Category: Bay Area

Dear Eric: I sing as a volunteer in a church choir. Because I can sight-sing, was trained as a musician, and can sing alto, the music director likes it when I come. For me, singing is “work,” not “fun,” but the music director is very nice, and the choir members are very warm and kind people. What I don’t enjoy is that one of the newer members wears very strong cologne, and I am allergic to it. If I forget to take an allergy pill before church, I cough during the entire service and sing about one quarter of the notes. If I remember the allergy pill, I don’t cough but can only sing about half the notes because her cologne still affects my breathing in a bad way. If she (the cologne wearer) was a friend, I could go up to her and say, “Lay off the scent, it’s making me sick.” But she is an acquaintance, and I don’t know her well enough to be so blunt. Also, she is from another country and culture and, as an immigrant, is deserving of our

Today is Sunday, Nov. 3, the 308th day of 2024. There are 58 days left in the year. Daylight saving time ends today. Today in history: On Nov. 3, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the spacecraft Sputnik 2, carrying the first animal into orbit, a dog named Laika. Also on this date: In 1908, Republican William Howard Taft was elected president, outpolling Democrat William Jennings Bryan. In 1911, the Chevrolet Motor Car Co. was founded in Detroit by Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant. In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt easily won reelection, losing just two states to the Republican candidate, Kansas Gov. Alf Landon. In 1961, diplomat U Thant of Burma (now Myanmar) was elected secretary-general of the United Nations following the death of his predecessor, Dag Hammarskjold, in an airplane crash. In 1979, five Communist Workers Party members were killed in a clash with heavily armed Ku Klux Klansmen and neo-Nazis during an anti-Klan protest in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 1992, Democrat Bill Clinton was elected the 42nd president of the United States, defeating President George H.W. Bush. In 2012, the lights went

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Elizabeth Smart, 37; Gemma Ward, 37; Colin Kaepernick, 37; Dolph Lundgren, 67. Happy Birthday: Solidify your plans and forge ahead with optimism. Trust your instincts instead of relying on others’ opinions. Take the initiative, build your future around your needs and make changes that promote happiness. You have plenty to look forward to if you take the best path and leave nothing to chance. You are your best asset and marketeer; promote who you are, what you can do and what you want in return. Your numbers are 3, 11, 17, 25, 34, 41, 45. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Get up and get moving. You’ll accomplish plenty with forward-thinking and using your skills diversely. Reunite with old friends or travel somewhere that inspires and encourages you to expand your interests. Opportunity knocks; it’s up to you to take advantage of whatever comes your way. 5 stars TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’ll discover something about yourself and where you are heading if you put your energy into something you enjoy doing. The results you get and the compliments you receive will

By Jon Wilner | jwilner@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: November 2, 2024 at 11:04 PM PDT The Ducks and Buckeyes won on the road and reduced the chances of a tiebreaker mess in the 18-team conference. Subscribe to continue reading this article. Already subscribed? To login in, click here.

SUBSCRIBER ONLY Playoff bound! Kundananji’s spectacular brace sends Bay FC to NWSL postseason Bay FC wins in season finale, is headed to the postseason in its first year of existence. Bay FC’s Racheal Kundananji (9) celebrates her goal against FC Barcelona in the first half at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Bay FC wins in season finale, is headed to the postseason in its first year of existence. Originally Published: November 2, 2024 at 9:20 PM PDT

SUBSCRIBER ONLY Bay Area high school football roundup 2024: Best of Saturday’s Week 10 action Riordan’s Mike Mitchell throws three touchdowns, Salesian routs St. Mary’s-Berkeley, Piedmont clinches at least a share of MVAL/WACC Mission Division title. Riordan quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr. #9 scrambles against Mitty, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) Riordan’s Mike Mitchell throws three touchdowns, Salesian routs St. Mary’s-Berkeley, Piedmont clinches at least a share of MVAL/WACC Mission Division title. Originally Published: November 2, 2024 at 6:35 PM PDT

No. 10 Wilcox 19, No. 6 Los Gatos 14 See a photo you like? Click here to see these and more and to purchase high-quality prints or a keepsake photos on mugs, buttons, greeting cards and more. The Wilcox High football team celebrate their 19-14 win against Los Gatos High in Los Gatos, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)  Wilcox High’s Brayden Rosa (2) runs for a first down before being tackled by Los Gatos High’s Andrew Sandoval (6) in the first quarter of their football game in Los Gatos, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)  Wilcox High’s Jeiman Delos Santos (21) outruns Los Gatos High’s Aurelio Valdez (99) as he runs the ball for a first down in the second quarter of their football game in Los Gatos, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)  Los Gatos High’s Beau Musser (11) makes a 45-yard catch for a first down while being covered by Wilcox High’s Cesar Segovia (6) in the third quarter of their football game in Los Gatos, Calif., on Friday

Click here for a complete list of our election recommendations. The Dublin City Council placed on Tuesday’s ballot a measure that includes good government reforms and a term-limit extension. Too bad they couldn’t be forthcoming with voters about the term-limit component. Voters should reject Measure JJ. The council should try again in the next election — but be up front with the voters. The measure’s provisions include prohibitions on councilmembers accepting gifts from city contractors or lobbyists, and on lobbyists sitting on city commissions. It would require the city to post on its website monthly financial reports and most city contracts before the council acts on them. All good stuff — although it’s not clear that a ballot measure was needed to implement them. And then there’s the term-limit provision, described in the ballot wording as “impos(ing) a combined term limit of 12 years for the Mayor and/or City Councilmembers, while retaining existing term limits for the current Mayor and City Councilmembers.” What it fails to make clear is that this would be an increase in how long someone could serve as the elected mayor

Click here for a complete list of our election recommendations. Eleven school districts in the South and East Bay have placed measures on Tuesday’s ballot that would raise property taxes to supplement funding for education. Voters should consider the amount of the tax, whether it’s permanent or has a termination date, and whether the district already collects other voter-approved taxes. On that latter point, districts often fail to disclose on the ballot or in the official voter guides the other taxes they collect. So, property owners should check their tax bills. Against the cost, we balance the needs of the districts. Generally, parcel tax measures include high-falutin ballot language about the programs the money would be used for. In most cases, it would effectively just provide additional funding for district operations. Of the 11 measures, we evaluated the proposals for the three largest districts. Here are our recommendations: N – East Side Union High School District – Yes Cost: $49 per parcel annually for operations for five years. District property owners also pay to retire school construction bonds. This year, that tax was $64 per

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Something different is happening in North Carolina’s 2024 election: Republicans are eagerly showing up to vote early. About 4 million people — more than half of those registered in the state — voted early in North Carolina, according to data from the State Board of Elections. And Republicans were beating both unaffiliated and Democratic voters headed into the final day of early voting, which wasn’t the case in either 2016 or 2020, according to the John Locke Foundation’s Vote Tracker. What’s more, former President Donald Trump’s campaign is embracing early voting. At his Saturday rally in Gastonia, many attendees said they had already voted early. Jason Little is a Statesville resident and volunteer for Trump Force 47, a network helping the former president’s 2024 campaign. The organization has made a big push this year for people to vote early. On Saturday, Little volunteered at the rally in a Trump Force 47 T-shirt and a white baseball cap that said “Trump Force Captain,” with a Trump signature on the brim. “You’re taking too much of a chance waiting till the day of, you

Although spooky season is over, the scares don’t have to stop. Players will find plenty of horror in video games year-round. In fact, some of the best titles this year have been horror games. Here’s a quick look at recent releases that have murder, mayhem and monsters. “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6” — After a disappointing outing last year, the best-selling franchise returns to form this year thanks to Treyarch and Raven Software. Taking place during the first Gulf War in the 1990s, the story campaign expertly sets the latest chapter amid an intriguing time of espionage and has the mission design chops to bolster the narrative. Meanwhile, the multiplayer benefits from the new omnidirectional movement mechanics that let players sprint, dive and slide in any direction. Now, players can pull off more spectacular moves when they remember to use it. The horror from “Black Ops 6” comes from its Zombies mode, which again returns with the campy fun and fast-paced co-op action that fans have come to love. Players can tackle two large maps called Terminus and Liberty Falls. Players will have to

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has approved a revised plan for a massive proposed wind farm after he rejected a sharply slimmed-down version earlier this year. Inslee urged permitting officials to work quickly to allow the construction of as many Horse Heaven Wind Farm turbines as possible, The Seattle Times reported. Washington state won’t meet its “urgent clean energy needs” if officials take years to authorize the turbines, he said. The original $1.7 billion project included up to 222 wind turbines across 24 miles (38.6 kilometers) of hillsides in the Tri-Cities area of eastern Washington and three solar arrays covering up to 8.5 square miles (22 square kilometers). But then Washington’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, a clearinghouse for permits required by large projects, recommended slashing the proposal in half because nests of the endangered ferruginous hawk were found in the area. It wanted a 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) buffer around each nest. Most nests were empty, but the hawks can return to them years later. In May, Inslee rejected the council’s recommendation to shrink the project, prompting the panel to suggest a compromise

Napa County rockslide on Highway 128 slows southbound traffic By Bay City News A rockslide that was slowing traffic on state Highway 128 in Napa County on Saturday was later cleared, the California Highway Patrol said in a post on X. The slide occurred east of Lake Berryessa in the Markley Canyon area. Caltrans’ live traffic map showed southbound traffic moving slowly through the area at about 1 p.m. on Saturday. No injuries were reported.

A woman drove her car into a tree on I-80 early Saturday morning, killing her passenger and injuring herself, according to California Highway Patrol. The woman was driving a gold Toyota Corolla westbound on I-80 near the Willow Avenue offramp when she collided with the large tree. California Highway Patrol and emergency personnel arrived on the scene around 12:45 a.m., and pronounced the male passenger dead. The driver was transported to a nearby hospital for major injuries, but is expected to recover. No other cars were involved in the crash. The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the collision can contact CHP Contra Costa in Martinez at (925) 646-4980.

Stanford allowed the seventh-most points in program history Saturday morning in a 59-28 loss at North Carolina State. It was the sixth straight loss for the Cardinal (2-7, 1-5), and the fifth loss by at least 24 points in that span. True freshman C.J. Bailey, making his fifth career start, led the Wolfpack (5-4, 2-3) to eight touchdowns in his nine drives before sitting out the final 13 minutes. After true freshman Elijah Brown got the start last week for Stanford, the Cardinal went back to two-year starter Ashton Daniels against N.C. State. The junior scored on touchdown runs of 67 and 48 yards before taking a hard hit while scrambling and leaving the game in the third quarter. Daniels finished with 129 rushing yards on 11 carries. Stanford was playing at 9 a.m. Pacific Time for the first time this season and playing its fourth game in the Eastern Time Zone in seven weeks, a consequence of its first year in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Cardinal came out slowly, giving up the first 14 points for the fifth straight conference game. Stanford has

By Bay City News Petaluma police have arrested a Sonoma man after detaining him on suspicions of driving under the influence, police said. Cesar Godinez, 20, was suspected of being DUI and was driving erratically around E. Washington Street and Sonoma Mountain Parkway on Thursday afternoon, according to the news release on Friday. An officer located Godinez’s vehicle in a nearby gas station. Upon observing signs of impairment, police determined Godinez was under the influence of a controlled substance and he was arrested, police said. A search of his vehicle revealed a large amount of suspected Xanax, marijuana, ski mask, and a replica firearm, the news release noted. Godinez was booked at the Sonoma County Jail.

By Steve Peoples, Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The 2024 presidential contest speeds into its final weekend with Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump locked in a razor-thin contest. At this late stage in the campaign, every day matters. And while few voters might change their minds this late in a typical election, there is a sense that what happens in these final days could shift votes. Harris and Trump are crisscrossing the country to rally voters in the states that matter most. They’re trying — with varying degrees of success — to stay focused on a clear and concise closing message. At the same time, each side is investing massive resources to drive up turnout for the final early voting period. And in these critical days, the flow of misinformation is intensifying. Here’s what we’re watching on the final weekend before Election Day, which is Tuesday: Where will Harris and Trump be? You only need to look at the candidates’ schedules this weekend to know where this election will likely be decided. Note that schedules can and likely will change without warning.

OAKLAND — An Oakland woman has been charged with distributing fentanyl in the Bay Area, months after she allegedly admitted to police that she called family to clean large amounts of drugs from her home before reporting her husband’s death. Fany Reanos-Moreno, 32, was indicted on a charge of fentanyl distribution, and prosecutors are also moving to seize $63,132 of alleged drug money as part of the case, court records show. The charging records say Reanos-Moreno distributed fentanyl last August, but she first appeared on Oakland police’s radar last April, when her husband died of suicide in their home, authorities said. On April 28, Reanos-Moreno’s 22-year-old husband allegedly shot himself during an argument with Reason-Moreno, inside the couple’s Oakland home. She later admitted that rather than call 911 right away, she called several friends and family members to clean up a large amount of drugs and a pill press from the home, according to authorities. Police were suspicious of the claims, and placed Reanos-Moreno and a relative under arrest on the assumption that her husband’s death was a homicide. But the autopsy later confirmed it

Emma Prusch Farm Park in San Jose isn’t shutting down, despite anything you may have heard to the contrary. On Friday morning, families were watching their kids bound around the new playground and its giant chicken structure. Goats were lounging next to the big red barn, Vietnamese potbelly pigs Rachel and Bluey were milling about their enclosure and various birds — roosters, peacocks and peahens — were strolling around the grounds like they own the place. Of course, if you’d been reading posts on Next Door or Reddit about the park in recent days, you might have expected the gates to be shut and a giant sign posted out front saying “Big Development Coming Soon Here.” An entrance to Emma’s Kitchen Garden at Emma Prusch Farm Park in San Jose. The garden is maintained by the Prusch Farm Park Foundation. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group) 1 of 5 An entrance to Emma’s Kitchen Garden at Emma Prusch Farm Park in San Jose. The garden is maintained by the Prusch Farm Park Foundation. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group) Expand The frenzy to protect Emma Prusch Farm

The San Francisco 49ers have once again opened up their checkbook ahead of Election Day, spending over $2.3 million on Santa Clara City Council races — more than 17 times the second biggest spender in the city. Four seats are up for grab on the council and the NFL team is backing Santa Clara Unified School District Trustee Albert Gonzalez in District 1, Councilmember Kevin Park in District 4, Councilmember Suds Jain in District 5 and former Parks and Recreation Commissioner George Guerra in District 6. The 49ers have spent on average roughly $302,000 supporting each of the candidates through the end of October. The team is also running opposition campaigns against some of their chosen candidates’ challengers. The 49ers have shelled out $247,694 opposing former Charter Review Committee member Satish Chandra in District 1, $233,879 opposing former Councilmember Teresa O’Neill in District 4, $230,039 against businessman David Kertes and $391,059 against Santa Clara University Assistant Dean Kelly Cox in District 6 — the most the team has spent on any seat this election cycle. The 49ers are not supporting or opposing indicted Vice Mayor Anthony Becker in

Two years ago, Rep. Kevin Mullin, the incumbent Democrat representing California’s 15th Congressional District, seized a rare opportunity to fill a Bay Area seat previously held by political heavyweight Jackie Speier, who stepped down after 15 years in Congress. As he seeks reelection, Mullin appears well-positioned to retain the seat, having secured 75% of the vote in March’s primary against Republican challenger Anna Cheng Kramer, who garnered 25%. Kramer, an affordable housing executive from San Carlos, is determined to continue her campaign and insists she won’t go down without a fight. As a conservative Republican in the strongly Democratic Bay Area, she claims to have “made a dent” in the local progressive political landscape. If reelected, Mullin’s top priorities will include addressing affordable housing needs and improving regional transportation. District 15, encompassing most of San Mateo County and southeastern San Francisco, is at the “epicenter” of California’s affordability crisis. “The federal government needs to do much more on affordable housing,” Mullin said. “This includes tax credits to make projects financially viable and the ability to activate these initiatives.” Mullin advocates for converting parking areas at