Category: Bay Area

TODAY’S WORD — PRIMROSE (PRIMROSE: PRIM-roze: A perennial herb with showy colored flowers.) Average mark 47 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 59 or more words in PRIMROSE? The list will be published Monday. YESTERDAY’S WORD — EARTHEN earn earth eaten eater enter erne ethane ether ante anther antre arete ranee rant rate reheat rent tare tarn tear teen tern than thane thee then there three tree hare hate hater hear heart hearten heat heater here near neat neater neath nether 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

“Parachuting class has high drop-out rate.” — newspaper headline Bridge isn’t for everyone. Some who try to learn it lack patience or “card sense”; many find the game exhilarating and are drawn to it. Some concepts are basic: As declarer, count winners and losers! Against four hearts, West leads a low spade. If South plays low from dummy hopefully, East wins and leads the jack of clubs. South can take the ace, draw trumps and lead the queen of diamonds, but East wins and leads another club, and the defense gets two clubs. Down one. FOUR TRICKS South can count 10 winners: five trumps, two diamonds, two spades and one club. He will succeed unless East-West get four tricks first. South must win the first spade, cash the A-Q-J of trumps and lead the queen of diamonds. If East wins and leads the jack of clubs, South loses a finesse and wins the club return. He unblocks the jack of diamonds and reaches dummy with a trump to pitch his last club on the king of diamonds. DAILY QUESTION You hold: S Q 9 4

Dear Amy: I have been walking buddies with a neighbor for the last 12 years. We walk together about once a week. While I usually enjoy our time, there have been unsettling emotional outbursts from her, either crying or screaming about one thing or another. She has even yelled at me personally, which was shocking and embarrassing to me, and I admit I have yelled back once or twice – and I am not proud of it. It’s very out of character for me to behave that way, and I really hate it when I allow myself to be reduced to that level. I can usually look past these incidents because usually I enjoy our walks, the communication and the laughs. But last week she screamed at me again. The latest outburst happened as she was trying to tell me about something that was bothering her about a neighbor. I was unable to follow her train of thought, so I asked her for clarification more than once. Out of nowhere, she screamed at me to stop “correcting” her. I stopped in my tracks. I asked

DEAR HARRIETTE: I just read your reply to “Seeking Balance,” the young soon-to-be-mother whose mother-in-law wants to come visit and “help” for two months. I so disagree with your reply! I moved from one state to where my daughter lives when she had her first baby. Now she is about to have her second child. While I live 15 minutes from her, I am in a neighboring town. That is the closest she was willing to have me live. In no way should the MIL come to visit for an entire two months after a new mother has just given birth! You said “only” two months. That is a long time. New mothers are exhausted. My daughter and her husband get to take two months of maternity leave. Seeking Balance needs the time alone with her husband and her baby to get used to it all. The MIL has no business coming for two months. A week, maybe! Your reply to her was incorrect! — Grandma in California DEAR GRANDMA IN CALIFORNIA: Thank you for your response. You and a few others have shared a

No. 8 Los Gatos 7, Los Altos 3 A strong finish and a little help from Wilcox helped Los Gatos clinch the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division league title. Los Gatos broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the fifth when Brady Simon doubled in AJ Ljepava.  Carter Johnstone’s triple drove in two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning, and he later scored when a hit-by-pitch brought him home. Anthony Andrews got the win in relief after pitching 4.1 scoreless innings.  That victory gave Los Gatos (23-4) an 11-3 league record, and knocked Los Altos out of contention for the league championship with a 10-4 record in De Anza play.  However, Palo Alto still had a chance to win a share of the league title …  Wilcox 3, Palo Alto 1 …  until Wilcox rebounded from a defeat to the Vikings earlier in the week, and beat Palo Alto to drop the Peninsula school’s record to 10-4.  Junior pitcher Rj Argel was the star for Wilcox, tossing seven innings of four-hit ball, allowing just one unearned run

SEATTLE — Dylan Moore hit a two-run homer off Oakland starter Paul Blackburn and finished with a career-high five RBIs to help the Seattle Mariners beat the Athletics 8-1 on Friday night. Dating back to the start of last season, the A’s loss was their 13th in 14 games against the Mariners and their fifth loss in six games overall. “Moore seems to be kryptonite for us,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “Every time he’s in the lineup, it seems like we have trouble getting him out.” While the Mariners rebounded to open a brief homestand after losing three of four in Minnesota, the immediate concern was the status of starting pitcher and Alameda native Bryan Woo, who left with one out in the fifth inning. Making his first start of the year after being slowed by a sore elbow during spring training, Woo, 24, allowed just one hit through the first four innings only to leave the game after getting Tyler Soderstrom to foul out behind third base to open the fifth. Catcher Cal Raleigh immediately went to the mound and was quickly joined

SAN FRANCISCO — Logan Webb took a moment to collect his thoughts, decided on his word choice, and found the perfect phase to sum up the Giants’ recent play. “It’s dogs—, to be honest,” Webb said after his start Friday night. The Giants ace tossed seven strong innings, limited the Reds to three runs and it still wasn’t enough to beat a team that had lost its past eight games. Unable to muster more than two runs, the reeling Giants lost for the eighth time in their past 11 games, 4-2, as their own early-season freefall continued to open a nine-game home stand. “When you only score two runs, it’s going to be a problem,” said manager Bob Melvin. Back from the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field, the Giants’ offense reverted to the form it took on for most of the season. Although Heliot Ramos added a burst of energy — and a pair of hits — the rest of the shorthanded lineup had few answers for Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott. Besides Thairo Estrada’s solo shot in the first, the only other runner the Giants

WALNUT CREEK — A 67-year-old Walnut Creek man has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a child more than a decade ago, according to authorities. The defendant — identified as Kevin Osborne — was arrested on April 30, the Walnut Creek Police Department said in a news release. The alleged acts happened 15 to 20 years ago. Detectives presented the case to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, which in turn filed two counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 10 and 13 counts of lewd act upon a child. The defendant remains in custody on $3.3 million bail. The police department said there may be other victims. “Given the nature of the allegations and the nature of the case, there may be other individuals whom the same suspect sexually assaulted,” the police department said. Anyone with information related to the case can contact the police department at 925-943-5844 or the tip line at 925-943-5865.

LIVERMORE – Even when Granada was down by one, two, three then four runs, Jake Sekany maintained an unshakable faith in his best pitch during the East Bay Athletic League tournament championship game. No, he wasn’t leaning on an overpowering 95 mile-per-hour four-seamer to get him out of trouble after convincing coach Corrigan Willis to keep him in. The junior righthander maintained his belief in a slower but equally effective pitch, a wipeout slider that dropped off a cliff to his glove side. His belief was rewarded after the Matadors ambushed visiting San Ramon Valley in a six-run fourth inning. Sekany locked in from there, throwing three more scoreless innings after that to complete a 14 strikeout complete game on Friday afternoon. Granada captured the tournament title 6-4 after winning the regular season crown. “After they scored those runs, I felt more confident than ever,” a chilly Sekany said after his teammates doused him in ice water. “I actually didn’t throw that slider until this season, but it’s been really effective for me.” Granada’s Carlos Hernandez (19) douses his teammates after defeating San Ramon Valley

OAKLAND — Firefighters battled a three-alarm fire Friday night in West Oakland. The blaze was reported around 8 p.m. at 27th and West streets, in the city’s Hoover-Foster neighborhood, the Oakland Fire Department said in a social media post. Roughly 30 minutes later, the fire was placed under control, according to the agency. No injuries were reported. The fire department said two structures were involved — a vacant single-family home and a place of worship. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Update 1: Three Alarm Fire now contained at 27th & West St. No injuries at this time and the cause is under investigation. Two structures involved, a vacant single family home and a place of worship. https://t.co/FhsalfVoad pic.twitter.com/cTGLuAWUtH — Oakland Fire Department (CA) (@OaklandFireCA) May 11, 2024 This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

SAN FRANCISCO — Already banged up, the Giants took another blow early in Friday’s series opener against the Reds. Giving chase to a fly ball in the top of the first, Austin Slater crashed in the center field fence and an inning later was lifted for a pinch-hitter. Slater left the game with concussion-like symptoms, the Giants later announced. He was slow to get up from his encounter with the outfield wall and was shown walking down the dugout steps and into the clubhouse accompanied by head trainer Dave Groeschner. With left-hander Andrew Abbott on the mound for Cincinnati, Slater received his customary start while holding the platoon advantage but was only in center field because Jung Hoo Lee was already day-to-day with a bruised foot. Set to face another lefty, Nick Lodolo, on Saturday, the Giants were already missing two of their right-handed bats in catcher Tom Murphy (knee) and designated hitter Jorge Soler (shoulder). Slater collided full-speed with the chainlink portion of the outfield fence in front of the Giants bullpen while the ball off Spencer Steer’s bat fell to the ground. Already

SAN LORENZO — Two women are dead and a person of interest is in custody following a shooting earlier this month at a home in San Lorenzo, according to authorities. Deputies found the bodies while conducting a welfare check at a residence in the 15000 block of Dermody Avenue on May 4, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Friday. The victims were in their 30s and residents of the home. The welfare check came after family members told authorities they had not heard from the women since April 30. The women were killed on or around May 1 at the home, according to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office said it would not release any information related to the victims or the person of interest “until further notice.” “Our investigators are actively and diligently working in close collaboration with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office to bring justice to this egregious case,” the sheriff’s office said. Anyone with information related to the case can contact Detective C. Galloway at 510-926-2386 or Detective R. Chevalier at 510-725-2976. Check back for updates.

SAN JOSE — After Branham’s boys volleyball team was eliminated from the section playoffs on Thursday night, coach Heather Cooper broke her silence. The woman who lost her bookkeeping job last fall addressed the cloud that began with her removal and reached another level of darkness this spring when athletic director Landon Jacobs was dismissed, too. “No matter what happens, I will continue to fight because I’m innocent,” said Cooper, who after a leave of absence returned to coach the boys and girls teams. “I feel like my character and my love for Branham is being tarnished and it’s hurtful.” Neither the school district, nor Cooper or Jacobs has publicly revealed any details about why the personnel moves were made in the athletic department. But a 12-page formal complaint filed last month to the district office by supporters of the popular athletic administrators revealed that Jacobs and Cooper were accused of misappropriation of Associated Student Body funds and not following financial policies after a district audit for the 2022-23 school year. While Cooper called herself a “clerical assistant to the athletic department” in a Friday

Workers are about 80% finished digging a new 1,736-foot-long outlet tunnel at Anderson Dam near Morgan Hill. The work is part of a $2.3 billion project to bring the dam, which was built in 1950 and holds back Santa Clara County’s largest reservoir, up to modern earthquake standards. The Santa Clara Valley Water District, which is overseeing the project, says work to tear down the old dam and rebuild a new one will begin in 2026, with completion scheduled for 2032. Workers stand at the entrance of a tunnel being built at Anderson Lake County Park in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Friday, May 10, 2024.  (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)  Ryan McCarter, Deputy Operating Officer, shows news crews the inside of a an outlet tunnel being built at Anderson Lake County Park in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Friday, May 10, 2024.  (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)  Ryan McCarter, Deputy Operating Officer, shows news crews the inside of a an outlet tunnel being built at Anderson Lake County Park in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Friday, May 10, 2024.  (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)  A construction site

By Molly Quell | Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands — South Africa urged the United Nations’ top court Friday to issue more emergency measures to restrain Israel, saying its military incursion in Rafah threatens the “very survival of Palestinians in Gaza.” The request marks the fourth for additional measures by South Africa, which filed a genocide case against Israel late last year at the International Court of Justice. According to the latest request, the previous preliminary orders by The Hague-based court were not sufficient to address “a brutal military attack on the sole remaining refuge for the people of Gaza.” At hearings in January, lawyers for Israel argued that its war in Gaza was a legitimate defense of its people and that it was Hamas militants who were guilty of genocide. South Africa has asked the court to order Israel to withdraw from Rafah; to take measures to ensure unimpeded access to U.N. officials, humanitarian organizations and journalists to the Gaza Strip; and to report back within one week as to how it is meeting these demands. Earlier this week, Israel issued a warning to

Supporters of Ambrose Butchery, a gastropub in Fremont’s Niles district, are hoping to help the business owners avoid debt after lease issues forced the eatery’s closure last month. Now supporters including Niles resident Kirsten Brice are hosting a fundraiser on May 11 that will include wine donated by Mr. Mikey’s Country Store and Deli. Ambrose Butchery opened in 2019, after the restaurant owners converted the space from a retail location to a restaurant space. Business owners Joseph and Patricia Elmore had hoped summer’s brisker business would make up for slower winter sales and were taken aback when the lease was not renewed. So was the community, said Brice. “(The landlord) did not give any reason. We put a substantial amount (into) tenant improvements,” Joseph Elmore said via text. “We are beyond disappointed, and it put us in a tough position.” Landlord Wayne Corrie declined to comment on the matter. The small restaurant was known for its seasonal menus with dishes such as baked brie, burgers, steak frites and salads as well as beer, wine and cocktails. As of Friday, a Gofundme campaign had raised $2,380

With a $27 billion shortfall looming over the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom is eyeing a total of $1 billion in cuts to several housing programs aimed at financing and preserving existing affordable housing. “There are components of our housing strategy where we are making adjustments, but the core mission remains firm,” Newsom said during a press conference announcing his proposed budget Friday. Here are the housing programs where Newsom sees potential cuts: — Eliminating the Multifamily Housing Program, including the remaining $75 million in 2023-24 for this program, as well as $250 million in proposed funds, which provide low-interest loans to build low-income housing. — Reducing funds for the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Grant program from $1 billion to $740 million. Cities and counties use the grants to build permanent affordable housing and interim transitional housing. — Ending the Foreclosure Intervention Housing Preservation Program, a program created in 2021 that gave nonprofits and community land trusts loans and grants to purchase foreclosed properties. The budget appropriated $500 million through June 2027, but Newsom froze the program in January 2024 before any of the money

In an effort to expand service to a historically-underserved region of Santa Clara County, a new public health center is coming to Gilroy next year. Santa Clara Family Health Plan, which announced the new venture this week, said the Community Resource Center will offer a slate of free services, including health and wellness classes and assistance applying for insurance. “Finally, our families will have a place where they will be heard, to be taken care of, and to have a person follow up on their individual cases,” said Lucy Navarro, a resident who gave input on the upcoming center, in a news release. “I am very excited.” Santa Clara Family Health Plan, a publicly-funded health plan which largely serves low-income residents, is purchasing and renovating a building in Gilroy for the center and expects the project to cost $9 million and open in late 2025. The site will help enroll residents in MediCal, CalFresh, and Covered California and refer residents to other community resources for food, housing and health care. They will also offer fitness and wellness classes such as Zumba, yoga, or classes on healthy

Those who weren’t a fan of the warmer temperatures this week might be pleased to hear that Bay Area temperatures are forecast to drop steadily over the weekend. But if you’re looking for a quicker cooldown, be careful about dipping into rivers near the Sierra Nevada, as rapidly-melting snow might create dangerous swift water. Dial Hong, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said that temperatures are expected to cool this weekend. On Friday afternoon, Hong said, clear skies will be be seen throughout most of the Bay Area. Coastal regions will see more cooling first, with high temperatures expected to reach the mid- to upper-60s. The highs in downtown San Francisco were forecast to reach 76 degrees,with Oakland slightly warmer at about 81 degrees, San Jose was forecast to peak at 87 degrees and the highs in areas around Livermore and Concord were predicted to range around the upper 80s to lower 90s. Overnight lows were expected to reach the lower 50s near the coast and the mid- to upper 50s inland. Hong said more clouds were expected to form along the coast this weekend, with

California’s state budget has a $27.6 billion deficit, but it can be balanced without new taxes or major cuts to core programs, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday. Unveiling his revised $288 billion May state budget for 2024-25, Newsom laid out a plan that relies on taking some money from “rainy day” reserves set aside in prior years, while also delaying some state programs, leaving 10,000 state jobs unfilled, and reducing spending on other programs — from new water storage to middle class scholarship programs. “We have to be responsible. We have to be accountable. We have to balance the budget,” Newsom said. In January, Newsom announced the state had a $38 billion state deficit. The state Legislative Analyst’s Office said in February it could be as high as $73 billion, a number he rejected. By March, the governor and state lawmakers reached a deal to reduce it by $17 billion. Under state law, the Legislature is required to pass a budget by June 15 or lawmakers won’t get paid. After that, Newsom has until July 1 to agree with them on a final spending plan.

By Mauricio Savarese | Associated Press CANOAS, Brazil — Hundreds of volunteers have set up a makeshift dog shelter in an abandoned, roofless warehouse in the city of Canoas, one of the hardest hit by floods in southern Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state. They treat and feed sick, hungry or injured dogs, hoping to reunite them with their owners, and they were working at full speed Friday morning as renewed heavy rains are forecast in the region over the weekend. Authorities say more than 110 people have died, almost 150 are missing, and more than 300,000 people have been displaced by the floods. There is no official tally for the number of animals that have died or are made homeless. Local media estimated the number to be in the thousands. The makeshift shelter, about the size of a soccer field, has taken in hundreds of canines from inundated areas since Sunday. Every hour between 20 and 30 dogs arrive, many injured after having been run over or nearly drowned. The shelter sends some to veterinary hospitals, but others that are in need of medical