Santa Barbara News-Press: March 10, 2023

Biden budget

President touts proposed tax hikes, critics push back - A3

‘Roadmap to Recovery’

Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce releases third phase of its economic plan

Review: New Apple TV series explores the future - as imagined in the 1950s - B1

study warns state officials about policies increasing price at the pump

By RIA JOSEPH THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – When studies are predicting $7 a gallon gas for California, the state’s experts are warning legislators that anything they do to counteract alleged price gouging should be designed not to make it worse.

“We suggest the Legislature clearly identify the problem it is trying to address. Identifying the problem is important because it can help focus policy actions towards strategies that most directly target the problem,” said Ross Brown, Principal Fiscal & Policy Analyst at California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office, in his key considerations presented to the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Communications.

The recommendation comes as Gov. Gavin Newsom embarks on formulating legislation to penalize petroleum refineries for what he deems as excessive profits.

The Senate is exploring the root of price hikes in California last fall, with a mission to

recommend policy to the governor.

“Americans like to hold onto the myth that politicians are allpowerful and all-knowing, but when it comes to gasoline prices, global influences on supply and demand are really the gremlin that determine prices, and politicians who really only care about your vote, would love you to think they can control everything, but really can’t do much over global fundamentals driving prices down or up,” Patrick De Haan, Head of Petroleum Analysis at GasBuddy said.

Accurately identifying the problem, the LAO says, would make it more likely that “the proposed policy is effective at addressing the problem” and it “reduces the risk of unintended adverse effects.”

In California cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento can see fuel prices approaching the $7 mark this summer, for the highest daily average according to the latest analysis by GasBuddy on fuel prices for 2023.

Please see GAS on A4

California won’t renew contract with Walgreens over abortion pill controversy

By TOM JOYCE

THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) –California is no longer doing business with Walgreens.

by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and its correctional health care system.

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER

The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce this week released the third phase of its “Roadmap to Recovery: The Road Home.”

The chamber’s collective focus has shifted to meaningful economic recovery, revitalization and long-term job growth.

The “Roadmap to Recovery” includes diversification of housing, boosting and reopening businesses, and getting people to live where they work and work where they live.

“We are not unaware of the risk but see a positive economy moving forward. We can address underlying fundamental barriers if we can address the vitality related to housing,” Kristen Miller, CEO and president of the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce, told the News-Press.

“Our big effort is to provide some leadership around employer-sponsored housing. she said. “We want to look

at models that have worked well. There are models such as Westmont College, where the employer has a stock of housing for employees. We want to put together a consortium of businesses using the same model.”

Ms. Miller also spoke about how the chamber plans to reopen

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state would not renew a multi-million contract because the company will not distribute abortion pills in 20 states. Walgreens decided it would not do so in those states after their attorneys general warned the company in a letter that it would face legal repercussions if the company were to do it. The 20 states included ones where abortion is currently legal, like Alaska, Florida and Montana, but did not include California.

The attorneys general sent the letter to CVS and Walgreens last month, informing them that providing mifepristone in these states would violate the Comstock Act. The 1873 law banned sending abortifacients through the mail, among other things.

“California will not stand by as corporations cave to extremists and cut off critical access to reproductive care and freedom,”

Gov. Newsom said in the release.

“California is on track to be the fourth largest economy in the world, and we will leverage our market power to defend the right to choose.”

The contract that will not be renewed is between the California Department of General Services (DGS) and Walgreens. The deal lets the state obtain specialty pharmacy prescription drugs, used mostly

The contract was set to be renewed on May 1, 2023. Under this contract, Walgreens has received about $54 million from California.

Walgreens expressed disappointment with California’s decision in an email to The Center Square.

“We are deeply disappointed by the decision by the state of California not to renew our longstanding contract due to false and misleading information,” a Walgreens spokesman wrote. “Walgreens is facing the same circumstances as all retail pharmacies, and no other retail pharmacies have said that they would approach this situation differently, so it’s unclear where this contract would now be moved.”

Walgreens, which has stores in Goleta and Santa Maria, added that it plans to dispense abortion pills where it can do so legally.

“Our position has always been that, once we are certified by the FDA, Walgreens plans to dispense Mifepristone in any jurisdiction where it is legally permissible to do so, including the state of California,” the spokesman wrote. “We will dispense this medication consistent with federal and state laws. Providing legally approved medications to patients is what pharmacies do and is rooted in our commitment to the communities in which we operate.”

NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

DAVE MASON / NEWS-PRESS

Businesses grace State Street in downtown Santa Barbara. The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce’s “Roadmap to Recovery” includes boosting local businesses.

Kristen Miller, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber expects to see a more positive economy in the future.

Lower State Street continues to be a local hub for restaurants and stores. Please see CHAMBER on A4

Before the storm

TRAFFIC, CRIME AND FIRE BLOTTER

Caltrans awards $225 million-plus for projects

Caltrans announced Thursday that it is awarding more than $225 million for local projects designed to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries on city and county roads.

Funding is provided through the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program.

“Safety is always Caltrans’ top priority,” Caltrans Director Tony Tavares said in a news release.

“These projects will enhance system-wide safety features, including enhancing safety for people who walk and bike, and move us closer to our vision of reaching zero fatalities and serious injuries on roadways throughout the state by 2050.”

Projects were approved Thursday for Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and Santa Cruz counties.

“This funding will enhance safety and improve infrastructure in several locations within our district,” Caltrans District 5 Director Scott Eades said.

The projects included $1.3 million in HSIP funds to install reflective backplates and larger signal heads on most of the signalized intersections in Santa Maria except State Route 135 (Business 101). The funding will also allow for adjustments to signal timing to increase pedestrian safety. For more information, see dot. ca.gov/programs/local-assistance/ fed-and-state-programs/highwaysafety-improvement-program/ approved-project-lists.

— Katherine Zehnder

U.S. Senate widely rejects Democrats D.C. crime plan

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Senate voted 81-14 Wednesday to overturn the Washington, D.C. city council’s plan to lower the penalties for a range of criminal offenses. President Biden had expressed support for Congress stepping in.

As previously reported, the bill would have reduced the maximum penalties for offenses like murders, armed robberies, armed home invasion burglaries, armed carjackings, unlawful gun possession, and some sexual assault offenses.

Late Wednesday, 33 Democrat Senators voted with Republicans to block the criminal penalties reform in a rare exertion of Congress’ jurisdiction over the capital city. Total crime is up 25% in D.C. so far this year. The plan sparked bipartisan opposition, including from the city’s Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser.

After the pushback, the city’s Council Chairman Phil Mendelson announced he was withdrawing

a controversial crime law from Congressional consideration, but that didn’t stop the Senate from going through with their vote to reject the city’s bill.

According to data from the D.C. government, homicides this year are up 31%, sex abuse is up 113%, motor vehicle theft is up 110%, and arson is up 300%. Some crime categories were slightly lower or about the same.

Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee weighed in on the issue, calling for keeping “bad guys with guns in jail.”

“What we got to do, if we really want to see homicides go down, is keep bad guys with guns in jail,” Chief Contee said in a news conference. “Because when they’re in jail, they can’t be in communities shooting people. So when people talk about what we’re gonna do different, or what we should do different, what we need to do different, that’s the thing that we need to do different.”

He went on to point out that “the average homicide suspect has been arrested eleven times prior

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Biden touts new budget with tax hikes, critics push back

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden released his 2024 budget Thursday that includes a trove of tax hikes, quickly sparking pushback from critics.

The White House said the budget will cut deficits by nearly $3 trillion over the next decade. Critics argued that despite those cuts, the national debt is still soaring, projected to surpass $50 trillion in the next decade.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said despite President Biden’s claims, U.S. Gross Domestic Product would increase from 98% at the end of this year to a record 110% by 2033.

“The President’s budget would borrow $19 trillion through 2033 and increase the debt-to-GDP ratio from 98 percent at the end of 2023 to 110 percent by 2033, past the record set in this nation just after WWII,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. “It would spend $10.2 trillion on interest payments on the national debt alone – more than it will spend on defense or Medicaid over the

same time period.” Ms. MacGuineas said President Biden deserves “real credit” for the cuts he did make but said more is needed.

“Most of this massive borrowing is the result of policies put in place years ago by Democratic and Republican administrations and Congresses alike, but it will require presidential leadership to enact real changes, and this budget does not go nearly far enough to make reining in our dangerous debt levels a top national priority,” she said. Presidents release these budgets annually as guideposts to set the priorities for their agenda since there is little hope the budget will be accepted wholesale.

“It’s built on four key values: lowering costs for families, protecting and strengthening Social Security and Medicare, investing in America, and reducing the deficit by ensuring that the wealthiest in this country and big corporations begin to pay their fair share, and cutting wasteful spending on Big Pharma, Big Oil, and other special interests,” Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young told

reporters on a press call. The budget includes several proposed tax increases, including a minimum 25% tax on anyone with more than $100 million, an increase of the top marginal income tax rate to 39.6%, a hike of the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, a billionaire’s tax, and more. Small businesses raised the alarm about the higher tax rates.

“President Biden’s tax increases will hit small to mid-size businesses,” Karen Kerrigan, SBE Council president and CEO, said. “The sizable increases take aim at many struggling firms as they work

As Arizona looks to defund border security, cartels move smuggling efforts west

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Since Gov. Katie Hobbs was sworn into office in January, the number of foreign nationals illegally entering Arizona has increased primarily in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Tucson Sector. And as several factors, including Texas expanding border security efforts, are resulting in illegal border crossings increasing further west, law enforcement officials say Arizona can expect greater numbers.

Arizona’s 378 miles of shared border with Mexico is patrolled by agents in two CBP sectors of Tucson and Yuma. Last month, agents in both sectors combined apprehended 36,296 foreign nationals, up from 33,193 in January.

They also reported 19,698 gotaways last month, up from 13,968 in January, according to preliminary data obtained by The Center Square from a Border Patrol agent. The agent provided the information on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

It only includes Border Patrol data and excludes Office of Field Operations data.

Tucson Sector’s 262 shared border miles with Mexico extends from the Yuma County line to the Arizona-New Mexico state line.

Yuma Sector’s nearly 182,000 square miles of primarily desert terrain extends from Imperial Sand Dunes in California to the Yuma-Pima County line.

Broken down by sector, last month Tucson Sector agents apprehended 25,371 foreign nationals and reported at least 18,603 gotaways, according to the data.

This is up from January, when they apprehended 21,300 foreign nationals and reported 13,257 gotaways.

It’s also up from a year ago, according to preliminary data previously reported by The Center Square. In February 2022, Tucson Sector agents apprehended 22,295 foreign nationals and reported 16,488 gotaways. In January 2022, they apprehended 18,461 foreign nationals and reported 13,250

gotaways, according to the data. By contrast, Yuma Sector’s numbers overall were down. Last month, agents apprehended 10,295 foreign nationals and reported 1,095 gotaways, according to the data; down from January’s 11,893 apprehensions but up from January’s 711 reported gotaways.

In February 2022, Yuma Sector reported 22,893 apprehensions and 3,134 gotaways; in January 2022, 25,070 apprehensions and 2,516 gotaways, according to the data.

Overall in fiscal 2022, nearly 816,000 foreign nationals were apprehended or evaded law enforcement after illegally entering Arizona, according to Border Patrol data obtained by The Center Square. Gotaways refers to those who are known and reported to illegally enter the U.S. primarily between ports of entry who intentionally seek to evade capture by law enforcement and don’t return to Mexico. They don’t arrive at ports of entry claiming asylum or making other immigration claims and are mostly single military age men who are considered dangerous, Tucson Sector Border Patrol Chief John Modlin testified before Congress last month.

“The smuggling organizations to our south are very well organized and resourceful,” he said, referring to Mexican cartels. “Each and every person crossing through the Tucson Sector must pay these criminal organizations,” he said. “The migrants we encounter are completely outfitted in camouflage by the smuggling organizations before they cross. Most run from and fight our agents to avoid apprehension. Many are

previously deported felons who know they are inadmissible to the United States and many pose a serious threat to our communities.”

Due to several factors, including Texas’ expanded border security efforts, illegal border crossings are increasing farther west, including in the Tucson Sector, which reported the greatest number of gotaways last month.

As Texas Gov. Greg Abbott continues to beef up apprehension efforts and the Texas legislature prepares to allocate nearly $5 billion to border security efforts, Gov. Hobbs has vowed to defund Arizona’s Border Strike Force, which would negatively impact local law enforcement the most, Jobe Dickinson, president of the Border Security Alliance, told The Center Square.

“Currently in Arizona, Governor Hobbs is recommending cutting funding to the border strike force that helps local law-enforcement supplement Border Patrol’s responsibilities. This makes an easy decision for the cartels to start shifting their smuggling routes, more and more into Arizona,” he said.

With Texas’ operations expanding, Mr. Dickinson said, “The cartels run a business. They will choose the path of least resistance in order to lose as little product as possible,” referring to the smuggling of people and drugs from Mexico into the U.S.

Since March 2021, Texas’ Operation Lone Star multiagency efforts have led to an unprecedented 352,000 apprehensions of illegal foreign nationals and over 25,000 criminal arrests, with more than 23,000 felony charges reported, according to state data.

Barrasso: ‘It’s time to stop the crime’

d.c.

Continued from Page A2

to them committing a homicide.”

Other critics of the crime reform effort have pointed to those kinds of repeat offenders.

“We see these news stories nearly every day,” the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund said in a statement. “Law enforcement officers and innocent citizens are killed by career criminals who should have been behind bars.”

In one high-profile case, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, DMinn., was robbed in the elevator of her apartment

building in Washington, D.C. last month and suffered minor injuries.

That same evening, police arrested 26-year-old Kendrid Hamlin, who has a lengthy criminal history with involvement in incidents often near the Capitol. “It’s time to stop the crime,” said Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. “Time to stop the chaos – chaos that we’re seeing in cities all across our country. Republicans are united by solutions – solutions to make American communities safer. That is what this body is going to vote on today: to improve the security and the safety of those in our nation’s capital.”

to recover, compete, and operate during an unstable and inflationary period.”

The White House has emphasized since President Biden took office that any tax increases would only hit the wealthiest Americans. Ms. Kerrigan took issue with this claim as well.

“According to reports,” she said.

“President Biden’s budget would –among other harmful proposals aimed at business and investors - raise taxes on individuals making $400,000 or more, ‘the wealthy,’ and corporations (again, many small businesses fall within the President’s targeted group of taxpayers) by hiking the top marginal income tax rate from 37 percent to 39.6 percent; increasing the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent; doubling the capital gains tax rate from 20 percent to 39.6 percent and imposing a new wealth tax on unrealized gains; increasing the Medicare tax rate on earned and unearned income above $400,000 from 3.8 percent to 5 percent; and expanding the Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) to include the active income of pass-through business owners and raise the rate from 3.8 percent to 5 percent.”

The budget proposal comes as Congress faces a looming debt ceiling deadline. Lawmakers have to raise the debt ceiling or default on U.S. debt obligations, an unprecedented occurrence that would send shockwaves through the global economy. Republicans want to use the coming cliff to negotiate, but President Biden has said he will not negotiate.

Republicans also leveled criticism at President Biden’s budget, suggesting the debt ceiling battle won’t be easy.

“President Biden just delivered his budget to Congress, and it is completely unserious,” said House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. “He proposes trillions in new taxes that you and your family will pay directly or through higher costs. Mr. President: Washington has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.” Democrats defended the budget, pointing again to the reduced deficits and a range of spending proposals to help Americans.

“The Biden budget plan protects Social Security, strengthens Medicare and invests in our children,” said House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Senators: ‘Taxpayer-funded antisemitism’ on college campuses may break federal law

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – A group of senators is calling on the U.S. Department of Education to respond to rampant antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment on taxpayer-funded college campuses, even saying those schools could be violating federal requirements attached to their funding.

This week, 15 senators signed a letter sent to Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona raising concerns that the DOE, “over the course of decades, has been allowing taxpayerfunded antisemitism to take place on college campuses throughout the United States.”

There have been several high-profile instances of apparent antisemitism on college campuses as Jewish groups report anti-semitism on the rise generally. Much of this has come from pro-Palestinian activists.

In 2019, Emory University was thrust into the spotlight when pro-Palestine activists placed mock eviction notices on the doors of Jewish students.

Emory President Claire E. Sterk sent a message to students after the eviction notices sparked backlash.

“All of us are aware that anti-Semitic incidents are on the rise on college campuses and throughout American society today. It is in that context of escalating intolerance that our Jewish students found the mock-eviction notices – which incorrectly gave the impression that Emory endorsed the message on the flyers – on their doors,” she said.

“Although Jewish students were not singled out, they and their families justifiably felt targeted, given the world in which we live.”

Beyond allegations of antisemitism, the senators argue many universities are actually breaking the law. They point to Title VI, which requires that college programs receiving federal funds “reflect diverse perspectives and a wide range of views.”

There have been several high-profile instances of apparent antisemitism on college campuses as Jewish groups report anti-semitism on the rise generally.

“We write with grave concern that the Department of Education, over the course of decades, has been allowing taxpayer-funded antisemitism to take place on college campuses throughout the United States,” the lawmakers said. “The obsessive negative focus on Israel and the Jewish people is rampant on college campuses throughout the United States… Some universities may have even violated anti-terrorism laws by hosting convicted terrorists as speakers.”

“Taxpayer dollars should not fund antisemitism on college campuses, and Jewish and pro-Israel students should not feel afraid for being Jewish and expressing support for Israel,” they added.

The Trump administration’s Department of Education warned both Duke University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill that its “lack of balance of perspective [was] troubling.”

There are also concerns about what speakers are allowed on campus.

“Some universities may have even violated antiterrorism laws by hosting convicted terrorists as speakers,” the letter said. “In 2020, New York University aired a webinar event featuring Leila Khaled, who had been convicted of hijacking two planes full of Israeli civilians, and she is an unrepentant member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a U.S.-designated terror group that has murdered Americans.”

COURTESY PHOTO

President Joe Biden

As Texas beefs up border security efforts, and Arizona cuts funding, influx is expected Arizona’s 378 miles of shared border with Mexico is patrolled by agents in two CBP sectors of Tucson and Yuma.

Last month, agents in both sectors combined apprehended 36,296 foreign nationals, up from 33,193 in January.

“Law enforcement officers and innocent citizens are killed by career criminals who should have been behind bars.”

Enforcement Legal Defense Fund

McMorris

Rodgers wins passage of act to close VA coverage loophole

By TIMOTHY SCHUMANN

THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – A bill that would close a major VA healthcare coverage loophole for military veterans has passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a vote that could not have been more bipartisan.

The RELIEVE Act, along with the Wounded Warrior Access Act, passed the House Tuesday by a unanimous vote, with 422 representatives voting for it and 12 absent for the roll call.

“I introduced this bill after a veteran from Spokane reached out for my help,” said bill sponsor eastern Washington Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, on the House floor before the vote. “She had recently retired from service and she was days away from her first VA Appointment when she had a heart attack. She was rushed to the ER

where made a full recovery, but the VA refused to pay for her care.”

RELIEVE Act is an acronym which stands for the Removing Extraneous Loopholes Insuring Every Veteran Emergency Act.

The law the bill is amending requires that a veteran be both enrolled in the veterans health care system, as well as have “received care under this chapter within the 24-month period.”

Under the current law, a veteran could be actively enrolled in care, on the way to their first appointment with the VA, get into a car accident, and be held personally liable for the entirety of their medical bills.

The RELIEVE Act would eliminate this loophole by adding a 60-day grace period between enrollment and requirement for that “received care under this chapter within the 24-month period” clause kicking in.

‘We are helping businesses transition to a new hybrid working model’

CH a MBER

Continued from Page A1

and boost businesses in the post-pandemic economy.

“We are helping businesses transition to a new hybrid working model. That is going to change and has changed in positive ways for individuals and businesses. We are helping businesses that have to have employees onsite. We are also helping businesses (to) blend that (so they) can have some remote work.”

“As a community leader, the chamber plays a critical role in the conversation,” Joey Zumaya, chairman of the chamber’s board, said in a statement. “Never before has the South Coast experienced a time when social justice and housing organizations and the business community aligned so closely with the need for housing in our communities.”

In addition to being the board chair, Mr. Zumaya heads Nonprofit Enterprise Sales

and Strategy for North America at LinkedIn.

Ms. Miller said the chamber is a longtime advocate of housing for the workforce and is well aware of the need for more affordable housing.

“Even within this narrow category, we see a variety of needs from dorm-style to all the way up to more executive housing,” Ms. Miller said. “We are not unaware of the push-pull in our community as well as in the state and the West about growth. We are looking at how we design neighborhoods so we don’t perpetuate environmental practices that aren’t good.

“I think it’s finally changing a little bit. Our understanding is that we are taking care of the next generation: births over deaths, retirees, college graduates, and kids and grandkids that want to stay.

“Even if that is all we planned for, we would have to build more housing. There is an understanding and compassion that didn’t exist before.”

The News-Press asked Ms. Miller about

the chamber’s plan to get people living where they work and working where they live.

“It is two-fold,” Ms. Miller said. “The emphasis has always been on best practices of not creating commuter communities. When you live near your work, there is truly a happiness factor. You know your neighbors, worship in the same community, your kids go to preschool together, etc. On the other hand, there is a fine American tradition of not wanting to live right where you work, as long as there is a reasonable commute time and community amenities in both places. However, the long commute times to Ventura and further south are problematic.”

She said that by focusing on the big picture, which she expects will take 10 years, the chamber plans to reduce anxiety and alleviate people’s concerns. “If we all agree on the big picture, it takes the pressure off some of the smaller arguments.”

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

National average gas price could top $4 in June

gas

Continued from Page A1

Several competing theories on why California experienced price hikes were given to the Senate at the Extraordinary Session Informational Hearing on the proposed Petroleum Windfall Profits Penalty.

California Department of Tax and Finance Agency Director

Nicholas Maduros stated, “Prices go up very quickly, sometimes due to price spikes in crude oil prices, sometimes due to refinery outages, sometimes for maintenance and sometimes for reasons that nobody yet can quite explain.”

GasBuddy projects that “the yearly national average in 2023 will be $3.49 per gallon. The month of February (2023) will see the lowest prices at an average of $2.99 per gallon, while June could average around $3.99 per gallon, with a strong chance of $4 prices returning, making it the priciest month of the year.”

“As we recover from Covid, the refining sector has been permanently changed with shutdowns that have limited

WAGNER, William Loren Sr.

14 August 1926 - 11 February 2023

An amazing soul has ascended to heaven to join his wife of over 73 years, Margie, and their two sons who preceded his passing, Bill Jr. and Eric.

William “Bill” Wagner Sr. was born in Los Angeles in 1926 and grew up in North and West Hollywood during the great depression. Times were extremely challenging, and Bill began working at a young age to help support his family. He and his brother, Gaylord, sold newspapers which began his passion for sales, developing relationships, negotiations and deal making. He was a persistent entrepreneur even from a young age. His work experience also included operating a large laundry steam press in his teens and would become his job when he joined the Navy in World War 2. While stationed at Alameda Naval Air Station, Bill met his lifelong love, Margie Cassavechia, dancing at the USO Hospitality House in Oakland in November 1944. Bill and Margie married on June 3, 1945 about 3 months before the end of the war.

After his honorable discharge from the Navy, Bill’s first business was leasing a laundry and dry-cleaning facility he named Wagner Laundry. It quickly became apparent to him that this line of work was causing him health problems. So, he closed this business and started a new business as a dairy products supplier. It was a successful venture in which he owned his own delivery truck and started several delivery routes in new neighborhoods around the Bay Area. A little over two years later Bill would get his real estate license which would shape the rest of his professional career.

Bill joined a real estate firm and the owner-broker suggested he might do well by finding the owners of vacant lots in the Bay Area and persuade them to list their lots for sale with him. Bill took his advice and thrived in his new line of work. He was Rookie Broker of the Year and went on to become a sales leader at the firm. A few years later in the mid 1950s, Bill and his young family moved to Sacramento where he started his own very successful real estate and construction business, Wagner Real Estate.

A little over ten years later in the late 1960s, Bill would develop a relationship with Sambo’s Restaurants, in which he sold them numerous lots to build restaurants. This relationship would lead him to his next business venture.

Sambo’s offered Bill the job of Executive Vice President in charge of Development with the company at their national headquarters in Santa Barbara in 1970. Even though it would require him to move his family again, it was an opportunity too good to let pass. During the next ten years Bill would oversee the building of nearly 1,000 Sambo’s Restaurants nationwide.

After leaving Sambo’s in the early 1980s Bill would become a commercial real developer. His projects continue to be a blessing to a vast number of individuals and families. This also allowed time for him and Margie to travel the world for many years which they both enjoyed. They loved living in Santa Barbara where they were extremely involved members of their church and community. Bill sang in the Constance Street First Presbyterian Church choir for over four decades. He and Margie were also very active members of the La Cumbre Golf and Country Club for five decades and shared a passion for playing golf. He was an avid reader and lifelong learner. Bill was always smiling, telling jokes and had a huge heart, which touched many people in his lifetime. He will be greatly missed.

Bill is survived by his daughter-in-law Carol, grandchildren Bill III (Wendy), Kim (Kevin), Haley, Casey (Leah), Max (Kristen), eleven great-grandchildren, and two great great-grandchildren.

A memorial Funeral Service will be held at First Presbyterian Church at 21 East Constance Street at 1:00 PM on March 18, 2023. A reception will follow at La Cumbre Country Club from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.

All are welcome to attend.

our ability to produce as much gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. While U.S. refining capacity has been diminished due to Covid and other events, global refining capacity is set to rise, likely helping to ease the decline in U.S. supply,” the GasBuddy forecast stated.

Mr. Brown suggests the Legislature consider key questions of gasoline price spikes such as:

• Are price spikes driven by basic supply-demand balance in a competitive market?

• Why have businesses not invested in additional refining capacity and/or storage capacity that would allow them to take advantage of these price spikes?

• Are there other issues, such as market power due to limited competition, that are driving some of the spikes?

• What legal or regulatory approaches might help address these problems? Potential policy solutions could include requiring suppliers to maintain a minimum level of gasoline reserves or allowing more flexibility to use different types of gasoline when there are supply shortages. The Legislature would need to weigh trade-offs—such as potential

SETO, Alethea

Alethea Seto, dearly adored wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away surrounded by her loving family on February 25, 2023, at the age of 71, in Camarillo.

Born Alethea Maureen Thompson, Thea was raised in the Los Angeles area and graduated from USC with a degree in Occupational Therapy, a profession in which she was engaged throughout her life. After working at Northridge Medical Center, her adventurous spirit moved her to Vancouver, British Columbia, where she traveled in a mobile therapy van throughout Vancouver Island treating many First Nations people and making lifelong friends. Thea returned to southern California to resume a friendship with Raymond Seto. This blossomed into a marriage which blessed them with three beautiful children, Aeryn, Cassandra, and Gregory. After living in Palos Verdes for several years, the family moved to Mission Canyon in Santa Barbara, where Thea devoted her time to raising her children and volunteering at their schools (Roosevelt Elementary, Santa Barbara Middle School, and Santa Barbara High), while continuing her Occupational Therapy career at Cottage Hospital, SELPA, and a variety of home health agencies.

A lifelong mystic, Thea was devoted to living an authentic, purposeful life and seeking the divine through wisdom traditions, earth-based spirituality, and embodied practices including yoga and t’ai chi chuan. She especially enjoyed hosting tai chi retreat groups in Santa Barbara.

After all three of their children left home to attend UC Berkeley, Thea and Ray moved to Ventura County, where she continued to practice Occupational Therapy part-time, and pursued creative writing, volunteering, and healing arts. She created a second family home on the Sonoma Coast and was an active and loving presence for each of her seven grandchildren.

Thea was very proud of her children’s accomplishments. Aeryn became an executive at JP Morgan before pursuing a new path as a Presbyterian pastor. Cassandra graduated from Stanford Law School and became a litigation partner at O’Melveny & Myers. Gregory graduated from Loyola Law School with a JD and LLM in tax before joining Deloitte as an international tax attorney. However, what provided the greatest joy and fulfillment to Thea was her children’s happy marriages to wonderful partners (Shan, Jonathan, and Julia) and their blessing her with beloved grandchildren.

Thea is survived by husband Ray; children Aeryn, Cassandra, and Gregory; and grandchildren Cody, Liv, Jack, Emerson, Dean, Nathan, and Mia. She is also survived by siblings Karen, Kathleen, and David.

A memorial service honoring Thea will be held at the Vedanta Temple on March 25, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Vedanta Temple.

JACK HUFFORD

3/10/1933 - 6/18/2019

Love you and miss you every day. The Hufford family

environmental trade-offs—when evaluating these options that could help maintain adequate supply.

Mr. Brown also suggested, before formulating policy, questions on “excessive” profits going to business:

• What level of profits are considered excessive?

• How can excess profits be differentiated from cyclical fluctuations in profits?

• What is driving large profits— market power, supply limitations, or something else?

• What policy approach most directly addresses the issue of excessive profits—a windfall profit tax, a cap on prices, and/or some other approach?

• How does each potential policy approach ultimately affect the supply of gasoline in California and/or the retail gasoline price paid by consumers?

Senators are concerned by the impact of California price hikes on their constituents, with some laying blame solely on refinery price gouging.

Life theArts

Timeshares on the moon

Apple+ brings retro-future magic with ‘Hello, Tomorrow’

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

‘Hello, Tomorrow” is all about the future — as it was imagined in the 1950s.

The retro-future series on Apple TV begins with a great premise and commits to with unforgettable characters and a Jetsons-like sense of technology — especially the robots. They’re not androids. They are the classic bulky, sci-fi robots with very robotic voices, and they’ll do everything from deliver you a telegram to fix you a drink.

new episodes on Fridays on Apple+, features a self-driving delivery van that has a nice 1950s touch. The technology seems cool, but it’s not flawless.

And it’s the flaws that give “Hello, Tomorrow,” which is both a comedy and a drama, its charm.

TUNE IN

“Hello, Tomorrow” streams with new episodes on Fridays on Apple+.

Today’s episode is called “The Numbers Behind the Numbers.”

In “Hello, Tomorrow,” an actor from another Apple TV series, “The Morning Show” — Emmy winner Billy Crudup — stars as Jack Billings, a salesman who leads other sales associates in making the perfect pitch to sell people timeshares on the moon.

This really is like “The Jetsons.”

All that’s missing are a moving sidewalk and some space needles.

In “Hello, Tomorrow,” a company called Brightside is selling timeshares on the moon in an era that blends the style of the 1950s with some future tech. Yes, people have video phones! But the images are black-and-white, and they appear on portable TVlike, Jetsons-like sets. There’s no cellphones in this reality. The cars are straight out of the 1950s. They just don’t need tires because they hover above the street.

The first episode of “Hello, Tomorrow,” which streams with

It seems legitimate enough. People see rockets blasting off, but “Hello Tomorrow” raises the question of whether these timeshares are real. And the agents may not know the real answer.

There are some personal complications. Jack brings the son (Joey, played by Nicholas Podany) he abandoned into the enterprise. The only thing is Joey doesn’t know Jack is his father, the dad he never saw, and Jack doesn’t know how to tell him.

Mr. Crudrup, who is also one of the show’s executive producers, does a great job playing the flawed Jack, who has a good heart

Please see TIMESHARES on B2

Lights, cameras…therapy!

Therapist and columnist Barton Goldsmith talks about his work behind the cameras on movie and TV sets

By CALEB BEEGHLY NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Therapists play an important behind-thescenes role on movie and TV sets.

Just ask Dr. Barton Goldsmith.

The therapist and News-Press columnist is there during filming to hold a space for calm and help actors, who must transition between emotional highs.

Dr. Goldsmith told the NewsPress his main role is to alleviate crisis.

Producing a movie means lots of long days with the same people who are all under lots of stress, which makes it nearly impossible to not have some conflict during production. When this happens, Dr. Goldsmith steps in and handles the conflict by treating it like family therapy, pulling from his over 30 years of experience in marriage and family therapy.

However, Dr. Goldsmith does not just help deal with conflicts on set. He also provides emotional guidance for actors as they prepare for, then recover from an emotional role. Even though actors are pretending when they perform

emotional scenes, their bodies still produce the very real chemicals connectedwith those emotions. In order to move on, those chemicals (often cortisol) must be released.

Dr. Goldsmith’s work has led him to meet stars such as Dakota Fanning, Tracy Morgan and Patricia Arquette, as well as Freddie Highmore, who stars as a surgeon with autism on ABC’s “The Good Doctor.”

When people ask Dr. Goldsmith how they can become an on-set movie therapist, he responds with the question, ‘Have you ever made a movie?’ To Dr. Goldsmith, having shared experiences with his clients is essential to being a good therapist.

“If I haven’t walked a mile in their moccasins, I don’t take them” (as a client), he said.

He even went as far as to joke that he chose psychotherapy over psychiatry because psychotherapy is for neurotics, who he called his people.

Dr. Goldsmith got his start as an onset film therapist a couple of years after getting his doctorate in psychology Someone he knew was making a movie and asked

Please see GOLDSMITH on B2

CALENDAR

The calendar appears Mondays through Saturdays in the “Life & the Arts” section. Items are welcome. Please email them a full week before the event to Managing Editor Dave Mason at dmason@ newspress.com.

TODAY 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 75th annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show will take place March 10-12 at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real. Tickets cost $20 for one-day admission and $30 for a three-day pass. To purchase, go to sborchidshow.com.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Storytelling:

Native People Through the Lens of Edward S. Curtis” is on display through April 30 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays. For more information, visit sbnature.org.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Entangled: Responding to Environmental Crisis,” runs through March 25 at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. The museum is open from 10 a.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. It’s closed on Sundays and college holidays. For more information, call 805-565-6162 or visit westmont.edu/museum.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Interlopings: Colors in the Warp and Weft of Ecological Entanglements” is an exhibit that runs through March 12 at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The exhibit features weavings dyed with pigments from non-native plants on Santa Cruz Island. The weavings were created by artists Helen Svensson and Lisa Jevbratt. For more information, see sbbotanicgarden.org.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Coast artist and London native Annie Hoffman’s exhibit “Seeing Ourselves in Colour” will be displayed through Feb. 28 at Gallery Los Olivos, 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. For more information, visit anniehoffmann.com.

10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m “SURREAL

WOMEN: Surrealist Art by American Women” is on display through April 24 at Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery, 11 E. Anapamu St. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, www.sullivangoss.com.

Noon to 5 p.m. “Clarence Mattei: Portrait of a Community” is on view now through May at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, which is located in downtown Santa Barbara at 136 E. De la Guerra St. Admission is free.

Hours are currently from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and from noon to 7 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, visit www.sbhistorical.org

MARCH 11 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 75th annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show will take place March 10-12 at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real. Tickets cost $20 for one-day admission and $30 for a three-day pass. To purchase, go to sborchidshow.com.

10 a.m. St. Patrick’s Day parade on Main Street in downtown Ventura.

2 to 4 p.m. The Goleta Valley Library will host its 50th anniversary celebration. The library is at 500 N. Fairview Ave., Goleta.

MARCH 12 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 75th annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show will take place March 10-12 at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real. Tickets cost $20 for a oneday admission. To purchase, go to sborchidshow.com.

4:30 p.m. A free viewing of the Oscars will take place at the Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St., Santa Barbara. The live ABC broadcast will be on the Arlington screen at 5 p.m. A red carpet pre-show party with music by DJ Darla Bea will precede it at 3 p.m. in the Arlington courtyard and will cost $15, which includes priority seating during the broadcast, free popcorn, a free cocktail and a free raffle ticket to win prizes. Tickets for the pre-show party will be available at the Arlington box office.

MARCH 14

Lifeline screening for cholesterol, diabetes risks, kidney and thyroid function, plaque buildup in arteries and more at the Santa Barbara Seventhday Adventist Church, 425 Arroyo Road, Santa Barbara. Registration is required at www.lifelinescreening.com.

Managing Editor Dave Mason dmason@newspress.com

FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023

COURTESY PHOTO

The 75th annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show runs today through Sunday at Earl Warren Showgrounds.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Dr. Barton Goldsmith has met actors such as Freddie Highmore, who plays a surgeon with autism on ABC’s “The Good Doctor.” Dr. Goldsmith, a therapist and News-Press columnist, works behind-thescenes as a therapist helping actors to prepare for and recover from emotional scenes. He also helps to alleviate emotional crises that can happen

Dr. Goldsmith stands with movie star Dakota Fanning.

APPLE TV PHOTOS

At top, Jack Billings (Billy Crudup) leads a team of sales associates encouraging people to buy timeshares on the moon in “Hello, Tomorrow.” Above, Myrtle (Allison Pill) wants to get off Earth badly, but is running into some challenges.

Continued from Page B1

but lacks the honesty to go with it. Hank Azaria is fun to watch as Eddie, a sales associate with a gambling addiction. Haneefah Wood does a great job playing Shirley, Jack’s no-nonsense righthand woman in the business and Eddie’s wife. She isn’t afraid to tell Jack or Eddie what she thinks.

There’s some great comedy with Herb Porter, the sales associate played with a fun sense of rhythm by Dewshane Williams. It’s a joy just to listen to how Mr. Williams delivers his lines with a staccato-like delivery.

The best performance, though, is by Allison Pill, who plays Myrtle Mayburn. Myrtle sees the moon as an escape from her horrible life, and she puts all her money into a timeshare. Question is: Will she get to the moon?

This writer’s favorite scenes of “Hello, Tomorrow” happen when Ms. Pill stands before the camera and pours emotions into her character. She’s funny, dramatic,

and you can’t help but root for Myrtle. This writer is hoping Ms. Pill gets more scenes and plays a more integral role in the story. The only downfall of “Hello,

Tomorrow” is that it doesn’t use her in enough scenes. Before this series, Ms. Pill showed her talent in shows such as “Star Trek: Picard” and “The Newsroom.”

“Hello, Tomorrow,” by the way,

was created by Amit Bhalia and Lucas Jansen, who have produced a retro-future universe that’s fun to visit.

email: dmason@newspress.com

Giannantonio II Award — and was inducted into the CAADAC Hall of Fame. email: cbeeghly@newspress.com

him to act as a therapist on set.

From there, word got around to other movie productions, and it snowballed from there.

On top of being an on-set film therapist, Dr. Goldsmith has been a nationally syndicated columnist for over 20 years. His columns are published Saturdays and Mondays in the News-Press. After 9/11, Dr. Goldsmith decided it was not about money anymore and started the column “Emotional Fitness,” which won the Clark Vincent Award for Writing from the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. For the first decade, he didn’t get paid a dime for his column, so he left and was picked up by numerous newspapers.

Eventually, the column turned into a book, then six more books.

And Dr. Barton is still writing. He said, “Writing is my therapy,” so he integrated it into his life, reducing his work, and keeping

U.S. Premiere

his work something he loves. This allows him to keep the same promise to every patient. Once he takes a patient on, a sacred trust is built, so he journeys with his patients until they find some form of peace of mind.

Alisa Weilerstein, cello FRAGMENTS

Fri, Mar 10 / 7 PM / UCSB Campbell Hall

Tickets start at $20

“A multimedia Bach show.”

The New York Times

Enjoy Bach as you never have before in this wholly original and immersive audience experience from Alisa Weilerstein. FRAGMENTS weaves music old and new in a dramatic journey that elevates the senses to provide an opportunity to go deeper into the music.

An Arts & Lectures Co-commission

Ballet Hispánico

Doña Perón

Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director

Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Choreographer

Sat, Mar 11 / 8 PM / Granada Theatre

“In Lopez Ochoa’s high-varnish, athletic style of contemporary ballet, gorgeously danced… you see not just a riveting story but a company having reached a new horizon.” The New York Times

Lead Sponsor: Jody & John Arnhold

Dance Series Sponsors: Margo Cohen-Feinberg & Bob Feinberg, Ellen & Peter O. Johnson, Barbara Stupay, and Sheila Wald

Wynton Marsalis Septet

Tue, Apr 4 / 7 PM (note special time) / Granada Theatre

“Jazz is a metaphor for democracy.” – Wynton Marsalis

The Wynton Marsalis Septet performs seminal compositions from Marsalis’ wide-ranging career, original works by his frequent collaborators and standards spanning the vast historical landscape of jazz.

Major Sponsor: Sara Miller McCune

Event Sponsor: Jody & John Arnhold

Jazz Series Lead Sponsor: Manitou Fund

The Masters of Hawaiian Music Tour will bring award-winning musicians Saturday to SOhO in Santa Barbara.

Hawaiian music to grace SOhO

SANTA BARBARA — Aloha!

The Masters of Hawaiian Music Tour comes to Santa Barbara with a concert at 6 p.m. Saturday at SOhO Restaurant and Music Club, 1221 State St. Doors will open at 5 p.m.

The performers are guitarists/ vocalists George Kahumoku Jr. and Sonny Lim and ukulele performer Herb Ohta Jr.

Nicknamed Hawaii’s “Renaissance” man, Mr. Kahumoku is a Grammy-winning slack jet guitarist, songwriter, teacher, artist, storyteller, writer, entrepreneur and farmer. He has more than 25 solo, collaboration and compilation CDs to his name. In 2022, he received a Na Hoku Lifetime Achievement award.

Mr. Lim is slack key guitarist and lap steel guitarist, as well as a songwriter. He began his career as a steel guitarist for Makaha Sons of Ni’ihau. Besides being a ukulele performer, Mr. Ohta is a composer and teacher and the winner of seven Na Hoku Awards, including Best Ukulele in 2021. Dinner tickets for their concert cost $30 in advance and $35 on the day of the concert. To purchase, go to www.sohosb.com. This show is for all ages. For more about the Masters of Hawaiian Music Tour, go to kahumoku.com.

Dr. Goldsmith’s work is a product of his life’s goal, to leave behind his best work, best writing and best therapy. In his attempt to do so, Dr. Goldsmith has won multiple awards — including the Peter Markin Merit Award and the Joseph A.

Solvang Senior Center continues fundraising for new building

By CALEB BEEHGLY NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Donations continue to come in for a new building to house the Solvang Senior Center.

Over the past two years, the center has received substantial contributions from numerous individuals and local foundations.

The center started its capital campaign in 2018 with a kickoff donation of $50,000 from the Solvang Rotary Foundation, and Montecito Bank and Trust matched that amount to become the campaign’s lead business sponsor. Since then, the center has raised more than $3.2 million toward the construction of the new building and the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment.

The new multi-purpose community center will be built on the same site as the current modular buildings, which will be demolished as construction begins.

The Solvang Senior Center sits on land leased from Santa Barbara County, and the county’s support in granting a 50-year lease for zero dollars propelled the momentum toward the construction of a new center, according to the center. Once the building permit is issued this spring, the center expects the county will give its final approval, and construction will begin.

The city of Solvang is providing a temporary home for the center’s

CALENDAR

Continued from Page B1

activities at the American Legion Wing of the Veteran’s Memorial building during the construction period.

Steering Committee Co-chair Linda Johansen emphasized that additional community fundraising would be required in the coming months to reach the necessary financial funding to complete the construction and outfit the building with the necessary equipment and furnishings for a state-of-the-art facility that seniors deserve.

Executive Director Ellen Albertoni noted that, in addition, the building would be available for use by the community. Anyone interested in purchasing or gifting a membership can visit the center’s website (solvangseniorcenter.org/ our-future) or call the center at 805-688-3793.

Some of the substantial contributors include Dr. Virgil Elings, the Ken and Lloyd Mills family and the Holzheu family, the Ann Jackson Family Foundation, the Hutton Parker Foundation, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation, the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation, Christian Science Society Solvang, the Elaine F. Stepanek Foundation, Glass House Brands, Rio Vista Chevrolet, the Viking Charities Inc., and the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation.

email: cbeeghly@newspress.com

be required.

MARCH 18 7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform “John Williams: A Cinematic Celebration” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. To purchase tickets, go to granadasb.org. For more information, visit www.thesymphony.org or call 805-8989386.

MARCH 19 3 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform John Williams: A Cinematic Celebration” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. To purchase tickets, go to granadasb.org. For more information, visit www.thesymphony.org or call 805-8989386. — Dave Mason

West Coast Premiere

Wynton Marsalis, trumpet Chris Crenshaw, trombone Abdias Armenteros, saxophone

Chris Lewis, saxophone & clarinet Carlos Henriquez, bass Domo Branch, drum Dan Nimmer, piano

COURTESY PHOTOS

At left, Tracy Morgan, the star of “The Last O.G.” (a comedy on TBS), shakes hands with Dr. Barton Goldsmith. At right, Dr. Goldsmith poses with Patricia Arquette.

— Dave Mason

COURTESY PHOTO

APPLE TV PHOTO

Robots such as this one serve people such as timeshares associates and married couple Shirley (Haneefah Wood) and Eddie (Hank Azaria).

SUDOKU

CODEWORD PUZZLE

Thought for Today

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Friday, March 10, 2023

ARIES — A sudden but necessary expense could make a big hole in your budget today, Aries. Perhaps some repairs need to be made around the house or to the car. Maybe someone needs an unexpected trip to the dentist. This could throw you off balance, but you can manage it by cutting some corners.

TAURUS — Generally you’re pretty emotionally stable, Taurus. Today’s events might seem to conspire to create erratic moods that you aren’t used to feeling. No major concerns should arise, but little irritations like dropping things, misplacing keys, or missing calls could get on your nerves. Slow down and stay focused. I

GEMINI — If you’ve been studying astrology, numerology, or any other occult science, Gemini, today you might find some of the concepts you’re studying a bit confusing. You may have glossed over some of the ideas that are prerequisites to what you’re looking at now. Go back and review last week’s lesson and everything might make more sense to you.

CANCER — A friend could be having financial troubles and ask you for a loan, Cancer. You like this person and understand what he or she’s going through, so you want to help. But it could be a while before your friend is solvent again. If you make the loan, remember the adage about never lending anything to a friend that you aren’t willing to consider a gift.

LEO — Some equipment that you use a lot, perhaps an appliance, computer, or TV, might go on the blink today, Leo. Don’t try to fix it yourself even if you think you know how. Call a professional, and hang the expense. If you try to do it yourself, you might cause more damage to the equipment or perhaps to you! This is definitely a day to exercise caution. Be patient!

VIRGO — Some rather bizarre news could come to you today about metaphysical or paranormal matters, Virgo. This isn’t anything that affects you directly, but more likely concerns discoveries of anomalies. You and others could find it fascinating and discuss it for hours. Don’t be surprised if the theories that come up seem even more bizarre

than what you heard in the first place!

LIBRA — This could be a hectic day, Libra. You will probably try to go too many places and do too many things at once. Friends might want to get together, but you may have a lot of errands to take care of. It might be a good idea to assess what needs to be done and take care of it in order of urgency. That’s the only way you can stay sane!

SCORPIO — You might hear some rather bizarre rumors today, Scorpio. Someone has misinterpreted a piece of information and blown it into something far different from reality. You will need to check this out for yourself before jumping to any conclusions. Don’t be afraid to pass on what you learn.

SAGITTARIUS — Today you might plan a quick trip by air, Sagittarius. This could be business related. Someone else may have been meant to go but couldn’t, so you may be taking his or her place. This could be disruptive for you, but if you make an effort, you can turn it into an adventure. It’s always best to go with the flow and make the most of it.

CAPRICORN — A date to get together with a romantic partner might have to be broken at the last minute, Capricorn. Your friend might not give a reason, and you might wonder if this means he or she doesn’t really want to see you. That probably isn’t the case. All signs are that your friend has received some bad news and didn’t want to upset you.

AQUARIUS — Sudden and unexpected problems could have your household in chaos, Aquarius. This probably doesn’t relate to difficulties with your housemates. It’s more likely to involve problems with wiring, appliances, or phone lines. It could be annoying to deal with repairmen in and out of your house, but you will have to bear with it.

PISCES — Too many communications may prove distracting today, Pisces. The phone could be ringing off the hook and your email inbox overflowing. Everyone around you seems to be talking at once. If you don’t bring some order to this chaos, it could give you a headache! Let voicemail get the phone, get away from the computer, and take something light to the park to read.

DAILY BRIDGE

By FRANK STEWART

Tribune Content Agency

Friday, March 10, 2023

“If he were any more self-absorbed, he’d be a paper towel.” — a baseball writer’s observation about a star player who seemed more concerned with his personal stats than winning games. In today’s deal, South opened four hearts, a questionable action even after two passes; North might have held two aces. West led the ace and deuce of diamonds. South ruffed East’s ten and led the king of trumps. West took his ace and led a spade, and when East won and led the king of diamonds, South had to absorb defeat. He ruffed with the queen of trumps and took the J-10, but West’s nine won the setting trick.

LOSING SPADE

It takes focus to make this contract, but South must have been absorbed with his plans for dinner. After he ruffs the second diamond, he must take the ace of clubs, ruff a club in dummy and lead a third diamond to pitch his losing spade — a “scissors coup.”

This play stops the defenders from promoting a second trump trick for West. South loses only three tricks in all.

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3-by-3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9. that means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Sudoku puzzles appear on the Diversions page Monday through Saturday.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Answers to previous CODEWORD

How to play Codeword

Codeword is a fun game with simple rules, and a great way to test your knowledge of the English language. Every number in the codeword grid is ‘code’ for a letter of the alphabet. Thus, the number 2 may correspond to the letter L, for instance. All puzzles come with a few letters to start. Your first move should be to enter these letters in the puzzle grid. If the letter S is in the box at the bottom of the page underneath the number 2, your first move should be to find all cells numbered 2 in the grid and enter the letter S. Cross the letter S off the list at the bottom of the grid. Remember that at the end you should have a different letter of the alphabet in each of the numbered boxes 1- 26, and a word in English in each of the horizontal and vertical runs on the codeword grid.

PUZZLE

opens one heart, you respond one spade and he rebids two hearts. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: If your deuce of hearts were the queen, your hand would barely justify a bid of 2NT to try for game. Your actual hand is too weak to take any action. Partner’s rebid promises six or more hearts. If he had a five-card suit, he would have had a more descriptive second bid available.

North dealer

vulnerable

“Tomorrow is only found in the calendar of fools.”

— Og Mandino