mercurynews--2020-02-23--NCS wrestling: Five takeaways from the championships

CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the photos on a mobile device .
The Spartans won their sixth straight NCS team title ( and 11th in the past 12 years ) with 298 points on Saturday , but it was achieved with a younger squad than in the past .
Two of the three De La Salle champions were underclassmen , and only two of the Spartans ’ seven finalists at James Logan were seniors .
“ The kids came through , ” said De La Salle coach Mark Halvorson about his squad .
All three of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurred in a row in a scrambled championship schedule .
First , sophomore Bobby Cuevas never trailed on his way to a 6-1 victory over Petaluma ’ s Nick Trave in the 106-pound final .
Then Bradley Moore , a junior , came back from a 5-0 deficit to pin Vintage ’ s Dominic Smith at the 3 minute , 36 second mark of the 220 championship match .
“ I wasn ’ t going to give up so easily .
I was going to make sure I was going to wrestle the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The guy just didn ’ t have the same fire I did.
” Finally , freshman Gavin Fernandez also achieved a second-period fall to win the 132-pound title at the 3:21 mark .
“ They went out and took care of their business and did a good job , ” Halvorson said .
De La Salle ’ s other finalists were Lance Hackett ( 195 ) , Ben Roe ( 285 ) , Darin Guerrero ( 160 ) and Mario Franco ( 152 ) .
Granada placed second in the team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning the 152-pound title , Cole Sanchez kneeled on a corner of the mat with tears of happiness running down his face .
The senior said he will not be wrestling in college .
“ I ’ ve been doing this sport for 12 years , ” Sanchez said .
“ This is it for me , and to just have something like that at the very end is awesome.
” After a scoreless first period against Franco , Sanchez fell behind by allowing an escape , but took the lead for good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He eventually won 3-1 .
“ If I could come out of the first period at least 0-0 if not up , I knew I would be o.k.
, ” Sanchez said .
Sanchez , who will be competing in the California Interscholastic Federation state championships this upcoming Thursday through Saturday at Bakersfield ’ s Rabobank Arena , won his first four matches of the NCS tournament either by fall or technical fall Kudos to the NCS seeding committee .
In the 14 boys weight divisions , there were 10 matchups in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No .
2 seeds , and there was only one finals participant who was seeded lower than third .
The No .
1 seeds who won their championship matches were Granada ’ s Carter Bailey ( 120-pounds , by pin at the 3:24 mark ) , Dublin ’ s Julian Victoria ( 126 , 4-3 ) , Benicia ’ s Basil Othman ( 138 , 15-0 technical fall ) , Livermore ’ s Timothy Cowan ( 145 , 10-5 ) , Windsor ’ s Trent Silva ( 160 , 19-3 technical fall ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 170 , pin at 5:13 ) , California ’ s Daniel DeSoto ( 182 , 11-3 major decision ) , Ukian ’ s Frankie Polilia ( 195 , 8-6 OT ) , Casa Grande ’ s Jack Faris ( 285 , 10-5 ) , Northgate ’ s Sanchez , and De La Salle ’ s Cuevas , Fernandez and Moore .
It was Bossert ’ s second straight 170-pound section title .
The only No .
2 seed who won his championship match was Maria Carrillo ’ s Jose Sanchez ( 11-3 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the closest title matches .
He was tied 2-2 with James Logan ’ s Anthony Bernardo at the end of the second period .
After Bernardo took the lead on an escape , Victoria came back to win 4-3 .
Clayton Valley Charter ’ s Casey Strand Jr. is headed to the state championships for the first time after placing third in the 138-pound division .
That name will perk up the ears of longtime local wrestling fans .
His father , Casey Strand , is the two-time state champ from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wrestling Hall of Fame .
“ I ’ m super-excited , ” said Strand about his third-place win .
“ I lost earlier in the tournament to an unseeded person and I wasn ’ t feeling good , and then I came back today and I decided I want to work my hardest to place and go to state.
” Strand , a junior , said that he started wrestling in eighth grade .
In the third-place match against Casa Grande ’ s Ryan Naugle , Strand entered the third period with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The top three placers in each weight class qualified for the CIF state championships this week .
Championship victories by Lizette Rodriguez ( 101-pound division ) , Carmella Foley ( 116 by a 2-0 score ) and Alisha Narvaez ( 126 , pin at 1:40 ) led James Logan to the NCS/Oakland Section girls championship team title on Saturday at Albany .
The Colts finished with 184 points , just four more than second-place Castro Valley .
Other NCS champions from the Bay Area included Artemisia Matera of Head-Royce ( 111 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Memorial ( 121 , pin at 2:20 ) , Antioch ’ s Desirea Tauluuluu-Spadini ( 131 , 7-6 ) , Joanna Qiu of Albany ( 137 , 11-2 major decision ) , Newark Memorial ’ s Ariana Pereira ( 160 , 12-4 ) , Liberty ’ s Samantha Calkins ( 170 , 8-2 ) and Arroyo ’ s Alia Abushi ( 189 , 9-2 ) .
235 final : Danika Scott ( Del Norte ) p. Lilly McCoy ( Casa Grande ) 1:30 .
Third-place match : Tatianna Herrera ( James Logan ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Bay Area Preps HQ wrestling column : A guide to the CCS and NCS championships • Bay Area Preps HQ wrestling column : Mission San Jose Invite will be packed this weekend

CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the photos on a mobile device.
Six-peat for De La Salle
The Spartans won their sixth straight NCS team title (and 11th in the past 12 years) with 298 points on Saturday, but it was achieved with a younger squad than in the past.
Two of the three De La Salle champions were underclassmen, and only two of the Spartans’ seven finalists at James Logan were seniors. “The kids came through,” said De La Salle coach Mark Halvorson about his squad.
All three of De La Salle’s championship victories occurred in a row in a scrambled championship schedule. First, sophomore Bobby Cuevas never trailed on his way to a 6-1 victory over Petaluma’s Nick Trave in the 106-pound final.
Then Bradley Moore, a junior, came back from a 5-0 deficit to pin Vintage’s Dominic Smith at the 3-minute, 36-second mark of the 220 championship match.
“I wasn’t going to give up so easily. I was going to make sure I was going to wrestle the whole six minutes,” Moore said. “The guy just didn’t have the same fire I did.”
Finally, freshman Gavin Fernandez also achieved a second-period fall to win the 132-pound title at the 3:21 mark. “They went out and took care of their business and did a good job,” Halvorson said.
De La Salle’s other finalists were Lance Hackett (195), Ben Roe (285), Darin Guerrero (160) and Mario Franco (152). Granada placed second in the team race with 207 points.
Emotional win for Northgate’s Sanchez
Moments after winning the 152-pound title, Cole Sanchez kneeled on a corner of the mat with tears of happiness running down his face. The senior said he will not be wrestling in college. “I’ve been doing this sport for 12 years,” Sanchez said. “This is it for me, and to just have something like that at the very end is awesome.”
After a scoreless first period against Franco, Sanchez fell behind by allowing an escape but took the lead for good at 2-1 later in the third period. He eventually won 3-1. “If I could come out of the first period at least 0-0 if not up, I knew I would be o.k.,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez, who will be competing in the California Interscholastic Federation state championships this upcoming Thursday through Saturday at Bakersfield’s Rabobank Arena, won his first four matches of the NCS tournament either by fall or technical fall.
Favorites rule in the finals
Kudos to the NCS seeding committee. In the 14 boys weight divisions, there were 10 matchups in the finals between No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, and there was only one finals participant who was seeded lower than third.
The No. 1 seeds who won their championship matches were Granada’s Carter Bailey (120-pounds, by pin at the 3:24 mark), Dublin’s Julian Victoria (126, 4-3), Benicia’s Basil Othman (138, 15-0 technical fall), Livermore’s Timothy Cowan (145, 10-5), Windsor’s Trent Silva (160, 19-3 technical fall), Las Lomas’ Tate Bossert (170, pin at 5:13), California’s Daniel DeSoto (182, 11-3 major decision), Ukian’s Frankie Polilia (195, 8-6 OT), Casa Grande’s Jack Faris (285, 10-5), Northgate’s Sanchez, and De La Salle’s Cuevas, Fernandez and Moore. It was Bossert’s second straight 170-pound section title.
The only No. 2 seed who won his championship match was Maria Carrillo’s Jose Sanchez (11-3, 5-4).
Victoria was involved in one of the closest title matches. He was tied 2-2 with James Logan’s Anthony Bernardo at the end of the second period. After Bernardo took the lead on an escape, Victoria came back to win 4-3.
That Clayton Valley Charter wrestler’s name sounds familiar
Clayton Valley Charter’s Casey Strand Jr. is headed to the state championships for the first time after placing third in the 138-pound division.
That name will perk up the ears of longtime local wrestling fans. His father, Casey Strand, is the two-time state champ from College Park who is in the California Wrestling Hall of Fame.
“I’m super-excited,” said Strand about his third-place win. “I lost earlier in the tournament to an unseeded person and I wasn’t feeling good, and then I came back today and I decided I want to work my hardest to place and go to state.”
Strand, a junior, said that he started wrestling in eighth grade. In the third-place match against Casa Grande’s Ryan Naugle, Strand entered the third period with a 2-0 lead, and eventually won 6-0. The top three placers in each weight class qualified for the CIF state championships this week.
Logan edges Castro Valley for girls team title
Championship victories by Lizette Rodriguez (101-pound division), Carmella Foley (116 by a 2-0 score) and Alisha Narvaez (126, pin at 1:40) led James Logan to the NCS/Oakland Section girls championship team title on Saturday at Albany. The Colts finished with 184 points, just four more than second-place Castro Valley.
Other NCS champions from the Bay Area included Artemisia Matera of Head-Royce (111, 5-0), Mikaela Troche of Newark Memorial (121, pin at 2:20), Antioch’s Desirea Tauluuluu-Spadini (131, 7-6), Joanna Qiu of Albany (137, 11-2 major decision), Newark Memorial’s Ariana Pereira (160, 12-4), Liberty’s Samantha Calkins (170, 8-2) and Arroyo’s Alia Abushi (189, 9-2).
Qualifiers for the CIF state championships
NCS boys
106 final: Bobby Cuevas (De La Salle) d. Nick Trave (Petaluma) 6-1. 3rd: Jonathan Fredrickson (Windsor).
113 final: Jose Sanchez (Maria Carrillo) d. Jaden Ramos (Redwood) 5-4. 3rd: Atri Feizi (De La Salle).
120 final: Carter Bailey (Granada) p. Caleb Waller (Heritage) 3:24. 3rd: Sean Pamintuan (James Logan).
126 final: Julian Victoria (Dublin) d. Anthony Bernardo (James Logan) 4-3. 3rd: Casey Aikman (Ukiah).
132 final: Gavin Fernandez (De La Salle) p. Dylan Pilger (Dublin) 3:21. 3rd: Andre Dargani (Clayton Valley Charter).
138 final: Basil Othman (Benicia) d. Jackson Morgan (Granada) 15-0 tech. fall. 3rd: Casey Strand (Clayton Valley Charter).
145 final: Timothy Cowan (Livermore) d. Skyler Moore (Del Norte) 10-5. 3rd: Alex Monela (James Logan)
152 final: Cole Sanchez (Northgate) d. Mario Franco (De La Salle) 3-1. 3rd: Rylan Matheson (Granada).
Final 160: Trent Silva (Windsor) d. Darin Guerrero (De La Salle) 19-3 tech fall. 3rd: Angelo Esposito (Northgate).
170 final: Tate Bossert (Las Lomas) p. Isaac Morris (Castro Valley) 5:13. 3rd: Adrian Alvarez (Ukiah).
182 final: Daniel DeSoto (California) d. Ian Richardson (Granada) 11-3 major decision. 3rd: Andrew Hamant (College Park).
195 final: Frankie Pomilia (Ukiah) d. Lance Hackett (De La Salle) 8-6 OT. 3rd: Callan Ivy (San Leandro).
220 final: Bradley Moore (De La Salle) p. Dominic Smith (Vintage) 3:36. 3rd: Xavier Williams (Livermore).
285 final: Jack Faris (Casa Grande) d. Ben Roe (De La Salle) 10-5. 3rd: Caleb Hunter (Freedom).
NCS/OS girls (top four qualify for state)
101 final: Lizette Rodriguez (James Logan) by forfeit. Third-place match: Jalen Bets (Granada) p. Maylin Reyes (Vallejo) 2:07.
106 final: Carmen Perez (Windsor) d. Marisol Rodriguez (James Logan) 2-1. Third-place match: Athena Barajas (Washington) p. Liv Villanueva (Northgate) 2:24.
111 final: Artemisia Matera (Head-Royce) d. Mia Bonotan (Benicia) 5-0. Third-place match: Ajayzee Zaballos (Castro Valley) d. Jadyn Wilson (Liberty) 7-5.
116 final: Carmella Foley (James Logan) d. Carlia Ott (Castro Valley) 2-0. Third-place match: Natalie Scott (Vintage) d. Reyna Solis (Arroyo) 5-2.
121 final: Mikaela Troche (Newark Memorial) p. Hallie Evans (Arroyo) 2:20. Third-place match: Witney Lam (Dougherty Valley) d. Gurleen Bhullar (Albany) 2-0.
126 final: Alisha Narvaez (James Logan) p. Tamsin Urbas (Albany) 1:40. Third-place match: Grace Hodge (Clayton Valley Charter) p. Ruby Duncan (Foothill), 4:51.
131 final: Desirea Canopy-Spadini (Antioch) d. Mari Johns (Las Lomas) 7-6. Third-place match: Logan Pomi (Petaluma) Mr. Sonoma Arcilla (Benicia) 0:59.
137 final: Joanna Qiu (Albany) d. Beyonce Garcia (James Logan) 11-2 major decision. Third-place match: Lea Navales (Heritage) p. Leilani Frazer (Vintage) 0:27.
143 final: Arora Vieira (Casa Grande) d. Kelli Johnston (Eureka) 6-2. Third-place match: Gabriella Tuttle (Benicia) d. Samantha Garcia (Castro Valley) 10-6.
150 final: Hannah Ricioli (El Molino) p. Miku Barberi (Newark Memorial) 1:15. Third-place match: Olivia Ott (Castro Valley) p. Kendall Branchaud (San Leandro) 4:24.
160 final: Ariana Pereira (Newark Memorial) d. Francesca LoPresti (Albany) 12-4 major decision. Third-place match: Brianna Abrica (Arroyo) p. Jolette Torres (Windsor) 4:22.
170 final: Samantha Calkins (Liberty) d. Lilly El-Masri (San Marin) 8-2. Third-place match: Helena Rogers (Eureka) p. Natalia Perez (Castro Valley) 2:48.
189 final: Alia Abushi (Arroyo) d. Aracely Rendon-Gomez (Eureka) 9-2. Third-place match: Hollie Espinoza (Rancho Cotate) p. Emma Lopez (American Canyon) 2:41.
235 final: Danika Scott (Del Norte) p. Lilly McCoy (Casa Grande) 1:30. Third-place match: Tatianna Herrera (James Logan) p. Xuan Nguyen (Oakland) 2:26.


mercurynews--2020-02-23--Letter: Unless Sanders captures nomination on first ballot …

Unless Bernie Sanders wins enough delegates to capture the Democratic Party nomination on the first ballot , he is not going to be the nominee .
The reason will be that the superdelegates will come back to deny him the nomination .
Superdelegates can no longer vote in the first round unless a candidate had a majority of the delegates secured to win the nomination .
After the first round , the superdelegates can vote .
In 2020 , there will be 3,979 delegates who will be selected as a result of primaries and caucuses .
To win the nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on Super Tuesday , when 34 % of the pledged delegates are in play , stands a great chance of winning enough to reduce the mathematical probability that any candidates can get to 1,991 by the first round .
• Letter : It scares me to see how Trump is running the U.S. • Letter : Does aiding the needy ‘ enslave ’ those lucky enough not to be ?
• Letter : When is San Jose going to address homelessness ?
Should they happen , the superdelegates enter and that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Submit your letter to the editor via this form Read more Letters to the Editor

Superdelegates hold key
to Democrat nominee
Unless Bernie Sanders wins enough delegates to capture the Democratic Party nomination on the first ballot, he is not going to be the nominee.
The reason will be that the superdelegates will come back to deny him the nomination. Superdelegates can no longer vote in the first round unless a candidate had a majority of the delegates secured to win the nomination.
After the first round, the superdelegates can vote. In 2020, there will be 3,979 delegates who will be selected as a result of primaries and caucuses. To win the nomination, one needs 1,991 delegates.
Bloomberg, on Super Tuesday, when 34% of the pledged delegates are in play, stands a great chance of winning enough to reduce the mathematical probability that any candidates can get to 1,991 by the first round.
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Priscilla Williams
Aptos
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mercurynews--2020-02-23--Horoscopes Feb. 23, 2020: Josh Gad, leave nothing to chance.

Happy Birthday : Leave nothing to chance .
Strategize , and put your plans into motion .
Take care of every detail , and oversee and fact-check whatever others contribute .
Take a position of leadership , aim high and leave no stone unturned .
What you accomplish will set your path for years to come .
Look , see , do and keep moving forward with courage , strength and confidence .
Your numbers are 5 , 11 , 19 , 24 , 32 , 37 , 40 .
ARIES ( March 21-April 19 ) : Do what you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and be a good listener .
You can ’ t please everyone , but doing your best will make you feel good .
Traveling should be kept to a minimum , and safety should be first and foremost .
3 stars TAURUS ( April 20-May 20 ) : Think about what you ’ ve done , and how to improve your future and reach higher goals .
Do whatever it takes to build up your confidence and to accept losses as learning experiences .
Failures help build the road to success .
4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : You ’ ll confuse others if you keep changing your mind .
Don ’ t flirt for the sake of flirting .
You can excel as long as you are honest about what you can do .
Strive for stability , security and precision .
2 stars CANCER ( June 21-July 22 ) : Kindness and generosity are commendable , but don ’ t be gullible or leave yourself in a vulnerable position .
Do things because you want to , not because you are afraid of the consequences if you don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s expectations .
5 stars LEO ( July 23-Aug. 22 ) : Don ’ t let a change someone makes upset you .
Your ability to adapt to whatever happens will give you the upper hand and help you reach your objective .
Observe , and learn from the response you get from others .
3 stars VIRGO ( Aug. 23-Sept. 22 ) : Set a precedent for others to follow .
Lay down your plan , and share your thoughts with people who have something to contribute .
A positive change you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and how you allocate your time moving forward .
3 stars LIBRA ( Sept. 23-Oct. 22 ) : Do something that makes you happy .
Being pampered , enjoying the company of someone you love or curling up with a good book or documentary series will ease stress and encourage you to make a positive lifestyle change .
3 stars SCORPIO ( Oct. 23-Nov. 21 ) : Pick a route that entices you , and see where it leads .
You are ready to embark on an adventure that will stimulate your mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be at the top of your to-do list .
5 stars SAGITTARIUS ( Nov. 22-Dec. 21 ) : Be careful who you trust .
Say less , listen more and don ’ t get involved in a costly joint venture .
Be wary of anyone playing emotional games with you or offering information that is damaging or directed at obtaining your personal information or data .
2 stars CAPRICORN ( Dec. 22-Jan. 19 ) : Spend time with someone you enjoy being with , and discuss your intentions and plans .
Explore your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will ease your mind regarding an emotional matter .
Money or a gift is heading your way .
Don ’ t try to buy love .
4 stars AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20-Feb. 18 ) : Look inward , and consider how best to present yourself and your skills to the world .
Sticking to plans , regardless of what others do , will be in your best interest .
Surround yourself with the people who bring out the best in you .
3 stars PISCES ( Feb. 19-March 20 ) : Flesh out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer your services and build relationships with like-minded people .
Intelligence , coupled with taking action , will lead to a positive change of direction .
Stick to a moderate lifestyle , regardless of what you can afford .
3 stars Birthday Baby : You are sensitive , inspiring and trusting .
You are intuitive and charitable .

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Dakota Fanning, 26; Josh Gad, 39; Kristin Davis, 55; Patricia Richardson, 69.
Happy Birthday: Leave nothing to chance. Strategize, and put your plans into motion. Take care of every detail, and oversee and fact-check whatever others contribute. Take a position of leadership, aim high and leave no stone unturned. What you accomplish will set your path for years to come. Look, see, do and keep moving forward with courage, strength and confidence. Your numbers are 5, 11, 19, 24, 32, 37, 40.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Do what you can to help take on responsibility, and be a good listener. You can’t please everyone, but doing your best will make you feel good. Traveling should be kept to a minimum, and safety should be first and foremost. 3 stars
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Think about what you’ve done, and how to improve your future and reach higher goals. Do whatever it takes to build up your confidence and to accept losses as learning experiences. Failures help build the road to success. 4 stars
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You’ll confuse others if you keep changing your mind. Don’t flirt for the sake of flirting. You can excel as long as you are honest about what you can do. Strive for stability, security and precision. 2 stars
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Kindness and generosity are commendable, but don’t be gullible or leave yourself in a vulnerable position. Do things because you want to, not because you are afraid of the consequences if you don’t live up to someone’s expectations. 5 stars
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t let a change someone makes upset you. Your ability to adapt to whatever happens will give you the upper hand and help you reach your objective. Observe, and learn from the response you get from others. 3 stars
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Set a precedent for others to follow. Lay down your plan, and share your thoughts with people who have something to contribute. A positive change you make will improve the way you live and how you allocate your time moving forward. 3 stars
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Do something that makes you happy. Being pampered, enjoying the company of someone you love or curling up with a good book or documentary series will ease stress and encourage you to make a positive lifestyle change. 3 stars
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Pick a route that entices you, and see where it leads. You are ready to embark on an adventure that will stimulate your mind and your imagination. Creative endeavors should be at the top of your to-do list. 5 stars
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be careful who you trust. Say less, listen more and don’t get involved in a costly joint venture. Be wary of anyone playing emotional games with you or offering information that is damaging or directed at obtaining your personal information or data. 2 stars
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Spend time with someone you enjoy being with, and discuss your intentions and plans. Explore your options and make positive changes; it will ease your mind regarding an emotional matter. Money or a gift is heading your way. Don’t try to buy love. 4 stars
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Look inward, and consider how best to present yourself and your skills to the world. Sticking to plans, regardless of what others do, will be in your best interest. Surround yourself with the people who bring out the best in you. 3 stars
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Flesh out your ideas, join interest groups, offer your services and build relationships with like-minded people. Intelligence, coupled with taking action, will lead to a positive change of direction. Stick to a moderate lifestyle, regardless of what you can afford. 3 stars
Birthday Baby: You are sensitive, inspiring and trusting. You are intuitive and charitable.
Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.


Bridge: Feb. 23, 2020

At the Fall NABC , the hottest team on the planet won the inaugural Soloway Knockout Teams .
In the final , Josef BLASS ( npc ) , Sjoert Brink , Bas Drijver , Jacek Kalita , Michal Nowosadzki and Jacek Pszczola overcame Nick NICKELL-Ralph Katz , Robert Levin-Steve Weinstein , Jeff Meckstroth-Eric Rodwell with a big fourth quarter .
BLASS had won major events at two recent NABCs .
In today ’ s deal from the final , NICKELL ’ s North-South reached four spades ; South ’ s one-spade response suggested at least five spades , so North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and dummy played low .
When East took the queen , he could have prevailed with a diamond shift , forcing dummy to ruff .
South would be unable to handle his two remaining diamonds and would lose another trick in addition to West ’ s ace of trumps .
East actually led a second trump , and West won and led a third trump , which looked good for the defense but wasn ’ t : South took 10 tricks by setting up dummy ’ s fifth heart .
He could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ king on the first trump .
Indeed , West was unlikely to have led from the queen .
In the replay , North-South for BLASS got to four spades , but West ’ s opening lead was a club .
South won , conceded a diamond , won East ’ s club return and managed 10 tricks — a tied deal — by ruffing diamonds in dummy .

At the Fall NABC, the hottest team on the planet won the inaugural Soloway Knockout Teams. In the final, Josef BLASS (npc), Sjoert Brink, Bas Drijver, Jacek Kalita, Michal Nowosadzki and Jacek Pszczola overcame Nick NICKELL-Ralph Katz, Robert Levin-Steve Weinstein, Jeff Meckstroth-Eric Rodwell with a big fourth quarter. BLASS had won major events at two recent NABCs.
(Some “national championship” events aren’t what they used to be. The ACBL has instituted so many new events that fields are smaller and diluted. For example, the Women’s Pairs, once prestigious, has lost much of its luster.)
In today’s deal from the final, NICKELL’s North-South reached four spades; South’s one-spade response suggested at least five spades, so North raised directly. West led a trump, and dummy played low.
When East took the queen, he could have prevailed with a diamond shift, forcing dummy to ruff. South would be unable to handle his two remaining diamonds and would lose another trick in addition to West’s ace of trumps.
East actually led a second trump, and West won and led a third trump, which looked good for the defense but wasn’t: South took 10 tricks by setting up dummy’s fifth heart. He could always have succeeded by putting up the king on the first trump. Indeed, West was unlikely to have led from the queen.
In the replay, North-South for BLASS got to four spades, but West’s opening lead was a club. South won, conceded a diamond, won East’s club return and managed 10 tricks — a tied deal — by ruffing diamonds in dummy.
North dealer
E-W vulnerable
NORTH
S K 9 4
H A Q 9 8 5
D Q
C K Q 9 5
WEST
S A 6 5
H J 10 4 3
D J 9 6 2
C 6 3
EAST
S Q 2
H 6 2
D A K 5 3
C J 10 8 7 4
SOUTH
S J 10 8 7 3
H K 7
D 10 8 7 4
C A 2
North East South West
1 H Pass 1 S Pass
3 S Pass 4 S All Pass
Opening lead — S 5
(C)2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Word Game: Feb. 23, 2020

TODAY ’ S WORD — VALIDATE ( VALIDATE : VAL-ih-date : To confirm the soundness or correctness of . )
Can you find 57 or more words in VALIDATE ?
TODAY ’ S WORD — VALIDATE vale valet valid veal veil veld vial vied vile vita vital aide ailed alate alit alive avail aviate avid lade laid late lava lave lead lied live idea ideal idle dale data date dative davit deal dealt deli delta detail devil dial diel diet dilate diva dive tail tale teal tidal tide tied tilde tile edit evil To purchase the Word Game book , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just $ 5 while supplies last !
1 .
Words must be of four or more letters .
2 .
Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “ s , ” such as “ bats ” or “ dies , ” are not allowed .
3 .
Additional words made by adding a “ d ” or an “ s ” may not be used .
For example , if “ bake ” is used , “ baked ” or “ bakes ” are not allowed , but “ bake ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 .
Proper nouns , slang words , or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed .

TODAY’S WORD — VALIDATE (VALIDATE: VAL-ih-date: To confirm the soundness or correctness of.)
Average mark 40 words
Time limit 60 minutes
Can you find 57 or more words in VALIDATE? TODAY’S WORD — VALIDATE vale valet valid veal veil veld vial vied vile vita vital aide ailed
alate alit alive avail aviate avid lade laid late lava lave lead lied live
idea ideal idle dale data date dative davit deal dealt deli delta detail
devil dial diel diet dilate diva dive tail tale teal tidal tide tied tilde tile
edit evil
To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!
RULES OF THE GAME:
1. Words must be of four or more letters.
2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.
3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.
4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.
Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at kzsaxe@gmail.com.


mercurynews--2020-02-23--Letter: Does aiding the needy ‘enslave’ those lucky enough not to be?

Proud that Americans help people in need Re : “ Letter : Are health care , college and housing truly ‘ rights ’ ?
( Letters , Opinion section , Feb. 16 ) I was saddened by a recent letter by Denise Kalm that referred to “ life , liberty , and pursuit of happiness ” and suggested that providing medical care , education or housing to the those in need is tantamount to “ enslaving ” via taxes those fortunate enough not to need them .
Another phrase in the Declaration of Independence is “ all men are created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true today than in 1776 .
Children born in poverty ( one in seven in the United States ) , people with health issues and minorities often face monumental challenges that impact their ability to prosper .
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I ’ m proud to live in a great country that extends helping hands to people in need .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this form Read more Letters to the Editor

Proud that Americans
help people in need
Re: “Letter: Are health care, college and housing truly ‘rights’? (Letters, Opinion section, Feb. 16)
I was saddened by a recent letter by Denise Kalm that referred to “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” and suggested that providing medical care, education or housing to the those in need is tantamount to “enslaving” via taxes those fortunate enough not to need them.
Another phrase in the Declaration of Independence is “all men are created,” but this is no more true today than in 1776. Children born in poverty (one in seven in the United States), people with health issues and minorities often face monumental challenges that impact their ability to prosper.
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Paula Predmore
Danville
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mercurynews--2020-02-23--Problem Solved: Walmart.com banned me, and I don’t know why

Q : I ’ m having two problems with Walmart .
When I order food online , Walmart has repeatedly delivered expired and rotten food .
Also , I ’ ve had problems with Walmart.com .
I ’ ve been getting error messages on the site for the past 10 days when I try to check out .
I can ’ t make a purchase .
Walmart customer service has given me all kinds of insane excuses for these issues .
It continues to engage in unethical antics that insult and ridicule me as a homebound disabled person .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advised me to “ go to the store ” for my groceries , since the website is not working .
I have explained that I am disabled and can not physically get to the store .
Walmart.com also claims its Electronic Benefit Transfer ( EBT ) system is down .
Now it is telling me that I am under investigation by the Walmart billing department and that my account has been deliberately deactivated .
I have documented many of these chats with Walmart customer service as well as taken pictures of the rotten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have been charged for items that were said to be out of stock without receiving a refund and am subjected to demeaning and obnoxious treatment by Walmart customer service , managers and other Walmart associates .
I wish to be treated like every other Walmart customer and to be afforded equal access to the public services that this giant retailer provides every day to tens of millions of Americans , without discrimination against me for my class or condition of government oppression .
A : I ’ m sorry about your troubles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excuse for delivering expired food .
Walmart ought to welcome your business with a fully accessible site .
But it should also be clear about any irregularities you ’ ve experienced and explain what , if anything , you ’ ve done to violate its terms and conditions .
This isn ’ t the first or the last case involving mysterious error messages on Walmart.com .
I ’ m looking into a similar problem involving a customer who was banned from the Walmart.com site for questionable reasons .
Of course , Walmart has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it wants , as long as it ’ s legal .
But I think it owes you a clear explanation .
Why are you under investigation ?
And what about the error messages — do they have anything to do with your account being investigated ?
To find out , you can do your own research .
Switch web browsers or try to buy items in “ incognito ” mode without signing in .
If the error still happens , then you can eliminate the possibility that your problem is just a browser-related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms of use , however , the company owes you no such explanation .
It says it may terminate your account “ at any time and may do so immediately without notice , and deny you access to the Walmart sites , if in our sole discretion you fail to comply with any term or provision of these terms of use.
” To fix these error messages , you might have tried sending a brief , polite appeal to one of Walmart ’ s executives .
I list the names , numbers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service managers on my consumer advocacy website , Elliott.org .
I contacted Walmart on your behalf .
A manager called you within 15 minutes of receiving my query and promised to “ make some phone calls ” to determine the cause of your error messages .
However , the error messages persist .
I ’ m sorry Walmart won ’ t help you , even with my advocacy efforts .
I think you might be better off buying your groceries elsewhere .
Christopher Elliott ’ s latest book is “ How to Be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( National Geographic ) .
You can get real-time answers to any consumer question on his forum , elliott.org/forum , or by emailing him at chris @ elliott.org .

Christopher Elliott, King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Q: I’m having two problems with Walmart. When I order food online, Walmart has repeatedly delivered expired and rotten food. Also, I’ve had problems with Walmart.com. I’ve been getting error messages on the site for the past 10 days when I try to check out. I can’t make a purchase.
Walmart customer service has given me all kinds of insane excuses for these issues. It continues to engage in unethical antics that insult and ridicule me as a homebound disabled person.
For example, Walmart customer service has repeatedly advised me to “go to the store” for my groceries, since the website is not working. I have explained that I am disabled and cannot physically get to the store.
Walmart.com also claims its Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system is down. Now it is telling me that I am under investigation by the Walmart billing department and that my account has been deliberately deactivated.
I have documented many of these chats with Walmart customer service as well as taken pictures of the rotten food they delivered in the past. I have been charged for items that were said to be out of stock without receiving a refund and am subjected to demeaning and obnoxious treatment by Walmart customer service, managers and other Walmart associates.
I wish to be treated like every other Walmart customer and to be afforded equal access to the public services that this giant retailer provides every day to tens of millions of Americans, without discrimination against me for my class or condition of government oppression.
Diane Robinson, Albany, New York
A: I’m sorry about your troubles with Walmart.com. There’s no excuse for delivering expired food. Walmart ought to welcome your business with a fully accessible site. But it should also be clear about any irregularities you’ve experienced and explain what, if anything, you’ve done to violate its terms and conditions.
This isn’t the first or the last case involving mysterious error messages on Walmart.com. I’m looking into a similar problem involving a customer who was banned from the Walmart.com site for questionable reasons.
Of course, Walmart has the right to refuse service to anyone it wants, as long as it’s legal. But I think it owes you a clear explanation. Why are you under investigation? And what about the error messages — do they have anything to do with your account being investigated?
To find out, you can do your own research. Switch web browsers or try to buy items in “incognito” mode without signing in. If the error still happens, then you can eliminate the possibility that your problem is just a browser-related glitch.
According to Walmart’s terms of use, however, the company owes you no such explanation. It says it may terminate your account “at any time and may do so immediately without notice, and deny you access to the Walmart sites, if in our sole discretion you fail to comply with any term or provision of these terms of use.”
To fix these error messages, you might have tried sending a brief, polite appeal to one of Walmart’s executives. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of Walmart’s customer service managers on my consumer advocacy website, Elliott.org.
I contacted Walmart on your behalf. A manager called you within 15 minutes of receiving my query and promised to “make some phone calls” to determine the cause of your error messages. However, the error messages persist.
I’m sorry Walmart won’t help you, even with my advocacy efforts. I think you might be better off buying your groceries elsewhere.
Christopher Elliott’s latest book is “How to Be the World’s Smartest Traveler” (National Geographic). You can get real-time answers to any consumer question on his forum, elliott.org/forum, or by emailing him at chris@elliott.org.


mercurynews--2020-02-23--Ask Amy: What they do in church group has become a topic of gossip

DEAR AMY : My wife and I are in a fellowship group with other families from our church .
We meet for dinner at one house each month and visit after church .
The families , husbands/wives/kids , are all very close and adore each other .
Unfortunately , it appears that one of the husbands and one of the wives ( not his ) seem to adore each other a little too much .
They always sit next to each other at these dinners , and my wife and I have both noticed some funny business going on under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will go off to “ do the dishes ” while the remaining adults continue enjoying the group conversation .
All of this happens with their spouses present .
We weren ’ t certain this behavior was obvious to anyone else , but my wife talked privately with another wife , and she and her husband are certain that something is going on .
• Ask Amy : I ’ m going to be a grandmother , and I ’ m hurt nobody has congratulated me • Ask Amy : I wish my childhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Ask Amy : The embarrassed transgender man tells how things turned out • Ask Amy : I ’ m afraid my teenage secret will break my dad ’ s heart • Ask Amy : She called me in a rage after she saw my boyfriend ’ s Instagram Our emotions range from sadness to disbelief and anger that we are somehow facilitating a possible affair .
We don ’ t want to talk with the two spouses on the sidelines , and we know that confronting one of the two in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an end .
What should we do ?
DEAR SAD : “ Doing the dishes ” has a whole new meaning for me , now .
Thank you for that .
Minding your own business is an option .
Otherwise , you are sharing your reactions with the wrong people .
This has become an open secret and a source of gossip .
You could speak with the principals involved ( I ’ m assuming the husband ) .
You and your wife witnessed untoward behavior .
So you say , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on .
I don ’ t want to personally judge you , but … it seems like you ’ re headed toward some Commandment-breaking stuff .
I ’ m giving you a heads-up .
I ’ d hate to see people get hurt.
” Yes — this could implode your group .
DEAR AMY : I am a retired , 65-year-old woman .
I live by myself in a townhouse community .
A few months ago , new neighbors moved in .
They are two gay married men , in their 40s .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ invited me over to their house for a backyard barbecue the weekend after they moved in .
I was surprised that they invited me , because I thought they ’ d think I was old or boring .
I went to their barbecue .
I was very nervous , but I had such a good time !
They were lovely and funny , and I had so much fun .
Besides waving “ hello ” to them , or the occasional quick chat outside , we haven ’ t talked since .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home almost every weekend , and are very active , but they ’ ve never re-extended an invitation .
I don ’ t want to invade their space or be the “ nosy neighbor.
” I want to be in their company again , but I want it to be at their house .
I have always been shy , so I don ’ t know how I should approach this .
How should I get them to invite me back ?
DEAR NERVOUS : Your smart ( and nice ) new neighbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you to their home soon after moving in .
In a townhouse community , you are living in close proximity ( possibly sharing a common wall ) , and by demonstrating how they entertain , they have created trust , understanding and — yes , your burning desire to spend more social time with them .
You should always and forever be authentically who you are , and you should read and respect whatever social cues they are sending .
These gentlemen likely have a long-standing social circle .
You might not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but you could probably deepen your relationship beyond the occasional wave hello .
Even if you don ’ t feel comfortable reciprocating by inviting these two into your own home , you should have thanked them for their hospitality by sending them a note and a small token — perhaps a plant for their garden .
In order to seed a friendship , you first need to let your neighborliness bloom .
DEAR AMY : I ’ m offering my perspective to “ Desperate , ” who seeks a rural lifestyle while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city .
I was in the same position , except I was the one who wanted the city life .
My boyfriend won , we got married , and have lived in a small town hundreds of miles from cities .
It ’ s been 44 years , and not a day passes that I don ’ t regretfully wonder “ what if.
” You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy @ amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy , P.O .
Box 194 , Freeville , NY 13068 .
You can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Facebook .

DEAR AMY: My wife and I are in a fellowship group with other families from our church. We meet for dinner at one house each month and visit after church. The families, husbands/wives/kids, are all very close and adore each other.
Unfortunately, it appears that one of the husbands and one of the wives (not his) seem to adore each other a little too much. They always sit next to each other at these dinners, and my wife and I have both noticed some funny business going on under the table.
The two of them will go off to “do the dishes” while the remaining adults continue enjoying the group conversation. All of this happens with their spouses present.
We weren’t certain this behavior was obvious to anyone else, but my wife talked privately with another wife, and she and her husband are certain that something is going on.
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We don’t want to talk with the two spouses on the sidelines, and we know that confronting one of the two in this possible affair will definitely bring the group to an end. What should we do?
Sad on Sundays
DEAR SAD: “Doing the dishes” has a whole new meaning for me, now. Thank you for that.
Minding your own business is an option. Otherwise, you are sharing your reactions with the wrong people. This has become an open secret and a source of gossip.
You could speak with the principals involved (I’m assuming the husband). You and your wife witnessed untoward behavior. So you say, “Your behavior has been noticed and commented on. I don’t want to personally judge you, but … it seems like you’re headed toward some Commandment-breaking stuff. I’m giving you a heads-up. I’d hate to see people get hurt.”
Yes — this could implode your group.
DEAR AMY: I am a retired, 65-year-old woman. I live by myself in a townhouse community.
A few months ago, new neighbors moved in. They are two gay married men, in their 40s.
They introduced themselves to me, and invited me over to their house for a backyard barbecue the weekend after they moved in.
I was surprised that they invited me, because I thought they’d think I was old or boring. I went to their barbecue. I was very nervous, but I had such a good time! They were lovely and funny, and I had so much fun.
Besides waving “hello” to them, or the occasional quick chat outside, we haven’t talked since. They seem to have people over to their home almost every weekend, and are very active, but they’ve never re-extended an invitation.
I don’t want to invade their space or be the “nosy neighbor.” I want to be in their company again, but I want it to be at their house.
I have always been shy, so I don’t know how I should approach this.
How should I get them to invite me back?
Nervous Neighbor
DEAR NERVOUS: Your smart (and nice) new neighbors have done the right thing by inviting you to their home soon after moving in. In a townhouse community, you are living in close proximity (possibly sharing a common wall), and by demonstrating how they entertain, they have created trust, understanding and — yes, your burning desire to spend more social time with them.
You should always and forever be authentically who you are, and you should read and respect whatever social cues they are sending.
These gentlemen likely have a long-standing social circle. You might not be able to angle your way into it, but you could probably deepen your relationship beyond the occasional wave hello.
Even if you don’t feel comfortable reciprocating by inviting these two into your own home, you should have thanked them for their hospitality by sending them a note and a small token — perhaps a plant for their garden.
In order to seed a friendship, you first need to let your neighborliness bloom.
Want Ask Amy delivered to your inbox for free on weekdays?
DEAR AMY: I’m offering my perspective to “Desperate,” who seeks a rural lifestyle while her boyfriend wants to live in a city.
I was in the same position, except I was the one who wanted the city life. My boyfriend won, we got married, and have lived in a small town hundreds of miles from cities.
It’s been 44 years, and not a day passes that I don’t regretfully wonder “what if.”
Country Mouse
DEAR MOUSE: I hope “Desperate” reads your response.
You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.


mercurynews--2020-02-23--2nd person in days killed by Mardi Gras float in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS ( AP ) — A man was struck and killed by a Mardi Gras float during a raucous weekend street parade in New Orleans , becoming the second person in days killed along a parade route during this year ’ s Carnival season , authorities said .
The man was fatally injured Saturday evening as the popular Krewe of Endymion was rolling , New Orleans police said in a statement .
He was pronounced dead at the scene , and the Orleans Parish Coroner ’ s Office was to release his name and cause of death after completing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The remainder of Endymion ’ s parade was scrapped Saturday evening .
Police said 13 floats had already gone ahead when the accident occurred with the 14th float in the formation .
Remaining floats that followed , along with marching groups , were diverted from the accident scene on Canal Street , a wide route popular with parade viewers in the Mississippi River port city .
New Orleans police said first responders swiftly converged on the site , tweeting out calls for crowds to avoid the area .
The float , with its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off by police on horseback and on foot .
All around , streets were strewn with tossed bead necklaces and trinkets thrown from the floats .
The death prompted an outpouring of sympathy from other parade participants , who were working quickly to adjust their parades .
“ The Krewe of Orpheus extends its heartfelt sympathy to the families of those whose lives were lost in the recent parade incidents , ” Krewe of Orpheus Captain Sonny Borey said in a statement , echoing those of other parade participants Sunday .
The fatality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death of a 58-year-old woman who — witnesses said — was run over by a parade float Wednesday night .
Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Saturday night that the south Louisiana city was grieving .
“ To be confronted with such tragedy a second time at the height of our Carnival celebrations seems an unimaginable burden to bear .
The City and the people of New Orleans will come together , we will grieve together , and we will persevere together , ” Cantrell said in a statement .
On Sunday , Cantrell re-emphasized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issue will be examined in the coming days .
“ In the weeks and months ahead , we will be looking at further changes that need to be made to make our routes and our celebrations more safe — but the work starts right now , ” she said in a statement .
Also Sunday , a person riding on a float in the Thoth parade in New Orleans fell from a lower level and was injured .
City officials tweeted via NOLA Ready , an emergency preparedness site , that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trauma center .
That person wasn ’ t immediately identified .
Wednesday ’ s fatality had occurred during the parade of the Mystic Krewe of Nyx , an all-female Carnival group .
Witnesses said the woman , New Orleans native Geraldine Carmouche , had apparently tried to cross between two parts of a tandem float and tripped over a hitch connecting the sections .
Tandem floats , similar to the one involved in Saturday ’ s incident , are multiple floats connected together and pulled by one tractor .
Tandem floats would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remaining in the 2020 festival season , city agency NOLA Ready tweeted .
Each float will require its own tractor , The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said .
The Krewe of Bacchus was splitting its tandem floats for its Bacchus Sunday evening parade at the city ’ s request , the group said in a statement .
The Krewe of Orpheus said it would follow the city ’ s safety recommendations for its parade Monday .
The Carnival season is nearing its traditional all-out Fat Tuesday celebration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more of parades and partying .
The deaths also come just a year after a car sped into a bicycle lane near a parade route , hitting nine people and killing two bicyclists not far from where the Krewe of Endymion formation had just passed .
A man identified as the driver was subsequently charged with two counts of vehicular homicide .
Before this year , the most recent Carnival float-related fatality in Louisiana happened in 2009 , when a 23-year-old rider fell from a float and in front of its wheels in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kilometers ) west of New Orleans .
In 2008 , a rider getting off a three-part float after the Krewe of Endymion parade in New Orleans was killed when the float lurched forward and the third section ran over him , police said .

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A man was struck and killed by a Mardi Gras float during a raucous weekend street parade in New Orleans, becoming the second person in days killed along a parade route during this year’s Carnival season, authorities said.
The man was fatally injured Saturday evening as the popular Krewe of Endymion was rolling, New Orleans police said in a statement. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office was to release his name and cause of death after completing an autopsy and notifying his family.
The remainder of Endymion’s parade was scrapped Saturday evening. Police said 13 floats had already gone ahead when the accident occurred with the 14th float in the formation. Remaining floats that followed, along with marching groups, were diverted from the accident scene on Canal Street, a wide route popular with parade viewers in the Mississippi River port city.
The float, with its gaudy lights still twinkling, was cordoned off by police on horseback and on foot. All around, streets were strewn with tossed bead necklaces and trinkets thrown from the floats.
The death prompted an outpouring of sympathy from other parade participants, who were working quickly to adjust their parades.
“The Krewe of Orpheus extends its heartfelt sympathy to the families of those whose lives were lost in the recent parade incidents,” Krewe of Orpheus Captain Sonny Borey said in a statement, echoing those of other parade participants Sunday.
The fatality came as New Orleans was mourning the death of a 58-year-old woman who — witnesses said — was run over by a parade float Wednesday night.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell said the Louisiana city was grieving.
“To be confronted with such tragedy a second time at the height of our Carnival celebrations seems an unimaginable burden to bear. The City and the people of New Orleans will come together, we will grieve together, and we will persevere together,” Cantrell said in a statement.
On Sunday, Cantrell re-emphasized the need for safety precautions and said the issue will be examined in the coming days.
“In the weeks and months ahead, we will be looking at further changes that need to be made to make our routes and our celebrations more safe — but the work starts right now,” she said in a statement.
Adding to the safety concerns, a person riding on a float in the Thoth parade in New Orleans fell Sunday from a lower level and was injured. City officials tweeted via NOLA Ready, an emergency preparedness site, that the float rider was in stable condition at a trauma center. That person wasn’t immediately identified.
Wednesday’s fatality had occurred during the parade of the Mystic Krewe of Nyx, an all-female Carnival group. Witnesses said the woman, New Orleans native Geraldine Carmouche, had apparently tried to cross between two parts of a tandem float and tripped over a hitch connecting the sections.
The New Orleans Police Department tweeted later Sunday that it was banning all tandem floats, with the exception of large ones lighted with generators, from rolling in parades this festival season. Tandem floats, similar to the one involved in Saturday’s incident, are multiple floats connected together and pulled by one tractor.
The Carnival season is nearing its traditional all-out Fat Tuesday celebration, the raucous climax of a week or more of parades and partying.
The deaths also come just a year after a car sped into a bicycle lane near a parade route, hitting nine people and killing two bicyclists not far from where the Krewe of Endymion formation had just passed. A man identified as the driver was subsequently charged with two counts of vehicular homicide.
Before this year, the most recent Carnival float-related fatality in Louisiana happened in 2009, when a 23-year-old rider fell from a float and in front of its wheels in Carencro, about 120 miles (195 kilometers) west of New Orleans. And in 2008, a rider getting off a three-part float after the Krewe of Endymion parade in New Orleans was killed when the float lurched forward and the third section ran over him, according to police.


mercurynews--2020-02-23--Colorado hires Karl Dorrell: Dig deep enough, and you can spot reasons it makes sense (but you have

Colorado hires Karl Dorrell: Dig deep enough, and you can spot reasons it makes sense (but you have to really dig)

The Karl Dorrell hire has generated more shrugs than sizzle with many Colorado fans and in the media , and it ’ s difficult to envision an instant bump in CU season-ticket sales .
And the Hotline ’ s reaction , frankly , is essentially the same .
Dorrell , a Miami Dolphins assistant , wouldn ’ t have been on our list of 20 potential candidates to replace Mel Tucker .
Dorrell was an undistinguished head coach in his only previous tenure , which ended during the second Bush presidency .
He spent most of the past 13 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a candidate for head coaching jobs at the pro or college level … not a hot name or a warm name or even a room-temperature name .
Karl Dorrell is the best Colorado could do ?
But with a deeper dig , with a longer look , the other camp — the camp in which Dorrell makes some sense — is faintly visible on the horizon .
Examining that camp , here ’ s what we see … *** Dorrell was hired by UCLA , his alma mater , on his 39th birthday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a head coach , at least a high-level head coach .
That was evident in the moment — Dorrell as UCLA ’ s counter to Pete Carroll ?
Oh , goodness — and it has held true through the passage of time .
But Dorrell is now 56 , having spent the majority of the past 12 seasons on NFL staffs .
The NFL background should play well in recruiting , and the experience everywhere should aid his management of the program .
* Mel Tucker arrived in Boulder as a 47-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colorado or in the Pac-12 .
* Dorrell arrives in Boulder as a 56-year-old former major college head coach with two stints on the Colorado staff and experience working for the greatest coach in CU history .
During his first and only public comments on the search , which came in the immediate aftermath of Tucker ’ s departure , Colorado athletic director Rick George said the following : “ I want somebody that shares my passion for this university .
If that someone has been here before , that ’ s great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that passion about Colorado that I do.
” As mentioned above , Dorrell is a former Colorado assistant coach twice over : He served on staff for CU legend Bill McCartney in the early 1990s and then was offensive coordinator in Boulder under Rick Neuheisel in the mid/late 1990s .
So Dorrell surely has an affinity for CU , a passion for the school and the community .
Now , we should mention that the likelihood of Dorrell being a hot name on the coaching carousel in a few years is south of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t a hot candidate … until one deep-pocketed school got desperate .
His background at Michigan State was the X factor .
No such Big Ten/SEC dynamic exists with Dorrell .
The Buffaloes were helpless to retain Tucker .
They spent a week interviewing and pondering options with varying degrees of sizzle .
And they ended up hiring an off-the-radar coach who would have jumped at the job from the start .
But if we squint across the landscape to that other camp , where optics are irrelevant , one thought comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colorado football under Dorrell that much lower than the ceiling under Tucker ?
It ’ s unknowable , of course .
But the Buffaloes have produced one winning season in the past 14 .
Tucker recruited well in his short tenure , and Dorrell must do the same , of course .
But given the current resources ( modest ) and the in-state talent ( modest ) and the absence of Nick Saban or Bill McCartney on the sideline , we view the Buffaloes as being , at best , a second-level program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wins the next year , 8/9 wins the next year … and repeat .
Of course , it ’ s worth repeating : The optics are bad .
*** Dorrell ’ s success hinges largely on his staff — in particular , his choices for defensive coordinator and strength/conditioning coach .
His background is offense , and we ’ re assuming that Darrin Chiaverini , the Buffaloes ’ well-regard offensive assistant , will remain on staff .
( Chiaverini played for Dorrell at Colorado when the latter was the receivers coach . )
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ — that ’ s the key .
One of Dorrell ’ s problems at UCLA , perhaps his primary problem , was an immense amount of staff turnover and some questionable hiring decisions .
To that end , the compensation for assistants is critical .
Tucker ’ s staff salary pool was $ 3.16 million in 2019 , according to the USA Today salary database .
Among the Pac-12 public schools , only Oregon State and Arizona were lower .
Dorrell ’ s staff pool is $ 3.8 million , a significant 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list , especially at the DC position .
Based on 2019 figures , that pool would be No .
6 among the publics .
It ’ s the best CU fans could have hoped for , frankly , given Colorado ’ s budget .
Dorrell , if you ’ re wondering , received a five-year contract worth $ 18 million .
The first-year compensation is $ 3.2 million , with $ 200,000 escalators .
*** The Pac-12 has turned over 25 percent of its football coaches this winter .
Of the three newbies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head coach before ( Washington ’ s Jimmy Lake ) .
One hasn ’ t been a head coach this decade ( Dorrell ) .
One is new to the Power Five ( Washington State ’ s Nick Rolovich ) .
That ’ s not the most inspiring collective resume — the risk factor feels high .
But taken on a case-by-case basis , the moves make more sense given the broader framework of Pac-12 resources and hiring philosophies .
Rolovich was the smart move for WSU given his style of play and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Washington given his success on the Huskies staff as a play caller and recruiter .
Dorrell is tougher to square , save for his affinity for Colorado , and his appointment requires a greater leap of faith .
As the Hotline does with every head coaching hire in the conference , we ’ ll check back after three years .
Support the Hotline : Several Hotline articles will remain free each month ( as will the newsletter ) , but for access to all content , you ’ ll need to subscribe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of $ 1 per week for a full year or — introductory offer alert !
— just 99 cents for the first month , with the option to cancel anytime .
Click here .
And thanks for your loyalty .
*** Send suggestions , comments and tips ( confidentiality guaranteed ) to pac12hotline @ bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716 *** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference , and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference .

The Karl Dorrell hire has generated more shrugs than sizzle with many Colorado fans and in the media, and it’s difficult to envision an instant bump in CU season-ticket sales.
And the Hotline’s reaction, frankly, is essentially the same.
Dorrell, a Miami Dolphins assistant, wouldn’t have been on our list of 20 potential candidates to replace Mel Tucker.
(And if you had suggested his name for the 21st spot, we would have assumed it was in jest.)
Dorrell was an undistinguished head coach in his only previous tenure, which ended during the second Bush presidency.
He spent most of the past 13 years in the NFL, never mentioned as a candidate for head coaching jobs at the pro or college level … not a hot name or a warm name or even a room-temperature name.
Karl Dorrell is the best Colorado could do?
But with a deeper dig, with a longer look, the other camp — the camp in which Dorrell makes some sense — is faintly visible on the horizon.
Examining that camp, here’s what we see …
*** Dorrell was hired by UCLA, his alma mater, on his 39th birthday.
He wasn’t ready to be a head coach, at least a high-level head coach.
That was evident in the moment — Dorrell as UCLA’s counter to Pete Carroll? Oh, goodness — and it has held true through the passage of time.
His record in Westwood:
6-7/4-4
6-6/4-4
10-2/6-2
7-6/5-4
6-6/5-4
Total: 35-27/24-18
But Dorrell is now 56, having spent the majority of the past 12 seasons on NFL staffs.
The NFL background should play well in recruiting, and the experience everywhere should aid his management of the program.
That’s 17 years on sidelines, 17 years in meetings, 17 years evaluating talent, 17 years studying film.
Put another way:
* Mel Tucker arrived in Boulder as a 47-year-old first-time head coach with no experience at Colorado or in the Pac-12.
* Dorrell arrives in Boulder as a 56-year-old former major college head coach with two stints on the Colorado staff and experience working for the greatest coach in CU history.
*** Vital point to understanding the hire:
During his first and only public comments on the search, which came in the immediate aftermath of Tucker’s departure, Colorado athletic director Rick George said the following:
“I want somebody that shares my passion for this university. If that someone has been here before, that’s great. But I want someone that shares that passion about Colorado that I do.”
As mentioned above, Dorrell is a former Colorado assistant coach twice over:
He served on staff for CU legend Bill McCartney in the early 1990s and then was offensive coordinator in Boulder under Rick Neuheisel in the mid/late 1990s.
So Dorrell surely has an affinity for CU, a passion for the school and the community.
Now, we should mention that the likelihood of Dorrell being a hot name on the coaching carousel in a few years is south of slim.
Then again, Tucker wasn’t a hot candidate … until one deep-pocketed school got desperate.
His background at Michigan State was the X factor.
No such Big Ten/SEC dynamic exists with Dorrell.
*** The optics are bad.
The Buffaloes were helpless to retain Tucker.
They spent a week interviewing and pondering options with varying degrees of sizzle.
And they ended up hiring an off-the-radar coach who would have jumped at the job from the start.
But if we squint across the landscape to that other camp, where optics are irrelevant, one thought comes to mind:
Is the ceiling for Colorado football under Dorrell that much lower than the ceiling under Tucker?
It’s unknowable, of course. But the Buffaloes have produced one winning season in the past 14.
Tucker recruited well in his short tenure, and Dorrell must do the same, of course.
But given the current resources (modest) and the in-state talent (modest) and the absence of Nick Saban or Bill McCartney on the sideline, we view the Buffaloes as being, at best, a second-level program:
4/5 wins one year, 6/7 wins the next year, 8/9 wins the next year … and repeat.
Of course, it’s worth repeating: The optics are bad.
*** Dorrell’s success hinges largely on his staff — in particular, his choices for defensive coordinator and strength/conditioning coach.
His background is offense, and we’re assuming that Darrin Chiaverini, the Buffaloes’ well-regard offensive assistant, will remain on staff. (Chiaverini played for Dorrell at Colorado when the latter was the receivers coach.)
But the other side of the ball — that’s the key.
One of Dorrell’s problems at UCLA, perhaps his primary problem, was an immense amount of staff turnover and some questionable hiring decisions.
(After his best year, 2005, when the Bruins went 10-2, Dorrell lost four assistants/coordinators to other jobs and fired two more.)
To that end, the compensation for assistants is critical.
Tucker’s staff salary pool was $3.16 million in 2019, according to the USA Today salary database.
Among the Pac-12 public schools, only Oregon State and Arizona were lower.
Dorrell’s staff pool is $3.8 million, a significant 20 percent increase that should expand his candidate list , especially at the DC position.
Based on 2019 figures, that pool would be No. 6 among the publics.
It’s the best CU fans could have hoped for, frankly, given Colorado’s budget.
Dorrell, if you’re wondering, received a five-year contract worth $18 million. The first-year compensation is $3.2 million, with $200,000 escalators.
*** The Pac-12 has turned over 25 percent of its football coaches this winter.
Of the three newbies:
One hasn’t been a head coach before (Washington’s Jimmy Lake).
One hasn’t been a head coach this decade (Dorrell).
One is new to the Power Five (Washington State’s Nick Rolovich).
That’s not the most inspiring collective resume — the risk factor feels high.
But taken on a case-by-case basis, the moves make more sense given the broader framework of Pac-12 resources and hiring philosophies.
Rolovich was the smart move for WSU given his style of play and affordability.
Lake was the obvious hire for Washington given his success on the Huskies staff as a play caller and recruiter.
Dorrell is tougher to square, save for his affinity for Colorado, and his appointment requires a greater leap of faith.
As the Hotline does with every head coaching hire in the conference, we’ll check back after three years.
Support the Hotline: Several Hotline articles will remain free each month (as will the newsletter), but for access to all content, you’ll need to subscribe. I’ve secured a rate of $1 per week for a full year or — introductory offer alert! — just 99 cents for the first month, with the option to cancel anytime. Click here. And thanks for your loyalty.
*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716
*** Follow me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline
*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.


mercurynews--2020-02-23--Man drives Jeep off 6-story roof of Los Angeles-area garage

SANTA MONICA — A man drove his Jeep off the sixth floor of a Los Angeles-area parking garage early Sunday and was taken to a hospital in critical condition , authorities said .
When officers arrived shortly after midnight , they found the destroyed vehicle up against a McDonald ’ s restaurant across the street from the garage in Santa Monica , police said .
They said the 20-year-old driver , who was not immediately identified , was conscious and speaking with officers when they arrived .
Firefighters extricated him from the wreckage and took him to a local trauma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical condition , the Santa Monica Fire Department said .
Two passengers inside the Jeep were able to jump out before it went off the roof , the Los Angeles Times reported .
• Remembering Kobe : Visit these 50 murals on your next Southern California trip • Coronavirus : Travis AFB ’ s infected people must go – but where ?
Police in the coastal city were investigating the cause .
Because the man was receiving medical treatment , investigators weren ’ t yet able to determine whether drugs or alcohol were @ @ @ @ @ @ @

SANTA MONICA — A man drove his Jeep off the sixth floor of a Los Angeles-area parking garage early Sunday and was taken to a hospital in critical condition, authorities said.
When officers arrived shortly after midnight, they found the destroyed vehicle up against a McDonald’s restaurant across the street from the garage in Santa Monica, police said.
They said the 20-year-old driver, who was not immediately identified, was conscious and speaking with officers when they arrived.
Firefighters extricated him from the wreckage and took him to a local trauma center, where he was listed in critical condition, the Santa Monica Fire Department said.
Two passengers inside the Jeep were able to jump out before it went off the roof, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Police in the coastal city were investigating the cause. Because the man was receiving medical treatment, investigators weren’t yet able to determine whether drugs or alcohol were a factor, the newspaper said.


mercurynews--2020-02-23--Five things we learned in the Giants’ Cactus League win over the A’s

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After the Giants dropped a blowout on day one of Cactus League play , the first-year manager watched his players defeat the A ’ s 5-3 on Sunday to secure his first win with his new club .
The spring training victory doesn ’ t count for much and won ’ t go in an official record book , but the energy and enthusiasm his players and coaches had as they departed Hohokam Stadium meant a lot to Kapler .
What stood out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spring ?
Here ’ s five things we learned in Mesa .
Giants pitching prospect Sean Hjelle didn ’ t receive an invitation to major league camp last year , but after reaching Double-A during an impressive 2019 season , Hjelle got the nod this spring .
The 2018 second round draft choice made his Cactus League debut Sunday and impressed Kapler with the confidence and velocity he showed in the bottom of the ninth inning against the A ’ s .
“ It was certainly encouraging to see him come out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bit of a nerve-wracking situation for him , ” Kapler said .
Hjelle was the last pitcher to enter Sunday ’ s game and he recorded a pair of flyouts to right field before inducing a soft groundout to pick up a save .
The Giants will eventually stretch Hjelle out as a starter as he prepares for his second full minor league season , but they were pleased with his work out of the bullpen against Oakland as he consistently hit 95 miles per hour with his four-seam fastball .
Kapler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his stomach for his first outing when he began warming up ahead of schedule in the top of the eighth inning .
“ When ( Luís ) Madero was on the mound , I had to call down and say , ‘ Hjelle doesn ’ t think he ’ s coming in in this inning , right ?
’ ( Craig Alvarez ) said no , he just wanted to throw a bit so I think that was getting some nerves out.
” The Giants haven ’ t said where Hjelle will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s sixth-ranked prospect according to MLB.com will likely start out the year at Double-A Richmond .
• Five things we learned from the Giants ’ Cactus League opener against the Dodgers • Best ballparks for beer : Where do the Giants and A ’ s rank ?
• Five things we learned at Giants HQ : Bruce Bochy arrives in camp , the first lineup and more With Buster Posey and Joey Bart splitting time behind home plate in Saturday ’ s Cactus League opener , the Giants essentially postponed the start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Posey will start for the Giants while Bart is expected to open the year in the minors so he can play every day , but the team needs a replacement for Stephen Vogt who parlayed an excellent 2019 season into a free-agent deal with the D ’ backs this offseason .
After Aramis Garcia underwent hip surgery earlier this month , Tyler Heineman and Rob Brantly emerged as the front-runners for the job and the Giants expect the battle to go down to the wire .
Heineman started Sunday ’ s game and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard and made an outstanding defensive play as he leaned over the third base dugout railing to snag the final out of an inning .
Brantly sent a flyball to the right field warning track in his first plate appearance , drilled a go-ahead single in the eighth and also turned heads with his defense as he threw a strike to second base to catch A ’ s shortstop Nate Orf stealing in the fifth inning .
The Giants won ’ t necessarily choose between Heineman and Brantly as the team could still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day , but Kapler loves the energy each of the primary backup candidates provide .
After Sunday ’ s game , Brantly walked through the victory handshake line yelling , “ Never in doubt !
” It ’ s important to give players at least a week or two of game-action before making judgments on the effectiveness of new adjustments or tweaks , but the Giants should be encouraged by the way so many veterans have been willing to embrace the suggestions of new coaches .
Looking for results from the regulars ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ least another day .
After Buster Posey , Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt combined to go 0-for-6 in Saturday ’ s game , Mike Yastrzemski , Wilmer Flores and Alex Dickerson went 0-for-5 with a walk against the A ’ s .
The Giants held Brandon Crawford and Hunter Pence back from games on the first two days , but Kapler has indicated they ’ ll be in lineups soon .
It ’ s not the way the Giants envisioned the first two days of the spring going for players who figure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , but time is on their side .
The Giants have eight infielders on the 40-man roster and are also giving minor-league free-agent Yolmer Sánchez a serious chance to win a major league job this spring , so the competition for roles is expected to heat up quickly .
Infielders Kean Wong and Abiatal Avelino made early impressions in their first Cactus League action on Sunday as Avelino ’ s first swing of the spring resulted in a loud home run that landed beyond the left field fence while Wong went 2-for-2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was nice to see Avelino drive the baseball because he ’ s perceived to be a defense-first shortstop caliber player and to see him drive the baseball early in the game was certainly encouraging.
” Both players have minor league options , but Wong appears to have an easier path to the roster as he ’ s a left-handed hitter who can give the Giants depth behind starter Evan Longoria at third base .
It wouldn ’ t be a surprise to see Avelino and Wong to form the Opening Day middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cats , but both could easily see time in San Francisco this year .
With so many players in camp , it ’ s easy for some of the unfamiliar faces and less heralded players to fly under the radar until games start .
Minor league free-agent Jamie Westbrook is one of several non-roster invitees in camp without major league experience , but he showed off some intriguing talent in Sunday ’ s game .
The 24-year-old designated hitter reached base in both of his plate appearances as he walked and scored a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubled out to the deepest part of Hohokam Stadium in the top of the fifth .
Westbrook ’ s impressive speed helped the Giants score their first run as he went from first to third on a single to left field by Kean Wong and then scored when Wong took second base on a throw .
“ I think that was the standout of the day , we ran the bases super aggressive and also took some smart chances there , ” Kapler said .
With fewer than 150 plate appearances in parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t likely to steal an Opening Day roster spot with his work this spring , but he offers the Giants two valuable skills : Speed and the ability to get on base .
The former D ’ backs prospect improved his plate discipline last season and posted a .340 on-base percentage in Double-A before finishing the season with a .413 on-base percentage in a 30-game stint at Triple-A .
It ’ s rare to acquire free-agents as young as Westbrook , so the Giants have a good chance to continue facilitating @ @ @

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MESA, Ariz. — Gabe Kapler has entered the win column.
After the Giants dropped a blowout on day one of Cactus League play, the first-year manager watched his players defeat the A’s 5-3 on Sunday to secure his first win with his new club.
The spring training victory doesn’t count for much and won’t go in an official record book, but the energy and enthusiasm his players and coaches had as they departed Hohokam Stadium meant a lot to Kapler.
What stood out from the Giants’ first win of the spring? Here’s five things we learned in Mesa.
Sean Hjelle debuts in orange and black
Giants pitching prospect Sean Hjelle didn’t receive an invitation to major league camp last year, but after reaching Double-A during an impressive 2019 season, Hjelle got the nod this spring.
The 2018 second round draft choice made his Cactus League debut Sunday and impressed Kapler with the confidence and velocity he showed in the bottom of the ninth inning against the A’s.
“It was certainly encouraging to see him come out there in this situation which is probably a bit of a nerve-wracking situation for him,” Kapler said.
Hjelle was the last pitcher to enter Sunday’s game and he recorded a pair of flyouts to right field before inducing a soft groundout to pick up a save. The Giants will eventually stretch Hjelle out as a starter as he prepares for his second full minor league season, but they were pleased with his work out of the bullpen against Oakland as he consistently hit 95 miles per hour with his four-seam fastball.
Kapler said he could tell Hjelle had butterflies in his stomach for his first outing when he began warming up ahead of schedule in the top of the eighth inning.
“When (Luís) Madero was on the mound, I had to call down and say, ‘Hjelle doesn’t think he’s coming in in this inning, right?’ (Craig Alvarez) said no, he just wanted to throw a bit so I think that was getting some nerves out.”
The Giants haven’t said where Hjelle will open the season, but the organization’s sixth-ranked prospect according to MLB.com will likely start out the year at Double-A Richmond.
Catcher competition begins
With Buster Posey and Joey Bart splitting time behind home plate in Saturday’s Cactus League opener, the Giants essentially postponed the start of their catching competition until Sunday. Posey will start for the Giants while Bart is expected to open the year in the minors so he can play every day, but the team needs a replacement for Stephen Vogt who parlayed an excellent 2019 season into a free-agent deal with the D’backs this offseason.
After Aramis Garcia underwent hip surgery earlier this month, Tyler Heineman and Rob Brantly emerged as the front-runners for the job and the Giants expect the battle to go down to the wire. Heineman started Sunday’s game and went 0-for-2, but hit two balls hard and made an outstanding defensive play as he leaned over the third base dugout railing to snag the final out of an inning.
Brantly sent a flyball to the right field warning track in his first plate appearance, drilled a go-ahead single in the eighth and also turned heads with his defense as he threw a strike to second base to catch A’s shortstop Nate Orf stealing in the fifth inning.
The Giants won’t necessarily choose between Heineman and Brantly as the team could still acquire a veteran catcher closer to Opening Day, but Kapler loves the energy each of the primary backup candidates provide.
After Sunday’s game, Brantly walked through the victory handshake line yelling, “Never in doubt!”
Starters starting slow
It’s important to give players at least a week or two of game-action before making judgments on the effectiveness of new adjustments or tweaks, but the Giants should be encouraged by the way so many veterans have been willing to embrace the suggestions of new coaches.
Looking for results from the regulars? You’ll have to wait at least another day.
After Buster Posey, Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt combined to go 0-for-6 in Saturday’s game, Mike Yastrzemski, Wilmer Flores and Alex Dickerson went 0-for-5 with a walk against the A’s. The Giants held Brandon Crawford and Hunter Pence back from games on the first two days, but Kapler has indicated they’ll be in lineups soon.
It’s not the way the Giants envisioned the first two days of the spring going for players who figure to have the most opportunities early in the year, but time is on their side.
Infielders make an impression
The Giants have eight infielders on the 40-man roster and are also giving minor-league free-agent Yolmer Sánchez a serious chance to win a major league job this spring, so the competition for roles is expected to heat up quickly.
Infielders Kean Wong and Abiatal Avelino made early impressions in their first Cactus League action on Sunday as Avelino’s first swing of the spring resulted in a loud home run that landed beyond the left field fence while Wong went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles.
“It was nice to see Avelino drive the baseball because he’s perceived to be a defense-first shortstop caliber player and to see him drive the baseball early in the game was certainly encouraging.”
Both players have minor league options, but Wong appears to have an easier path to the roster as he’s a left-handed hitter who can give the Giants depth behind starter Evan Longoria at third base. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Avelino and Wong to form the Opening Day middle infield combo for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, but both could easily see time in San Francisco this year.
Westbrook on the radar
With so many players in camp, it’s easy for some of the unfamiliar faces and less heralded players to fly under the radar until games start.
Minor league free-agent Jamie Westbrook is one of several non-roster invitees in camp without major league experience, but he showed off some intriguing talent in Sunday’s game. The 24-year-old designated hitter reached base in both of his plate appearances as he walked and scored a run in the third inning and then doubled out to the deepest part of Hohokam Stadium in the top of the fifth.
Westbrook’s impressive speed helped the Giants score their first run as he went from first to third on a single to left field by Kean Wong and then scored when Wong took second base on a throw.
“I think that was the standout of the day, we ran the bases super aggressive and also took some smart chances there,” Kapler said.
With fewer than 150 plate appearances in parts of two seasons at Triple-A, Westbrook isn’t likely to steal an Opening Day roster spot with his work this spring, but he offers the Giants two valuable skills: Speed and the ability to get on base.
The former D’backs prospect improved his plate discipline last season and posted a .340 on-base percentage in Double-A before finishing the season with a .413 on-base percentage in a 30-game stint at Triple-A. It’s rare to acquire free-agents as young as Westbrook, so the Giants have a good chance to continue facilitating his development.


mercurynews--2020-02-23--Haiti police exchange fire with troops near national palace

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PORT-AU-PRINCE , Haiti — Off-duty police officers and their supporters exchanged fire for nearly two hours on Sunday with members of the newly reconstituted Haitian army in front of the national palace , in a dangerous escalation of protests over police pay and working conditions .
At least three police officers were wounded , fellow officers told The Associated Press .
Associated Press journalists saw dozens of men who said they were off-duty officers march with hundreds of supporters toward the palace in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better pay for Haitian law-enforcement officers .
The protest stopped outside the army headquarters facing the palace .
Associated Press journalists then saw several soldiers at the headquarters building fire into the air .
Shortly afterward , an exchange of fire erupted between the soldiers and police .
It was not clear which side began firing at the other first .
The army was disbanded in 1995 after the fall of a dictatorship that used soldiers to repress domestic opponents .
President Jovenel Moise reformed the army in 2017 , promising that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , assist in natural disasters and avoid domestic affairs .
At least three men were taken to a hospital near the shooting with wounds to the legs and feet that did not appear to be life-threatening .
Uniformed police officers told an AP journalist that the wounded men were fellow officers .
The uniformed officers spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press .
• Austria stops all trains to and from Italy over virus fears • Coronavirus : Travis AFB ’ s infected people must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantined cruise ship passenger had to give up her elaborate birthday plans , then kind-hearted health officials gave her a surprise she ’ ll never forget Shooting continued until after 3 p.m. and did not appear to be ceasing .

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By Evens Sanon | Associated Press
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Off-duty police officers and their supporters exchanged fire for nearly two hours on Sunday with members of the newly reconstituted Haitian army in front of the national palace, in a dangerous escalation of protests over police pay and working conditions.
At least three police officers were wounded, fellow officers told The Associated Press.
Associated Press journalists saw dozens of men who said they were off-duty officers march with hundreds of supporters toward the palace in the latest in days of demonstrations demanding better pay for Haitian law-enforcement officers.
The protest stopped outside the army headquarters facing the palace.
Associated Press journalists then saw several soldiers at the headquarters building fire into the air. Shortly afterward, an exchange of fire erupted between the soldiers and police. It was not clear which side began firing at the other first.
The army was disbanded in 1995 after the fall of a dictatorship that used soldiers to repress domestic opponents. President Jovenel Moise reformed the army in 2017, promising that the military would patrol Haiti’s borders, assist in natural disasters and avoid domestic affairs.
At least three men were taken to a hospital near the shooting with wounds to the legs and feet that did not appear to be life-threatening. Uniformed police officers told an AP journalist that the wounded men were fellow officers. The uniformed officers spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.
Shooting continued until after 3 p.m. and did not appear to be ceasing.


mercurynews--2020-02-23--Box office goes ‘Sonic’ again but hears ‘Call of the Wild’

LOS ANGELES — The hedgehog edged the sled dog by a nose at the box office .
“ Sonic : The Hedgehog ” zoomed to the top of the box office with a take of $ 26.3 million in its second weekend while audiences ignored critics and heeded “ The Call of the Wild ” as the Harrison Ford CGI dog flick finished a close second with $ 24.8 million , according to studio estimates Sunday .
It was a strong weekend for both films , with each outperforming expectations and overcoming early doubts about design problems .
Paramount Pictures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Hedgehog ” was a laughingstock when its first trailer was released last year , but after a delay and a title-character makeover , the film has now spent two weeks atop the box office and brought in over $ 200 million globally .
20th Century Studios ’ “ The Call of the Wild ” was also mocked by many on social media for its CGI dog — the first five film adaptations of Jack London ’ s 1903 novel all used real ones — and reviews were decidedly mixed with a Rotten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moviegoers bought into the digital dog and his 77-year-old co-star , who would have won the weekend were it not for a late surge from “ Sonic.
” “ For ‘ Call of the Wild ’ heading into weekend the estimates were all over the place , as low as 10 million for the weekend , some saying it could do 15 , maybe 20 , ” said Paul Dergarabedian , senior media analyst for Comscore .
“ So like ‘ Sonic ’ it over-performed.
” In a very distant third with $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Birds of Prey ” in its third week .
The weekend ’ s other wide release , “ Brahms : The Boy II ” starring Katie Holmes , was fourth with just $ 5.9 million .
That was a disappointing opening at a time of year when horror films often do well .
2020 appears to be bucking that trend with family films thriving in the early weeks of the year .
“ ‘ Sonic ’ and ‘ Call of the Wild ’ represent two PG-rated movies where that void in the marketplace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ success in this part of the year , a time that ’ s usually dominated by awards holdovers and R-rated films , ” Dergarabedian said .
And those family audiences may be why critics didn ’ t matter for the top two films .
“ PG-rated films are more immune to reviews and are more about the audience .
If a kid wants to go see a film , they ’ re going to go see it ” he said .
Best picture winner “ Parasite ” continued its post-Oscars surge in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rally by President Donald Trump , bringing in $ 3.2 million in North America , where it has earned nearly $ 50 million .
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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters , according to Comscore .
Where available , the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included .

By Andrew Dalton | Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — The hedgehog edged the sled dog by a nose at the box office.
“Sonic: The Hedgehog” zoomed to the top of the box office with a take of $26.3 million in its second weekend while audiences ignored critics and heeded “The Call of the Wild” as the Harrison Ford CGI dog flick finished a close second with $24.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
It was a strong weekend for both films, with each outperforming expectations and overcoming early doubts about design problems.
Paramount Pictures’ Sega video game adaptation “Sonic the Hedgehog” was a laughingstock when its first trailer was released last year, but after a delay and a title-character makeover, the film has now spent two weeks atop the box office and brought in over $200 million globally.
20th Century Studios’ “The Call of the Wild” was also mocked by many on social media for its CGI dog — the first five film adaptations of Jack London’s 1903 novel all used real ones — and reviews were decidedly mixed with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 62 percent, but moviegoers bought into the digital dog and his 77-year-old co-star, who would have won the weekend were it not for a late surge from “Sonic.”
“For ‘Call of the Wild’ heading into weekend the estimates were all over the place, as low as 10 million for the weekend, some saying it could do 15, maybe 20,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “So like ‘Sonic’ it over-performed.”
In a very distant third with $7 million was “Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey” in its third week.
The weekend’s other wide release, “Brahms: The Boy II” starring Katie Holmes, was fourth with just $5.9 million.
That was a disappointing opening at a time of year when horror films often do well. 2020 appears to be bucking that trend with family films thriving in the early weeks of the year.
“‘Sonic’ and ‘Call of the Wild’ represent two PG-rated movies where that void in the marketplace for families is the key to their success in this part of the year, a time that’s usually dominated by awards holdovers and R-rated films,” Dergarabedian said.
And those family audiences may be why critics didn’t matter for the top two films.
“PG-rated films are more immune to reviews and are more about the audience. If a kid wants to go see a film, they’re going to go see it” he said.
Best picture winner “Parasite” continued its post-Oscars surge in a week where its victory was mocked at a rally by President Donald Trump, bringing in $3.2 million in North America, where it has earned nearly $50 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included.