Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 175

An author’s life: Reading, listening as well as writing

Chris Bohjalian is the author of 25 books, including Midwives (1997), The Sandcastle Girls (2012), The Guest Room (2016) and The Flight Attendant (2018). His most recent is “The Jackal’s Mistress.” Here, he takes the Q&A to discuss the book and share some recommendations.

Question: Please tell readers about your new book.

Answer: “The Jackal’s Mistress” is a Civil War Romeo and Juliet, inspired by a true story. A hero of the Vermont Brigade was left to die in the Shenandoah Valley after the Union Army moved deeper into Virginia in 1864, and a rebel woman – whose Confederate husband had been captured at Gettysburg – had to decide how much she was willing to sacrifice to save him. He’d already had a leg amputated by surgeons and most of one hand blown off by cannon fire. The risks to herself and her young niece grew more dire every day. In 2022, I realized there was a fascinating novel in this story: romance, drama, history. And, yes, I saw this as a tale that would be shockingly timely right now.

Q: Is there a book or books you always recommend to other readers?

A: That changes all the time. This spring I have been recommending Geraldine Brooks’s “Memorial Days”; Sally Rooney’s “Intermezzo”; Ta-Nehisi Coates’s “The Message”; and Tom Lamont’s “Going Home.”

Q: How do you decide what to read next?

A: My editor or my wife or my daughter recommends something, or I read a review in a newspaper. Also, I am sort of in the business, and so I receive no fewer than four galleys every week of my life. My home is a series of Jenga towers of books.

Q: Do you remember the first book that made an impact on you?

A: There might be three that earn that distinction. I still know the last sentence of Esther Forbes’s “Johnny Tremain” from elementary school: “A man can stand up.” I still know the first sentence of Joyce Carol Oates’s “Expensive People” from middle school: “I was a child murderer.” (I read it on my own, not for a class.)

And, as a little boy, I drew a pretty accurate Starship Enterprise in the sky above the Caribbean Sea on the dust jacket of my mother’s first edition of her copy of Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea.” I think we have to count that.

Q: Is there a book you’re nervous to read?

A: I am avoiding any book about politics right now as if it’s a deadly snake.

Q: What’s something – a fact, a bit of dialogue or something else – that has stayed with you from a recent reading?

A: Oh, so many moments from Sigrid Nunez’s, “The Vulnerables,” especially when the characters, including a renowned book editor, are laughing about odd lines of dialogue that would make great titles for novels, i.e., “The men will take care of it.” (I am calling dibs right now on, “Let the Men Do It.”)

Q: Do you have any favorite book covers?

A: The original hardcover of “The Secret History.” A classic and so radically different from anything else.

Q: Do you listen to audiobooks? If so, are there any titles or narrators you’d recommend?

A: I love audiobooks. In 2024, I actually listened to one more audiobook than books I read on paper. My favorite narrator is Grace Experience. Yes, she’s my daughter, but she is a fantastic audiobook narrator.

Q: Is there a person who made an impact on your reading life – a teacher, a parent, a librarian or someone else?

A: The creative writing professor at my alma mater who would not allow me into her creative writing seminar after reading one of my short stories and said, “I have three words for you: be a banker.”

Q: What’s a memorable book experience – good or bad – you’re willing to share?

A: When I was researching the Armenian Genocide for “The Sandcastle Girls,” my love story set in the midst of the nightmare, I thought some days my head might explode. I’m a grandson of two survivors, and so I felt the pain acutely of what my ancestors endured.

Q: Is there a book that tapped into an emotion you didn’t expect?

A: Well, since March of 2020, I can find myself weeping alone in the woods with my dog when I am finishing an audiobook. This is only weird because even baseball books can do me in. So, I tell myself it is because life is ephemeral and all about saying good-bye, and ending a good book is just one more indicator of how transient our lives really are. (Just for the record, I am not sure I ever cried before March 2020. Good Lord, I was a Netflix comedy special when I was eulogizing both my parents or very good friends before then.)

Q: Do you have a favorite bookstore or bookstore experience?

A: I am in heaven when I’m in a bookstore. Same with libraries. I could browse for hours. We still have a totemic connection to books made of paper, and I can tell you where I was and the state of my life just from the dust jackets of so many books in my personal library. For instance, the cover of Henry Roth’s “Call it Sleep” instantly catapults me back to the snack bar at Smith College, where my wife went to school, and the smell of the onions the cooks there placed on the hamburgers.

SF Giants’ Birdsong learned his signature pitch on TikTok — and it could make him ‘elite’

CINCINNATI — It was sometime last year during spring training when Hayden Birdsong was engaging in a Gen Z pastime: scrolling TikTok before bed.

The algorithm fed the Giants pitcher a savory yet unsubstantial diet of short-form content. All the videos were forgettable. All but one — the one that introduced him to what would become his signature pitch. And to bullpen coach Garvin Alston, that pitch has dramatically raised expectations for the 23-year-old.

“It has changed him from being really good to a possible elite pitcher in baseball,” Alston said. “That pitch has the capability of swing-and-miss pitch at any given time. It helped him out tremendously.”

Added manager Bob Melvin: “We feel there’s a very high ceiling for Birdsong.”

The pitch that Birdsong learned on TikTok is the “kick change,” which is a modified version of a changeup. The key difference lies in the grip. With the kick change, a pitcher spikes their middle finger as if he was throwing a knuckleball. When Birdsong had an issue with his middle finger nail last week — a recurring issue — it was because of how he throws the changeup. The rest of the fingers hold the ball like a normal changeup. The result is a tumbling effect, making the pitch look similar to a splitter.

Hayden Birdsong of the San Francisco Giants shows off the grip for his “kick change” at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio on March 29, 2025. (Justice delos Santos/Bay Area News Group)

Birdsong started experimenting with the pitch the day after he learned about its existence. A week later, he threw it in a bullpen session. The pitch had movement; Birdsong had something. Birdsong previously threw a traditional changeup with a two-seam grip, but scrapped it in favor of his new toy. Combining the kick change with his mid-to-high-90s fastball, slider and curveball paved the way for last year’s rapid ascension.

The right-hander didn’t throw the kick change in a game until his season started with Double-A Richmond. With that pitch in tow, he posted a 2.05 ERA over 11 starts and earned a promotion to Triple-A Sacramento. Following two starts with the River Cats, he made his debut when injuries decimated the Giants’ rotation.

He teased high-end potential as a rookie (88 strikeouts, 72 innings) despite a 4.75 ERA, then made the Giants’ 2025 Opening Day roster with an excellent spring. He didn’t win the fifth starter competition and will pitch out of the bullpen for now, but Birdsong likely isn’t long for relief life.

“It’s helped a lot,” Birdsong said. “Before that, I could only throw inside to lefties, away from righties and that was it. Now, I have something going the other way, which really changes the eyes and helps being able to mix stuff off of it.”

There are generally two differences in how a kick change moves compared to the average changeup. The first is velocity, as kick changes clock in faster than the traditional changeups. In 2024, the average changeup was 85.5 mph. Birdsong’s changeup, by contrast, was 88.1 mph.

The second differentiating factor is more drop. Birdsong’s spiked grip creates a “tumbling” effect, according to Alston, which reduces spin and creates more drop than the average changeup. Last season, Birdsong’s changeup dropped seven inches more on average compared to other pitches thrown at similar velocities.

Or, simply put, the pitch is just nasty.

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“The main things you try to do with any changeup are you try to change tilt, you try to kill spin and you try to kill spin efficiency,” said pitching coach J.P. Martinez. “If a fastball is a high tilt, high spin efficiency, you want to go to the other end of the spectrum on the changeup.”

“It’s probably more splitter-like than like a changeup,” said catcher Patrick Bailey. “It’s hard and it’s got some good downward action. It’s nasty.”

The kick change isn’t new, though others know the pitch by different names.

When Alston worked in the A’s organization, he knew the pitch as “The Rhino.” Prior to Birdsong, the only person Martinez knew to throw the pitch was Mat Latos, though Latos referred to it as The Critter. While Birdsong isn’t the innovator, he jokingly wishes he had trademarked the pitch before it gained popularity.

Along with Birdsong, the David Martin of the Chicago White Sox threw the pitch last season. This spring, the Seattle Mariners’ Andrés Muñoz, the New York Mets’ Clay Holmes and the Texas Rangers’ Jack Leiter incorporated kick changes. Despite the copycat nature of baseball, the kick change likely won’t become baseball’s latest fad for one simple reason.

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“It’s not an easy pitch to throw, and that’s the crazy thing about it because it puts your hand in a difficult position,” Alston said. “For most who do try, it’s always uncomfortable to throw. That’s why I think, personally, it hasn’t been a huge trend.”

When Martinez was a player in the Minnesota Twins’ system, one of the team’s taglines was, “There is no changeup machine.” Pitching machines can replicate breaking ball spin all day. But changeups? No machine can match the human touch. And when Birdsong is commanding his pitches as he did during spring training, there’s a clear path for Birdsong to become a mainstay in the rotation for years to come.

“He’s got nasty stuff,” Bailey said. “Velo is there. Shapes are there. When he’s filling it up, he’s one of the best in the game.”

Horoscopes March 30, 2025: Celine Dion, stick to the rules and regulations,

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Katy Mixon, 44; Celine Dion, 57; Eric Clapton, 80; Warren Beatty, 88.

Happy Birthday: Organize, prepare and only launch or share what you are up to when you feel satisfied with what you have to offer. This year requires precision, detail and undivided attention to maximize your time, money and skills. Stick to the rules and regulations, and take note of anything that is out of date or needs a face-lift to compete and complete your goals. Invest in keeping up and setting high standards. Your numbers are 6, 17, 24, 29, 31, 33, 40.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Socialize, observe and refresh your memory regarding your likes and dislikes. Reach out to someone you lost contact with, and it will encourage you to revisit some of your old dreams, hopes and wishes. Don’t be too eager to share your feelings. Your outlook will change as you listen and learn. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Engage in life, challenge yourself and put your energy into something that excites you or prompts you to follow your heart. Don’t deny yourself a chance to experience something different. It’s time to embrace change and embark on experiences that help you let go of the past and discover what’s next. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Explore your options but only pursue what’s inviting. You’ll gain the most if you pick away at the changes that have meaning to you and offer passage into places that contribute to achieving what you set out to do. Refuse to let anyone lead you astray or waste your time. 4 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Let your intuition guide you regarding professional matters. Protect your reputation and ideas from those eager to step in and take credit for what you contribute. Put your efforts into developing something revolutionary, and you’ll gain respect and the attention and recognition you deserve. Self-improvements are favored. 2 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Press forward on your own steam. Question red tape issues, government or institutional policies. Be the one to suggest change or enforce new agendas that help you maintain the lifestyle you are accustomed to or want. Learn as you go, and be fearless in approaching those trying to take advantage of you. 5 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A serious attitude and an energetic approach will make a difference. Believe in yourself, and get your point across. Join forces with those who share your dreams, and you’ll discover how to bring about much-needed change. Put your love on the line in affairs of the heart, and explore romantic possibilities. 5 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Hold tight and shoot for the stars. You have more options than you realize, and taking your place at the podium will prove your worth to those you need and want on your team. Take any opportunity to converse, participate or form a partnership with someone as complex and eager as you. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Let your creative imagination lead the way. Get involved in projects you feel strongly about, and you will make a difference. Your charm, dedication and desire to bring about change will help you gain recognition. Mix business with pleasure, and let your knowledge, experience and wit enchant those you encounter. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Take a step back. Someone will offer misleading information to get you to invest your time or money in something that does more for them than you. Put your cash in a safe place and refrain from making professional moves based on pretenses. Stick to what you know and do best. 5 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Networking events will offer the platform to promote and market what you want others to buy into. Hide your ego and emotions, and let your confidence and knowledge win over those you want on your team. Travel, communication and making others aware of the possibilities will bring good results. Personal growth is favored. 2 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be careful, patient and thrifty. Handling your finances will require restraining yourself from making unnecessary purchases. Say no to impulsive actions and trying too hard to be a people pleaser. Simplify your life and your rhetoric, and you’ll save yourself time, money and reputation. Put your energy into positive change and a healthy lifestyle. 4 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Avoid overdoing it and save yourself a bundle. Take time to go over your expenditures and see where you can cut back. A change of attitude that sends you down a positive path regarding health, fitness, money management and doing more for yourself than you do for others will pay off. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are secretive, engaging and insightful. You are emotional and helpful.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes.

2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others.

3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals.

4 stars: Aim high; start new projects.

5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

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Pro Soccer: Big second half lifts Union to fourth straight win

SEASIDE — Second half fireworks are becoming the theme during the first quarter of the season for a franchise that is discovering its identity.

Two goals in the second half Saturday broke up a 1-1 draw as Monterey Bay FC has tied the team record for consecutive wins with four after a 3-1 win over Phoenix Rising FC at Cardinale Stadium.

During their run of four straight wins — which includes a win in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the Union have outscored opponents 9-0 in the second half.

Since being shutout 1-0 in its United Soccer League Championship season opener at San Antonio, the Union have outscored the opposition 13-2. Last year the franchise was the third worst team in the league in scoring, managing just 30 goals.

Monterey Bay FC will be back on the pitch in 72 hours at Cardinale Stadium on Tuesday in the second round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup when it hosts El Parolito of the National Premier Soccer League.

At 3-1-1 in the USL, the Union sit in a tie for second in the Western Conference with nine points, three points behind San Antonio, who is off to a 4-0-0 start.

For the second time this spring, Monterey Bay FC will play three games over an eight-day span, as it will travel next Saturday to face Eastern Conference rival Detroit FC (2-1-1).

Ironically head coach Jordan Stewart’s lone win last year after taking the Union job for the final 12 games of the season was a win over Phoenix. The former San Jose Earthquake’s playing career ended in the USL with Phoenix.

Monterey Bay FC’s second half theatrics continued when former Cal State Monterey Bay sniper Adrian Rebollar produced his first goal of the season, with a left-footed shot through the right corner at the 63-minute mark to break up a 1-1 tie.

Moments later Anton Sojberg — a USL Championship Team of the Week selection last week — added insurance with a header in the 71-minute mark.

The addition of forward Ilijah Paul has proven to be one of the top off-season moves for the Union, as the 22-year-old assisted on the team’s first goal, feeding Carlos Guzman.

Named the USL Championship Player of the Week last week, Paul was coming off a two-goal effort in the win over Orange County and has four goals and two assists during the teams four-game winning streak.

Contributions have come from 12 different players this fall for Monterey Bay FC, as seven players have scored at least one goal in the first five matches of the season.

Goalie Nico Campuzano, who also received USL Championship Team of the Week honors last week, earned his third win between the pipes for the Union.

With two straight wins over Phoenix dating back to last year, the Union hold a 3-2-2 overall lead and are 2-1-1 lifetime against them at Cardinale Stadium.

Two years removed from a USL Championship, Phoenix is 0-2-1 on the season.

 

Verlander’s SF Giants debut spoiled by first loss of season

CINCINNATI — Justin Verlander would be a first-ballot Hall of Famer if he retired tomorrow. He’s done just about all there is for a starting pitcher to do in this game. Rookie of the Year. MVP. Two World Series titles. Three Cy Young Awards. But there is one major box he’s yet to check: 300 wins.

It’s improbable, without doubt; Verlander is 42-years-old, the oldest active player in baseball, and stands 38 wins away. But he showed on Saturday afternoon at Great American Ball Park that his ambitions aren’t impossible, tossing five innings of two-run ball with five strikeouts in his Giants debut. After being saddled with the no-decision, unable to protect a two-run lead as the Giants (1-1) lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2, he’ll have to wait until the home opener to inch closer to history.

“Ultimately, my guys gave me a two-run lead and I would have liked to have been able to hold that,” said Verlander, the oldest pitcher to appear in a game for the Giants since 46-year-old Randy Johnson in 2009. “I usually try to take a pretty objective view of my performance — good or bad. I think this was okay. It wasn’t great, but definitely a step forward from last season.”

Performance aside, Verlander’s underlying metrics looked much more encouraging compared to last season, particularly with his four-seam fastball. Along with throwing his fastball 0.6 mph harder than a year ago, Verlander saw an uptick in his spin rate, too. Verlander averaged 2395 RPMs (revolutions per minute) last year, but was up to 2459 RPMs against the Reds, a noteworthy increase given that higher spin rate fastballs create more backspin and don’t drop as much as expected. His curveball also exhibited three more inches of horizontal movement compared to last year, a continuation of what he did in spring training.

“He looked good,” said manager Bob Melvin. “His pitch count got up after the last inning a little bit. Gives up two runs, leaves the game and we’re in a tie game, so he did his job.”

Following an excellent spring after signing a one-year, $15 million deal, Verlander looked as advertised in the first inning, retiring the side in the first inning with two strikeouts, ending the frame by freezing Elly De La Cruz with a payoff curveball. He encountered a bit of trouble in the second when the Reds (1-1) put runners on first and second with one out, but escaped unscathed.

By the bottom of the third, Verlander’s 263rd win looked within reach. Wilmer Flores, fresh off hitting the go-ahead, three-run home run on Opening Day, hit his second homer in as many games, a line drive that scraped over the left-field fence. Jung Hoo Lee, who drew two crucial walks in the season opener, collected his first hit and RBI of the year in the third, pulling a single into right field to drive in Heliot Ramos. The two-run cushion wouldn’t last.

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Verlander made his first true mistake of the evening in the third, hanging a curveball to Matt McClain that was sent into the left-field bleachers for a solo home run, slicing the lead to 2-1. One out away from completing the fifth inning, Verlander then allowed back-to-back hits to McClain and De La Cruz, the latter driving in the former to tie the game.

“Elly hit it in the right spot. That’s baseball,” Verlander said. “You can beat yourself up as a pitcher on many things, but if you make a pitch and the guy doesn’t hit it hard and he hits it in the right spot, you just have to tip your cap and move on. He laid off a really good slider the pitch before that. That’s what the best players in the game do.”

Following Verlander’s departure, the Reds’ Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who attended College Park High School in Pleasant Hill, hit an opposite-field solo home run off reliever Spencer Bivens to give the Reds the 3-2 lead. Unlike Opening Day, Cincinnati wouldn’t let another lead slip away.

The Giants didn’t lack in the hit department — both teams had eight on the day — but they hit into three double plays in the sixth, seventh and eighth that stifled rallies. For manager Bob Melvin, the double plays weren’t about a lack of situational hitting.

“They were just balls on the ground during double play situations, which hurt us,” Melvin said. “We put the ball in play today. We only struck out one time; it was 17 on (Thursday). But the double play ball hurt us.”

Trivino makes return

Lou Trivino made his first appearance in a major-league game since Oct. 5, 2022, pitching a scoreless eighth inning with a strikeout.

“With the amount of time, too, and the injury, you just don’t ever know if you’re going to be the pitcher (you were),” Verlander said. “You have to believe it, but there’s that little person in the back of your head that you have to fight with and truly believe that you’re going to be back and be the pitcher that you can be. You just don’t really know until it happens.

“All of a sudden, you go back out there, you feel good, you feel like you used to and you start having success. It’s a great feeling. Really happy for him.”

Trivino, 33, signed with the Giants as a minor-league free agent with an invitation spring training and pitched his way onto the Opening Day roster after tossing 9 1/3 scoreless innings during spring training. The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in ’23 and spent all of ’24 in the minors.

“I had my fingers crossed for him. Sometimes you can be a little amped up in those situations,” Melvin said. “Cutter was good. Fastball was good. I’m glad he got a clean inning and (he’s) now kind of on his way. It’s not foreign territory for him to be in a big league game anymore.”

PHOTO: Protestors gather at Seaside Tesla dealership

SF Giants’ Encarnacion undergoes surgery, estimated to return in eight weeks

CINCINNATI — Jerar Encarnacion’s season debut will be a little later than initially hoped.

The Giants announced prior to Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds that Encarnacion underwent surgery on Friday in Los Angeles to repair his left hand fracture. Encarnacion will be in a split for two weeks, then begin his rehab. Encarnacion is expected to be sidelined eight weeks, longer than the slugger’s initial estimate of four-to-five weeks.

“I think we were always looking at (the recovery being longer), to tell you the truth,” said manager Bob Melvin.

The team also announced that catcher Tom Murphy (mid-back disk herniation) is continuing his physical therapy but has yet to resume baseball activities.

Encarnacion, 27, was slated to share time with Wilmer Flores at designated following a spring where he hit two homers, totaled 14 RBIs and posted an .856 OPS. He was roughly a league-average hitter during his brief time with the Giants last season, posting a .248 batting average with five homers and a .702 OPS, but his underlying metrics indicated a big year could be in store.

San Francisco Giants’ Jerar Encarnacion (59) bats against the Atlanta Braves in the second inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

If Encarnacion is going to break out, he will have to wait until the summer.

The injury opened up a spot on the Opening Day roster for infielder Casey Schmitt, who was slotted in at designated hitter to bat eighth against Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo on Saturday at Great American Ball Park. Schmitt fares has fared better in his career against lefties (seven homers, .725 OPS) than righties (four homers, .565 OPS).

“If you look at the history, he’s dealt some damage there,” Melvin said. “It’s one of the reasons he made the team. With no Jerar, we wanted to add another righty bat that hits lefties well. Casey’s in there today and he’ll get pretty good opportunities, especially against lefties.”

Along with Schmitt, Luis Matos got the start in right field over Mike Yastrzemski, a move that Melvin will continue to make given Matos fares better against lefties than Yastrzemski. Against left-handers, Matos has a career .758 OPS while Yastrzemski has a career .685 OPS. Over the last four seasons, in particular, Yastrzemski has a .597 OPS against lefties.

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“Certain guys are here for different reasons. Right now, Matos and Schmitt are here to get at-bats off of lefties,” Melvin said.

Melvin unsurprisingly wrote left fielder Heliot Ramos into the leadoff spot in Saturday’s lineup. Along with a career .956 OPS against left-handers, Ramos hit 12 homers and posted a 1.189 OPS versus lefties last season, the second-best mark in baseball behind only Aaron Judge (1.240 OPS).

Luciano homers in first game as left fielder

Marco Luciano was among those in the first round of cuts during spring training, but the 23-year-old started the season with Triple-A Sacramento strong by drawing two walks and hitting.a three-run, opposite-field homer — all in his first regular season game as an outfielder.

“He’s at a new position and all that. He didn’t get a ton of at-bats for us this spring. Nice for him to be able to get off to a good start,” Melvin said. “We saw some good at-bats from him when we were there during the exhibition game.”

Luciano converted from middle infielder to corner outfielder this offseason following a tumultuous year, one where he was expected to become the Giants’ shortstop of the future. He lost the starting job to Nick Ahmed, a late signing during spring, and spent more time with Sacramento than San Francisco. During his little time with the Giants, Luciano was a net negative on offense and defense. Instead of playing winter ball, Luciano dedicated this offseason to finding his swing.

Worth noting

Infielder David Villar cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Sacramento, the Giants announced. Villar was designated for assignment on Tuesday and was a strong possibility to be picked up by another team, but Villar’s time with the organization will continue.”

Liza Horvath, Senior Advocate: Form a family council

Readers: This column was originally published in 2013 but a Family Council is still very relevant. I have updated the column to today’s laws. I hope you enjoy!

Chances are that when you were young and someone asked what you wanted to do when you grew up the response was something like, “I want to be a lawyer, have a family and travel.” It is unlikely that your life dreams included ending your days in a nursing home or placing a parent or spouse in a convalescent facility. The unfortunate truth is, however, that many of us will be faced with this in our future.

It can happen that a parent or loved one has a fall and, after the hospital stay, they are discharged to a convalescent or rehab facility until they are well enough to go home. Sometimes the stay is of short duration but other times they will stay in the home until the end.

Many nursing homes are well run with staff that is attentive and caring. Running a nursing home is demanding – the administration and staff must address the sometimes long-term needs of a patient that needs complex medical, personal and nutritional attention. The commitment is daunting and you only need to review the California Department of Health citations of nursing homes to see that many facilities fail and almost all falter from time to time.

The problem is that if a loved one needs that level of care, we have little choice but to allow them to be placed in a home. You love your parent or spouse, but you may not be able to be at the facility with them all day, every day. How can you best assure that they will be safe and taken care of when you are not present at all times?

To ensure the best care, visit often and get to know the administrator and staff. If the staff knows you, chances are that they will take better care of your loved one.

To further ensure the best care, consider forming or joining a “Family Council” at the facility. A family council is a group of family members from a number of patients that agree to meet regularly to discuss mutual concerns and come up with shared solutions. If possible, get the facility’s administrator to meet with the council periodically to hear any concerns. If the administrator declines to meet, elect a member that will act as the liaison between the council and the facility’s administration. If residents share a similar concern, it is likely that the administration will take steps to resolve the problem.

In addition to addressing concerns about the facility, the members of the council can set up a “buddy system” where the members agree to look in on one another’s loved ones when their own family is away.

According to the Health and Safety Code, facilities are required to post a “Rights of Family Councils” notice that informs residents of the facility’s obligations to allow (and support) family councils. For example, if the council submits concerns or recommendations to the administration, the facility must take action or respond to the concerns within 14 calendar days. In addition, the facility must allow the council to post notices of upcoming meetings, provide a space for the council to meet and facility personnel can only attend the meetings at the family council’s invitation.

Also remember that each facility has an assigned Ombudsman – a professional whose job it is to hear grievances and help families find solutions. Facilities are required to maintain contact information for the local Ombudsman’s Office who can be contacted if you have concerns that are not being addressed.

While a nursing home is not one of anyone’s life goals, a stay in a facility may come at some point for you or a loved one. If so, make sure the visits are frequent and consider forming or joining a family council. There is strength – and peace – in numbers.

Liza Horvath has over 30 years of experience in the estate planning and trust fields and is the president of Monterey Trust Management, a financial and trust management company. This is not intended to be legal or tax advice. If you have a question call (831)646-5262 or email liza@montereytrust.com

Rep. Jimmy Panetta: Aptos town hall highlights Medicaid threats, provokes constituent frustration

APTOS — More than 270 constituents of Rep. Jimmy Panetta poured into Samper Hall performance center on Cabrillo College’s Aptos campus Friday morning to hear from the federal lawmaker while Congress was out for an early-spring recess.

While the theme of the town hall was health care, the atmosphere was palpably political with an overwhelming mood of fear, anger and urgency in response to actions taken by President Donald Trump in the infancy of his second term.

One attendee carried a sign into the brightly lit arts complex that read, “We are not OK,” with red, white and blue colors streaked across the cardboard canvas. Others raised signs from the audience made from paper plates that read “not enough” and “less talk” while Panetta spoke.

The Samper Recital Hall at Cabrillo College was filled to capacity for Rep. Jimmy Panetta’s Medicaid town hall on Friday. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)Audience members let their feelings be known in verbal and nonverbal ways on Friday. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)Many hands went up when it was time for questions from the audience on Friday. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)Rep. Jimmy Panetta, second from right, checks in on Friday with panelist Dr. Ananta Addala before holding his town hall about protecting Medicaid on Friday. Addala is a Stanford Medicine pediatric endocrinologist and physician scientist focused on inequalities in pediatric Type 1 diabetes management and outcomes. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)An audience member asks a question at Rep. Jimmy Panetta’s town hall on Friday at Cabrillo College. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)Show Caption1 of 5The Samper Recital Hall at Cabrillo College was filled to capacity for Rep. Jimmy Panetta’s Medicaid town hall on Friday. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)Expand

Panetta kicked off the event with a sweeping, almost 30-minute speech sharply rebuking the Trump administration and its recent actions that extend well beyond the health care sphere. He criticized everything from the senior members of the administration who accidentally shared war plans with a journalist on the messenger app Signal, to the drastic staffing cuts at the Social Security Administration, to the deportation of hundreds of immigrants to a prison in El Salvador despite a federal judge’s order to halt the effort.

Panetta assembled a three-member panel of local health care leaders to focus on Medicaid and a Republican-sponsored spending bill that officials from across Santa Cruz County have warned will devastate the program and the local social safety net. The resolution, passed with only Republican votes in late February, included $880 billion in reductions to the U.S. House committee responsible for managing the national health care program for people of limited financial means.

“What they’ve said is that Medicaid has had waste, fraud and abuse. Once again, they’re using this as the excuse,” said Panetta, who voted against the bill. “It’s going to be very, very destructive for the families here on the Central Coast.”

The California congressman also chided Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and his decision to support the spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. While he was sympathetic to the challenges of the decision, Panetta said Schumer’s messaging was “absolutely horrible on this” and left people angry.

“The main thing is communication and coordination. That’s why this is so important, that’s why I’m doing these town halls,” remarked Panetta, who said he has conducted 13 town halls and 12 listening sessions since Feb. 1. “Ultimately, it leads to mobilization to hold this administration accountable. But more importantly, to mobilize constituents in other districts, … to hold (accountable) those representatives that support these kinds of cuts.”

While the event did include an extended question-and-answer period where several members of the audience were able to speak, many attendees left visibly frustrated and feeling that their concerns were not heard.

Anita Salem, an organizer with Indivisible Santa Cruz County, which helped lobby for the town hall, called the event “a waste of time.” Salem said not enough constituents with views contrary to Panetta’s were handed the mic and suggested some speakers were intentionally selected or identified in advance.

“He spent the majority of the time talking and being repetitive,” said Salem. “He didn’t listen to his constituents.”

Those called upon for a question included a local doctor, an acupuncturist, the father of a woman with several disabilities requiring around-the-clock care, an Aptos native critical of Schumer’s decision, Cabrillo College Trustee Adam Spickler and Dientes Community Dental CEO Laura Marcus, among a few others.

“He was very specific about his legislation. He’s a legislator, so that makes sense,” said Salem. “But everybody wants more now. We feel like we’re in a different world and we’re in a different situation, so we want him to be different. We want him to go beyond the typical politician.”

Another attendee, Earlene Alexiou, left the auditorium with tears of frustration rolling down her face.

“We see it all. We know all this,” said Alexiou, referring to the myriad issues invoked during the event. “He was talking at us. He wasn’t really letting us ask questions and that’s what I feel frustrated about.”

Panetta’s office told the Sentinel questioners were chosen live, at random and that more events are being planned. Panetta was also seen after the event engaged in conversation with several members of the public from the edge of the stage before he was whisked away by his staff.

“We did our level best to get to as many questions as possible and (there are) still more questions to answer,” Panetta’s office said. “Constituents can reach out to any of our offices if they have questions. We’re always happy to answer those questions at the office and Mr. Panetta will be doing more town halls, more open office sessions, more virtual town halls to continue to answer questions during this chaotic time.”

Despite the sometimes contentious dynamics playing out in the room throughout the event, the message delivered about the consequences of the Medicaid cuts could not have been starker.

According to the expert panel, one-third of Santa Cruz County residents, or nearly 90,000 people, are beneficiaries of Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid implementation program. If the program is destabilized, the panelists cautioned, it will have cascading impacts on the local health care system, such as overwhelmed emergency departments.

Anita Aguirre is CEO of Santa Cruz Community Health, a federal qualified health center that serves more than 13,000 community members each year regardless of their ability to pay. Aguirre said 70% of her organization’s patients are on Medi-Cal while 10% are entirely uninsured. Aguirre predicted that if the Medicaid cuts are implemented, 60% of the local provider’s adult patients will lose coverage, skyrocketing the uninsured rate up to 40%.

“If that happens, this policy change would significantly affect our ability to care for our patients, who are the most vulnerable in our community,” said Aguirre. “It would … really cripple not just our ability, but the entire network within our community of health care.”

Top 10 boys’ tennis rankings

Top 10 boys’ tennis rankings

1. Stevenson:

2. Aptos:

3. Monterey:

4. Carmel:

5. Pacific Grove:

6. Hollister:

7. Monte Vista:

8. Soquel:

9. Salinas:

10. York:

On the bubble: Scotts Valley, Gonzales, Oakwood, Santa Cruz, Rancho San Juan.