration. Do you wonder why? It seems the $6.5 billion I referenced as predominantly given by the Chinese government was never reported until the Trump administration Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos started an investigation in July 2020.

Jim McCully

particular “lacks the ability to provide rigorous oversight and tracking of foreign money.” This in the wake of the indictment of the school’s Chemistry Department chair for lying about involvement in the “Thousand Talents Plan,” which is the overseas recruitment mission by China of high-level researchers and scientists. Espionage?

rity threats China poses to the U.S.

Another Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation report found that at nearly 70% of campuses that were home to a Confucius Institute – the Chinese Communist Party propaganda machine masquerading as educational outposts – again were failing to report their Chinese Communist Party funding.

Its investigation revealed Cornell, Yale, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, the Universities of Texas, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Texas A&M, Boston and Carnegie Mellon accounted for $3.6 billion in heretofore improperly or unreported foreign gifts.

Secretary DeVos stated at the time, “this was about transparency . . . . If colleges and universities are accepting foreign money and gifts, their students, donors and taxpayers deserve to know how much and from whom.” Frankly, the Higher Education Act of 1965, Section 117 “. . . requires identifying who or what foreign entity donates over $250,000 in a calendar year and to disclose any foreign ownership or control twice each year.”

Investigators announced they were initiating a broader look at both Harvard and Yale as an additional $375,000 was discovered unreported by Yale from 2016-20. Harvard in turn failed to report $93.7 million. The Department of Education investigative staff reported the Department of Education was concerned Harvard in

The Trump Education Department discovered less than 300 of the approximately 6,000 colleges and universities properly reported receiving foreign money each year. In a 2019 report, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation said, “those schools examined routinely failed to comply with the law,” describing foreign spending on U.S. colleges and universities as “a Black Hole.”

Secretary DeVos said: “Unfortunately the more we dig, the more we find that too many are under-reporting or not reporting at all . . . . We will continue to hold colleges and universities accountable and work with them to ensure their reporting is full, accurate and transparent, as required by law.”

In addition, from 2012 to 2018, only 15 of nearly 100 colleges and universities reported receiving $15.5 million of $150 million from something called the Confucius Institutes network, which is funded by the Chinese government and on American university campuses commonly teaches the Chinese language and culture. It’s controlled by high-ranking officials in Beijing and is in reality a propaganda machine. The “Chinese initiative” was a Trump administration program launched to counter national secu-

The extent of Chinese Communist Party involvement into the education of our youth is profound and staggering. There exists a widespread and well-orchestrated network on many of our campuses. Furthermore, there is no doubt that, contrary to law, the Chinese Communist Party has more than just a finger on the pulse of American university research. Contrary to law, there is wholesale under-reporting of this funding into American colleges and universities.

Let’s face it, folks, the people we entrust with our children’s higher education are hustling money from every foreign source they can and then hiding these sources and the money through opaque foundations, etc. Many countries donate to our colleges and universities but several, principally China, are hostile to our nation and may well be seeking to project “soft power” by stealing sensitive proprietary research and development data and spreading propaganda that benefits their governments.

Just follow the money. This is not partisan; this is an American crisis.

Jim McCully is a former chairman of the Solano County Republican Central Committee, Vacaville resident and former Northwest Regional Vice Chairman of the California State Republican Party.

It turns out high-income people are also fleeing the state – a new twist in the California exit.

That should worry ruling liberal Democrats who love to tax wealthy people and spend their money, especially on social programs.

Some golden geese are taking flight.

For years, once-burgeoning California has been hemorrhaging population. This has been happening on several fronts.

More people are leaving for other states than are moving here.

The inward flow of foreign immigrants has slowed substantially.

Fewer babies are being born. More people are dying.

It’s the flow of Californians to other states that’s so unusual. Throughout the 20th century, people from the Midwest and South – from all over America – flocked here for jobs, opportunities, sunshine and a better life.

My dad left his family’s depressed Tennessee farm in the 1920s to work in the Southern California oil fields.

My quarter-Cherokee mom vacated Oklahoma at the same time because she thought her home state was bigoted and California was more tolerant and enlightened. Neither ever regretted it.

Millions of Californians have similar stories.

But many descendants of last century’s arrivals now see better opportunities for the good life in other states. California is too expensive, and their earnings can buy more elsewhere.

That said, our big cities are still jampacked. And we’ve got more people than our available water and electrical grids can often handle, contributing to the departures.

California is still by far the most populous state, with an estimated 39 million people last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But Texas was gaining with 30 million.

Entering the 21st century, when California’s population was about 34 million, we were predicted to reach 45 million by 2020 and 59 million by 2040. So much for that. We hit a peak of 39.6 million in 2019 and have been

losing population ever since. Until now, we’ve been in denial, telling ourselves that college-educated, upperincome people weren’t leaving. Our progressive tax base and growing economy were secure. The departees were lower-tomiddle-income people who weren’t the heavy taxpayers or big job producers.

Everyone seemed to buy into that, although many could cite anecdotal evidence to the contrary.

I plead guilty. This is what I wrote two years ago:

“More affluent people have been moving here than departing. They can afford our escalating costs of living. Political spin about wealthy people abandoning California is fake news.”

That was what the think tanks were saying. Now one has dug into the latest data and discovered that people of all economic classes are leaving, including the wealthy.

“Most striking, California is now losing higher-income households as well as middle-and-lower-income households,” the independent Public Policy Institute of California reported Tuesday.

The outward migration “has the power to reshape the state,” the PPIC asserted, adding that “the state is no longer a significant draw for people from other states of any age, education or income.”

“California still has an incredible economy – a powerhouse globally,” says PPIC demographer Eric McGhee. “There are a lot of positives here, but a shrinking population is a sign that something’s not working for people. They feel they can’t put together a good life here.”

That’s partly because, for many people, housing is either unaffordable or not worth the cost when compared with cheaper homes in other states.

The median price of a single-family home in California was $735,480 last month, according to the California Assn. of Realtors. That’s out of many people’s reach even though it was nearly 5% lower than the previous February. Since then, mortgage interest rates have risen dramatically.

We all know one reason for high housing costs: Demand exceeds

supply. We’re building only one-third of the houses that we did 60 years ago, when the population was less than half of what it is today, said Dan Dunmoyer, president of the California Building Industry Assn.

Another reason for the steep costs and slow building is a regulatory quagmire, including lawsuits – some frivolous – aimed at blocking housing developments.

Dunmoyer says that two Texas regions – Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth area – built more housing last year than all of California. In 2022, an estimated 128,000 home-building permits were issued in California, about half what there were in 2005.

The net loss of high-income people is relatively small, McGhee says. But the number leaving California “increased dramatically” to 220,000 in 2021, he reports.

It wouldn’t take many fleeing rich people to hurt the state treasury. The top 1% of earners pay nearly 50% of the state income taxes. The top 10% kick in roughly 80%.

“Taxes definitely are part of the story” why high-income people are leaving, McGhee says. “Taxes is the last straw that pushes them over the edge.”

California imposes by far the highest state income tax rate in the country: 13.3%. Texas is the preferred destination for California departees, according to the Census Bureau. The Lone Star State has no income tax. Neither does Nevada, another favorite. Or Washington and Florida, other attractive states for Californians. The No. 2 destination is Arizona.

Many college-educated, highincome people are moving out of state because they can now work at home anywhere in the country for a well-paying California company, McGhee says.

We’ll see how long that lasts once California companies realize their employees’ living costs have fallen and they no longer need to pay so much. Odds are the workers still won’t move back to California.

Political columnist George Skelton has covered government and politics for nearly 60 years and for The Los Angeles Times since 1974.

State’s population is on the decline, and highincome earners have joined the exodus

George Skelton

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Kiss biopic, ‘Shout It Out Loud,’ coming to Netflix in 2024

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Kiss, the rock band behind hits such as “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “Detroit Rock City,” are the latest musicians to get the biopic treatment.

A film documenting the early days of the New York City-formed outfit is expected to premiere on Netflix in 2024.

The band’s longtime manager Doc McGhee offered an update about the project, which has been in the works since 2021.

Titled “Shout It Out Loud,” the film is named after a track from the group’s 1976 gold-selling opus, “Destroyer.”

“It’s a biopic about the first four years of Kiss. We’re just starting it now,” he said during an interview on The

Rock Experience With Mike Brunn. “We’ve already sold it, [the deal is] already done, we have a director.”

While Joachim Ronning, whose credits include “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” was initially attached to helm the film, McGhee named McG as the director. The veteran music video auteur, whose real name is Joseph McGinty Nichol, has films such as “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” and Netflix’s forthcoming “Family Leave” to his credit. Casting has yet to be announced, but the main roles will focus on Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, and the formation of the group in 1972

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

Columns&Games

Last straw with mother-in-law who will say insulting things at any time

Dear Annie: How much is one person supposed to take? My mother-in-law has no filter and will say anything she wants at any time, just to insult.

I have been married to “Frank” for more than 30 years, and the whole time my motherin-law says the most insulting things, and Frank wouldn’t dream of telling her to stop.

Years ago, it was about when we were going to have kids. She started telling everyone in the family not to ask me about it because, according to her story, I didn’t answer in a nice way. Even though my husband heard her say this, he of course said nothing. She posts on Facebook for everyone to see and also tells my children how she wishes she could spend more time with them and always plays the “woe is me” scenario.

My husband recently celebrated a birthday, to which my mother-in-law posted, “I would have given anything to make your day special today, where have the years gone?” Then we went to her place and got his birthday card, and she said in the card, “Too bad I couldn’t have made your day special, but next year it’s my turn to

ARIES (March 21-April 19).

Minor irritants and annoyances can be chalked up to life as usual. But persistent pain of any kind, including emotional, warrants investigation. What’s it trying to tell you? Heed the message, which will lead you down a path of healing.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20).

To move forward in life, you’ll need to break the current pattern. Patterns break the same way everything else does – with a jarring interruption of the status quo. Try bending them the opposite way until they snap.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21).

You expect nothing in return for your kindness, though actually, the return is inherent to the act. Kindness to others stops you from being overly focused on yourself and anything bothering you. To alleviate another person’s suffering will automatically lessen your own.

CANCER (June 22-July 22).

Unfinished business is the enemy of a beautiful day. It creates drama, clutter and distraction. What’s undone is always at the back of your mind – a detriment to focus and momentum. Stop and handle the hard stuff, then proceed to a truly wonderful day.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22).

Your frustration is not a sign of inadequacy, rather it’s a sign of knowing you’re capable of great things. Take a breath and

Daily Cryptoquotes

make your day special.”

My husband got mad at me when I said she made your day special because she gave him a few gift cards. He puts his mother on a pedestal, and no matter what, he only gets mad at me – never her.

She said she thought I had put on some weight; he smiled and laughed and shrugged his shoulders. I should not have to take her rude, insensitive remarks while my husband sits back and feels sorry for her. He has a wife and kids, and his life doesn’t have to revolve around her. I am fed up with her and my husband both and the disregard for my feelings and her rude comments. —

Enough Is Enough

Dear Enough: While it sounds like your mother-inlaw is being very competitive with you, it also sounds like you are being competitive with her. Yes, you are his wife, and of course you should take front and center, but she is his mother, and there should be a level of respect by both parties. As far as her rude comment about your weight, that is completely unacceptable, and it is understandable that you tell her if she continues to speak

Today’s birthday

Welcome to your year of easy but profound change. You aspire to habits, adopt them, build on them and gain the benefits that come from the discipline you’ve always wanted for yourself. You’re so attractive that people will seek your company and guidance. More highlights: an opportunity to teach, the keys to an exclusive situation and a loving sidekick. Taurus and Scorpio adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 14, 28, 17 and 12.

try this mantra: “I have plenty of time to figure this out.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).

It’s a day to test the recipe, apply the theory and follow the assembly instructions. You’ll need to build the thing to know whether these abstract ideas will pan out in practice.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).

Many take stability for granted, but having been in unstable environments, you prize predictable comforts. You also value people who, like you, do what they say they are going to do.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21).

It’s not hard to nurture connections. Mostly, it’s a matter of attendance. Whether it’s a conversation, event or task, if you

to you that way, she is not welcome in your home.

Ask yourself if you include her in your husband’s birthday celebrations. You win more bees with honey than vinegar, so try to be patient. Don’t rule out marriage counseling. A good therapist will help your husband see that his adoration of his mother – at your expense – is unhealthy.

Dear Annie: Your answer to “Too Much Power” was perfect. Thank you for pointing out that emotional abuse is indeed abuse and a form of domestic violence. As is typical of abusers, he was blaming the victim.

As somebody who experienced childhood abuse and neglect, I can say that I am working on healing and not being so sensitive. But it’s just not as simple as he makes it out to be. It takes time, often years, even decades, to heal.

Abuse is never the victim’s fault. Thank you for your perfect response to his gaslighting. — 50-Something “Overly Sensitive” Man in Michigan Dear 50 Something: Thank you for your letter and kind words.

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

know that it means something to your loved one, you’ll be sure to show up. Your presence will be requested.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21). You’ll be much more productive than the others, which leads you to wonder if you’re doing it right. Should you be pacing yourself, or are they slacking? Should you be in a more challenging position? Not everything will get answered today, but some of it will.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19). Don’t waste a minute thinking you should be feeling differently. Your emotions flow in their own way without regard to your preferences. Whatever comes up, accept it and steer the action from there.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18). Examine your motives. If you’re unsure of what they are, your best clues will come from looking at what’s happening around you. Your circumstances will reflect your intentions. You can change your purpose at any moment of your choosing.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Today, you’ll be receiving good fortune, not creating it. Doing too much gets in the way of what the universe is trying to do for you. Relax a bit. In a sense, doing too much is undoing.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

Crossword by Phillip Alder

Bridge

ously for 24 hours. You enter as a “pair” of two or three players. The latter lineup permits each of you to have some sleep.

Today’s deal occurred during a marathon at the Young Chelsea Bridge Club in London.

At 3 a.m., bridge can take on a nightmarish quality. Probably West should have raised clubs immediately. Also, if he had passed over four hearts, that would have ended the bidding, but a moment later, he was defending against a slam.

ONE MARATHON IS LONGER THAN ANOTHER

Three decades ago, I completed four New York City marathons. Halfway through you say, “never again,” but at the end you say, “can’t wait for next year.”

The bridge equivalent takes even longer, when you play almost continu-

In the warm light of morning – after, say, 7 a.m. – a diamond lead would stand out, which gives the defenders one spade and one diamond. However, West led a club. Declarer ruffed and knew that the normal play in spades was to run the 10. Then, if that lost, a top honor would be cashed next. However, South realized that if he drew trumps, lost a spade trick, ruffed a club return and played a spade to dummy’s king, he would have no hand entry if East discarded. He would be unable to pick up West’s remaining honor. So declarer adopted a different approach. He ruffed the opening lead, drew trumps and played a spade to the king. When only low cards appeared, he led a low spade off the dummy. When the suit split 3-2, he claimed, but he would have been all right if West had had Q-J-x-x of spades.

COPYRIGHT: 2023, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

Sudoku by Wayne Gould

3/27/23

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

Difficulty level: BRONZE

Solution to 3/25/23:

Horoscopes by Holiday Mathis

Word Sleuth

Annie Lane

Dear Annie

In brief

Out-of-control NC wildfire grows to 5,800 acres

RALEIGH, N.C. — A wildfire in eastern North Carolina has spread across 5,800 acres with “0% containment,” the N.C. Department of Agriculture reports.

“The Last Resort Fire,” as it is being called, is burning on both private and federal lands in rural Tyrrell County, the department said in a March 25 news release.

“There are no injuries and no structures threatened at this time,” the department said.

“Light rain temporarily moderated conditions late (Saturday) afternoon. Firefighting crews will continue efforts to improve containment lines and monitor conditions through the remainder of the operational period.”

Smoke may impact driving conditions, and the smell is expected to drift in areas east of Creswell, the state warned.

Seventy-fire firefighters have responded to the blaze, which grew from 4,500 acres to 5,800 acres over nine hours Saturday.

“The public is reminded to keep drones away from wildfires,” officials said. “While drones provide unique opportunities for aerial video and imagery of wildfire activity, they are unauthorized.

Blast

From Page A3

they want to provide contributions,” said White, adding contributions could be made online or by mailing them to the Berks County Community Foundation.

For now, rescue workers from local fire departments, EMS agencies, police departments and the state’s search and rescue task force continue to tirelessly unearth debris at the explosion site. West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag said rescue workers had to be pulled from their 12- and 16-hour shifts, with many desperate to keep going, aware they were racing the clock.

Citing the “violence of the explosion,” West Reading Fire Chief Chad Moyer said Saturday the chances of finding survivors would diminish as time progressed.

Rescue teams tweaked their search methods as time passed, moving from heat-imaging devices and drones to heavy machinery to methodically remove debris Sunday.

As the hours passed, families grew increasingly desolate. Gonzalez spent Saturday afternoon atop a hillside where he could see rescue teams at work. He fiddled with a pair of binoculars he’d bought in hopes of catching a glimpse of his sister. She worked in packaging at the factory and hadn’t been heard from since Friday. He returned to the hillside Sunday where he saw a body bag removed from the scene but was unclear if it was his sister.

Another man sought Mayor Samantha Kaag at West Reading Borough

Gifts

From Page A3

a few years but this was the first time at the Rancho Solano Spring Fling Boutique. She sells a variety of handmade goods from bags to jewelry.

“I do this parttime,” she said.

Daniel started making items about five years ago and found a love of gems.

Fungus

From Page A3

a type of microscopic fungi, she said.

“We see other types of Candida species that can cause infections in the hospital, and sometimes these are in patients who have either been in hospitals very frequently,” Trivedi said.

However, since they are resistant to most antifungal drugs, C. auris infections are hard to treat, and severe cases can be fatal. About 30% to 60%

— Tribune Content Agency

Hall Saturday night, begging for an update. She consoled him, offered her cell phone, but had nothing new to report at the time.

“We’ve had people reaching out, unfortunately at this point, we just haven’t had information to give,” Kaag said Sunday. With West Reading about 0.6 of a square mile and a population of about 4,500 people, the town can’t help but be tightknit, said residents. The town is small enough that most people either know someone who lived near the blast or someone who worked at the company, which was founded in 1948.

According to Palmer’s website, the company employs 850 people in its facilities. Palmer’s chocolate eggs, miniature peanut butter cups, and Yoo-hoo mini bars are on off at major stores like CVS and Walmart. Palmer operated two buildings at the explosion site, one was completely destroyed in the blast. A building next to the Palmer factory had apartments. Local authorities said that the apartments sustained some damage but were otherwise structurally sound.

As of Sunday morning, local authorities still could not say how many employees were working at Palmer at the time of the explosion. But West Reading Police Chief Wayne Holben said they were certain no passersby were unaccounted for.

The status of survivors was also not entirely clear Sunday. Eight patients were taken to Reading Hospital after the blast, according to a spokesperson. Of those, one was transferred to Lehigh Valley Hospital, two have been admitted in fair condition, and the others have been discharged.

That soon morphed into her new favorite thing –finding gems and creating things with them.

“I have to sell the items to support my habit of shopping,” she joked. “I love learning about new gems.”

The 14th annual Mother’s Day Artisan Fair will take place Sunday, May 14, at the Suisun City Waterfront, Harbor Square Park, Main and Solano streets in Suisun City.

of infected people have died from it, based on data from a limited number of patients – many of whom had other serious illnesses that also increased their risk of death – the CDC reported.

In 2022, the government agency reported 160 clinical C. auris cases in Texas out of 2,377 total in the United States. A 2022 World Health Organization ranking of disease-causing fungi listed C. auris in its critical priority group.

So why exactly is the fungus resurfacing? It might be another lingering side effect from the pan-

Dogs rescued from China meat farms get new homes in US

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

NEW YORK — Fortyfour good boys and girls arrived at Kennedy Airport on Thursday on the last leg of a rescue journey from China.

After a grueling 19-hour flight with a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska, the pups were cleared by a vet and the U.S. Department of Agriculture on what was National Puppy Day, a day to raise awareness about pet adoptions and the plight of puppies.

The Malamutes, Labradors and Pomeranians were taken out of their crates to eat, go outside and even listen to music scientifically engineered to appeal to dogs.

“I started playing all the music as everyone got settled in and there was a good amount of silence once it started.” said Kiera Mejia of The Ark, the Animal Reception Center at JFK.

Then, one by one, the dogs emerged to be greeted, in some cases by their new owners.

“We’ve been waiting a long time,” said Mark Goldstein, 59, who drove from Brambleton, Va.,

that morning to take home Blossom the miniature poodle.

“She was in a bus or a truck on the way to the slaughterhouse,” said Goldstein, who works in healthcare. “She is going to be the most loved and spoiled little dog.”

The adoptions came courtesy of No Dogs Left Behind, an animal rights group that rescues dogs from slaughterhouses, dog traffickers and dog meat trucks in East Asia. Founder Jeffrey Beri, a New York native, has gone all over the world with his crew of volunteers, pulling pooches out of danger in places like China.

Beri says the dogs are

bred for food, but sometimes stolen from their owners, with their leashes cut in backyards.

“Today is a very emotional day,” he said. “These are covert missions that are taking place. We are getting closer every day to ending the dog meat trade. We have activists and volunteers from all over. We have an underground army.”

They also have the cutest pups this side of the Westminster Dog Show. Just ask Amy Carrico, 48, of Syracuse, who was waiting for Rudy, a 2-yearold poodle.

Carrico already has three other poodles from China that were rescued

by Beri’s group. “They need it and we can, so we do,” Carrico said, explaining her motivation to help. “I work three days a week. My husband works from home. So he will get lots of attention.”

Thirteen of the tail waggers caught connecting flights to Los Angeles, Miami, Utah and Texas, and a few without foster or permanent homes were headed to a sanctuary No Dogs Left Behind recently opened in Canton, N.Y.

The lucky dogs were targeted for rescue by Beri and No Dogs Left Behind, with the adoptees signing up to take them home over the summer. The organization has also done rescue work in Ukraine since it came under invasion.

“I really wanted to foster and I applied to like five places,” said AnnMarie Roach, 31, of Jersey City, who was adopting a dog related to a pooch she had already gotten from the rescue group.

“For us it was really just the mission and the horrifying aspect of the meat trade, and that it’s still happening in this day and age.”

Tornado in Georgia injures at least 5

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

ATLANTA — At least one radar-confirmed tornado caused severe damage in west Georgia Sunday morning, leaving five people injured and others trapped in homes as trees were uprooted and toppled onto houses and vehicles.

Residents were also warned to be cautious when it was discovered that a tiger enclosure at a local safari park had been damaged and one of two was missing.

None of the injuries reported was life-threatening, and three of the victims have been released from the hospital, Troup

demic, Trivedi said. C. auris may have increased in frequency because of the strain on health care systems during the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused a shortage of health care workers and personal protective equipment.

“It’s possible that there could also be increased transmission because of those constraints that were placed on health care systems,” Trivedi said.

Patients in the hospital during Covid-19 likely also upped their intake of antibiotics, which put them at higher risk for exposure to the fungi, she added.

County Emergency Management Agency Director Zac Steele said during a news conference Sunday afternoon. There were no fatalities.

The tornado struck the area shortly before 8 a.m., when weather radar showed an area of airborne debris over the West Point area, according to Channel 2 Action News. It struck a month-and-ahalf after another tornado, an EF1, caused damage in the LaGrange area, about 17 miles northeast of West Point, on Feb. 17.

The initial impact area for Sunday’s tornado appears to have been along West Point Road just outside the West

Who’s at risk?

People who either spend a long amount of time or are frequently at health care facilities are most at risk for infection, including hospitalized individuals or those in long-term care residences, Trivedi said.

Other patients at risk include those with cancer, those who recently had a transplant and those undergoing dialysis.

In addition, people with invasive lines, such as catheters or central lines, are also more susceptible to C. auris infection, as they serve as “possible ports of

Point city limits, sheriff’s office spokesperson Sgt. Stewart Smith said. It then traveled west toward Meriwether County. Between 80 to 100 structures were damaged, with 30 to 40 homes being destroyed, Steele said.

The National Weather Service will send a damage assessment team Monday morning, Steele said.

“We’re asking at this time to please limit nonessential travel,” he said. “The people driving around looking (at the damage) are affecting us being able to rescue all these people and get the trees off these homes and the roadway.”

One neighborhood

entry” for any bacteria.

“Catheters and ports are basically a way for organisms on the outside to be able to get on the inside,” she said.

Should I be worried?

If you’re a healthy person who doesn’t spend much time at the hospital, there’s a low chance you’ll get infected.

Moreover, the infection will likely not cause a respiratory outbreak the same way Covid-19 did, which was considered a respiratory viral infection, Trivedi said. Unlike Covid-19, C. auris cannot

along West Point Road was severely damaged with trees crushing vehicles and homes. Photos showed downed power lines and caved-in roofs, and some homes were leveled.

The tiger that was reported missing from the Pine Mountain Animal Safari, a more than 250acre drive-through zoo about 18 miles east of West Point, was captured within two hours. It hadn’t left the immediate area, and another tiger that was at risk of escaping never left the enclosure, Smith said.

Both big cats were tranquilized and returned to a secure enclosure, according to the zoo.

be spread through respiratory droplets, or breathing.

“The pace, and the number of cases might continue to increase, but it’s going to increase in a different way,” she said.

Instead, C. auris infection is mainly spread through extended periods of contact with someone who has it, such as sharing the same room as an infected patient.

Shaking hands with an infected person likely won’t transmit the fungus, Trivedi said.

“I do think that it’s important for individuals to recognize that this is a growing threat,” she said.

Shawn Inglima for New York Daily News/TNS photos

Mark Goldstein rejoices after finally getting his adopted dog by No Dogs Left Behind after the CDC lifted a ban that blocked the dogs from entering the country, at The Ark at JFK, Brooklyn, New York, Thursday.

Amy Carrico, right, with her husband Greg, center, greets their newly-adopted dog at The Ark at JFK, Brooklyn, New York, Thursday.

Crime logs

FairField

SATURDAY, MARCH 25

1:17 a.m. — Battery, 1200 block of B. GALE WILSON BOULEVARD

2:04 a.m. — Reckless driver, WESTBOUND I-80

8:15 a.m. — Hit-and-run with injury, EASTBOUND AIR BASE

PARKWAY

10:43 a.m. — Vehicle theft, 2800 block of GULF DRIVE

10:43 a.m. — Assault with a deadly weapon, 1200 block of B. GALE WILSON BOULEVARD

11:10 a.m. — Reckless driver, EASTBOUND AIR BASE PARKWAY

12:46 p.m. — Trespassing, 300 block of PITTMAN ROAD

2:06 p.m. — Drunk and disorderly, 1300 block of TRAVIS BOULEVARD

From

“grossly contradicts the will of the Belarusian people” and would make the country a potential target for retaliation.

Ukraine urged the U.K., China, U.S. and France, as permanent Security Council members, to take “effective actions to counter the nuclear blackmail.” Yet the value of a UNSC meeting is unclear, since Russia, also a permanent member of the council, could veto any resolution or action that’s proposed.

Putin, in remarks broadcast on Saturday, said that Moscow wasn’t handing control of the weapons to Belarus, and as a result claimed that Russia won’t be in breach of its non-proliferation obligations. He noted that the U.S. had previously stationed nuclear arms in Europe.

Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, said Sunday that Belarus hosting Russian atomic weapons “would mean an irresponsible escalation and threat to European security” that could result in further EU sanctions.

NATO called Russia’s nuclear decision “dangerous” and “irresponsible.”

Yet it’s unclear if Putin’s announcement truly alters the nuclear threat landscape, coming days after the visit to Russia by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters last week after Xi’s trip that the Chinese leader made it “very, very clear” to Putin that he shouldn’t deploy nuclear weapons. China’s 12-point plan aimed at stopping hostilities in Ukraine states that

2:27 p.m. — Hit-and-run property damage, 1500 block of OLIVER ROAD

4:04 p.m. — Robbery, 100 block of EAST TABOR AVENUE

4:40 p.m.

2 people shot at Sikh temple hosting parade in Sacramento County

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

SACRAMENTO — Two people were shot Sunday afternoon at a Sikh temple in the Vineyard section of Sacramento County, according to authorities.

The shooting happened around 2:30 p.m. at the Gurdwara Sacramento Sikh Society on the 7600 block of Bradshaw Road, according to Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Amar Gandhi.

It was during the temple’s first Nagar Kirtan, a traditional neighborhood celebration for Indian religions such as Sikhism.

Gandhi said a fistfight

had broken out between two men on the temple grounds. One of the men, Gandhi said, shot a friend of the other combatant.

The second man involved in the fight then fired upon the first man and ran off. That second man remains at large, Gandhi said.

Asked if there was an imminent threat to the area, Gandhi said the situation “looks very contained.”

“It puts a small stain on this peaceful, very joyous day.” The two people who were wounded were hospitalized at Kaiser Permanente hospital in south

Sacramento with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Around 3:30 p.m. deputies were seen walking two men out of the parade in handcuffs, though it was unclear if either was involved in the incident.

The men were placed into the back of separate Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicles as a crowd of dozens of people watched in near silence, many holding phones up to record the events.

Deputies were expected to remain at the scene through the evening combing through eyewitness statements and

cellphone video.

The society Sunday held a parade as part of the festivities. County officials had closed Bradshaw Road, Vintage Park Drive, Elk Grove Florin Road and Gerber Road as part of the parade, which was scheduled to last until 5 p.m.

Just before 4 p.m., hundreds of festivalgoers were slowly filing away as dozens of deputies and a sheriff’s helicopter urged people to leave the scene. Some who had attended the festival lingered while snacking on jalebi, a sweet dessert popular in India and Pakistan.

“nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought.”

Putin in February announced that Russia was suspending participation in the New START nuclear arms treaty with the US, the last accord limiting their strategic stockpiles.

The Kremlin hasn’t publicly declared that any of Russia’s nuclear arsenal is based in other countries since the Soviet Union’s collapse, when Ukraine and Kazakhstan surrendered stockpiles of weapons on their territories. During the Cold War, NATO and the Moscow-led Warsaw Pact group stationed nuclear weapons in Europe.

The Institute for the Study of War said Putin was “attempting to exploit Western fears of nuclear escalation by deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.”

“Russia has long fielded nuclear-capable weapons able to strike any target that tactical nuclear weapons based in Belarus could hit,” the US-based military analysts said in a report.

U.S. officials haven’t sounded the alarm.

“We’re just going to have watch and see,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said of Putin on CBS. “We haven’t seen any indication that he’s made good on this pledge or moved any nuclear weapons around. We’ve in fact seen no indication that he has any intention to use nuclear weapons, period, inside Ukraine.”

Despite the rhetoric out of Moscow since the start of the war a year ago, we’ve seen nothing that would cause us to change our own strategic deterrent posture,” Kirby said.

From Page One

food vendors.

Arzadon has been involved with home shows in Solano County since 2015. She began helping the original owners with the show in Dixon by han dling calls and office work. She took over for the pre vious owner in 2019, just as the pandemic took off.

“This is our third event since the pandemic started,” she said.

About 1,500 people came by Saturday, and she was expecting as many on Sunday.

“We are going to hit 3,500 people, at least, this weekend,” Arzadon predicted.

The vendors were happy with the nice weather and everyone was relieved not to have to deal with the rain or a wind storm, which has happened in years past.

Bronte Scott of Benicia began creating jewelry during the pandemic to keep her mind occupied with something other

From Page One

adaptation, but it’s becoming much harder for them as global warming and logging hurt habitats where they breed and spend the winter. In 2022, the species was entered into the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species as “endangered.” Activists say restoring monarch habitats is critical – as is slowing down global warming.

than the anxiety she was feeling.

“I was sick of television,” she said. “I needed to have something to help my mind.”

Scott found a passion for working with stones and wire, making more jewelry than she knew what to do with. Giving them away to friends and family worked for a time but she just couldn’t stop making things.

in the reserve tripled from 46.2 acres to over 145 acres, said Gloria Tavera, conservation director of Mexico’s Commission for National Protected Areas, the Associated Press reported.

More than half the tree loss was due to sanitary logging – the removal of dead or sick trees weakened by lack of water and therefore more vulnerable to pests and diseases, fires or storms, according to another WWF report released last week.

“A friend suggested I start selling my work,” she said. “I am having such a good time doing these events. This is a great show. People and vendors are so happy and it really makes a difference.”

So Scott came up with Ruby Skies Studio and Design and began selling items as a vendor at various events.

Angelica Sanchez of Fairfield came Sunday to

edly battered California. The western monarch population dropped from 10 million butterflies in the 1980s to just 1,914 butterflies in 2021, the IUCN said.

Humans have long helped destroy the monarch butterfly habitats of Michoacán, which has a long history of illegal logging.

support her friend who had a vendor booth. It was her first time visiting the Solano Home and Garden Show.

“We are just looking to see what we can find today,” she said. They also made appointments with a couple of vendors for some estimates for the house.

“It is also just really nice to be out today,” Sanchez said.

through environmental activist communities across North America. It was quickly suspected that illegal loggers were behind his death.

From

of miles apart. Sometimes several planets can be on the same side of the sun as Earth but not align due to their orbital positions.

But when they do, it creates a magnificent sight in the sky.

Most of the alignment over the next few days can be viewed with the naked eye, but telescopes or a pair of binoculars would be helpful.

Venus, Mars and Jupiter can all be viewed easily with the naked eye, according to The Farmers’ Almanac. Mercury can also be seen with the naked eye, but due to its prox-

imity to the sun, it can be seen only right after sunset or before dawn, meaning those would be the best moments to see the entire alignment.

Uranus is so far away – 1.9 billion miles – that unless you’re in a pitch-dark area like the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, you’ll need a magnification device.

While the alignment peak is on Tuesday, the best chance to see it could be Sunday or Monday, depending on weather forecasts. The planets aren’t moving anywhere quickly, and they’ll still be visible in a line for several days on either side of Tuesday, according to Star Walk Space.

“It’s not just about conserving a species, it’s also about conserving a unique migratory phenomenon in nature,” Jorge Rickards, the general director of WWF Mexico, said in last week’s report. “With 80% of agricultural food production depending on pollinators like monarchs, when people help the species, we are also helping ourselves.”

Michoacán’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is considered the prime location for the monarchs. They are able to cluster in the dense forests of the nearly 140,000acre reserve and shelter from winds, rain and low temperatures.

The population of butterflies is calculated by the number of acres they cover when gathered on tree branches. The monarch population fell from 7 acres down to 5.5 acres in one year; they once covered more than 45 acres.

The population has declined steadily over the past 25 years, mostly because of a huge loss of habitat in the biosphere reserve. Between March 2021 and April 2022, the loss of monarch-friendly forest

Some conservationists think that loss of habitat in Mexico is leading many of these eastern monarch butterflies, which reside in the northeast United States and southern Canada, to winter instead along the West Coast of the United States. More than 330,000 butterflies were tallied in California and Arizona this year, the highest number in the last six years.

A possible explanation is that many of the monarchs that usually winter in Mexico are now choosing to migrate with their western counterparts, which have long wintered along the West Coast, Emma Pelton, a conservation biologist at the Xerces Society, told CBS News.

“It’s a sign we have a second chance. But I think one thing it’s not is that all is well or that we all made human actions that magically made it all better,” Pelton said.

Droughts, frost and “extreme temperatures” across the United States are killing the monarchs’ food source – milkweeds –and causing their habitats to dwindle, the director of Mexico’s nature reserves, Humberto Peña, said at a news conference last week.

The effects of climate change are particularly bad on the West Coast, where severe weather events have repeat -

In 1998, the residents of the Crescencio Morales farming community set fire to monarch butterfly habitats to make space to log the land, village leader Erasmo Álvarez Castillo told the AP.

It didn’t take long for the drug cartels and illegal loggers to come in and profit off their community. And so in the early 2000s, in an effort to kick them out, residents began reforesting the hillsides. With no help from the police, the farmers took up arms and set off on a long and arduous fight to protect their village and conserve the butterfly habitats.

The Mexican government eventually outlawed logging in the area. But the ban only worsened tensions between local loggers and conservationists. Between 2005 and 2006, 461 hectares of land were lost to illegal logging.

Homero Gómez González was a former logger who became a conservationist and was one of central Mexico’s most prominent defenders of the monarch butterfly. In an interview with The Washington Post in December 2019, he said he began working with scientists and conservationists from the WWF to put Michoacán’s Rosario sanctuary on the map and bring in tourism.

“We were afraid that if we had to stop logging, it would send us all into poverty,” he said.

A month after talking to The Post, he was found dead, sending shock waves

On Jan. 23 this year, Crescencio Morales introduced its first class of state-trained and approved “community guard” forest rangers. Worried about heightened cartel-related violence and a farmers’ revolution after the town declared itself an autonomous, self-governing municipality, the government decided to equip and professionalize the existing community force, and help the 58-strong squad protect the monarch population.

Illegal logging continues to plague the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, but Crescencio Morales –once home to the region’s worst illegal logging – has seen numbers drop by 3.4 percent this year, the AP reported. But forest degradation and loss of habit impact far more than the butterflies. The biosphere reserve also serves as the main freshwater source for 5 million people in Mexico City. Its biodiverse ecosystem is home to 132 species of birds, 56 species of mammals, 432 species of vascular plants and 211 species of fungi, according to the WWF.

Activists stress that climate change has to be tackled in order to protect the orange and black insects.

“If you’re talking 20, 30, 40 years out, we’re not going to be talking about monarchs any more,” Chip Taylor, the founder of Monarch Watch and a professor at the University of Kansas, told The Post in 2020. “The migration will disappear unless we solve climate change.”

Susan Hiland/Daily Republic

Visitors gather ideas for indoor and outdoor projects during the Solano Home and Garden Show at the Dixon Fairgrounds, Sunday.

ConTenT AgenCy

Tribune

Through all of Sunday’s unpredictability and cautions and restarts gone awry, one driver consistently rose above the rest.

And that was Tyler Reddick.

The driver of the No. 45 car for 23XI Racing did more than enough on Sunday to earn his first win of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas.

It was the first roadcourse race of the

season – and the win went to one of the best road-racers in the Cup Series.

”It means the world,” Reddick told the Fox broadcast. “This whole 23XI team has been working so hard all winter long to make the road course program better. Was extremely motivated to come in here and prove that performance, too.”

Sunday’s race went into overtime and ultimately saw eight cautions for 17 laps. Six of those cautions came in the third and final stage, and three of

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Trammell’s free throw sends San Diego State to historic victory

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

The program that 25 years ago was among the worst in college basketball, that had 14 losing seasons in 15 years, that had never been ranked in the Associated Press poll until 2010, that hadn’t won an NCAA Tournament game until 2011, that hadn’t been past the Sweet 16 until Friday, that doesn’t play in a power conference, that crams into middle seats on Southwest Airlines for road trips, that has two players in its rotation who had no Division I scholarship offers out of high school . . . is going to the Final Four in Houston.

Take a breath and think about it.

There are 363 men’s college basketball teams in Division I. Four will play in Houston for the

national championship. And San Diego State is one of them after beating Creighton 57-56 in the South Region final on Sunday at Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center.

The San Diego State Aztecs.

The school that has one Div. I national title, in men’s volleyball in 1973, . . . and dropped the sport.

But it will play for another, starting Saturday in the semifinals against Cinderella Florida Atlantic. Connecticut is in the other semi against either Texas or Miami.

It will because Darrion Trammell made a free throw with 1.2 seconds left after drawing a foul on Ryan Nembhard while attempting a game-winning floater – a whistle

See Victory, Page B8

them came with less than 10 laps to go.

But Reddick persevered through all of them with aplomb, not losing focus, pulling away with every restart. Once the final restart came and went and the white flag emerged, Reddick was all alone out front, illustrating the theme on Sunday: If you gave Reddick any chance at a long run – he was going to run away with it.

Kyle Busch finished second. Alex Bowman finished third. “Tyler obviously is a

really good road racer,” said Busch, who is driving in the No. 8 car, which is the equipment Reddick was in last year. “He proved it driving this car here last year. I was able to get in it and run right back to him. I’ve been trying to emulate the things he did in order to make this car fast last year, but not quite all the way there.” Said Bowman: ”Proud of the 45. A heck of a road course racer. Fastest car definitely won today.”

It didn’t take long for this racetrack to impose

its will on the NASCAR Cup Series driver field. On Turns 19 and 20 of Lap 1, a bunch of cars got into each other and ultimately prompted an early caution.

Among them: Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescherand Jimmie Johnson – and Johnson had his day end because of it.

“It’s really disappointing,” Johnson said after emerging from the infield care center.

The seven-time Cup champion and Legacy Motor Club part-owner is racing a limited Cup Series

schedule in 2023. He didn’t even get through a full lap on Sunday. “But it comes with racing, it’s part of it,” he said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t have a day yesterday in qualifying. We’re back there around the wreck, and we know those things can happen.”

Some more chaos surfaced a few laps later, too. Bubba Wallace got into the rear of Kyle Larson before Larson and Denny Hamlin collided. That prompted See NASCAR, Page B8

Reddick posts NASCAR Cup win amid late cautions Baseball brings its dramatic new

FASTER GAMES, MORE ACTION, KILL OFF THE ‘DEAD TIME’

recorded around 9 o’clock instead

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

FORT MYERS, Fla. — A clock ticking backwards isn’t only the newest and most significant change to the way baseball is played in the major leagues – it’s also a metaphor for what the national pastime is trying to accomplish.

“We want to restore the pace and rhythm that the game once had, something that had grad ually gotten away from us,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “We’re not creating some thing new; we just want to make sure the game remains as crisp and exciting as it has for many decades.

— Commissioner Rob Manfred

manager Rocco Baldelli said of spring games, which have averaged two hours, 36 minutes, according to MLB. “The game doesn’t have to be three, three-and-a-half hours, and we’re proving that right now. Get out there and throw strikes, attack hitters, and the games will be crisp.”

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images/TNS

Norchad Omier (15) of the Miami Hurricanes celebrates defeating the Texas Longhorns 88-81 in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at T-Mobile Center, in Kansas City, Missouri, Sunday.

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

KANSAS CITY,

Mo. — The University of Miami men’s basketball team pulled off a furious second-half rally and vaulted past the Texas Longhorns 88-81 on Sunday, advancing to the Hurricanes’ first Final Four in school history. Miami trailed 70-60 with 8:31 remaining in the game, but went on a 13-2 run that gave the ‘Canes a 73-72 lead with 5:26 left.

From that point, UM and Texas remained locked in a one-posses-

sion game most of the way to the finish, where the Hurricanes got key rebounds and key shots in the closing moments. Miami advances to play Connecticut in Houston on Saturday. If both UM and FAU win their games, they would face off for the national championship on next Monday night. While Miami had never reached a Final Four, coach Jim Larranaga heads to his second national semifinal, his first coming as he made it in 2006 with 11thseeded George Mason.

“I would predict that once all the attention dies down, most fans won’t even notice the clock.”

They might on those nights at Target Field when the final out is

between pitches, between batters and between innings dramatically shortens a typical baseball game without removing any of the action.

“It feels really good, too,” Twins

But the pitch clock is not the only way that the Twins’ season, which opens Thursday afternoon in Kansas City, will be strikingly different in 2023. The bases, 12 inches by 12 inches until now, will be 15x15, a change that will subtract 4 1/2 inches from the distance base-stealers must travel. Infielders must be standing on the infield dirt when a ball is pitched, and two on each side

See Baseball, Page B8

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

OAKLAND — Opening Night beckons so optimism was rampant Sunday.

Even when the team is the Athletics, who finished 46 games out of first place.

A 60-102 record was good for last place in the American League West and led to worst home attendance in Major League Baseball with an average of 9,973.

So what does A’s manager Mark Kotsay hope to see in 2023 at the most maligned home venue in professional sports?

“We’d love the opportunity to fill this place up,” Kotsay said Sunday before the Giants beat the A’s 9-5.

“There’s no better place to play in front of a full stadium than the Oakland Coliseum. I know that.

I’ve experienced that.”

The Coliseum was far from full Sunday, and a good portion of the crowd

of 11,325 was there to see the Giants and not the A’s. Starting pitcher Ken Waldichuk, who will be in the starting rotation, struggled with his control and the A’s had just an infield single and Tony Kemp’s three-run double offensively until there were two outs in the ninth inning and a six-run deficit. No matter. There hasn’t been a team in recorded history that’s thrown in the towel before the season begins, and a 10-16-3 Cactus League record and a current five-game losing streak in meaningless games was nothing to get

See Mirror, Page B8

Hurricanes roar past Texas Longhorns with second-half burst, reach first Final Four

Athletics, manager return home eager to put 102-loss season in rear-view mirror

look:

Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun/TNS file

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Austin Voth prepares to throw as the pitch clock counts down during spring training at the team’s facility in Sarasota, Florida, Feb. 21.

‘We want to restore the pace and rhythm that the game once had, something that had gradually gotten away from us.’

Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group Oakland Athletics’ Nick Allen (2) and Esteury Ruiz (1) prepare to round third base on a double hit by teammate Tony Kemp (5) in the second inning of their preseason MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Sunday.

Malabi, a Middle Eastern rose water pudding, a simple, silken joy

Jessica stolzberg SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON POST

Idon’t remember what I had for lunch yesterday, but I know which direction I was facing the first time I had malabi. (Southeast.) If not for the urging of my server, I might have skipped right past it on the menu. To think I almost missed it.

This exquisite dessert has enraptured me like no other.

With likely ancestral roots in Persia, malabi is a staple conclusion to Middle Eastern meals, long ubiquitous in Israel, for example – in restaurants, in storefronts ‘round about town, from mall kiosks and street carts.

Malabi is rose water milk pudding – delicate in flavor, firm but creamy, not too sweet –most often topped with a simple berry sauce and chopped pistachios. The final flourish is up to the chef. Mine is topped with shredded halvah. Others, coconut flakes and dried fruit. It’s to be enjoyed as a whole: Sink your spoon in for each bite and savor the sum of its parts.

It’s impossible for me to think about malabi and not consider it through the prism of a pandemic-altered world, and how easily food – steeped in time and place, carved into memory, craved – connects us with ease to our past, our present and our future. What more easily than a specific dish can remind us equally of where we’ve been and of where we next wish to go?

I’ve thought a great deal about malabi in the past few years. I’ve missed it. A close friend and I, sharing a devotion to fine sweets, used to meet about once a month to eat malabi at MishMish, a Mediterranean restaurant in Montclair, N.J. We soon started to order lighter fare for our mains to ensure plenty of room for dessert. Malabi was, for us, entirely the point.

The first summer of the pandemic, in the new abnormal, our only option was to order it as takeout. I arrived to find a handled brown paper bag with my name on it waiting for me on a small table outside, right about where I once sat eating malabi for the very first time. Through the front glass, I glimpsed rows of tables, empty and dark, and saw no one when I took the bag and left.

Back home, my friend Aleta arrived, and we ate our malabi at opposite ends of my outdoor table. We were glad to have it, of course, but it wasn’t the same, because the world, and we, sitting far apart, were no longer the same. Neither of us suggested we do it again.

The restaurant soon closed. I spoke to the chef and owner,

Meny Vaknin, a few months later, and he told me I could still buy malabi over the counter at the restaurant’s sister establishment, Marcel, a casual eatery at the opposite end of town. It wouldn’t come with the berry sauce and pistachios, nor with the shredded halvah, but he invited me to call ahead and he’d have those parts ready for me. It seemed fitting for what was then our ongoing reality: something prized, something sweet, separated into parts, gathered and assembled as best we were able.

Things are better now. As we’ve emerged, falteringly at times, many of us have been fortunate to find what we loved, what nourished us, still there –or perhaps finding its way back. Marcel now stocks malabi in small Mason jars with the berry sauce included.

I used to contemplate what for me would represent that we’d truly made it through to the other side, and it always arrived in one simple vision: friends, at a table in a crowded restaurant, indoors, unmasked, talking, laughing. Eating malabi.

MALABI

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes, plus 3 hours chilling time

6 servings

The velvety little secret of a milk pudding is that it’s an ideal dessert for dinner parties. It both demands

to be made ahead and stores beautifully. All that’s left to do is spoon on the simple berry sauce and add any toppings before serving.

Preparing the cornstarch mixture first allows you to whisk the milk and cream without pause, important, as it can scald easily on the bottom of the pot.

If lumps form (a cornstarch culprit), simply ladle malabi into your ramekins or jars over a mesh strainer. For the berry sauce, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, either solo or mixed, work well.

Vaknin serves his malabi with a half strawberry, half blueberry sauce with lemon zest. Strain through a mesh strainer to avoid seeds and skins.

Shredded halvah is so lovely on top but may prove elusive. You can sprinkle your malabi with regular halvah, grated, but I tend to skip it if I can’t have the meltin-your-mouth shredded.

Consider using small Mason jars, often available at local hardware stores, for easy storage, transport and a delightful serve (especially outdoors). And who doesn’t like to eat out of a jar?

Make ahead: The malabi must be refrigerated until set, at least 3 hours.

The berry sauce should be cooled or refrigerated before serving.

Storage: Refrigerate the pudding, covered, for up to 5 days. If the surface weeps, fold a small piece of towel and touch gently where needed to wick up the moisture. Refrigerate the sauce in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Where to buy: Rose water can be found at well-stocked supermarkets, Middle Eastern markets and online. Shredded halvah can

be found at kosher and Middle Eastern markets and online.

For the malabi:

Scant 1⁄3 cup (40 grams) cornstarch (may substitute potato starch)

2 1 3 cups (560 milliliters) whole milk, divided

2 cups (475 milliliters) heavy cream

½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch fine salt

2 teaspoons rose water

For the berry sauce:

One (10-ounce/284-gram) bag frozen berries or 1 pint fresh

2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more to taste

Zest of half a lemon (optional)

For the suggested toppings:

Coarsely chopped unsalted, roasted pistachios

Fresh berries of your choosing

Shredded halvah

Chopped dried apricots

Shredded or flaked unsweetened coconut

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 3 cup (80 milliliters) milk until smooth.

In a medium pot over mediumhigh heat, combine the remaining 2 cups (480 milliliters) milk, cream, sugar, vanilla and salt, whisking continuously, until it reaches a gentle boil, about 8 minutes.

When the mixture begins to rise, reduce the heat to low. Re-whisk the milk-cornstarch slurry to recombine and slowly add it, whisking continuously, and increase the heat to medium. Continue to whisk until the mixture returns to a gentle boil

and thickens slightly – enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and whisk in the rose water.

Ladle about ¾ cup (180 milliliters) of the mixture into 8-ounce ramekins, small bowls or jars, leaving about 1 inch at the top to allow room for the berry sauce and toppings.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until set.

Make the berry sauce: While the malabi chills, in a small pot over low to medium-low heat, combine the berries, sugar and lemon zest, if using, and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture gently simmers and the berries break down, about 10 minutes. (If your berries are frozen, this may take a few more minutes.) Taste and add more sugar, if desired, then remove from the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until smooth. Strain through a mesh strainer to avoid seeds and skins, if needed. Let cool completely.

Just before serving, spoon about 2 tablespoons of the berry sauce and about 1 tablespoon of pistachios over the malabi. If desired, add any other toppings of your choosing.

Nutritional information per serving (¾ cup malabi, 2 tablespoons sauce, 1 tablespoon pistachios) | Calories: 523; Total Fat: 36 g; Saturated Fat: 20 g; Cholesterol: 120 mg; Sodium: 162 mg; Carbohydrates: 46 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 162 g; Protein: 7 g

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

Let this asparagus pasta with grated apple usher you into spring

a nn M aloney THE WASHINGTON POST

March 20 marked the first day of spring –according to the calendar. And, yes, the squat little rosebush by my front stoop is a pompom of tiny green leaves and the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin are nearing peak bloom, but the morning temperature in Washington, D.C., still hovers around a frosty 32.

So, maybe I’m being overhasty with this recipe, which prominently features asparagus, a favorite spring vegetable.

No, the thin, tender stalks that I love to eat raw are not yet plentiful at farmers markets, but this dish, Pasta with Asparagus, Blue Cheese and Walnuts, still reminds me that there are milder days ahead. It’s just like me, with one foot in winter and one in spring. The thicker, meatier asparagus available year-

round works well in this preparation, and the blend of bitter walnuts, peppery arugula and pungent blue cheese makes for a hearty pasta dish with hues of green that strikes the right balance as the chill lingers.

To start, you place the asparagus in a high-heat skillet with a little oil and cook it until it takes on a few brown spots; then add the walnuts and cook the mixture until the nuts are toasty and the asparagus is crisp-tender.

The arugula gets added to the pan for a minute until just wilted. Then, that mixture is tossed with your favorite pasta, blue cheese, a splash of vinegar and a little more oil.

But you’re not quite done yet. This is where this America’s Test Kitchen recipe offers a smart twist. After you divide the pasta among bowls, you grate fresh apple over each. This sounded a little unusual to

me, but the apple pieces complemented the nuts and blue cheese beautifully and gave each bite a cool, juicy surprise.

So if it is not yet gloriously temperate where you are, I hope this dish of sweet and bitter, crisp and creamy helps you bridge the seasons.

PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS, BLUE CHEESE AND WALNUTS 30 minutes

6 servings

For a less pungent salad, use mild baby spinach in place of the peppery arugula, and goat cheese instead of the blue cheese.

Storage notes: Refrigerate for up to 2 days.

½ teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed

1 pound gemelli, penne or fusilli pasta

5 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, divided

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup raw, unsalted walnuts, chopped

4 cups lightly packed regular or baby arugula leaves from 1 large bunch, washed and thoroughly dried

6 ounces strong blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 Granny Smith apple, halved and peeled

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a stockpot. Lightly salt and add the pasta, stir to separate and cook according to the package instructions, until al dente. Drain and return the pasta to the pot.

While the pasta is cooking, in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil until it just begins to smoke. Add the asparagus, pepper and the ½ teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat and then spread the asparagus in a single layer and cook

without stirring, until it begins to brown on one side, Add the walnuts and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the asparagus is tender-crisp and the nuts are toasted, about 4 minutes. Add the arugula and toss until just starting to wilt, Add the asparagus mixture, cheese, vinegar and the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the pasta and toss to Divide the pasta among bowls, and use the coarse side of a box grater to grate a little apple over each bowl. Serve hot.

Nutrition information per serving (1 ½ cups), based on 6 | Calories: 624; Total Fat: 32 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Cholesterol: 21 mg; Sodium: 701 mg; Carbohydrates: 68 g;

Dietary Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 7 g; Protein: 21 g

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

Rey Lopez/The Washington Post

Malabi is rose water milk pudding – delicate in flavor, firm but creamy, not too sweet – most often topped with a simple berry sauce.

Rey Lopez/The Washington Post

Pasta with asparagus, blue cheese and walnuts.

Will (Robert Rodriguez) becomes temporary guardian of a boy whose family were the victims of a trailer park massacre in “Will Trent.”

Tales of thieves, bad behavior come to theaters

FAIRFIELD —

Fans of Dungeons and Dragons will get to enjoy the game on the big screen this week.

The movie tells the tale of a thief who bands together for an epic thieving adventure that leads to a dangerous conflict.

Also showing are a few limited release films including one about a woman who steals a child from foster care to raise as her own, a horror movie where a new police officer goes in search of the truth about her father’s death, and the story of a young woman battling addiction and grief with the help of her father-in-law.

In addition, Olympic champion Helen Maroulis’ win against Saori Yoshida, a 13-time world champion, is finally shown on the big screen.

Opening nationwide are:

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” in which a charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people. The film is rated PG-13.

“One Thousand and One,” in which Inez (Teyana Taylor) kidnaps 6-year-old Terry from the foster care system. Holding onto their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity and stability in a rapidly changing New York City. The film is rated R.

“Malum,” in which a rookie police officer willingly takes the last shift at a newly decommissioned police station in an attempt to uncover the mysterious connection between her father’s death and a vicious cult. The film is not rated.

“Helen Believe,” a film based on the true story of Olympic champion Helen Maroulis, who at 23 years old was competing in her first Olympic Games in Rio against Saori Yoshida, a 13-time world champion and the most decorated wrestler of all time. Yoshida was undefeated for four straight years – until she stepped onto the mat with

Maroulis, who shocked the world and defeated Yoshida to become the first – and only – American woman to win a gold medal in wrestling. The film is not rated.

“A Good Person,” in which Allison (Florence Pugh) is a young woman with a bright future – a wonderful fiancé, a blossoming career and supportive family and friends. But her world crumbles in the blink of an eye when she survives an unimaginable tragedy and emerges from recovery with an opioid addiction and unresolved grief. It is the unlikely friendship she forms with her would-be father-in-law (Morgan Freeman) that gives her a fighting chance to put herself back together and move forward with her life. The film is rated R. Opening in limited release are:

“Acidman,” in which Maggie tracks down her estranged father, Lloyd, now living in the Oregon wilderness and obsessed with UFOs. She takes an interest and a bond begins to form between her and her father. The film is not rated.

“His Only Son,” the story of one of the most controversial moments in all of scripture. In this tale from the Bible, God gave Abraham the ultimate test by commanding him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, on the mountain of Moriah. Answering age-old questions as to why the Lord would require such a sacrifice, the film explores mankind’s relationship to God and encourages viewers to turn inward and ask: Can your faith still stand when you are asked to give everything? The film is rated PG-13.

For information on Edwards Cinemas in Fairfield, visit www. regmovies.com/ theatres/regal-edwardsfairfield-imax. For Vacaville showtimes, visit www.brenden theatres.com. For Vallejo showtimes, check www. cinemark.com/theatres/ ca-vallejo. More

is

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 and Carlos Castellanos

B4 Monday, March 27, 2023 — DAILY REPUBLIC Los A ngeLes Times

Jameela Jamil is going all in on the messiness of bad dates for her upcoming podcast –and it seems the series’ NSFW chaos has made its way into the star’s recent morning show appearances.

Jamil, known for “The Good Place” and “She-Hulk,” appeared on the “Today” show Tuesday to promote her “Bad Dates” podcast. When she opened up about a “booty call” gone wrong, she left hosts Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones and Dylan Dreyer laughing and Al Roker speechless.

“He collapsed three steps in, he broke all of his front teeth,” Jamil told the “Today” gang. “They flew across my apartment.”

Jamil said the man collapsed because he had “misused” an erectile dysfunction drug. By the time she came around to this point of her story, Melvin, Jones and Dreyer were laughing out of shock. Roker, on the other hand, didn’t seem as amused.

A straight-faced Roker stared into the camera. He could also be seen pursing his lips as Melvin told Jamil that that was “the worst” dating story.

Roker then tried to keep the segment moving, asking Jamil whether a bad date “makes you appreciate the good dates.”

“100%, yeah,” Jamil responded. “And some of these bad dates led to 25-year marriages.”

After Melvin tried to revisit Jamil’s story, Roker shifted the focus to the actor’s new exercise endeavor.

“Today” wasn’t the only morning show caught up in the raunchiness of Jamil’s new podcast. On Wednesday the actor appeared on “The View,” where she dropped a few expletives and spoke about flatulence.

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS file (2020)

While touting “Bad Dates,” Jamil mused on her own dating habits, including how she doesn’t get intimate with partners until she is months into a relationship.

“I just don’t want to see your [genitalia] until I’m ready,” she said, earning laughs from co-host Sara Haines and audience members.

Like Roker, “The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg looked off-screen to a producer before adding, “I think a lot of people can relate to that.”

Co-host Sunny Hostin tried to rein things in after seeing “our executive producer who looks like he’s about to die.”

“He was about to die 10 minutes ago,” Goldberg joked. “He’s fine now.”

Hostin then asked Jamil about advice she’d like to share with “The View” audience and red flags they should avoid. The TV star praised therapy before sharing an odd piece of wisdom.

“Never, ever . . . ever trust a fart,” she said. “It becomes something else sometimes and we just don’t need to get into it because this is morning television.”

Even after Haines shifted focus to Jamil’s I Weigh cam-

Crossword

paign, “The View” wasn’t safe from dirty language. Jamil opened up about her views on exercise, which she said can be “exclusive” and “elitist.”

“You have to dress a certain way in —,” she said before blurting an expletive and then immediately slapping her hands over her mouth. As Jamil apologized to the audience, Hostin and Goldberg gestured to executive producer Brian Teta.

“Now he’s on the floor,” Goldberg said. The camera turned to Teta, to whom Jamil also apologized.

“Children, that is very bad language,” Jamil said.

On social media Jamil poked fun at her recent morning show appearances, reposting a clip from her “Today” appearance on Instagram.

“Omg this is why I should not be allowed on Live TV,” she captioned the snippet. Jamil’s “Bad Dates” will premiere Monday on several podcast platforms, including Apple and Spotify.

The lineup of “Bad Dates” guests so far includes Conan O’Brien, Tig Notaro, Nikki Glaser, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Jinkx Monsoon.

Has Beyoncé seen ‘Swarm’ yet? Series cocreator Janine Nabers says it’s possible

Los A ngeLes Times

It seems that even Queen Bey can’t escape the buzz around “Swarm.”

Janine Nabers, who co-created “Swarm” with Donald Glover, said in an interview with Vulture published Tuesday that the music legend could very well be among the series’ many viewers.

When asked if Beyoncé had seen the show, Nabers said, “I think she has, actually.

“She knows about the show. People who are in orbit of Donald know about this show,” she said. “You Google Donald and Beyoncé, they hang out legit. They’re friends.”

“Swarm” stars Dominique Fishback as Dre, a young

Here’s

woman disturbingly obsessed with a Beyoncé-type superstar named Ni’Jah. In the series, Dre gradually takes her fandom to extremely violent levels after she loses a loved one.

Nabers, who told Vulture she’d never met the “Break My Soul” hit-maker, said she had reached out to Beyoncé about “Swarm,” because she inspired the Prime Video series.

“I wrote her a letter basically being like, ‘Yo, you’re great. I love you. This is a show that we’re working on. These are the people that are writing on it,’” Nabers said.

She added that Beyoncé had previously collaborated with “a lot of” the creatives involved in “Swarm.” The series aims to take a scathing look at stan

Bridge

by Phillip Alder

style, the text is terse, leaving you, the reader, to do some thinking – but nothing too taxing.

Today’s deal is typical of the book’s content. How would you plan the play in three no-trump? West leads the heart six. East wins with the ace and returns the heart five. Over to you.

culture – but was not a “crusade to tear down anyone’s reputation,” Nabers said.

“I know it’s extreme, and I know that our character is doing a lot of crazy s—, but this is a love letter to Black women,” she said. Some social media users might disagree.

The series, which premiered March 17, also features Chlöe Bailey, Damson Idris and Billie Eilish. “Swarm” fans anticipating a second season shouldn’t hold their breath, Nabers told the L.A. Times earlier this month.

“This is a limited series,” she said. “This is a story that has a very clear beginning, middle and end, so this is it.”

Word Sleuth

KEEP YOUR TRICKS WELL DEFENDED

Do you find most of the deals used in this column a tad tough? Do you wish you could solve them without trouble? Then read an instructive book or two. This deal comes from 1993’s “All You Need to Know About Play” co-authored by Englishmen Terence Reese and David Bird. In typical Reese

When you are in no-trump, you always start by counting your top tricks, don’t you? Here, you have six: four spades, one heart (given trick one) and one club. The other three tricks can come from the diamond suit, except that you must lose the lead once. What can defeat you?

Obviously, you will go down if West holds five hearts and the diamond ace. Is there anything else?

Declarer thought it was safe to duck the second round of hearts, but West, after winning with his queen, knew that he had no entry. He switched smartly to the club jack. Now South had to lose two hearts, one diamond and two clubs.

Declarer should have grabbed the second trick and immediately played a diamond. If the contract were makable, this line would have succeeded. (West cannot have led from the 6-3 doubleton of hearts, because East would have played the 10 at trick one.)

Try not to endanger your contract unnecessarily.

COPYRIGHT: 2023, UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE

Sudoku by Wayne Gould

© 2023 Janric Enterprises Dist. by creators.com

3/28/23

Difficulty level:

Yesterday’s solution:

KEEP YOUR TRICKS

WELL DEFENDED

in any row, column or box. Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

Do you find most of the deals used in this column a tad tough? Do you wish you could solve them without trouble? Then read an instructive book or two. This deal comes from 1993’s “All

Jamil is launching a new NSFW podcast, and the press tour has been chaotic

Jameela Jamil arrives at the 62nd Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Jan. 26, 2020.

Pandemic pet adoptions propel rise of a $500 billion global market

BloomBerg

Susann Gentile did everything she could for her dog, a Havanese named Elvis.

Elvis had a heart condition, and over his lifetime, the expense of caring for him added up. There was a $900 echocardiogram. There were cardiology bills, heart pills and specialty foods that came to about $8,000 a year. The costs forced Gentile, a Brooklyn public-school teacher, to work all the overtime she could get. Elvis eventually died when he was nine.

“I look back on it and say ‘How the hell did we do it?’,” said Gentile, who has daughters in high school and college. But she wouldn’t have had it any other way. And after Elvis died, she quickly purchased another dog, a Shih Tzu named Nico. She plans to fit him with a tracking chip and she pampers him with food made exclusively for the breed.

Animal lovers like Gentile, 51, are propelling the rise of a global pet economy that’s projected to reach almost half a trillion dollars – some $493 billion – by 2030, up 54% from today, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. That would put the business of pets on par with more futuristic, flashier industries such as cybersecurity and financial technology.

A wave of adoptions during the Covid-19 pandemic has created greater demand for basics like food and toys. At the same time, another pet-related business is booming: the use of advanced diagnostic tools and sophisticated drugs to identify and treat injuries and diseases that once could have quickly claimed the life of a beloved family pet.

Drug companies with their roots in Big Pharma are bringing innovations from human life sciences to animals. Zoetis, a former unit of Pfizer, is using monoclonal antibodies to treat osteoarthritis in cats. Elanco Animal Health, which was separated from Eli Lilly, is selling the first oral SGLT2 inhibitors –diabetes drugs taken by millions of people – for pets. Gentile gave Elvis the same hypertension medication her own father takes.

“The revolution in human health is coming to animal

health,” Elanco Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Simmons said. “We’ve added almost 20% to a pet’s life.”

Those gains have come with questions about costs and benefits. The trend toward “humanization,” in which pets are treated like family members, is making people more open to $2,000 MRI scans or $10,000 cancer treatments. Such pricey interventions can stretch household budgets to the breaking point – and may offer animals limited gains in quality of life.

Drugmakers and health-care providers say these medical advances have improved animals’ well-being. Additionally, spending on pets tends to stick, executives say.

“We know inflation is impacting pet owners and consumers in general,” said Christine Royal, vice president at Merck Animal Health’s U.S. companion animal and equine team. “They’re cutting and saving in other ways before looking at cost savings for their pets.”

U U U

Kept at home during the pandemic, Americans embraced animal companionship: While estimates vary, Morgan Stanley said in a 2022 report that there were about 5 million more pets in the U.S. than in 2019, an increase of 4%. Average annual household pet spending reached $770 in 2021, up 13% from 2019, according to the Labor Department – outpacing an 8.5% increase in consumer prices.

Bloomberg Intelligence predicts the U.S., where it costs about $1,520 a year to own a dog and $950 to own a cat, will remain the world’s biggest pet market, soaring 52% to $195.6 billion by 2030. But the surge is global: Europe’s pet market is expected to increase 43% to $159.7 billion over that span. In the rest of the world, the pet market is forecast to grow 72% to $137.8 billion.

Many new pet owners have grappled with problems and expenses they never bargained for.

Camellia Aebischer, a food editor based in Melbourne, Australia, got her dachshund, Morty, during the pandemic, but soon realized he had severe behavioral issues and needed anti-anxiety medication.

Because he was a picky eater, she wrapped pills in prosciutto and other treats, which ended up making the treatments cost about $65 a month.

Morty needed to be accompanied at all times after neighbors complained about his intense barking. Dog-sitting, day-care and trainer costs reached about $415 a month, in addition to regular food and vet costs and $115-a-pop behavioral consultations. When Aebischer and her partner had to return to the office more often, it became untenable.

“We could never go in on the same day, as someone had to be home with the dog,” she said.

Aebischer reached out to a special animal behaviorist, who quoted $535 for an initial visit, a “daunting” cost. She ended up re-homing Morty and said only then did she realize how much she had been spending.

“Having a difficult dog is so expensive and something people don’t really talk about,” she said.

U U U

Big-dollar medical bills for pet-health issues that once might have gone untreated are becoming more common. When Pet Fund was founded in 2003 to help pay for veterinary care for people who couldn’t afford it, cancer accounted for 20% of the nonprofit’s requests for help, said Executive Director Karen Leslie. Now it’s over 60% and rising.

“It’s very easy to see bills that start at $10,000, and we’re quite regularly seeing bills of $20,000, $30,000,” she said. “That used to be rare and now it’s not.”

One tool to mitigate runaway costs is insurance. At the end of 2021, the latest year for which figures are available, the total value of U.S. premiums – meaning what people are actually spending – reported by members of the North American Pet Health Insurance Association was almost $2.6 billion for dogs and cats, up 30% from the year before. At the end of 2017, it was about $1 billion.

In 2021, the group said, the top claims paid included more than $50,000 for a Brooklyn dog who got hit by a car, and almost

$22,000 for a cat in Yonkers, New York, who ate something it shouldn’t have.

Accident and illness coverage for a dog averaged more than $580 a year in 2021, though coverage varies, and deductibles

Whitney Miller, Petco’s chief veterinarian, said the San Diegobased company is constantly evaluating how to keep services affordable even as it seeks to put more technology in the hands of its vets.

For drug companies, the pet boom means they are less reliant on income from therapies for animals raised for food.

“Ten years ago, livestock represented about 64% of our revenues with pet care being the balance,” said Wetteny Joseph, chief financial officer at Zoetis. “It’s the exact opposite now.”

U U U

can be high. Only 3.9% of the 83.7 million dogs in the U.S. and just under 1% of its 76.8 million cats had insurance.

U U U

––Many wealthier pet owners also lavish care and attention on their animals, and there are an increasing number of products and elective medical procedures for that market segment.

There are testicular implants, for example, called Neuticles, to “help neuter-hesitant pet owners overcome the trauma of altering and allowing their beloved pet to retain its natural look and selfesteem.” Actor Jake Gyllenhaal said in an appearance on “The Tonight Show” that he’d bought them for his German shepherd.

More routine items such as pet food are perennial cash generators for manufacturers including General Mills, Nestlé, J.M. Smucker and Mars. Companies like Mars, the candy maker known for Snickers bars and M&M’s, are increasingly pouring investment dollars into pet health.

Mars bought veterinary-services chain VCA for $7.7 billion in 2017, and snapped up AniCura and its 200 animal hospitals in Europe the following year. Petco Health & Wellness has ramped up health services to complement its retail business, going from one animal hospital to 247 in the past six years. It has added dental X-rays, handheld ultrasound capabilities and artificial-intelligence technology to help read medical scans.

More new treatments are on the horizon. Loyal, a three-year-old biotech startup in San Francisco that has raised $58 million, is developing drugs to help dogs live longer by slowing aging. The Dog Aging Project, led by the University of Washington and Texas A&M University, is also testing an anti-aging drug.

At the same time, there are signs that some people who sought out a pet during the pandemic are finding they can’t sustain the relationship. According to Shelter Animals Count, which tracks animals arriving at shelters, total intakes ticked up last year but remain well below 2019 levels. Relinquishments by owners have held steady at about a quarter of total intakes during the past four years, with more people citing economic and housing-related reasons for the decision during the past 12 months, the organization said.

“This is tough for the vets as well,” said Aimee Gilbreath, president of PetSmart Charities. “Having a pet parent in the lobby who can’t afford care is heartbreaking.”

Some people find that after a pet dies, they are changing their patterns. Gentile, who has two daughters, one a junior in college and another soon to graduate from high school, said she still works overtime, but about half as much since Elvis died.

“The money I was making extra was going to my dog,” she said. “The money I’m making now is actually going to my daughters, like prom and graduation.”

Eve Edelheit/Bloomberg

Average annual household pet spending reached $770 in 2021, up 13% from 2019, according to the Labor Department – outpacing an 8.5% increase in consumer prices.

‘We know inflation is impacting pet owners and consumers in general. They’re cutting and saving in other ways before looking at cost savings for their pets.’

— Christine Royal, vice president at Merck Animal Health’s U.S. companion animal and equine team

PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICEOFINTENTTOSELLREAL PROPERTYATPRIVATESALE,SUPERIORCOURTOFCALIFORNIA,COUNTY OFSOLANO,CaseNo.P051468NOTICEISHEREBYGIVENTHAT:OnApril 6,2023,orthereafterwithinthetimeallowedbylaw,GINNIEFORTIN,asAdministratoroftheEstateofCHRISTOPHERD. FORTIN,deceased,willsellatprivatesale tothehighestnetbidder,subjecttoconfirmationbytheabove-entitledCourt,all right,titleandinterestofsaiddecedent,by operationoflaworotherwise,inandtothat certainrealpropertylocatedintheCounty ofSolano,StateofCalifornia.Thepropertystreetaddressis369SilkOakDrive, SuisunCity,CA94585,withthefollowing legaldescription:Lot27,asshownonthe MapentitledBlossomMeadows,filedin theOfficeoftheRecorderofSolano County,CaliforniaonJune05,1989in Book56ofMaps,atPage6.APN:0037322-070.Thesaleismadesubjecttocurrenttaxes,covenants,conditions,restrictions,reservations,rights,rightsofway, andeasementsofrecord.Thepropertyis tobesoldonan“asis”basisexceptasto title.BidsoroffersareinvitedforthepropertyandmustbeinwritingandmaybedeliveredpersonallyorbymailtoKulwinder KeneaBains,attorneyforAdministrator, GINNIEFORTIN,at80110thStreet,Fifth Floor,Suite106,Modesto,CA95354,at anytimeafterthefirstpublicationorpostingofnoticeofsaleandbeforethemaking ofthesaleinsaidoffice.

DR#00061912

Published:March13,20,27,2023

FAIRFIELD-SUISUNUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT

NOTICEINVITINGBIDS/PROPOSALS

NOTICEISHEREBYGIVENthatFAIRFIELD-SUISUNUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT, actingbyandthroughitsBoardofEducation,hereinafterreferredtoastheDistrictwillreceivesealedproposalsfromqualifiedBidders,upto,butnolaterthanApril25,2023, 10:00a.m.localtimeandwillnotbeopenedpublicly,fortheawardofcontractsforthe

following:

RFP#2169-24

ChildNutritionServices,Paper &Supplies

InterestedBiddersarereferredtotheFairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictPurchasing Departmentwebsite,athttps://www.fsusd.org/page/warehouse-and-purchasing,forall communication,instructions,andforms.TheRFPpacketwillbepostedby4:00p.m.on March20,2023.AllquestionsregardingthisRFPwillbeaccepteduntil4:00pmonMarch 30,2023,andmustbesubmittedviaemailto:MelissaIriarteatmelissair@fsusd.org–usingthesubjectlineof“RFP#2169-24Questions”.ItistheresponsibilityoftheBidderto checkthewebsiteforaddendaand/orupdates.

SealedBids/Proposalswillbereceivedonorbefore10:00a.m.,April25,2023,attheofficeofthePurchasingDepartment,3rdfloor,2490HilbornRoad,Fairfield,California.One originalandoneelectronicversion(usbdrive)responsemustbesubmittedinasealed, clearlymarkedenvelope.Allproposalsmustbereceivedandtimeanddatestamped in thePurchasingofficebytheaboveduedateandtime.Proposalsreceivedafterthedue dateandtimewillbereturnedunopenedtotheBidder.Noexceptions.Faxedoremailed proposalswillnotbeaccepted.

AllproposalsmustconformandberesponsivetothisRFP,andallnecessarydocuments mustbeenclosed.Subjecttoapplicablelaws,Fairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictreservestherighttorejectanyandallproposals,towaiveanyinformalitiesorirregulari ties therein,andtoaccepttheproposalinwhole,orportionsoftheproposalthat,intheopinionoftheDistrict,isinthebestinterestoftheFairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrict.

NoBiddermaywithdrawtheirproposalforaperiodofsixty(60)daysafterthedatesetfor theopening.

Fairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictreservestheright,initssolediscretionandsubjecttoapplicablelaws,todeterminethecriteriaandprocesswherebyproposalsareevaluatedandawarded.

DR#00062029

Published:March20,27,2023

FAIRFIELD-SUISUNUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT

NOTICEINVITINGBIDS/PROPOSALS

NOTICEISHEREBYGIVENthatFAIRFIELD-SUISUNUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT, actingbyandthroughitsBoardofEducation,hereinafterreferredtoastheDistrictwillreceivesealedproposalsfromqualifiedBidders,upto,butnolaterthanApril25,2023, 11:00a.m.localtimeandwillnotbeopenedpublicly,fortheawardofcontractsforthe following: RFP#2170-24

ChildNutritionServices,Pizza

InterestedBiddersarereferredtotheFairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictPurchasing Departmentwebsite,athttps://www.fsusd.org/page/warehouse-and-purchasing,forall communication,instructions,andforms.TheRFPpacketwillbepostedby4:00p.m.on March22,2023.AllquestionsregardingthisRFPwillbeaccepteduntil4:00pmonMarch 30,2023,andmustbesubmittedviaemailto:MelissaIriarteatmelissair@fsusd.org–usingthesubjectlineof“RFP#2170-24Questions”.ItistheresponsibilityoftheBidderto checkthewebsiteforaddendaand/orupdates.

SealedBids/Proposalswillbereceivedonorbefore11:00a.m.,April25,2023,attheofficeofthePurchasingDepartment,3rdfloor,2490HilbornRoad,Fairfield,California.One originalandoneelectronicversion(usbdrive)responsemustbesubmittedinasealed, clearlymarkedenvelope.Allproposalsmustbereceivedandtimeanddatestampedin thePurc hasingofficebytheaboveduedateandtime.Proposalsreceivedafterthedue dateandtimewillbereturnedunopenedtotheBidder.Noexceptions.Faxedoremailed proposalswillnotbeaccepted.

AllproposalsmustconformandberesponsivetothisRFP,andallnecessarydocuments mustbeenclosed.Subjecttoapplicablelaws,Fairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictreservestherighttorejectanyandallproposals,towaiveanyinformalitiesorirregularities there in,andtoaccepttheproposalinwhole,orportionsoftheproposalthat,intheopinionoftheDistrict,isinthebestinterestoftheFairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrict.

NoBiddermaywithdrawtheirproposalforaperiodofsixty(60)daysafterthedatesetfor theopening.

Fairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictreservestheright,initssolediscretionandsubjecttoapplicablelaws,todeterminethecriteriaandprocesswherebyproposalsareevaluatedandawarded.

DR#00062030

Published:March20,27,2023

FAIRFIELD-SUISUNUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT

NOTICEINVITINGBIDS/PROPOSALS

NOTICEISHEREBYGIVENthatFAIRFIELD-SUISUNUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT, actingbyandthroughitsBoardofEducation,hereinafterreferredtoastheDistrictwillreceivesealedproposalsfromqualifiedBidders,upto,butnolaterthanApril25,2023, 12:00p.m.localtimeandwillnotbeopenedpublicly,fortheawardofcontractsforthe following:

RFP#2171-24

ChildNutritionServices,Bread

InterestedBiddersarereferredtotheFairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictPurchasing Departmentwebsite,athttps://www.fsusd.org/page/warehouse-and-purchasing,forall communication,instructions,andforms.TheRFPpacketwillbepostedby4:00p.m.on March22,2023.AllquestionsregardingthisRFPwillbeaccepteduntil4:00pmonMarch 30,2023,andmustbesubmittedviaemailto:MelissaIriarteatmelissair@fsusd.org–usingthesubjectlineof“RFP#2171-24Questions”.ItistheresponsibilityoftheBidderto checkthewebsiteforaddendaand/orupdates.

SealedBids/Proposalswillbereceivedonorbefore12:00p.m.,April25,2023,attheofficeofthePurchasingDepartment,3rdfloor,2490HilbornRoad,Fairfield,California.One originalandoneelectronicversion(usbdrive)responsemustbesubmittedinasealed, clearlymarkedenvelope.Allproposalsmustbereceivedandtimeanddatestampedin thePurc hasingofficebytheaboveduedateandtime.Proposalsreceivedafterthedue dateandtimewillbereturnedunopenedtotheBidder.Noexceptions.Faxedoremailed proposalswillnotbeaccepted.

AllproposalsmustconformandberesponsivetothisRFP,andallnecessarydocuments mustbeenclosed.Subjecttoapplicablelaws,Fairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictreservestherighttorejectanyandallproposals,towaiveanyinformalitiesorirregularities there in,andtoaccepttheproposalinwhole,orportionsoftheproposalthat,intheopinionoftheDistrict,isinthebestinterestoftheFairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrict. NoBiddermaywithdrawtheirproposalforaperiodofsixty(60)daysafterthedatesetfor theopening.

Fairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictreservestheright,initssolediscretionandsubjecttoapplicablelaws,todeterminethecriteriaandprocesswherebyproposalsareevaluatedandawarded. DR#00062031

Published:March20,27,2023

FAIRFIELD-SUISUNUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT NOTICEINVITINGBIDS/PROPOSALS

NOTICEISHEREBYGIVENthatFAIRFIELD-SUISUNUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT, actingbyandthroughitsBoardofEducation,hereinafterreferredtoastheDistrictwillreceivesealedproposalsfromqualifiedBidders,upto,butnolaterthanApril27,2023, 11:00a.m.localtimeandwillnotbeopenedpublicly,fortheawardofcontractsforthe

following:

RFP#2173-24

ChildNutritionServices,Milk

InterestedBiddersarereferredtotheFairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictPurchasing Departmentwebsite,athttps://www.fsusd.org/page/warehouse-and-purchasing,forall communication,instructions,andforms.TheRFPpacketwillbepostedby4:00p.m.on March22,2023.AllquestionsregardingthisRFPwillbeaccepteduntil4:00pmonMarch 31,2023,andmustbesubmittedviaemailto:MelissaIriarteatmelissair@fsusd.org–usingthesubjectlineof“RFP#2173-24Questions”.ItistheresponsibilityoftheBidderto checkthewebsiteforaddendaand/orupdates.

SealedBids/Proposalswillbereceivedonorbefore11:00a.m.,April27,2023,attheofficeofthePurchasingDepartment,3rdfloor,2490HilbornRoad,Fairfield,California.One originalandoneelectronicversion(usbdrive)responsemustbesubmittedinasealed, clearlymarkedenvelope.Allproposalsmustbereceivedandtimeanddatestampedin thePurch asingofficebytheaboveduedateandtime.Proposalsreceivedafterthedue dateandtimewillbereturnedunopenedtotheBidder.Noexceptions.Faxedoremailed proposalswillnotbeaccepted.

AllproposalsmustconformandberesponsivetothisRFP,andallnecessarydocuments mustbeenclosed.Subjecttoapplicablelaws,Fairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictreservestherighttorejectanyandallproposals,towaiveanyinformalitiesorirregularities therei n,andtoaccepttheproposalinwhole,orportionsoftheproposalthat,intheopinionoftheDistrict,isinthebestinterestoftheFairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrict. NoBiddermaywithdrawtheirproposalforaperiodofsixty(60)daysafterthedatesetfor theopening.

Fairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictreservestheright,initssolediscretionandsubjecttoapplicablelaws,todeterminethecriteriaandprocesswherebyproposalsareevaluatedand awarded. DR#00062033

Published:March20,27,2023

FAIRFIELD-SUISUNUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT

NOTICEINVITINGBIDS/PROPOSALS

NOTICEISHEREBYGIVENthatFAIRFIELD-SUISUNUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT, actingbyandthroughitsBoardofEducation,hereinafterreferredtoastheDistrictwillreceivesealedproposalsfromqualifiedBidders,upto,butnolaterthanMay4,2023,12:00 p.m.localtimeandwillnotbeopenedpublicly,fortheawardofcontractsforthefollowing:

RFP#2178-24

ChildNutritionServices,Groceries-ShelfStable

InterestedBiddersarereferredtotheFairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictPurchasing Departmentwebsite,athttps://www.fsusd.org/page/warehouse-and-purchasing,forall communication,instructions,andforms.TheRFPpacketwillbepostedby4:00p.m.on March23,2023.AllquestionsregardingthisRFPwillbeaccepteduntil4:00pmonMarch 30,2023,andmustbesubmittedviaemailto:MelissaIriarteatmelissair@fsusd.org–usingthesubjectlineof“RFP#2178-24Questions”.ItistheresponsibilityoftheBidderto checkthewebsiteforaddendaand/orupdates.

SealedBids/Proposalswillbereceivedonorbefore12:00p.m.,May4,2023,attheofficeofthePurchasingDepartment,3rdfloor,2490HilbornRoad,Fairfield,California.One originalandoneelectronicversion(usbdrive)responsemustbesubmittedinasealed, clearlymarkedenvelope.Allproposalsmustbereceivedandtimeanddatestampedin thePurchasingofficebytheaboveduedateandtime.Proposalsreceivedafterthedue dateandtimewillbereturnedunopenedtotheBidder.Noexceptions.Faxedoremailed proposalswillnotbeaccepted.

AllproposalsmustconformandberesponsivetothisRFP,andallnecessarydocuments mustbeenclosed.Subjecttoapplicablelaws,Fairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictreservestherighttorejectanyandallproposals,towaiveanyinformalitiesorirregula rities therein,andtoaccepttheproposalinwhole,orportionsoftheproposalthat,intheopinionoftheDistrict,isinthebestinterestoftheFairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrict. NoBiddermaywithdrawtheirproposalforaperiodofsixty(60)daysafterthedatesetfor theopening.

Fairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictreservestheright,initssolediscretionandsubjecttoapplicablelaws,todeterminethecriteriaandprocesswherebyproposalsareevaluatedandawarded. DR#00062036 Published:March20,27,2023

NOTICEOFPUBLICLIENSALE

Noticeisherebygivenbytheundersignedthatapublicsaleofthefollowingdescribed personalpropertywillbeheldonthe11thofApril2023atorafterthehourof7:00A.M. andcontinuinguntilallunitsaresold.Thesalewillbeconductedat: U-HAULMOVING&STORAGEOFDowntownFairfield 1327WTexasSt.,Fairfield,CA94533 (707)434-0989 Theitemstobesoldaregenerallydescribedasfollows:clothing,furniture,andorhouseholditemsstore dbythefollowingpersons:

#109PatriciaThomas #413BOBBYCARIAS #185SalMartinez #480BOBBYCARIAS #174RolandHajszan #341keilagreen #507JOHNJENKINS #443porcheherrera StorageAuctionExperts 2930GeerRoad,Suite194 Turlock,CA95382 Bond#5860870 3/20,3/27/23 CNS-3680972# THEDAILYREPUBLIC DR#00062066

Published:March20,27,2023

NoticeofPublicSale

NoticeisherebygiventhatSecurityPublicStorage606ParkerRdFairfieldCa94533will sellthecontentsofthestorageunitslistedbelowatapublicauctiontosatisfyalien placedonthecontents(pursuanttoDivision8Chapter10Sec21700-21716oftheCaliforniaCodes).Thesalewilltakeplaceatthewebsitewww.StorageTreasures.comon 04/12/202312pm.ThesalewillbeconductedunderthedirectionofChristopherRosa (Bond-3112562)andwww.StorageTreasures.comonbehalfofthefacility’smanagement. Unitswillbeavailableforviewingpriortothesaleonwww.StorageTreasures.com.Contentswillbesoldforcashonlytothehighestbidder.A10-15%buyer’spremiumwillbe chargedandpossiblyacleaningdepositperunit.Allsalesarefinal.Sellerreservesthe righttowithdrawthepropertyatanytimebeforethesaleortorefuseanybids.Thepropertytobesoldisdescribedas“generalhouseholditems” unlessotherwisenoted.

Unit#TenantName

B0034AprilChante’Chism

A0082VincentGonzalez A0083RaenieceTuttle

Purchasedgoodsaresoldasisandmustberemovedwithin48hoursfromtimeanddate ofpurchase.Paymentistobewithcashonlyandmadeatthetimeofpurchase. Thissaleissubjecttocancellationwithoutnoticeintheeventofsettlementbetweenownerandobligatedparty.

SecurityPublicStorage606ParkerRdFairfieldCa94533707-437-5400

DR#00062251

Published:March27April3,2023

FAIRFIELD-SUISUNUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT NOTICEINVITINGBIDS/PROPOSALS

NOTICEISHEREBYGIVENthatFAIRFIELD-SUISUNUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT, actingbyandthroughitsBoardofEducation,hereinafterreferredtoastheDistrictwillreceivesealedproposalsfromqualifiedBidders,upto,butnolaterthanApril20,2023, 12:00p.m.localtimeandwillnotbeopenedpublicly,fortheawardofcontractsforthe following: RFP#2174-24 Laptops

InterestedBiddersarereferredtotheFairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictPurchasing Departmentwebsite,athttps://www.fsusd.org/page/warehouse-and-purchasing,forall communication,instructions,andforms.TheRFPpacketwillbepostedby4:00p.m.on March20,2023.AllquestionsregardingthisRFPwillbeaccepteduntil4:00pmonMarch 30,2023,andmustbesubmittedviaemailto:MelissaIriarteatmelissair@fsusd.org–usingthesubjectlineof“RFP#2174-24Questions”. ItistheresponsibilityoftheBidderto checkthewebsiteforaddendaand/orupdates.

SealedBids/Proposalswillbereceivedonorbefore12:00p.m.,April20,2023,attheofficeofthePurchasingDepartment,3rdfloor,2490HilbornRoad,Fairfield,California.One originalandoneelectronicversion(usbdrive)responsemustbesubmittedinasealed, clearlymarkedenvelope.Allproposalsmustbereceivedandtimeanddatestampedin thePurchasingofficebytheabov eduedateandtime.Proposalsreceivedafterthedue dateandtimewillbereturnedunopenedtotheBidder.Noexceptions.Faxedoremailed proposalswillnotbeaccepted.

AllproposalsmustconformandberesponsivetothisRFP,andallnecessarydocuments mustbeenclosed.Subjecttoapplicablelaws,Fairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictreservestherighttorejectanyandallproposals,towaiveanyinformalitiesorirregularities therein,andtoaccepttheprop osalinwhole,orportionsoftheproposalthat,intheopinionoftheDistrict,isinthebestinterestoftheFairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrict. NoBiddermaywithdrawtheirproposalforaperiodofsixty(60)daysafterthedatesetfor theopening. Fairfield-SuisunUnifiedSchoolDistrictreservestheright,initssolediscretionandsubjecttoapplicablelaws,todeterminethecriteriaandprocesswherebyproposalsareevaluatedandawarded. DR#00062038

Published:March20,27,2023

NOTICEOFPUBLICLIENSALE

NoticeisherebygivenpursuanttoSections21700through21716oftheCaliforniaBusinessandProfessionsCode,Section2328oftheUCC,Section535ofthePenalCode

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: ROBERT EVANS (aka ROBERT S. EVANS) CASE NUMBER: P051989 Toallheirs,beneficiaries,creditors,contingentcreditors,andpersonswhomay otherwisebeinterestedinthewillorestate,orboth,of: Robert Evans, Robert S. Evans APetitionforProbatehasbeenfiledby: MacKenzie O'Keefe Hill & Marilyn Green intheSuperiorCourtofCalifornia,County of:Solano ThePetitionforProbaterequeststhat: Ma cKenzie O'Keefe Hill & Marilyn Green beappointedaspersonalrepresentative toadministertheestateofthedecedent. ThepetitionrequestsauthoritytoadministertheestateundertheIndependentAdministrationofEstatesAct.(Thisauthority willallowthepersonalrepresentativeto takemanyactionswithoutobtainingcourt approval.Beforetakingcertainveryimportantactions,however,thepersonal representativewillberequiredtogivenoticeto interestedpersonsunlessthey havewaivednoticeorconsentedtothe proposedaction.)Theindependentadministrationauthoritywillbegrantedunless aninterestedpersonfilesanobjectionto thepetitionandshowsgoodcausewhy thecourtshouldnotgranttheauthority.

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

DATE: APRIL 14, 2023;

TIME: 8:30 am; DEPT. 4 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, County of Solano 600 Union Avenue Fairfield CA 94533 Probate Division

If you object tothegrantingofthepetition,youshouldappearatthehearingand stateyourobjectionsorfilewrittenobjectionswiththecourtbeforethehearing. Yourappearancemaybeinpersonorby yourattorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, youmustfileyourclaimwiththecourtand mailacopytothepersonalrepresentative appointedbythecourtwithinthe later of either(1)four months fromthedateof firstissuanceofletterstoageneralpersonalrepresentative,asdefinedinsection58(b)oftheCaliforniaProbateCode, or(2) 60 days fromthedateofmailingor personaldeliverytoyouofanoticeunder section9052oftheCaliforniaProbate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may wantto consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

You may examine the file kept by the court.Ifyouareapersoninterestedinthe estate,youmayfilewiththecourtaRequestforSpecialNotice(formDE-154)of thefilingofaninventoryandappraisalof estateassetsorofanypetitionoraccount asprovidedinProbateCodesection 1250.ARequestforSpecialNoticeformis availablefromthecourtclerk.

AttorneyforPetitioner:DavidA.Bromley 319DiabloRoad,Suite100 Danville,CA94526 925-362-1445 DR#00062176

Published:March24,27,31,2023

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: RODNEY FOSTER NEUBERT CASE NUMBER: PR23-00014 Toallheirs,beneficiaries,creditors,contingentcreditors,andpersonswhomay otherwisebeinterestedinthewillorestate,orboth,of:

Rodney Foster Neubert APetitionforProbatehasbeenfiledby:

Randy Frank Neubert intheSuperiorCourtofCalifornia,County of: Solano

ThePetitionforProbaterequeststhat:

Randy Frank Neubert beappointedasperson alrepresentative toadministertheestateofthedecedent. Thepetitionrequeststhedecedent'swill andcodicils,ifany,beadmittedtoprobate.Thewillandcodicilsareavailablefor examinationinthefilekeptbythecourt. ThepetitionrequestsauthoritytoadministertheestateundertheIndependentAdministrationofEstatesAct.(Thisauthority willallowthepersonalrepresentativeto takemanyactionswithoutobtainingcourt approval.Beforetakingce rtainveryimportantactions,however,thepersonal representativewillberequiredtogivenoticetointerestedpersonsunlessthey havewaivednoticeorconsentedtothe proposedaction.)Theindependentadministrationauthoritywillbegrantedunless aninterestedpersonfilesanobjectionto thepetitionandshowsgoodcausewhy thecourtshouldnotgranttheauthority.

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

DATE: MAY 2, 2023

TIME: 9:00 am; DEPT.: 2 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SOLANO

Old Solano Courthouse 580 Texas Street Fairfield, CA 94533

If you object tothegrantingofthepetition,youshouldappearatthehearingand stateyourobjectionsorfilewrittenobjectionswiththecourtbeforethehearing. Yourappearancemaybeinpersonorby yourattorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, youmustfileyourclaimwith thecourtand mailacopytothepersonalrepresentative appointedbythecourtwithinthe later of either(1) four months fromthedateof firstissuanceofletterstoageneralpersonalrepresentative,asdefinedinsection58(b)oftheCaliforniaProbateCode, or(2) 60 days fromthedateofmailingor personaldeliverytoyouofanoticeunder section9052oftheCaliforniaProbate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may 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: S.ScottReynolds(SBN:72363) ReynoldsLawLLP 411DavisStreet,Suite201, Vacaville,CA95688 (707)425-1255 DR#00062173 Published:March24,27,31,2023

From Page B1

worked up about.

Next up is Monday night’s rematch against the Giants at Oracle Park, the final tune-up before Thursday night’s opener at the Coliseum against Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels.

The Athletics don’t have that kind of name recognition, preferring to turn over accrued talent for younger, cheaper talent, much to the chagrin of the fan base.

Rookie starter Kyle Muller, acquired in the deal that sent Sean Murphy to the Atlanta Braves, draws the start in the opener against Ohtani.

Center fielder Esteury Ruiz, who came from

Victory

From Page B1

that Creighton fans, no doubt, will rue for years.

The Aztecs had the ball and a 56-54 lead with 33.7 seconds left and a sideline inbounds. Adam Seiko already had called a timeout because he couldn’t find someone open. The next time, he threw a lob to Micah

Parrish that Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman intercepted under the Bluejays basket and laid in.

The Aztecs ran down the clock and had a midcourt inbounds with 6.7 seconds left. The original play wasn’t open and Lamont Butler inbounded to Aguek Arop, who handed off to Darrion Trammell, who dribbled off a ball screen and lofted a floater from just inside the free throw line with Nembhard on his back.

The shot bounced off the front rim.

Whistle.

Anecdotally, officials across the country have been swallowing their whistles in the final seconds. But official Lee Cassell didn’t, and soon Trammell was at the line for two shots.

Miss.

Make.

Buzzer.

History.

That ended a harrowing second half, with the Aztecs trailing, taking the lead, falling behind again and then leading

Baseball

From Page B1

of second base. In addition, extra innings will begin with a runner on second base, a pandemic rule that has now been made permanent. And beginning this season, the Twins will play at least one series against all 29 MLB opponents each year.

“Part of our job is to adapt to change, and to do it well,” Baldelli said. “That’s never been more true than this year.”

Grinding to a halt

The need for change has been building for several years, as baseball’s popularity has declined relative to other sports.

Two of the three least-watched World Series since TVs became common have taken place in the past three years.

Attendance peaked at nearly 80 million in 2007; even before the pandemic, it had slipped below 70 million and last season sunk to 64.5 million.

The game on the field had gradually changed as well. Pitchers throw harder than ever, leading to fewer hits and more strikeouts.

Batters responded by simply trying to hit home runs, adding more strikeouts. Teams positioned their defenders according to each batter’s tenden-

Milwaukee as a part of a three-team, nine-player trade, is one of the fastest players in baseball. Ruiz nearly caught and passed Nick Allen, who has decent speed, on Kemp’s bases-clearing double in the second inning.

Catcher Shea Langeliers has shown promise both as a hitter and behind the plate.

“There are players to be talked about that can establish themselves and have long careers as Oakland Athletics,” Kotsay said. “I think there’s some excitement.”

Enough excitement, Kotsay believes, for the A’s to get off to a solid start and then change their approach of shedding players around the All-Star break.

“There was a lot of change last year, a tran-

sition period that we got through,” Kotsay said. “It wasn’t a successful year by any measure outside of the fact that there were some young players that got their opportunities. Our expectation this year is we’re going to go compete and find ourselves in a position to hopefully add at the break and surprise people.”

As was the case last year even as the losses piled up and 64 players saw playing time, the clubhouse remains a positive place just as it was during predecessor Bob Melvin’s tenure.

“There’s a lot of new faces, some familiar, but the team likes each other and everybody gets along,” Allen said. “We’re all going in the same direction. That’s a positive sign right now. I think we

had a good spring and are ready to take over.”

Muller, still on a high from being named the Opening Night starter, has big dreams.

“You hear all the talk, ‘oh, they’re going to lose 120 games’ ” Muller said. “But we’re a lot better than that and we all know that. We believe that. Hopefully we can give the fans in Oakland a nice product.”

Kotsay hasn’t spent any time telling his team what the baseball world thinks of them.

“I don’t think I need to talk about it because it’s been talked about so much,” Kotsay said. “I think these guys definitely will use that as motivation for them. Our expectations aren’t what everyone else’s are, nor should they be. This team I think has a lot to go out and prove.”

didn’t have an offensive rebound until two minutes left in the half and had surrendered 20 points in the paint.

Creighton led by as many as eight before an 8-0 Aztecs run tied it with 2:44 to go in the half. But they missed their next six shots while Baylor Scheierman hit a floater in the lane and Nembhard drained a 3.

CALENDAR

Monday’s TV sports

Baseball MLB Exhibition

• Oakland at San Francisco, NBCSBA, 6:45 p.m.

Basketball NCAA Women’s Tournament

• Greenville Regional, Teams TBA, ESPN, 4 p.m.

• Seattle Regional, Teams TBA, ESPN, 6 p.m.

NBA

• Minnesota at Sacramento, NBCSCA (Vacaville and Rio Vista), 7 p.m.

Football XFL

• DC vs. Houston, ESPN2, 4 p.m.

Soccer UEFA Euro

• Ireland vs. France, FS1, 11:45 a.m.

Tuesday’s TV sports

Basketball Men’s NIT Semifinals

• North Texas vs.Wisconsin, ESPN, 4 p.m.

• Utah Valley vs. UAB, ESPN2, 6:30 p.m.

NBA

• Miami at Toronto, TNT, 4:30 p.m.

• New Orleans at Golden State, TNT, 7 p.m.

Hockey NHL

• Winnipeg at San Jose, NBCSCA, 7:30 p.m.

Soccer UEFA Euro

• Turkey vs. Croatia, FS1, 11:45 a.m.

again. Over the final seven minutes, the game was tied six times.

Lamont Butler led the Aztecs with 18 points.

Trammell had 12. Nathan Mensah had eight, including a clutch jumper with 1:35 that put them up 56-54 after Creighton had drawn even on a pair of baskets by 7-foot-1 Ryan Kalkbrenner (17 points).

The Aztecs shot just 37.7 percent, below Creighton’s 40 percent, but they compensated with 13 offensive rebounds that they converted into 13 second-chance points. They also held the Bluejays to 2 of 17 behind the 3-point arc.

The Aztecs coaches said Creighton would be a different beast for their increasingly impermeable defense, and it was. The problem is that all five players on the floor can score in multiple ways. Add to that

cies, squeezing still more offense out of the game.

Worst of all, the amount of time between pitches, as high-effort pitchers rested and hitters adjusted their batting gloves, turned most games into action-deficient slogs, particularly for TV viewers.

“We were always taught, slow the game down, make sure you’re comfortable, control what’s going to happen.

Don’t rush into anything,”

Twins outfielder Kyle Garlick said. “I’ll admit, I was always a guy who liked to step out, collect my thoughts, take a breath and get back in. Think about my approach, what [pitch] I’m looking for, what his pitches are, the count, the game situation.

It just becomes habit.”

Spread out over nine innings and nearly every at-bat, that habit added to a lot of dead time. The average major league game took 3 hours, 11 minutes in 2021, a record for a sport that in 1978 took only 2 1/2 hours.

Moving things along

Manfred, whose previous attempts at cutting game times included limiting mound visits, requiring relief pitchers to face at least three batters and allowing intentional walks to be granted without throwing a pitch, decided more drastic action was needed.

Over the objections of the players’ union, the

maybe the nation’s best little-big combination in the Nembhard and Kalkbrenner working off high ball screens.

Five times in the first half alone, the Bluejays drove the paint to stress the defense and then flipped up lobs to the rolling Kalkbrenner. That didn’t include a play where Nembhard drove, had a bad angle but shot it anyway – almost intentionally missing to the far side of the basket – because he knew Kalkbrenner would clean it up, which he did.

But all things considered, despite their defensive struggles, the Aztecs couldn’t be completely displeased entering the halftime locker room down only 33-28. The Bluejays shot 53.8% against a team that had been allowing 32.2% during the tournament and Kalkbrenner already had 10 points. The Aztecs

Playing Rules Committee decided a pitcher must be winding up to deliver a pitch within 15 seconds of receiving the ball, or 20 seconds if a runner is on base; an automatic ball is called if he is not. A batter must be in the box and looking at the pitcher when the clock reaches eight, or an automatic strike is assessed. Pitchers can step off the rubber, whether to attempt a pickoff or simply reset the clock, only twice per at-bat; a third time is a balk, unless the pickoff throw is successful. Hitters can call time only once.

Clocks have been installed behind home plate and in center field in every stadium, and umpires are strictly enforcing the new limits.

And the players, as Baldelli predicted, have seemingly adapted to the rules – and even appreciated them.

“It takes some getting used to. But it’s good. It’s going to be fun,” outfielder Joey Gallo said. “When you’re out on the field, when you’re in the box, when you’re on the bases, you just have to constantly remember there’s a clock. You can’t stop, you can’t just stand around. But over time, it will become normal for everybody. Seems like a lot of guys like it.”

Same goes for the ban on defensive shifts and the larger bases, changes that are intended to create offense, not diminish the time it takes.

The Aztecs regrouped at intermission and responded by scoring the first six points of the second half to take their first lead since 5-4. They finally figured out how to stop the Bluejays, which opened the half 4 of 21 overall and 0 of 8 behind the arc. The problem, though, was scoring themselves.

The Bluejays capitalized on a five-minute, 0 of 10 shooting drought to move ahead 41-34. The Aztecs got back-to-back baskets from Butler but then went another five minutes without a basket.

But then Keshad Johnson made a tough, contest hook shot in the lane, was fouled and drained the free throws. Then Trammell scored on the break. Then an offensive rebound and follow by Johnson. Then a pull-up by Butler. Then two hoops inside from Arop.

The team with separate five-minute droughts without a basket suddenly had scored on six straight possessions. The Final Four, suddenly, was in reach.

“I like that it’s rewarding athleticism,” infielder Kyle Farmer said. “You need players with range, some speed, strong arms, instead of just stacking one side of the field with three gloves.”

It also figures to benefit those players with pronounced habits of pulling the ball. Twins outfielder Max Kepler, for instance, has been affected by extreme shifts; of the 964 ground balls he’s hit during his eight-year career, only 57 of them, or 5.9%, have been hit toward left field. Gallo’s numbers are even more pullheavy; just 11 grounders, a mere 2.8%, were hit the opposite way.

“I don’t mind having a little more room over there,” Gallo said. “When you hit the ball hard, you should be rewarded.”

The new rules, and in particular the pitch clock, might have an unexpected positive effect on the game, Baldelli theorized. It might make the players play better.

“Focusing on anything for three and a half hours is not easy to do, I don’t care what it is. Show me a movie that’s going to keep your attention for three and a half hours. It’s not easy,” Baldelli said.

“When you start making these games more like two and a half hours, guys will be able to really home in on what they need to do, and maybe do their jobs even better than before.”

NASCAR

From Page B1

another caution. It also ended Wallace’s day and led to a frustrated postrace interview from the driver of the 23 car: “Trying my hardest not to go down this slippery slope of selfdoubt right here,” Wallace said with exasperation.

“Two weeks in a row of making rookie mistakes six years into Cup? Need to be replaced.”

After those first few cautions, the race found its groove. There were long runs under green thanks to respectful racing. Midway through Stage 3, there were many instances of pleasant and suspenseful clashing of strategies (thanks to the no-stage-break rule new to 2023 road courses)– some drivers were on a two-pit schedule toward the middle of the pack, some were on a three-pit sched-

5-day

ule at the front.

But then that all changed with a caution on Lap 42 for debris on Turn 9. Leaders all went down pit road after that caution and effectively got on the same pit strategy, and then it was largely a shootout from then on. And the guy who always seemed to be in control – even amid all those late-race cautions and late-race restarts? Reddick.

Before the last restart, former Cup Series champion Kurt Busch in the Fox booth summed it up well: “How many more bullets does Reddick need to dodge?” There wasn’t an immediate answer available until Lap 75 – when at long last, the 45 pulled away and got the win. Before his postrace interview, Reddick poured a bunch of Monster Energy over his cap in celebration. He then smiled: “I’m out of gas.”

Rob Carr/Getty Images/TNS

Aguek Arop (33) of the San Diego State Aztecs celebrates against the Creighton Bluejays during the second half in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at KFC YUM! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, Sunday.