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NFC playoff outlook: It’s a stress-free Week 18 for top seed 49ers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:29 GMT

So maybe the L.A. Rams-49ers game to close out the regular season won’t the kind of drama that seemed inevitable.Unless your idea of a Week 18 spectacle is watching Carson Wentz go toe-to-toe with Sam Darnold.The 49ers are in as the top seed after beating Washington 27-10 and getting help in the form of Arizona upsetting Philadelphia.The Rams are in as a wild card after winning six of their last seven games. So much for watching the 49ers crush the postseason dream for the Rams, or the Rams making the playoffs by knocking the 49ers out of the No. 1 seed.Instead, coaches Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay will be devising ways to put their best players in bubble-wrap, with quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Matthew Stafford likely getting no more than cameo appearances, giving some reserve quarterbacks a chance for some regular season reps.Common sense says Christian McCaffrey, who gave way to Elijah Mitchell because of a calf strain against Washington, will get healthy throughout this wee...

Marin Republicans file dueling lawsuits amid party turmoil

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:29 GMT

A conflict over an office lease is at the center of two lawsuits involving current and former members of the Marin County Republican Central Committee.The group works to register Republican voters and promote party candidates. In September, suspended committee members Francis Drouillard and William McLaughlin filed a small claims suit in Marin County Superior Court naming their former organization as a defendant.Both accuse committee chair John Wilkinson of spending more than $8,700 in committee funds for the first year of a San Rafael office lease without the organization’s authorization in 2017, when he was treasurer, according to the suit. The suit also names former committee chair Kernan Jang as a defendant.The plaintiffs allege that Wilkinson defrauded the committee and are demanding that he pay it restitution.“We’re not in it for the money, we want the money returned,” Drouillard said.Joining them in the suit are former committee member John Turnacliff and former alternate mem...

Richardson Bay authority defeats lawsuit over ‘anchor-out’ boat removals

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:29 GMT

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit arguing that the Richardson’s Bay Regional Authority does not have legal standing to police the water.The judge found no merit in an argument by plaintiff Robert Roark, an anchor-out who lives on the bay, that he has a constitutional right to anchor there.“To the extent Roark is alleging a stand-alone constitutional entitlement to anchor where he chooses, the United States’ constitution does not confer a blanket right to anchor in Richardson’s Bay,” wrote Judge William Orrick of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.Despite a law that prohibits boaters from anchoring in the bay for longer than 72 hours, many have lived on their vessels there for decades. The number of anchor-outs swelled to 240 in 2016. Today there are about 40.The agency enforces a 72-hour anchoring limit for new vessels, and plans to remove all anchor-outs from the bay by October 2024. A housing and vessel buyback program, as well as a permitting pr...

Bus driver from UC Santa Cruz crash dies from injuries

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:29 GMT

SANTA CRUZ — The Santa Cruz Metro bus driver who was injured in a crash at UC Santa Cruz earlier this month has died, his union and UCSC officials confirmed Sunday.Dan Stevenson, a long-time Santa Cruz Metro bus operator, died after he was injured while driving a UC Santa Cruz Loop Bus on Dec. 12, a representative from SMART Local 0023 told the Sentinel. SMART Local 0023 is the union that represents Santa Cruz Metro bus operators and paratransit operators.Stevenson “I had the honor of working alongside Dan; he was a genuinely kind-hearted person dedicated to serving his community,” said James Sandoval, who worked as the general chairperson for the union before recently becoming international vice president for SMART, in a statement posted to Facebook. “Dan also showed unwavering dedication to his union, advocating for the rights of himself and his colleagues. He played a pivotal role during our 37-day strike in 2005, consistently offering his support wherever it was needed. The...

Wish You Were Here: Cooking paella in Barcelona

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:29 GMT

Hiking Kauai’s Napali Coast, Alaskan bear watching, Irish island hopping — readers have had some incredible travel adventures this last year. And lucky us, they’ve shared their journeys and offered practical tips along the way.Today’s adventures come from a Menlo Park couple with a penchant for paella.Wish You Were HereSPAIN: In September, Menlo Park residents Kate and Tedd Kimelman took a trip to Europe “to learn about the culture, history and wine of Spain and France,” Kate says. “We started with a cooking class in Barcelona, where we made gazpacho, paella, pan con tomato, tortilla de España and crème brûlée. Then we all sat at a long table and enjoyed our lunch with delicious Spanish wine and good company. It was a great hands-on way to learn about the cuisine of Spain and to bond with our group.”TRAVEL TIP:  “Be sure to make reservations for cooking classes ahead of time, as they are very popular.”Related ArticlesTravel...

Travel Troubleshooter: Hertz hit me with an $850 bill months after I returned my rental

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:29 GMT

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER: My wife and I rented a car from Hertz in Arizona for a couple of days with our kids. The rental went fairly seamlessly, and we didn’t notice any damage to the car when picking it up. The representative did not give us anything to document damage, which was sort of atypical.We returned the car without any damage, and Hertz did not note anything when we returned the vehicle.Christopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter Six months later, I received a claim notification from Hertz that the car had $850 of damage during our rental period. There isn’t a description of any damage or any evidence of repair — just a request for our insurance information or credit card number.I told Hertz that we did not incur any damage during our rental, and I told them it was concerning that nearly six months after returning the vehicle without damage, we received a bill for it. Can you help?— Joseph Meisinger, Elkhorn, NebraskaANSWER: Hertz should ...

More than 100 Bay Area festivals and fairs are on deck for 2024

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:29 GMT

From tasty food and drinks to awe-inspiring art, film and cultural celebrations, the festivities ahead look near-endless. Here are all the fabulous fairs and festivals that are coming to the Bay Area in 2024.JANUARYSF Tape Music Festival: Jan. 5-7, Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th St., San Francisco. America’s only festival devoted to the performance of audio works projected in three-dimensional space, SFTMF features four concerts of classic audio art and new fixed media compositions projected over a pristine surround system to an audience seated in complete darkness. $10-$50. sfsound.org/tape/Napa Truffle Festival: Jan. 12-15, Napa Valley venues. Savor some of the finest truffle cuisine in the world, paired with magnificent wines from Napa wineries. Learn the trade’s traits of truffles from the best Michelin star and master chefs, explore a working truffle orchard and see where and how truffles are harvested. Prices vary according to event. napatrufflefestival.com/Winter Win...

The great raccoon invasion moves to a Cupertino neighborhood

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:29 GMT

DEAR JOAN: Like Kathy of Concord, my new lawn was attacked by raccoons peeling up the edges of the new sod. And, like Kathy, I tried Critter Ridder and labor intensive plastic netting, as well as clear plastic water bottles placed around the lawn, as suggested by our gardener. These deterrents would seem to work for a week or so, but the raccoons would always return.So I was overjoyed to read in your column that, with winter here, I could enjoy six months free of raccoons and grubs. Alas, the raccoons keep coming. Lately, they have been here every night.So what’s going on? Did the grubs not learn that they should be snoozing? Or are the raccoons persistently looking for grubs despite not finding them? Or could there be some other prize in the lawn the racoons enjoy? Should I apply some nematodes now, despite the season?— Randy, CupertinoDEAR RANDY: All the scenarios you pose could be at play here. The grubs might not have retreated that far, and some might be lingering w...

TasteFood: Every season is taco season

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:29 GMT

In the middle of winter — also known as the dark and cold lull between holiday festivities and the hopeful warming signs of spring — the days are often spent seeking indoor diversions, while our imaginations lead us to warm and sunny destinations. Look no further than the kitchen for immediate real-life respite. It may be yucky outside, but we can bring fun and lightness to our dinner with a heap of fresh and messy food, where all the attention is focused on the kitchen table — essentially, the center of our winter universe.It’s time to make tacos.These fish tacos give a green light to eating with our hands. They are bright and healthy, inviting everyone to dig in and assemble their own food. They are wonderfully flexible, too, combining year-round ingredients with a smattering of easy toppings and drizzles that can be prepared in advance, along with an optional salsa fresca that can either be homemade or store-bought. Choose lean, mild-flavored white-fish fi...

1 person shot, OPD investigates 

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:14:29 GMT

(KRON) – The Oakland Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred on Sunday night. A ShotSpotter activation alerted Oakland officers of a potential shooting in the 6600 of Foothill Boulevard around 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 31.  ‘STFU Musk’: Projector signs seen at SF NYE fireworks show takes aim at Mayor Breed, Elon Musk Upon arrival, officers located a victim who sustained injuries during a shooting. Paramedic personnel transported the victim to the hospital. The victim is listed in stable condition.This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPD Felony Assault Unit at (510)-238-3426.