mercurynews--2020-09-15--Toxic air, wildfires — is it time to leave California?

When I first visited the Bay Area , I can ’ t say I fell in love with it .
We were 19 , traveling cross-country during the summer , Vinny and Judy in their pickup truck with a camper top Vinny built , Bob and me in Bob ’ s bright yellow VW Beetle .
While staying overnight with a friend in the Haight , thieves helped themselves to the CD player and camera we left on the backseat ( OK , that was stupid ) , and overturned our cooler , soaking the backseat and floor .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city the Mamas & the Papas promised us would be filled with “ gentle people with flowers in their hair , ” a man approached the car and threw hundreds of colored rubber bands into the window , as he screamed , “ Go back home to Naziland , you Nazis.
” A decade later , I moved here anyway .
That ’ s what falling in love will do , at first with the man who lived here and then with my state .
And in the decades that I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer than the man — I never gave even a second ’ s thought about living any other place .
A few months in France or Spain or Portugal in retirement , sure .
But for good ?
Never .
Apparently , I ’ m not alone .
There ’ s chatter on Facebook and groups forming on Nextdoor asking neighbors where they might be thinking of moving to .
A new study indicates that nearly half of Californians who can work from home are thinking of splitting the Golden State .
Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaving California in recent years anyway , tired of the traffic , the homelessness , the ridiculously high cost of living .
Many went to Oregon , but our neighboring state no longer seems like a safe haven .
For a long time , my only fear living here was the Big One that is sure to hit us one day .
Now ?
An earthquake , even a massive temblor , feels somewhat doable .
Unbearable heat ; earlier , bigger and more-frequent wildfires ; toxic air that last week turned an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a to-go bag ready at all times — California ’ s new reality is starting to not feel so doable .
The California Dream has become more of a never-ending nightmare .
Still , even with a pandemic raging , there was always the outdoors — in my mind , the only reason to pay the big bucks to live in Marin .
A walk in the hood , a hike to the beach or on Mount Tam , a drive to West Marin or farther to go camping when we could — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anxiety and isolation brought on by months of lockdown .
And then the air became dangerously unbreathable , thanks to the fires , and we are forced back inside , where I ’ ve had lots of time to mull over a question I find myself asking myself more and more — how many more years of this can I handle ?
And if I can ’ t handle it , where will I go ?
The rest of the world won ’ t even let us in now , so there goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just so I can live overseas if the election doesn ’ t go the way it must if we have any hope of getting a handle on climate change .
I have friends in Colorado and D.C. and a son in Atlanta , although the South hardly seems like the place to head to as we grapple with an ever-warming climate .
One friend is trying to convince me that Providence , Rhode Island , is a good place to live while another is chatting up the artsy community in Charlotte , North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what ’ s ahead for those states — any state , actually — there ’ s nothing promising .
Flooding , excessive heat , hurricanes , wildfires , drought — pick your poison .
Because there ’ s no place to escape climate change .
If you ’ re trying to avoid excessive heat , the options are pretty limited , geography professor Camilo Mora says .
It basically comes down to one state , Alaska .
It ’ s going to be the next Florida by the end of the century , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I don ’ t want to live in Florida .
For the first time in my life , I feel trapped .
Perhaps this is the price we must pay for not taking seriously enough the environmental crisis we ’ ve been aware of since the first Earth Day , since we first saw our beautiful but fragile planet from space , and for our lifestyle choices and our political choices .
Now we are at a tipping point .
Since we can ’ t go anywhere anyway , maybe we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home , California , and our planet .
Make it a fairer , better , affordable , healthier and just place for everyone .
Because if we can fight for that , all of us just may be able to breath easier — even when the next wildfires come .
Vicki Larson ’ s So It Goes column runs every other week .
Contact her at vlarson @ marinij.com and follow her on Twitter at OMG Chronicles

Vicki Larson, Marin Independent Journal Columnist

When I first visited the Bay Area, I can’t say I fell in love with it. We were 19, traveling cross-country during the summer, Vinny and Judy in their pickup truck with a camper top Vinny built, Bob and me in Bob’s bright yellow VW Beetle.
While staying overnight with a friend in the Haight, thieves helped themselves to the CD player and camera we left on the backseat (OK, that was stupid), and overturned our cooler, soaking the backseat and floor. As we sat there, totally bummed about the city the Mamas & the Papas promised us would be filled with “gentle people with flowers in their hair,” a man approached the car and threw hundreds of colored rubber bands into the window, as he screamed, “Go back home to Naziland, you Nazis.”
A decade later, I moved here anyway. That’s what falling in love will do, at first with the man who lived here and then with my state. And in the decades that I have been in love with California — much longer than the man — I never gave even a second’s thought about living any other place. A few months in France or Spain or Portugal in retirement, sure. But for good? Never.
Until now.
Apparently, I’m not alone. There’s chatter on Facebook and groups forming on Nextdoor asking neighbors where they might be thinking of moving to. A new study indicates that nearly half of Californians who can work from home are thinking of splitting the Golden State.
Of course, lots of people have been leaving California in recent years anyway, tired of the traffic, the homelessness, the ridiculously high cost of living. Many went to Oregon, but our neighboring state no longer seems like a safe haven.
For a long time, my only fear living here was the Big One that is sure to hit us one day. Now? An earthquake, even a massive temblor, feels somewhat doable. Unbearable heat; earlier, bigger and more-frequent wildfires; toxic air that last week turned an apocalyptic orange; power shutoffs; having a to-go bag ready at all times — California’s new reality is starting to not feel so doable.
It feels overwhelming.
The California Dream has become more of a never-ending nightmare.
Still, even with a pandemic raging, there was always the outdoors — in my mind, the only reason to pay the big bucks to live in Marin. A walk in the hood, a hike to the beach or on Mount Tam, a drive to West Marin or farther to go camping when we could — being in nature soothed some of the anxiety and isolation brought on by months of lockdown.
And then the air became dangerously unbreathable, thanks to the fires, and we are forced back inside, where I’ve had lots of time to mull over a question I find myself asking myself more and more — how many more years of this can I handle? And if I can’t handle it, where will I go?
The rest of the world won’t even let us in now, so there goes my fantasy of marrying my Irish friend just so I can live overseas if the election doesn’t go the way it must if we have any hope of getting a handle on climate change.
I have friends in Colorado and D.C. and a son in Atlanta, although the South hardly seems like the place to head to as we grapple with an ever-warming climate. One friend is trying to convince me that Providence, Rhode Island, is a good place to live while another is chatting up the artsy community in Charlotte, North Carolina.
But when I look at what’s ahead for those states — any state, actually — there’s nothing promising. Flooding, excessive heat, hurricanes, wildfires, drought — pick your poison. Because there’s no place to escape climate change.
If you’re trying to avoid excessive heat, the options are pretty limited, geography professor Camilo Mora says. It basically comes down to one state, Alaska. It’s going to be the next Florida by the end of the century, he predicts.
I lived in Florida. I don’t want to live in Florida.
For the first time in my life, I feel trapped.
Perhaps this is the price we must pay for not taking seriously enough the environmental crisis we’ve been aware of since the first Earth Day, since we first saw our beautiful but fragile planet from space, and for our lifestyle choices and our political choices. Now we are at a tipping point.
Since we can’t go anywhere anyway, maybe we can finally do the right thing for our home, California, and our planet. Make it a fairer, better, affordable, healthier and just place for everyone. Because if we can fight for that, all of us just may be able to breath easier — even when the next wildfires come.
Vicki Larson’s So It Goes column runs every other week. Contact her at vlarson@marinij.com and follow her on Twitter at OMG Chronicles


mercurynews--2020-09-15--Gov. Newsom pays quick return visit to Butte County, discusses Trump visit, asks about rebuilding an

Gov. Newsom pays quick return visit to Butte County, discusses Trump visit, asks about rebuilding and evacuations

OROVILLE — Within hours of President Donald Trump ’ s arrival Monday at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento for a briefing with state and local leaders on wildfires burning across the state , Gov .
Gavin Newsom turned around and headed north to Butte County for the second time in four days .
The meeting came after Newsom expressed the effects of climate change on fires Friday while touring the front lines of the North Complex fire , which had burned 74,400 acres in Butte County as of 2:30 p.m. President Trump , meanwhile , has maintained that forest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on the grounds of the Camelot Equestrian Park in Oroville , Newsom was asked during a press conference what Trump took away from the briefing .
He said it was an opportunity to remind Trump that 57 % of forested land in the state is under federal jurisdiction , and of the partnership the federal and state governments have built to address forest management .
“ I wanted the President to know that we have established an engagement we would like to build on , ” Newsom said .
“ And yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way that wasn ’ t trying to take a cheap shot , wasn ’ t trying to score political points , but to make the argument , we believe in climate change out here .
We don ’ t believe it just because science says it ; we observe it , we experience it , and that was an opportunity to remind him of a point he ’ s very familiar with , but to do so in an honest and forthright way.
” Newsom began the day in Paradise , where rebuilding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fire , at the Building Resiliency Center .
The center was designed as a one-stop shop for rebuilding residents seeking help from various agencies with rebuilding efforts , said Susan Hartman , who works in community development at the center .
Wearing a black button down shirt and light wash jeans , Newsom entered the building and greeted Hartman and Paradise town manager Kevin Phillips to tour the facility .
Newsom asked what remains the biggest impediments in rebuilding , with Phillips citing tree removal as one , in addition to work being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a sewer system .
They also walked over to the far side of the building , where Newsom was greeted by a sculpture displayed called “ Ridge Key Phoenix , ” by artist Jess Mercer , whom Newsom also met at the center .
Three days after the Camp Fire , Mercer started collecting keys to construct a phoenix sculpture .
Keys to homes , boats , diaries , schools , businesses , churches .
Keys that once unlocked the entrance to sentiments turned to ash .
In total , she collected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who died in the fire .
“ This is amazing , ” Newsom said , standing in front of it , “ but tragic at the same time.
” Newsom returned to Paradise after visiting the town shortly after the Camp Fire in 2018 , then the governor elect , alongside Gov .
Jerry Brown and President Trump .
In subsequent visits over the past 22 months , Newsom learned of the lasting trauma ridge residents continue to experience , including his visit on the first day of school in 2019 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most recent fires this year prompted some residents to leave town .
“ I remember being there the first day of school last year , and the teacher was telling me that the kids were experiencing PTSD when they saw fog and they connected that fog with the fire and smoke , ” Newsom said .
“ It only expresses the obvious — the PTSD those same kids must be suffering through — all of the community up here is suffering through yet again to deal with another historic fire season .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ these fire complexes and it ’ s almost like a puzzle , fitting exactly into where the burn scar was a ( couple ) years ago with those 153,000 acres — the parcel of the Camp Fire , the narrative that is Paradise .
And now , of course , all the surrounding impacts of this year ’ s fires .
“ A suppression mentality can ’ t be a permanent mindset , meaning we have to focus on prevention .
We can not allow the conditions to fester .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twin issues of forest management and addressing the root cause of why the hots are getting so much higher and the dries are getting so much drier is foundational to the fate and future of this community.
” The tour continued in Oroville at the equestrian park , an evacuation shelter for animals from the most recent fire .
There , Newsom spoke with Sam Thakeb , an evacuee from Berry Creek who was unsure Monday if his residence survived the fire .
Thakeb was there to check on his animals , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peacock .
Newsom asked how Thakeb heard about the evacuation park , and Thakeb said he learned about it only after calling 911 during the fire .
“ I ’ m evacuated so I ’ m checking on them , ” Thakeb said to Newsom .
“ They ’ re doing an excellent job here .
If it wasn ’ t for them … I really want to thank these people so much for the great job they do.
” Newsom visiting Butte County wasn ’ t unusual , particularly during the crises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his return just three days after visiting appeared out of the ordinary .
He was asked during the press conference why he returned so soon after the previous visit , and if he anticipates future stops during the latest round fires .
“ I have a responsibility to this community .
I have a responsibility to people that are in need , to be more supportive and more helpful .
I ’ m not naive , good enough never is .
That ’ s pretty obvious .
1,200 building permits is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3,000 .
We ’ ve got a lot of work to do up here .
I try to hold my commitments .
We can agree on certain issues , we can agree situationally , but sustainably I ’ m here for the long haul to try to help support the rebuilding and recovery in this county .
I want to be here not just to address issues related to fires , but more broadly the issues related to this health crisis , COVID-19 .
The economic recovery that is part of the future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Bobcat fire grows and will take until end of October to contain , authorities say Newsom cited his background spending a portion of his childhood in Dutch Flat , a small town in Placer County , living with his father William Newsom .
“ I have deep respect in the sensibilities of rural California and respect our diverse communities , even if folks weren ’ t there my election , ” Newsom said .
“ I have a real responsibility to represent people , even if they ’ re out there trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of office .
I still have a responsibility to those families and this community.
” The Chico Enterprise-Record was the lone newspaper to accompany Newsom on his tour Monday afternoon , serving as the pool reporter for all print media .

OROVILLE — Within hours of President Donald Trump’s arrival Monday at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento for a briefing with state and local leaders on wildfires burning across the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom turned around and headed north to Butte County for the second time in four days.
The meeting came after Newsom expressed the effects of climate change on fires Friday while touring the front lines of the North Complex fire, which had burned 74,400 acres in Butte County as of 2:30 p.m. President Trump, meanwhile, has maintained that forest management has to improve.
On Monday, on the grounds of the Camelot Equestrian Park in Oroville, Newsom was asked during a press conference what Trump took away from the briefing. He said it was an opportunity to remind Trump that 57% of forested land in the state is under federal jurisdiction, and of the partnership the federal and state governments have built to address forest management.
“I wanted the President to know that we have established an engagement we would like to build on,” Newsom said. “And yes, frankly, to state in a way that wasn’t trying to take a cheap shot, wasn’t trying to score political points, but to make the argument, we believe in climate change out here. We don’t believe it just because science says it; we observe it, we experience it, and that was an opportunity to remind him of a point he’s very familiar with, but to do so in an honest and forthright way.”
Paradise rebuilding efforts
Newsom began the day in Paradise, where rebuilding efforts continue after the November 2018 Camp Fire, at the Building Resiliency Center. The center was designed as a one-stop shop for rebuilding residents seeking help from various agencies with rebuilding efforts, said Susan Hartman, who works in community development at the center.
Wearing a black button down shirt and light wash jeans, Newsom entered the building and greeted Hartman and Paradise town manager Kevin Phillips to tour the facility.
Newsom asked what remains the biggest impediments in rebuilding, with Phillips citing tree removal as one, in addition to work being done on road segments and the installation of a sewer system.
They also walked over to the far side of the building, where Newsom was greeted by a sculpture displayed called “Ridge Key Phoenix,” by artist Jess Mercer, whom Newsom also met at the center.
Three days after the Camp Fire, Mercer started collecting keys to construct a phoenix sculpture. Keys to homes, boats, diaries, schools, businesses, churches. Keys that once unlocked the entrance to sentiments turned to ash.
In total, she collected 18,000 keys, including some belonging to those who died in the fire.
“This is amazing,” Newsom said, standing in front of it, “but tragic at the same time.”
Newsom returned to Paradise after visiting the town shortly after the Camp Fire in 2018, then the governor elect, alongside Gov. Jerry Brown and President Trump. In subsequent visits over the past 22 months, Newsom learned of the lasting trauma ridge residents continue to experience, including his visit on the first day of school in 2019. Phillips echoed similar sentiments, telling Newsom the most recent fires this year prompted some residents to leave town.
“I remember being there the first day of school last year, and the teacher was telling me that the kids were experiencing PTSD when they saw fog and they connected that fog with the fire and smoke,” Newsom said. “It only expresses the obvious — the PTSD those same kids must be suffering through — all of the community up here is suffering through yet again to deal with another historic fire season.
“You look at the maps of these fire complexes and it’s almost like a puzzle, fitting exactly into where the burn scar was a (couple) years ago with those 153,000 acres — the parcel of the Camp Fire, the narrative that is Paradise. And now, of course, all the surrounding impacts of this year’s fires.
“A suppression mentality can’t be a permanent mindset, meaning we have to focus on prevention. We cannot allow the conditions to fester. That’s why the issue to me, the twin issues of forest management and addressing the root cause of why the hots are getting so much higher and the dries are getting so much drier is foundational to the fate and future of this community.”
Oroville evacuation shelter
The tour continued in Oroville at the equestrian park, an evacuation shelter for animals from the most recent fire.
There, Newsom spoke with Sam Thakeb, an evacuee from Berry Creek who was unsure Monday if his residence survived the fire. Thakeb was there to check on his animals, including sheep, rabbits, goats and a peacock.
Newsom asked how Thakeb heard about the evacuation park, and Thakeb said he learned about it only after calling 911 during the fire.
“I’m evacuated so I’m checking on them,” Thakeb said to Newsom. “They’re doing an excellent job here. If it wasn’t for them … I really want to thank these people so much for the great job they do.”
Newsom visiting Butte County wasn’t unusual, particularly during the crises of the last two years. However, his return just three days after visiting appeared out of the ordinary. He was asked during the press conference why he returned so soon after the previous visit, and if he anticipates future stops during the latest round fires.
“I have a responsibility to this community. I have a responsibility to people that are in need, to be more supportive and more helpful. I’m not naive, good enough never is. That’s pretty obvious. 1,200 building permits is not 12,000, 300-plus housing developments is not 3,000. We’ve got a lot of work to do up here. I try to hold my commitments. We can agree on certain issues, we can agree situationally, but sustainably I’m here for the long haul to try to help support the rebuilding and recovery in this county. I want to be here not just to address issues related to fires, but more broadly the issues related to this health crisis, COVID-19. The economic recovery that is part of the future of this part of the state.”
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“I have deep respect in the sensibilities of rural California and respect our diverse communities, even if folks weren’t there my election,” Newsom said. “I have a real responsibility to represent people, even if they’re out there trying to support an effort to kick me out of office. I still have a responsibility to those families and this community.”
The Chico Enterprise-Record was the lone newspaper to accompany Newsom on his tour Monday afternoon, serving as the pool reporter for all print media.


mercurynews--2020-09-15--Santa Cruz County man pleads ‘not guilty’ to fatal stabbing of his 80-year-old grandfather

SANTA CRUZ — A Live Oak man charged in the stabbing murder of his 80-year-old grandfather earlier this month pleaded not guilty to charges Monday .
Phillip Talyansky , 28 , appeared for his arraignment before Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge John Salazar by video conference from the Santa Cruz County Jail .
Talyansky ’ s family sat in court through the hearing .
Santa Cruz County District Attorney ’ s Office charging documents allege that Talyansky murdered Docher Shagay on Sept. 1 and , in a special circumstance , made use of a deadly weapon — a knife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the crime .
Initial arrest charges against Talyansky of elder abuse and battery have since been cleared .
The two men have the same listed Heath Cove address , where the fatal stabbing reportedly occurred .
• Family of California boy who died after assault by 2 classmates sues school district • LA deputy saved her partner ’ s life after shooting while bleeding from a wound to her face • Toxic air , wildfires — is it time to leave California ?
• Gov .
Newsom pays quick return visit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asks about rebuilding and evacuations According to a Probation Department request for bail-setting , Talyanksy allegedly battered his mother and Shagay before stabbing his grandfather in the neck .
Shagay was taken to Dominican Hospital , where he later was pronounced dead .
The bail-setting narrative states that Talyansky “ has ongoing history of developmentally delayed and mental health issues , ” and “ Per witnesses , ongoing history of violence , risk to family and public.
” Talyansky remained in Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $ 850,000 bail .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 .

SANTA CRUZ — A Live Oak man charged in the stabbing murder of his 80-year-old grandfather earlier this month pleaded not guilty to charges Monday.
Phillip Talyansky, 28, appeared for his arraignment before Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge John Salazar by video conference from the Santa Cruz County Jail. Talyansky’s family sat in court through the hearing.
Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office charging documents allege that Talyansky murdered Docher Shagay on Sept. 1 and, in a special circumstance, made use of a deadly weapon — a knife — during commission of, but separate from the crime. Initial arrest charges against Talyansky of elder abuse and battery have since been cleared.
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According to a Probation Department request for bail-setting, Talyanksy allegedly battered his mother and Shagay before stabbing his grandfather in the neck. Shagay was taken to Dominican Hospital, where he later was pronounced dead. The bail-setting narrative states that Talyansky “has ongoing history of developmentally delayed and mental health issues,” and “Per witnesses, ongoing history of violence, risk to family and public.”
Talyansky remained in Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $850,000 bail. His next court hearing was set for Oct. 2.


mercurynews--2020-09-18--Contra Costa deputies found pound of meth in car with secret compartment, feds reveal

OAKLAND — A Bay Point man was charged with meth distribution last May , a year after he was allegedly stopped in Bay Point with a pound of meth hidden under the seat of his car , according to a recently-unsealed criminal complaint .
Luis Sanchez , who is identified in court records only as a resident of “ Southern California , ” was charged with possessing meth with intent to distribute , court records show .
He was freed from jail in July on $ 25,000 bond , court records show .
Sanchez was arrested in May 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office received a tip that a meth courier was headed up the state , from Southern California to the Bay Area .
Deputies followed his black Jetta from a hotel in Antioch to Bay Point , where they pulled the car over , according to an FBI agent ’ s sworn court statement .
Authorities say Sanchez agreed to let police search the car .
Under a seat , a deputy found a tightly-wrapped package containing one pound of meth , the complaint says .
During the search , the deputy pulled an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opened a secret compartment between the trunk and the backseat , the complaint says .
The compartment only contained two boxes of one-gallon plastic bags , which the FBI agent referred to as “ drug trafficking tools of the trade.
” • California man who fled to Thailand gets prison for national Fentanyl trafficking scheme • 5 officers and tow truck driver possibly exposed to fentanyl on Golden Gate Bridge released from hospital • California police check for link as 6 possible overdose patients found in 6 hours • Defendant in Oakland ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison , feds asked for 9 years after acknowledging he turned his life around On Sept. 14 , five months after Sanchez was charged , federal prosecutors moved to unseal the criminal complaint .
“ The investigative agency has completed its investigation , and therefore , it is no longer necessary for the documents to be sealed , ” assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rezaei wrote in a motion to unseal the complaint .
Rezaei ’ s motion does not say if any related cases were filed .
Sanchez is next due in court @ @ @

OAKLAND — A Bay Point man was charged with meth distribution last May, a year after he was allegedly stopped in Bay Point with a pound of meth hidden under the seat of his car, according to a recently-unsealed criminal complaint.
Luis Sanchez, who is identified in court records only as a resident of “Southern California,” was charged with possessing meth with intent to distribute, court records show. He was freed from jail in July on $25,000 bond, court records show.
Sanchez was arrested in May 2019, after the Contra Costa Sheriff’s office received a tip that a meth courier was headed up the state, from Southern California to the Bay Area. Deputies followed his black Jetta from a hotel in Antioch to Bay Point, where they pulled the car over, according to an FBI agent’s sworn court statement.
Authorities say Sanchez agreed to let police search the car. Under a seat, a deputy found a tightly-wrapped package containing one pound of meth, the complaint says.
During the search, the deputy pulled an “after market chord” and it opened a secret compartment between the trunk and the backseat, the complaint says. The compartment only contained two boxes of one-gallon plastic bags, which the FBI agent referred to as “drug trafficking tools of the trade.”
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“The investigative agency has completed its investigation, and therefore, it is no longer necessary for the documents to be sealed,” assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rezaei wrote in a motion to unseal the complaint. Rezaei’s motion does not say if any related cases were filed.
Sanchez is next due in court in mid-October.


mercurynews--2020-09-18--Reopening California theme parks: What’s the rush?

I am in no rush for California ’ s amusement parks to get back to business .
It ’ s not that I don ’ t like theme parks .
There was a time in my life , when my kids were far younger , when I was a Disneyland annual passholder .
While I may be a tad cautious about my own full return to￼ a pre-pandemic lifestyle , I fully believe Disneyland , Universal Studios , Knott ’ s Berry Farm and the rest of the theme park business can operate in healthy and safe ways for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the challenge facing the tourism business in the pandemic age .
“ Attractions ” – the business of attracting people – flies in the face of encouraging limited social engagement .
If they ’ re open , folks will choose whether to visit an amusement park or not .
But what of the citizens who live , work or play nearby who may face newly crowded streets and neighborhood facilities ?
The theme park industry – battered by six months of pandemic lockdowns — is now turning up the heat on Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ incensed that the state has yet to issue guidelines needed for the industry to operate in the pandemic age .
Those new safety standards — from attendance limits to ride capacities to how often surfaces are scrubbed down — provide the roadmap for park operations and staff training .
The parks have many loyal fans eager to return to their favorite attractions , if for no other reason as to get some feeling of normalcy .
That anticipation is shared by neighboring shops , eateries and hotels that handle the needs of visitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is done .
Parks and associated businesses have thousands of employees out of work .
This is a jobless flock needing paychecks as they watch stimulus benefits shrink or be eliminated .
Oh , and did I mention the municipalities that are eager to collect various taxes on the transactions these crowds can produce ?
Yes , we ’ re talking big business here .
If a theme park was simply a massive factory with thousands of workers , reopening might be fairly straightforward .
However , the tourist business brings in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the park grounds , virus-mitigation chores fall outside of the industry ’ s realm .
You see , lockdowns followed by business loosenings actually encourage movement — to the newly reopened economies , says a recent report from the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy .
The group came to those conclusions after calculating population movement earlier this year by tracking usage of mobile devices and social media .
“ The problem is that uncoordinated state reopenings , and even closures , create massive travel spillovers that are spreading the virus across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s co-author Sinan Aral .
“ If we continue to pursue ad hoc policies across state and regional borders , we ’ re going to have a difficult time controlling this virus , reopening our economy , or even sending our kids back to school.
” Some tourism folks point to “ successful ” reopenings of tourist attractions in Florida as reasons for optimism for California theme parks .
I look at a broader picture – Florida ’ s dismal pandemic record – and get antsy about widespread reopening policies .
Note that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Carolina has a per-capita death rate lower than California ’ s .
And Florida ’ s statewide coronavirus tally — both case count and pandemic-related deaths on a per capita basis — are two-thirds higher than California ’ s .
And for that higher level of illness , Florida hasn ’ t outperformed California — economically speaking — by much in the pandemic era .
Let ’ s look at unemployment rates .
In July , California was at 13.3 % , sixth-worst in the nation .
Florida was at 11.3 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles-Orange County region had a 16.8 % ￼￼￼￼ jobless rate in July , the nation ’ s high among big metro areas .
But who was fifth-worst ?
Florida ’ s theme park hub of Orlando at 15.3 % .
Risk comes with any business reopening in the pandemic era .
Society can ’ t stay locked down forever .
But pandemics , by their spreading nature , are unkind to tourism .
Even reopening theme parks won ’ t be an instant cure as many folks will stay close to home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So , I feel￼ for Newsom and Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis who must make what amount to life-and-death decisions juggling commerce and the coronavirus .
But as I said , I am in no hurry for California to reopen these major tourist attractions .
I am quite aware the theme park industry strongly disagrees￼￼s .

A Disney employee runs a line to get in to the virtual queue￼ for World of Disney on the reopening day of the Downtown Disney District in Anaheim, CA, on Thursday, July 9, 2020. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Shirley Wong, left, and her husband, Gary Lam, head toward the exit after a morning of shopping on the reopening day of the Downtown Disney District in Anaheim, CA, on Thursday, July 9, 2020. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jeff Gritchen gets his temperature checked before entering Downtown Disney. Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Plexiglass can be seen around the ticket booths at the entrance to Disney California Adventure on the reopening day of the Downtown Disney District in Anaheim, CA, on Thursday, July 9, 2020. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
I am in no rush for California’s amusement parks to get back to business.
It’s not that I don’t like theme parks. There was a time in my life, when my kids were far younger, when I was a Disneyland annual passholder.
While I may be a tad cautious about my own full return to￼ a pre-pandemic lifestyle, I fully believe Disneyland, Universal Studios, Knott’s Berry Farm and the rest of the theme park business can operate in healthy and safe ways for their visitors.
But those visitors are also the challenge facing the tourism business in the pandemic age. “Attractions” – the business of attracting people – flies in the face of encouraging limited social engagement.
If they’re open, folks will choose whether to visit an amusement park or not. But what of the citizens who live, work or play nearby who may face newly crowded streets and neighborhood facilities?
Roadmap needed
The theme park industry – battered by six months of pandemic lockdowns — is now turning up the heat on Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Park operators are particularly incensed that the state has yet to issue guidelines needed for the industry to operate in the pandemic age. Those new safety standards — from attendance limits to ride capacities to how often surfaces are scrubbed down — provide the roadmap for park operations and staff training.
The parks have many loyal fans eager to return to their favorite attractions, if for no other reason as to get some feeling of normalcy. That anticipation is shared by neighboring shops, eateries and hotels that handle the needs of visitors after their last ride of the day is done. Parks and associated businesses have thousands of employees out of work. This is a jobless flock needing paychecks as they watch stimulus benefits shrink or be eliminated.
Oh, and did I mention the municipalities that are eager to collect various taxes on the transactions these crowds can produce?
Yes, we’re talking big business here. If a theme park was simply a massive factory with thousands of workers, reopening might be fairly straightforward.
However, the tourist business brings in a different crew of visitors daily. Off of the park grounds, virus-mitigation chores fall outside of the industry’s realm.
You see, lockdowns followed by business loosenings actually encourage movement — to the newly reopened economies, says a recent report from the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy. The group came to those conclusions after calculating population movement earlier this year by tracking usage of mobile devices and social media.
“The problem is that uncoordinated state reopenings, and even closures, create massive travel spillovers that are spreading the virus across state borders.” said the study’s co-author Sinan Aral. “If we continue to pursue ad hoc policies across state and regional borders, we’re going to have a difficult time controlling this virus, reopening our economy, or even sending our kids back to school.”
Sunshine state
Some tourism folks point to “successful” reopenings of tourist attractions in Florida as reasons for optimism for California theme parks.
I look at a broader picture – Florida’s dismal pandemic record – and get antsy about widespread reopening policies.
Note that among the 10 most-populated states, only North Carolina has a per-capita death rate lower than California’s. And Florida’s statewide coronavirus tally — both case count and pandemic-related deaths on a per capita basis — are two-thirds higher than California’s.
And for that higher level of illness, Florida hasn’t outperformed California — economically speaking — by much in the pandemic era.
Let’s look at unemployment rates. In July, California was at 13.3%, sixth-worst in the nation. Florida was at 11.3%, 11th highest.
Yes, the Los Angeles-Orange County region had a 16.8%￼￼￼￼ jobless rate in July, the nation’s high among big metro areas. But who was fifth-worst? Florida’s theme park hub of Orlando at 15.3%.
Risk comes with any business reopening in the pandemic era. Society can’t stay locked down forever. But pandemics, by their spreading nature, are unkind to tourism. Even reopening theme parks won’t be an instant cure as many folks will stay close to home until there’s more pandemic-fighting progress.
So, I feel￼ for Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who must make what amount to life-and-death decisions juggling commerce and the coronavirus.


mercurynews--2020-09-18--Hurricane Sally: Rescuers reach Gulf Coast residents cut off by storm

By Jay Reeves , Angie Wang and Bobby Caina Calvan | Associated Press PENSACOLA , Fla. — Rescuers on the Gulf Coast used high-water vehicles Thursday to reach people cut off by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Sally , even as a second round of flooding took shape along rivers and creeks swollen by the storm ’ s heavy rains .
Across southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle , homeowners and businesses began cleaning up , and officials inspected bridges and highways for safety , a day after Sally rolled through with 105 mph winds , a surge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rain in many places before it began to break up .
Sally ’ s remnants were over South Carolina on Thursday afternoon and were expected to move into the Atlantic within 24 hours .
A rainmaker to the end , what was left of the storm was forecast to dump as much as 8 inches in isolated areas in the Carolinas and southern Virginia , prompting warnings of widespread flash flooding and “ moderate ” river flooding .
As much as 8 inches of rain had fallen in central Georgia by midday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where Sally ’ s floodwaters had coursed through downtown streets and lapped at car door handles on Wednesday before receding , authorities went door-to-door to check on residents and warn them they were not out of danger .
“ Please , please , we ’ re not out of the woods even if we ’ ve got beautiful skies today , ” said Escambia County emergency manager Eric Gilmore .
Laura Coale , communications director for Escambia County , Florida , said rescue crews were taking a secondary pass through flooded areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to leave earlier would like to evacuate .
Officials ’ biggest concern was keeping people off the roads so power trucks can work and people can clean debris safely .
Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis urged Panhandle residents not to let their guard down even though the hurricane had passed .
“ You ’ re going to see the rivers continue to rise , ” he said after an aerial tour of the Panhandle .
Most rivers fed by the storm were cresting in Alabama and the Panhandle on Thursday , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rising , expected to crest by late Thursday or Friday , said Steve Miller of the National Weather Service in Mobile , Alabama .
Near Crestview , Florida , portions of Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 90 — the two main roadways running east to west through the Panhandle — were closed .
Crews carried out at least 400 rescues in Escambia County by such means as high-water vehicles , boats and water scooters , authorities said .
Rescuers focused their efforts Thursday on Innerarity Point , a narrow strip of land close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes and businesses .
Floodwaters covered the only road out , though authorities said no one was in immediate danger .
Richard Wittig and his family were among scores of people hemmed in by floodwaters on an island at the tip of the point .
Two generators were powering his house , fueled by 30 gallons of gasoline he bought ahead of the storm .
“ If I didn ’ t have a working generator , we ’ d be dead .
Nobody can get to us , ” said Wittig , 77 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rely on oxygen machines to keep them alive .
The Florida National Guard said it had deployed about 500 soldiers and airmen to help local authorities evacuate 113 people , though it did not say when and where the rescues took place .
In Alabama , on both sides of Mobile Bay , National Guard soldiers from high-water evacuation teams used big trucks Thursday to rescue at least 35 people , authorities said .
About 35 miles inland , a swollen Murder Creek cut off access between the Alabama towns of Brewton and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a tobacco shop , a park and more .
Residents behind a police roadblock gazed at the neighboring city across fast-moving water covering a bridge .
“ Mama , look .
Water ’ s all the way up in here !
” 11-year-old Rachana Matthews said .
East Brewton resident Brenda Davenport said it took only four hours for the water to rise .
“ It could take two days for it to go down , ” she said .
Picking up soggy debris in her yard in Orange Beach , Alabama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ride out a hurricane again .
She and her daughter huddled in a second-floor bathroom as Sally blew ashore .
The winds grew so violent Sullivan feared the roof would fly off .
“ You could hear everything hitting the house , ” she said .
“ You could hear the house moving back and forth .
It was literally moaning and cracking.
” A few people cleaned up in Bristol Park , a creekside neighborhood where as much as 4 feet of water filled brick homes north of Pensacola .
Susan Cutts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home into the garage , where they desperately called for help on a dying cellphone until aid arrived .
“ They were on top of their car when they got to them , ” Cutts said .
At least one death , in Alabama , was blamed on the hurricane .
More than 427,000 homes and businesses in Florida , Alabama and Georgia were without power as of Thursday afternoon , down from more than a half-million a day earlier .
A section of the main bridge between Pensacola and Pensacola Beach collapsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that broke loose during the storm .
At a downtown marina , at least 30 sailboats , fishing boats and other vessels were found clumped together in a mass of fiberglass hulls and broken docks .
Some boats rested atop sunken ones .
The hurricane also drove two large ferry boats into a concrete seawall and left them grounded .
The boats had been purchased with BP oil spill money .
Also on Thursday , the National Hurricane Center said a new tropical depression formed in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico .
Forecasters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm as it moves slowly over the western Gulf during the next few days .
Meanwhile , Hurricane Teddy strengthened to an immensely powerful Category 4 storm in the Atlantic on Thursday .
The storm currently poses no threat to land .
Associated Press reporters Russ Bynum , Jeff Martin , Kim Chandler , Tamara Lush and Curt Anderson also contributed .

By Jay Reeves, Angie Wang and Bobby Caina Calvan | Associated Press
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Rescuers on the Gulf Coast used high-water vehicles Thursday to reach people cut off by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Sally, even as a second round of flooding took shape along rivers and creeks swollen by the storm’s heavy rains.
Across southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, homeowners and businesses began cleaning up, and officials inspected bridges and highways for safety, a day after Sally rolled through with 105 mph winds, a surge of seawater and 1 to 2½ feet of rain in many places before it began to break up.
Sally’s remnants were over South Carolina on Thursday afternoon and were expected to move into the Atlantic within 24 hours. A rainmaker to the end, what was left of the storm was forecast to dump as much as 8 inches in isolated areas in the Carolinas and southern Virginia, prompting warnings of widespread flash flooding and “moderate” river flooding. As much as 8 inches of rain had fallen in central Georgia by midday.
In hard-hit Pensacola and surrounding Escambia County, where Sally’s floodwaters had coursed through downtown streets and lapped at car door handles on Wednesday before receding, authorities went door-to-door to check on residents and warn them they were not out of danger.
“Please, please, we’re not out of the woods even if we’ve got beautiful skies today,” said Escambia County emergency manager Eric Gilmore.
Laura Coale, communications director for Escambia County, Florida, said rescue crews were taking a secondary pass through flooded areas Thursday afternoon to see if anyone who declined to leave earlier would like to evacuate. Officials’ biggest concern was keeping people off the roads so power trucks can work and people can clean debris safely.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged Panhandle residents not to let their guard down even though the hurricane had passed. “You’re going to see the rivers continue to rise,” he said after an aerial tour of the Panhandle.
Most rivers fed by the storm were cresting in Alabama and the Panhandle on Thursday, although the Shoal, in Florida was still rising, expected to crest by late Thursday or Friday, said Steve Miller of the National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama. Near Crestview, Florida, portions of Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 90 — the two main roadways running east to west through the Panhandle — were closed.
Crews carried out at least 400 rescues in Escambia County by such means as high-water vehicles, boats and water scooters, authorities said.
Rescuers focused their efforts Thursday on Innerarity Point, a narrow strip of land close to Pensacola that is home to waterfront homes and businesses. Floodwaters covered the only road out, though authorities said no one was in immediate danger.
Richard Wittig and his family were among scores of people hemmed in by floodwaters on an island at the tip of the point. Two generators were powering his house, fueled by 30 gallons of gasoline he bought ahead of the storm.
“If I didn’t have a working generator, we’d be dead. Nobody can get to us,” said Wittig, 77, who said he and his son rely on oxygen machines to keep them alive.
The Florida National Guard said it had deployed about 500 soldiers and airmen to help local authorities evacuate 113 people, though it did not say when and where the rescues took place.
In Alabama, on both sides of Mobile Bay, National Guard soldiers from high-water evacuation teams used big trucks Thursday to rescue at least 35 people, authorities said.
About 35 miles inland, a swollen Murder Creek cut off access between the Alabama towns of Brewton and East Brewton, inundating a grocery store, a tobacco shop, a park and more. Residents behind a police roadblock gazed at the neighboring city across fast-moving water covering a bridge.
“Mama, look. Water’s all the way up in here!” 11-year-old Rachana Matthews said.
East Brewton resident Brenda Davenport said it took only four hours for the water to rise. “It could take two days for it to go down,” she said.
Picking up soggy debris in her yard in Orange Beach, Alabama, Janice Sullivan swore she would never ride out a hurricane again. She and her daughter huddled in a second-floor bathroom as Sally blew ashore. The winds grew so violent Sullivan feared the roof would fly off.
“You could hear everything hitting the house,” she said. “You could hear the house moving back and forth. It was literally moaning and cracking.”
A few people cleaned up in Bristol Park, a creekside neighborhood where as much as 4 feet of water filled brick homes north of Pensacola.
Susan Cutts’ parents fled rising water inside their home into the garage, where they desperately called for help on a dying cellphone until aid arrived.
“They were on top of their car when they got to them,” Cutts said.
At least one death, in Alabama, was blamed on the hurricane. More than 427,000 homes and businesses in Florida, Alabama and Georgia were without power as of Thursday afternoon, down from more than a half-million a day earlier.
A section of the main bridge between Pensacola and Pensacola Beach collapsed after it was hit by a barge that broke loose during the storm.
At a downtown marina, at least 30 sailboats, fishing boats and other vessels were found clumped together in a mass of fiberglass hulls and broken docks. Some boats rested atop sunken ones. The hurricane also drove two large ferry boats into a concrete seawall and left them grounded. The boats had been purchased with BP oil spill money.
Also on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said a new tropical depression formed in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters said the depression could become a tropical storm as it moves slowly over the western Gulf during the next few days. Meanwhile, Hurricane Teddy strengthened to an immensely powerful Category 4 storm in the Atlantic on Thursday. The storm currently poses no threat to land.
Associated Press reporters Russ Bynum, Jeff Martin, Kim Chandler, Tamara Lush and Curt Anderson also contributed.


mercurynews--2020-09-17--Giants lose Yastrzemski, Anderson early, roar back to sweep Mariners, climb above .500

SAN FRANCISCO — In the past seven days , the San Francisco Giants have faced more adversity than they expected to see over the entirety of a condensed 60-game season .
They endured a COVID-19 scare in San Diego , escaped smoky air in Seattle and sat dormant in hotel rooms along the West Coast waiting to be told when and where they ’ d play again .
After losing their top outfielder and their starting pitcher in the first three innings of Thursday ’ s series finale against the Seattle Mariners , it wouldn ’ t have been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a listless performance .
As the Giants proved in a 6-4 win that featured another big comeback , that ’ s not how the 2020 club operates .
In the midst of a season where there ’ s been a rotating cast of stars , it was first baseman Wilmer Flores ’ turn to shine as his two-out , two-run triple off Mariners reliever Kendall Graveman gave the Giants a 5-4 seventh-inning lead .
Improving to 25-24 with 11 games left required a late offensive outburst , but the Giants also needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tossed seven innings of shutout ball .
“ I don ’ t like days off , I feel like I lose my swing a little bit or my body doesn ’ t feel the same way , ” Flores said .
“ But you know , it ’ s a game of adjustments .
You ’ ve got to adjust and it is what it is.
” The Giants ’ depth was tested early and often on Thursday as the club lost right fielder Mike Yastrzemski due to a tight right calf in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After striking out in the top of the first , Yastrzemski left the game before the bottom of the second and was replaced by rookie Luis Alexander Basabe , who had only one major league plate appearance prior to the series finale .
Basabe collected his first career hit in the top of the sixth on Thursday and scored the go-ahead run as he sprinted home from first base on Flores ’ seventh-inning triple .
“ I think I ’ m going to gift the ball to my mom , ” Basabe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first hit .
In the bottom of the third , starting pitcher Tyler Anderson talked his way out of the game by arguing a call with home plate umpire Edwin Moscoso .
After Anderson threw a borderline pitch to Mariners center fielder Kyle Lewis that was called ball four , he shouted at Moscoso , was warned to stop and was then ejected from the game when he continued voicing his frustrations .
“ Tyler knows that that just can ’ t happen , ” manager Gabe Kapler said .
“ It puts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anderson ’ s ejection came at a terrible time for the Giants pitching staff as the club is on day two of a stretch in which it will play 13 games in 12 days , but reliever Wandy Peralta was able to pick up his teammate with the best outing of his career .
Peralta emerged from the bullpen in the bottom of the third and set a new career-high by throwing three hitless innings and keeping the Giants in the game .
Peralta tossed 49 pitches –16 more than his previous high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fastball velocity and consistently hit 95 miles per hour on the radar gun throughout his appearance .
“ Peralta came up huge for us , as tough as that was , it was equally rewarding and in some ways inspiring to see him come out and give us the length that he did and battle , ” Kapler said .
The Giants ’ offense tried to reward Peralta ’ s efforts with a sixth-inning rally as they loaded the bases with no one out , but were unable to rally from a three-run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single and Brandon Crawford drove in a run with a sacrifice fly , but pinch-hitter Justin Smoak bounced into a 3-6-1 double play with runners on the corners to end the inning .
Kapler ’ s decision to send Smoak up to the plate in place of starting catcher Joey Bart came as a surprise considering the move required the Giants to use their only other catcher , Chadwick Tromp , for the remainder of the game , but the manager saw the sixth inning substitution as a gamble worth taking because Smoak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mariners righty Joey Gerber .
The Giants didn ’ t catch the Mariners in the sixth , but they scored three runs in the seventh and gave the bullpen a two-run edge when left fielder Alex Dickerson , who entered as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning , drilled a RBI single up the middle against lefty Anthony Misiewicz .
After Peralta exited on Thursday , four other Giants relievers combined to keep the Mariners off the board as right-hander Tyler Rogers stranded a pair of runners in scoring position in the bottom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picked up the first save of his career by pitching the ninth .
Following a mentally and physically draining stretch in which the Giants played on one day during a five-day stretch and lost both games of a doubleheader in San Diego , the club once again proved its resiliency by securing a pair of victories against the Seattle Mariners .
Smoky air in Seattle allowed the Giants to play two road games at home this week , but their schedule does get more difficult over the final 10 days of the season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first-place A ’ s team , four against a Rockies team that ’ s within striking distance in the Wildcard race and four more against a Padres club that ’ s dominated the Giants this season , Kapler ’ s team will have to grind through a challenging stretch to play into October .
Challenges , of course , are nothing new to the 2020 Giants .
We Need Your Support !
Several Giants articles will remain free every 30 days – and I ’ ve launched a free newsletter and podcast that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of my coverage you ’ ll need to subscribe to MercuryNews.com or EastBayTimes.com .
Click here for our latest Mercury News offer and here for the latest East Bay Times offer .
Thank you !
— Kerry Crowley

Click here if you are having trouble viewing the slideshow on a mobile device.
SAN FRANCISCO — In the past seven days, the San Francisco Giants have faced more adversity than they expected to see over the entirety of a condensed 60-game season.
They endured a COVID-19 scare in San Diego, escaped smoky air in Seattle and sat dormant in hotel rooms along the West Coast waiting to be told when and where they’d play again.
After losing their top outfielder and their starting pitcher in the first three innings of Thursday’s series finale against the Seattle Mariners, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see an exhausted club turn in a listless performance.
As the Giants proved in a 6-4 win that featured another big comeback, that’s not how the 2020 club operates.
In the midst of a season where there’s been a rotating cast of stars, it was first baseman Wilmer Flores’ turn to shine as his two-out, two-run triple off Mariners reliever Kendall Graveman gave the Giants a 5-4 seventh-inning lead. Improving to 25-24 with 11 games left required a late offensive outburst, but the Giants also needed a stellar performance from a bullpen that tossed seven innings of shutout ball.
“I don’t like days off, I feel like I lose my swing a little bit or my body doesn’t feel the same way,” Flores said. “But you know, it’s a game of adjustments. You’ve got to adjust and it is what it is.”
The Giants’ depth was tested early and often on Thursday as the club lost right fielder Mike Yastrzemski due to a tight right calf in the middle of the second inning. After striking out in the top of the first, Yastrzemski left the game before the bottom of the second and was replaced by rookie Luis Alexander Basabe, who had only one major league plate appearance prior to the series finale.
Basabe collected his first career hit in the top of the sixth on Thursday and scored the go-ahead run as he sprinted home from first base on Flores’ seventh-inning triple.
“I think I’m going to gift the ball to my mom,” Basabe, a Venezuela native, said after his first hit.
In the bottom of the third, starting pitcher Tyler Anderson talked his way out of the game by arguing a call with home plate umpire Edwin Moscoso. After Anderson threw a borderline pitch to Mariners center fielder Kyle Lewis that was called ball four, he shouted at Moscoso, was warned to stop and was then ejected from the game when he continued voicing his frustrations.
“Tyler knows that that just can’t happen,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “It puts us in a really tough spot.”
Anderson’s ejection came at a terrible time for the Giants pitching staff as the club is on day two of a stretch in which it will play 13 games in 12 days, but reliever Wandy Peralta was able to pick up his teammate with the best outing of his career.
Peralta emerged from the bullpen in the bottom of the third and set a new career-high by throwing three hitless innings and keeping the Giants in the game. Peralta tossed 49 pitches –16 more than his previous high from the 2020 season– but maintained his fastball velocity and consistently hit 95 miles per hour on the radar gun throughout his appearance.
“Peralta came up huge for us, as tough as that was, it was equally rewarding and in some ways inspiring to see him come out and give us the length that he did and battle,” Kapler said.
The Giants’ offense tried to reward Peralta’s efforts with a sixth-inning rally as they loaded the bases with no one out, but were unable to rally from a three-run deficit. Evan Longoria delivered a RBI single and Brandon Crawford drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, but pinch-hitter Justin Smoak bounced into a 3-6-1 double play with runners on the corners to end the inning.
Kapler’s decision to send Smoak up to the plate in place of starting catcher Joey Bart came as a surprise considering the move required the Giants to use their only other catcher, Chadwick Tromp, for the remainder of the game, but the manager saw the sixth inning substitution as a gamble worth taking because Smoak gave the Giants a left-handed hitter against Mariners righty Joey Gerber.
The Giants didn’t catch the Mariners in the sixth, but they scored three runs in the seventh and gave the bullpen a two-run edge when left fielder Alex Dickerson, who entered as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning, drilled a RBI single up the middle against lefty Anthony Misiewicz.
After Peralta exited on Thursday, four other Giants relievers combined to keep the Mariners off the board as right-hander Tyler Rogers stranded a pair of runners in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth before left-hander Sam Selman picked up the first save of his career by pitching the ninth.
Following a mentally and physically draining stretch in which the Giants played on one day during a five-day stretch and lost both games of a doubleheader in San Diego, the club once again proved its resiliency by securing a pair of victories against the Seattle Mariners.
Smoky air in Seattle allowed the Giants to play two road games at home this week, but their schedule does get more difficult over the final 10 days of the season. With three in Oakland against a first-place A’s team, four against a Rockies team that’s within striking distance in the Wildcard race and four more against a Padres club that’s dominated the Giants this season, Kapler’s team will have to grind through a challenging stretch to play into October.
Challenges, of course, are nothing new to the 2020 Giants.
We Need Your Support!
Several Giants articles will remain free every 30 days – and I’ve launched a free newsletter and podcast that come Monday-Friday – but for access to all of my coverage you’ll need to subscribe to MercuryNews.com or EastBayTimes.com. Click here for our latest Mercury News offer and here for the latest East Bay Times offer. Thank you! — Kerry Crowley


mercurynews--2020-09-17--Federal judge blocks Postal Service changes that slowed mail

SEATTLE — A U.S. judge on Thursday blocked controversial Postal Service changes that have slowed mail nationwide , calling them “ a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service ” before the November election .
Judge Stanley Bastian in Yakima , Washington , said he was issuing a nationwide preliminary injunction sought by 14 states that sued the Trump administration and the U.S .
Postal Service .
The states challenged the Postal Service ’ s so-called “ leave behind ” policy , where trucks have been leaving postal facilities on time regardless of whether there is more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to force the Postal Service to treat election mail as First Class mail .
The judge noted after a hearing that Trump had repeatedly attacked voting by mail by making unfounded claims that it is rife with fraud .
Many more voters are expected to vote by mail this November because of the COVID-19 pandemic , and the states have expressed concern that delays might result in voters not receiving ballots or registration forms in time .
“ The states have demonstrated the defendants are involved in a politically motivated attack on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bastian said .
He also said the changes created “ a substantial possibility many voters will be disenfranchised.
” Bastian , an appointee of former President Barack Obama , said he planned to issue a written order by Friday , but that it would be substantially the same as the injunction sought by the states .
Postal Service spokesman Dave Partenheimer said in a statement the organization is reviewing its legal options , but that “ there should be no doubt that the Postal Service is ready and committed to handle whatever volume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moak , a member of the USPS Board of Governors , called the notion any changes were politically motivated “ completely and utterly without merit.
” Following a national uproar , Postmaster General Louis DeJoy , a major donor to President Donald Trump and the GOP , announced he was suspending some changes — including the removal of iconic blue mailboxes in many cities and the decommissioning of mail processing machines .
But other changes remained in place , and the states — including the battlegrounds of Michigan , Wisconsin and Nevada — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The states sought to have the “ leave behind ” policy revoked ; election mail treated as First Class mail rather than as slower-moving categories ; the reinstallation of any mail processing machines needed to ensure the prompt handling of election mail ; and that the court hold DeJoy to his promise to suspend other changes .
Led by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson , the states said the Postal Service made the changes without first bringing them to the Postal Regulatory Commission for public comment and an advisory opinion , as required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the changes interfered with their constitutional authority to administer their elections .
At the hearing , Justice Department attorney Joseph Borson sought to assure the judge that the Postal Service would handle election mail promptly , noting that a surge of ballots in the mail would pale in comparison to increases from , say , holiday cards .
He also said slow-downs caused by the “ leave behind ” policy had gotten better since it was first implemented , and that the Postal Service in reality had made no changes with regard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
DeJoy has repeatedly insisted that processing election mail remains the organization ’ s top priority .
“ There ’ s been a lot of confusion in the briefing and in the press about what the Postal Service has done , ” Borson said .
“ The states are accusing us of making changes we have not in fact made.
” Voters who are worried about their ballots being counted “ can simply promptly drop their ballots in the mail , ” he said , and states can help by mailing registration form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insisted that the states also were required to bring their challenge not in court , but before the Postal Regulatory Commission itself — even though by law the commission has 90 days to respond .
Bastian rejected that notion , saying there was no time for that with the election just seven weeks away .
The states conceded that mail delays have eased since the service cuts first created a national uproar in July , but they said on-time deliveries remain well below their prior levels , meaning millions of pieces of mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are .
They also noted some of the effects the changes had already wrought : Michigan spent $ 2 million earlier this year on envelopes that met election mail standards — only to learn that the Postal Service wouldn ’ t treat them as first class mail .
In Madison , Wisconsin , the number of ballots that weren ’ t counted because they arrived late for the August primary doubled from the August 2018 primary .
Further , they cited research from information technology consultant Mynor Urizar-Hunter , who helped start a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 78 % of the machines slated for removal were in counties won by Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
• ‘ Significant and increasing ’ delays in prescription drug deliveries by mail , Senate Democrats say • Letters : Toothless curfew | Zoning change ills | COVID in jails | Speak up for USPS | Pelosi ‘ set up ’ | Divisions reflected The states suing are Washington , Michigan , Wisconsin , Nevada , Colorado , Connecticut , Illinois , Maryland , Minnesota , New Mexico , Oregon , Rhode Island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Democratic attorneys general .
Pennsylvania is leading a separate multistate lawsuit over the changes , and New York and Montana have filed their own challenges .

By Gene Johnson | Associated Press
SEATTLE — A U.S. judge on Thursday blocked controversial Postal Service changes that have slowed mail nationwide, calling them “a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service” before the November election.
Judge Stanley Bastian in Yakima, Washington, said he was issuing a nationwide preliminary injunction sought by 14 states that sued the Trump administration and the U.S. Postal Service.
The states challenged the Postal Service’s so-called “leave behind” policy, where trucks have been leaving postal facilities on time regardless of whether there is more mail to load. They also sought to force the Postal Service to treat election mail as First Class mail.
The judge noted after a hearing that Trump had repeatedly attacked voting by mail by making unfounded claims that it is rife with fraud. Many more voters are expected to vote by mail this November because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the states have expressed concern that delays might result in voters not receiving ballots or registration forms in time.
“The states have demonstrated the defendants are involved in a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service,” Bastian said.
He also said the changes created “a substantial possibility many voters will be disenfranchised.”
Bastian, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, said he planned to issue a written order by Friday, but that it would be substantially the same as the injunction sought by the states.
Postal Service spokesman Dave Partenheimer said in a statement the organization is reviewing its legal options, but that “there should be no doubt that the Postal Service is ready and committed to handle whatever volume of election mail it receives.”
Lee Moak, a member of the USPS Board of Governors, called the notion any changes were politically motivated “completely and utterly without merit.”
Following a national uproar, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major donor to President Donald Trump and the GOP, announced he was suspending some changes — including the removal of iconic blue mailboxes in many cities and the decommissioning of mail processing machines.
But other changes remained in place, and the states — including the battlegrounds of Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada — asked the court to block them. The states sought to have the “leave behind” policy revoked; election mail treated as First Class mail rather than as slower-moving categories; the reinstallation of any mail processing machines needed to ensure the prompt handling of election mail; and that the court hold DeJoy to his promise to suspend other changes.
Led by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, the states said the Postal Service made the changes without first bringing them to the Postal Regulatory Commission for public comment and an advisory opinion, as required by federal law. They also said the changes interfered with their constitutional authority to administer their elections.
At the hearing, Justice Department attorney Joseph Borson sought to assure the judge that the Postal Service would handle election mail promptly, noting that a surge of ballots in the mail would pale in comparison to increases from, say, holiday cards.
He also said slow-downs caused by the “leave behind” policy had gotten better since it was first implemented, and that the Postal Service in reality had made no changes with regard to how it classifies and processes election mail. DeJoy has repeatedly insisted that processing election mail remains the organization’s top priority.
“There’s been a lot of confusion in the briefing and in the press about what the Postal Service has done,” Borson said. “The states are accusing us of making changes we have not in fact made.”
Voters who are worried about their ballots being counted “can simply promptly drop their ballots in the mail,” he said, and states can help by mailing registration form or absentee ballots early.
Borson also insisted that the states also were required to bring their challenge not in court, but before the Postal Regulatory Commission itself — even though by law the commission has 90 days to respond. Bastian rejected that notion, saying there was no time for that with the election just seven weeks away.
The states conceded that mail delays have eased since the service cuts first created a national uproar in July, but they said on-time deliveries remain well below their prior levels, meaning millions of pieces of mail that would otherwise arrive on-time no longer are.
They also noted some of the effects the changes had already wrought: Michigan spent $2 million earlier this year on envelopes that met election mail standards — only to learn that the Postal Service wouldn’t treat them as first class mail. In Madison, Wisconsin, the number of ballots that weren’t counted because they arrived late for the August primary doubled from the August 2018 primary.
Further, they cited research from information technology consultant Mynor Urizar-Hunter, who helped start a website tracking the USPS changes, noting that 78% of the machines slated for removal were in counties won by Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
The states suing are Washington, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia — all led by Democratic attorneys general.
Pennsylvania is leading a separate multistate lawsuit over the changes, and New York and Montana have filed their own challenges.


mercurynews--2020-09-17--Nike’s kneel-commemorating all-black Kaepernick jersey sells out in less than a minute

After three-plus seasons without an NFL contract , you may think Colin Kaepernick ’ s popularity would have diminished .
Based on how quickly his new Nike jersey was snapped up , that is not the case .
Nike released its Kaepernick Icon Jersey 2.0 Thursday to commemorate four years since the former 49ers quarterback began kneeling during the national anthem of a game to protest police brutality .
The jersey was released on Nike ’ s SNKRS app and Nike.com at 7 a.m. and by 7:01 a.m. , the jersey was sold out , the company confirmed to CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 150 on SNKRS , and Thursday afternoon a quick search on eBay showed dozens available for resale around $ 400 .
Nike has not said how many of the jerseys it made .
The back of the jersey looks like a black-on-black version of Kaepernick ’ s No .
7 jersey with the 49ers , but that ’ s where the similarities end .
The front features a stylized ‘ K ’ on the collar where the NFL shield would normally go on a Niners jersey .
There ’ s also no “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nor are there sleeve stripes .
Finally , it features “ True to 7 ” stitched in script on the inside of the collar .
Kaepernick took to Instagram to highlight the release .
“ Four years ago , I took a knee to protest against systemic racism and social injustice .
It was that day that the number on my jersey would come to represent something greater than football , something greater than me , ” he wrote in a post featuring photos of the jersey .
“ Since then , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for advancing the liberation and well-being of Black & Brown communities .
Thank you for staying True.
” • 49ers ’ Nick Bosa ready to get after ‘ the enemy ’ in legendary rusher Frank Gore • The Deets : The 49ers are injured all over but the sky isn ’ t falling… yet • With George Kittle out of practice and Richard Sherman IR-bound , 49ers ’ Shanahan is juggling • Ageless Frank Gore will start for Jets in Week 2 against 49ers , draws Shanahan ’ s admiration Nike gear focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years now : The original Kaepernick Icon jersey released last year reportedly sold out in less than a day , and Kaepernick Icon T-shirt sold out in a matter of hours , too .
Nike has not clarified how many jerseys or shirts were available in those runs , either .
Fans expressed their frustration and disbelief on social media that they were not able to buy their jersey on Nike ’ s site .
Some pointed to bots and quick-fingered resellers as the culprits , while others blamed Nike for intentionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the exclusivity of the jersey .
Without knowing how many jerseys Nike manufactured , all that is clear is that the demand for new Kaepernick gear appears to outpace the supply .

After three-plus seasons without an NFL contract, you may think Colin Kaepernick’s popularity would have diminished.
Based on how quickly his new Nike jersey was snapped up, that is not the case.
Nike released its Kaepernick Icon Jersey 2.0 Thursday to commemorate four years since the former 49ers quarterback began kneeling during the national anthem of a game to protest police brutality. The jersey was released on Nike’s SNKRS app and Nike.com at 7 a.m. and by 7:01 a.m., the jersey was sold out, the company confirmed to CNN.
The jersey was listed at $150 on SNKRS, and Thursday afternoon a quick search on eBay showed dozens available for resale around $400. Nike has not said how many of the jerseys it made.
The back of the jersey looks like a black-on-black version of Kaepernick’s No. 7 jersey with the 49ers, but that’s where the similarities end. The front features a stylized ‘K’ on the collar where the NFL shield would normally go on a Niners jersey. There’s also no “49ers” written on the chest, nor are there sleeve stripes. Finally, it features “True to 7” stitched in script on the inside of the collar.
True to each other.⁰True to the movement. The 'Kaepernick' Icon 2.0 Jersey. Available at 10am ET 🇺🇸 Shop: https://t.co/mLdLEMer0T pic.twitter.com/uf14z4zsXm — Nike.com (@nikestore) September 17, 2020
Kaepernick took to Instagram to highlight the release.
“Four years ago, I took a knee to protest against systemic racism and social injustice. It was that day that the number on my jersey would come to represent something greater than football, something greater than me,” he wrote in a post featuring photos of the jersey.
“Since then, the number 7 jersey has become a symbol for advancing the liberation and well-being of Black & Brown communities. Thank you for staying True.”
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49ers mailbag: Are rookie Moody’s kicking misses cause for concern? San Francisco 49ers | 49ers: Shanahan sees bright side of Trey Lance’s performance vs. Raiders Nike gear focused on Kaepernick has been a hot commodity for years now: The original Kaepernick Icon jersey released last year reportedly sold out in less than a day, and Kaepernick Icon T-shirt sold out in a matter of hours, too. Nike has not clarified how many jerseys or shirts were available in those runs, either.
Fans expressed their frustration and disbelief on social media that they were not able to buy their jersey on Nike’s site. Some pointed to bots and quick-fingered resellers as the culprits, while others blamed Nike for intentionally creating a small number to play up the exclusivity of the jersey.
Without knowing how many jerseys Nike manufactured, all that is clear is that the demand for new Kaepernick gear appears to outpace the supply.


mercurynews--2020-09-17--SFMOMA, Asian Art Museum reopen to public with free admission days

SFMOMA and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco have announced their reopening plans .
After more than six months of being shuttered due to safety precautions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic , the Asian Art Museum and SFMOMA will open to the general public on Oct. 3 and 4 , respectively .
Both museums will offer free admission to guests for extended periods .
Viewers can check out the offerings at SFMOMA free of charge — with free parking , as well , at the museum ’ s garage on Minna Street — from Oct. 4 through 18 .
Over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will receive free admission Oct. 3 through 12 .
Museum members get to return even earlier during previews that run Oct. 1-3 at SFMOMA and Oct. 1-2 at the Asian Art Museum .
SFMOMA and Asian Art Museum join a number of other Bay Area museums that have begun announcing their reopening dates after the long shutdown .
Others include the de Young and the Legion of Honor in San Francisco , which respectively reopen on Sept. 25 and in mid-October .
All the museums will be reopening under strict new health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be limited to 25 percent of what would have been allowed during pre-COVID operations .
All visitors , ages three and over , must wear masks inside the building .
The museum will use a timed ticket entry system in admitting visitors to help allow for proper social distancing .
Organizers are strongly recommending that visitors reserve their tickets to SFMOMA in advance , beginning Sept. 23 for members and Sept. 25 for the general public .
Admission tickets will also be sold at the door , but in limited quantities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still be available once one arrives .
Many of the same precautionary health and safety protocols will also be in place at the Asian Art Museum , including limiting capacity to 25 percent and the use of timed ticketing .
For more information , visit asianart.org .

SFMOMA and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco have announced their reopening plans.
After more than six months of being shuttered due to safety precautions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Asian Art Museum and SFMOMA will open to the general public on Oct. 3 and 4, respectively. Both museums will offer free admission to guests for extended periods.
Viewers can check out the offerings at SFMOMA free of charge — with free parking, as well, at the museum’s garage on Minna Street — from Oct. 4 through 18. Over at the Asian Art Museum, guests will receive free admission Oct. 3 through 12.
Museum members get to return even earlier during previews that run Oct. 1-3 at SFMOMA and Oct. 1-2 at the Asian Art Museum.
SFMOMA and Asian Art Museum join a number of other Bay Area museums that have begun announcing their reopening dates after the long shutdown. Others include the de Young and the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, which respectively reopen on Sept. 25 and in mid-October.
All the museums will be reopening under strict new health and safety measures.
At SFMOMA, capacity will be limited to 25 percent of what would have been allowed during pre-COVID operations. All visitors ages 3 and over must wear masks inside the building. The museum will use a timed ticket entry system in admitting visitors to help allow for proper social distancing.
Organizers are strongly recommending that visitors reserve their tickets to SFMOMA in advance, beginning Sept. 23 for members and Sept. 25 for the general public. Admission tickets will also be sold at the door, but in limited quantities and there’s no guarantee they will still be available once one arrives.
For more information, visit sfmoma.org.
Many of the same precautionary health and safety protocols will also be in place at the Asian Art Museum, including limiting capacity to 25 percent and the use of timed ticketing. For more information, visit asianart.org.


mercurynews--2020-09-17--New Orleans pot trafficker known as ‘Hitler’ accused of ordering $5,000 hit to cover his tracks in O

New Orleans pot trafficker known as ‘Hitler’ accused of ordering $5,000 hit to cover his tracks in Oakland murder

OAKLAND — In court records for the sentencing for a pot trafficker supposedly known as “ Hitler , ” federal authorities formally connected the dots between two 2016 homicides that occurred 2,000 miles apart , but were ordered , they allege , by the same man .
Marcus Etienne , 38 , of Parish , New Orleans , is awaiting what will be a 33 to 35-year federal prison sentence for a charge of ordering the March 2016 murder of Trince Thibodeaux , shot and killed in Oakland allegedly because Etienne suspected him of stealing .
Etienne also pleaded guilty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal , prosecutors said .
“ Later , Etienne told members of Thibodeaux ’ s family that he was not involved in the murder , and Etienne suggested to them that another man , Rodney Savoy , was responsible , ” federal prosecutors wrote in the sentencing memo .
“ Carrying this ruse further , Etienne offered up to $ 5,000 for Savoy to be killed.
” Five months after Thibodeaux was killed , Savoy was shot multiple times by an intruder in his Opelousas , Louisiana home and died .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Savoy .
Court records say that a man named Tevin Jenkins was convicted and sentenced to “ life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole , ” but the conviction was overturned this year because it was reached by a non-unanimous verdict , a tactic that was recently found unconstitutional .
Etienne will be sentenced in October , according to court records .
He faces a minimum of 33 years , a term his attorney said would be considered “ excessive if not inhumane in many if not most modern democracies.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support letters from his family , which describe him as a caring and generous person and an active father who tried to steer his kids on the right path .
Ettiene was responsible for a marijuana trafficking ring that shipped pot grown in Humboldt County to Louisiana , according to federal prosecutors .
He was charged with marijuana trafficking in 2017 after being stopped with tens of thousands in cash while flying to the Bay Area .
Prosecutors moved to indict him on murder charges , and for more than a year he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in 2018 , the U.S. Attorney ’ s office formally revealed the alleged plot to murder Thibodeaux , and charged Burt Gucci Rhodes with personally killing him on Etienne ’ s order .
Two others , Mario Robinson , and Craig Marshall , along with Etienne ’ s then-wife Elizabeth Gobert , were also hit with conspiracy charges related to the “ Etienne Enterprise ” marijuana ring .
In the court records , prosecutor alleged that Savoy was interviewed by police in the Thibodeaux murder investigation , and implicated Etienne .
Etienne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having plotted to murder his own co-defendant , Robinson .
That charge was dropped as part of the plea deal with federal prosecutors , and the defense pushed back against it in court records , saying there ’ s no reason why the court should forbid Etienne from talking to him .
“ The two have a long-standing friendship going back many years , and there is overlap between their respective family and friends , ” Etienne ’ s attorneys wrote in court records .
With credit for good time , Etienne will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60s .
It ’ s effectively a life sentence , according to his attorneys , who described Etienne ’ s upbringing in great detail .
He was raised in the “ highly segregated ” city of St. Martinville , which reached a 47 percent unemployment rate during the recession , the defense sentencing memo says .
“ ( Etienne ) excelled at basketball , drawing great attention and acclaim from local coaches and schools , even earning a scholarship to a parochial middle school and high school , ” his attorneys wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ needing to support his family and his newborn child , Mr. Etienne stopped attending high school after the tenth grade … there was simply no work in the area , and Mr. Etienne had children he needed to support , so he ‘ began earning money ‘ on the streets .
’ ”

OAKLAND — In court records for the sentencing for a pot trafficker supposedly known as “Hitler,” federal authorities formally connected the dots between two 2016 homicides that occurred 2,000 miles apart, but were ordered, they allege, by the same man.
Marcus Etienne, 38, of St. Martin Parish, New Orleans, is awaiting what will be a 33 to 35-year federal prison sentence for a charge of ordering the March 2016 murder of Trince Thibodeaux, shot and killed in Oakland allegedly because Etienne suspected him of stealing. Etienne also pleaded guilty to dogfighting as part of a plea deal, prosecutors said.
“Later, Etienne told members of Thibodeaux’s family that he was not involved in the murder, and Etienne suggested to them that another man, Rodney Savoy, was responsible,” federal prosecutors wrote in the sentencing memo. “Carrying this ruse further, Etienne offered up to $5,000 for Savoy to be killed.”
Five months after Thibodeaux was killed, Savoy was shot multiple times by an intruder in his Opelousas, Louisiana home and died. According to prosecutors, a relative of Thibodeaux killed Savoy.
Court records say that a man named Tevin Jenkins was convicted and sentenced to “life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole,” but the conviction was overturned this year because it was reached by a non-unanimous verdict, a tactic that was recently found unconstitutional.
Etienne will be sentenced in October, according to court records. He faces a minimum of 33 years, a term his attorney said would be considered “excessive if not inhumane in many if not most modern democracies.” Etienne’s sentencing memo contains numerous support letters from his family, which describe him as a caring and generous person and an active father who tried to steer his kids on the right path.
Ettiene was responsible for a marijuana trafficking ring that shipped pot grown in Humboldt County to Louisiana, according to federal prosecutors. He was charged with marijuana trafficking in 2017 after being stopped with tens of thousands in cash while flying to the Bay Area. Prosecutors moved to indict him on murder charges, and for more than a year he faced a possible death sentence.
Eventually, in 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s office formally revealed the alleged plot to murder Thibodeaux, and charged Burt Gucci Rhodes with personally killing him on Etienne’s order. Two others, Mario Robinson, and Craig Marshall, along with Etienne’s then-wife Elizabeth Gobert, were also hit with conspiracy charges related to the “Etienne Enterprise” marijuana ring.
In the court records, prosecutor alleged that Savoy was interviewed by police in the Thibodeaux murder investigation, and implicated Etienne.
Etienne was also charged at one point with having plotted to murder his own co-defendant, Robinson. That charge was dropped as part of the plea deal with federal prosecutors, and the defense pushed back against it in court records, saying there’s no reason why the court should forbid Etienne from talking to him.
“The two have a long-standing friendship going back many years, and there is overlap between their respective family and friends,” Etienne’s attorneys wrote in court records.
With credit for good time, Etienne will get out in his early to mid 60s. It’s effectively a life sentence, according to his attorneys, who described Etienne’s upbringing in great detail. He was raised in the “highly segregated” city of St. Martinville, which reached a 47 percent unemployment rate during the recession, the defense sentencing memo says.
“(Etienne) excelled at basketball, drawing great attention and acclaim from local coaches and schools, even earning a scholarship to a parochial middle school and high school,” his attorneys wrote. “However, facing the reality of needing to support his family and his newborn child, Mr. Etienne stopped attending high school after the tenth grade … there was simply no work in the area, and Mr. Etienne had children he needed to support, so he ‘began earning money ‘on the streets.’ ”