Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 250

49ers’ guard Dominick Puni reflects on the one (snap) that got away

SANTA CLARA — As the 49ers’ season comes to a close amid an avalanche of missed games, Dominick Puni remembers the one that got away.

The one snap, that is.

It happened with 9:28 to play in the first quarter of an eventual 30-13 win over the New England Patriots in Week 4. Puni took a blow to the stomach on a 1-yard run by Jordan Mason.

“I had one snap where I got the wind knocked out of me and they told me to stay down so I missed one snap this year,” Puni said Saturday as the 49ers (6-9) concluded preparations to host the Detroit Lions (13-2).

Puni, a rookie third-round draft pick out of Kansas, will be in his usual spot as the starting right guard Monday night as the 49ers close out their home schedule. Jake Brendel will be the center. The rest of the offensive line will be determined at some point before kickoff.

Spencer Burford, the third 49ers’ left tackle, was declared out with a calf injury, along with left guard Aaron Banks (knee), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (calf) and defensive end Robert Beal Jr. (ankle). Right tackle Colton McKivitz is listed as questionable but didn’t practice all week with a knee injury. Also questionable were safety Ji’Ayir Brown (ankle), linebacker Tatum Bethune (knee) and cornerback Charvarius Ward (personal matter).

Banks is expected to be the 14th player to go on injured reserve, although Bethune is eligible to be activated from I.R.

If McKivitz doesn’t play, the 49ers starting line could consist, from left to right, of newcomer Charlie Heck at left tackle, Nick Zakelj at left guard, Brendel at center, Puni at right guard and Austen Pleasants, a recent practice squad promotion who signed on Dec. 17, at right tackle.

Coach Kyle Shanahan characterized the challenge of playing mix-and-match this way:

“You try to keep it simple for them, try to categorize stuff in groups, and the guys next to them just, they try to communicate as much as possible and you try to help him out,” Shanahan said.

Puni, who has established himself as a foundation piece going forward, finds himself possibly being in the unusual position of dispensing advice and wisdom at age 24.

“With these tackles, whoever is going to play next to you, you’ve got to tell them some things,” Puni said. “If you just get here  you’re not going to know all the tricks of the offense. Other than that, I’m just going try and control my one-eleventh and do my job. It is exciting though.”

Puni’s 938 snaps are the most on the team — two more than McKivitz and three more than Brendel. Remarkable when you consider Puni had to nearly avert his eyes during some recent film study of his own practices and game tape when he first arrived as the 86th overall pick of the draft.

“I went back to rookie minicamp, the fall camp, the first three training camp practices, just to see how bad I was when I first got here compared to now,” Puni said. “It’s like a night and day difference. When you get here, you don’t know the offense, you don’t know the technique.

Yet by the third training camp practice, Puni (6-foot-5, 315 pounds) was the starter. He’s never relinquished the position and health permitting isn’t likely to be out of the lineup for years.

“I got a lot of reps with the (first team) and that’s the only reason I was able to do so well early in the year,” Puni said.

Puni credits linemates such as McKivitz, Brendel, Banks, Burford and Trent Williams as well as line coach Chris Foerster for helping to bring him along, but it’s clear he’s been a quick learner who wears durability as a badge of honor.

While the outside world fixates on who should and shouldn’t play regardless of injury on teams out of the playoffs, Puni’s outlook is appealingly old school.

“You don’t ever want to miss a snap,” Puni said. “If you can be out there, you’ve got to play. The last thing I want to do is bring a backup guy in who has been sitting on the sidelines and now he’s got to go in and I don’t think that’s fair. If I can play, I’m going to play.”

Shae Hammond/Bay Area News GroupRookie running back Dominick Puni carries the ball for the 49ers against the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 12 at Levi’s Stadium.

GUERENDO GOOD TO GO

Running back Isaac Guerendo (foot, hamstring) was a full participant in practice and wasn’t given a status after missing the Miami game, meaning the 49ers should get another look at their fourth-round draft pick as a lead back.

“It was good to have him back,” Shanahan said. “We had a full speed practice (Friday) and he looked good. So no holdbacks. He’s good to go.”

Also good to go is fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who missed the two previous days with an illness.

Ward, who lost his 23-month old daughter in October, is awaiting the birth of his son and currently away from the team.

KITTLE ON CAMPBELL

It’s not difficult to look at 49ers tight end George Kittle and hard-nosed Detroit coach Dan Campbell as kindred spirits. Kittle likes what he’s seen of Campbell from afar.

“When you have a head coach who played, and the way he played was gritty and kind of nasty but beloved by all his teammates, it’s easy to play for a guy like that,” Kittle said. “He seems like a really easy guy to play for, makes them grind and earn every second, but you want people like that who hold you to a standard. It’s awesome to see the Lions have gotten to that. but it’s our job to take them down a little bit.”

WATTERS, BOLDIN MISS HOF CUT

Former 49ers running back Ricky Watters (1991-94) and wide receiver Anquan Boldin (2013-15) did not make the cut to the round of 15 to be considered for induction for the Class of 2025 in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Shanahan spent a lot of time around the 49ers when his father was offensive coordinator and Watters turned into a game-changer in both the pass game and run game.

“I was only in middle school, so I can’t act like I really knew strategically what was going on,” Shanahan said. “But he was a really cool player. I loved talking to him and hanging out with him up in Rocklin at training camp.”

Mike Holmgren, a San Francisco native who was a 49ers assistant from 1986 to 1991 as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, is a coach finalist.

— Staff writer Cam Inman contributed to this report

Why Santa Cruz Harbor was so devastated by storm surge

Boats are built to withstand fierce seas. But tethered inside the shallow and narrow Santa Cruz Harbor, few of the cruisers, catamarans and yachts were prepared for the fury of this week’s storm surge, which sunk at least 15 vessels and damaged many more.

Experts are now racing to prevent additional wreckage by hauling out submerged boats, broken pilings, shattered piers and other debris bobbing in the wavy sea.

“We just want to restore safety,” said Holland MacLaurie, port director of Santa Cruz Harbor, which tallied an estimated $20 million in damages, with costs likely to rise.

The harbor is shaped like an hourglass, funneling powerful waves toward docks. One section is shallow, focusing wave energy. And boats float side by side so they can slam into each other.

The storm caused significant damage to North Harbor docks, power and water infrastructure and pilings. One critical embankment is seriously eroded. With the U.S. Coast Guard, district crews are placing booms around doomed boats to prevent fuel spills.

“The wharf damage got a lot of attention,” said Andy Gere of Santa Cruz, whose 22-foot Boston Whaler was slammed by debris. “But you know what happened at the harbor? It was devastating.”

On Thursday, boat owners trickled into the harbor throughout the day to assess the losses. The foggy, overcast weather imparted an eerie calm to the scene just days after Monday’s storm surge. Some inspected boats that had capsized. Other owners worried about hidden damage.

Sean Varenkamp, right, checks out what’s left of his capsized 26-foot Ranger tugboat, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in the Santa Cruz Harbor. The boat was among those damaged in the Dec. 23 storm. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

“It’s tough,” said Sean Varenkamp, of Santa Cruz, whose family’s Ranger Tug 26 was completely submerged at the end of the dock. The storm surge flipped it upside down and sent it floating 75 feet to another dock before it surfaced. While unfixable, the boat is insured.

“Traditionally, Ranger Tugs are beasts in the ocean. They are meant to tow other boats and things,” he said. “They’re designed for the water.”

Paul Marquez came to inspect his 32-foot boat, built in the 1970s. While the vessel appeared mostly intact, Marquez, a former harbor employee, worried it might have sustained holes after Varenkamp’s tugboat surfaced dangerously close to it. For now, the extent of the damage is unknown.

Gere has already retrieved his beloved Namequoit, a 22-foot Boston Whaler, and trailered it home. The fiberglass boat was likely battered by a sunken boat, suffering some damage to its stern.

This is ordinarily a quiet time of year for most sailors. But many Bay Area boats have been left in the water due to the ongoing crab season.

Clean-up continues in the Santa Cruz Harbor, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, three days after a large winter storm caused havoc. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

Posts from the collapsed Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf are pulled out of the Santa Cruz Harbor, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, three days after a devastating winter storm pounded the coast. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

A Santa Cruz Harbor Patrol crew passes by a damaged boat, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, that was damaged during a Dec. 23 storm that impacted the Santa Cruz Harbor. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

Damaged docks are removed from the Santa Cruz Harbor, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, in the wake of a storm that swept through the region three days ago.. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

A debris pile grows in the Santa Cruz Harbor parking lot, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, as crews remove damage caused by the Dec. 23 storm. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

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Clean-up continues in the Santa Cruz Harbor, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, three days after a large winter storm caused havoc. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

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And while ports are conventionally expected to offer “safe harbor,” ships are often safest at sea and in deep water.

During Monday’s storm, after being turned away by the county law enforcement officers, Gere and companions found a route down to North Harbor’s I Dock.

“I literally ran down to the dock,” he said. “We were just watching our boats get absolutely hammered.” They were monitored from above the dock by onlookers who watched for sets of incoming waves, yelling to warn the men to flee to safety from incoming surges.

Gere and others plunged their arms into the cold waters to refasten, double up or tighten lines. They added extra fenders to help cushion the boats from collisions with docks and pilings. An adjacent boat had already capsized, and others were in peril.

“It was chaotic. We helped everybody out as much as we could,” he said. “But then you’ve got to just let nature take its course.”

The harbor is vulnerable because fast-flowing water narrows under the Murray Street Bridge, then experiences what’s known as the “Venturi effect” where it accelerates as it flows through this constricted section, adding energy.

“There’s a pinch point, near the bridge, where the channel narrows,” said port director MacLaurie. “The surge in wave intensity is compressed, and then it moves up through the North Harbor, with more wave action and force. And as it bottlenecks, it picks up an intensity. That’s why more damage is sustained there.”

Debris floats in a Santa Cruz Harbor channel on Tuesday as water is pumped from a damaged boat. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

People pump water out of a boat in Santa Cruz Harbor in Santa Cruz, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

People salvage kayaks at the harbor on Tuesday. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Trash and damaged boat parts float through Santa Cruz Harbor in Santa Cruz, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

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Debris floats in a Santa Cruz Harbor channel on Tuesday as water is pumped from a damaged boat. (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)

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Hardest hit were boats in the North Harbor, which is most exposed to storm surges and where water is shallow. A nearby creek, Arana Gulch, flows from the Santa Cruz Mountains and deposits silt into the harbor; at low tide, some boats sit on the harbor’s muddy bottom.

Most vulnerable were boats that faced aft, with their sterns exposed to the surge, Gere said. That’s not the way a boat is designed to go through waves.

“We watched one take a wave right over the back. It went down in an instant,” said Gere. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”

Other boats were damaged by being tossed onto the wooden piers, then floating back off on the backwash. On some docks, cleats broke loose, so vessels were no longer securely tied.

One vessel had been securely tied, but then the pier broke loose, sending both the boat and the pier careening through the harbor. It was finally caught and safely tied off, even as a massive piece of wood was still attached.

Unlike a 2011 tsunami, which just lasted a few hours, “this was a 10-hour ordeal,” Gere said. “It just went on and on and on.”

Over the next days and weeks, Santa Barbara-based Cushman Contracting Corporation will use cranes and other specialized equipment to remove objects.

Submerged vessels are being marked and prioritized. Then large airbags, introduced with the help of divers, will float sunken vessels to the surface. Barges and other tools will help move them to a launch ramp and haul them out.

The debris will temporarily be stored in a large pile then removed by the state’s emergency services office to a dedicated site.

“This is sad,” said Varenkamp, surveying the damage. “But it’s not going to stop us. We’re ocean-faring people.”

Protections for nesting gulls (among other uniquely Californian headaches) delayed repairs to Santa Cruz wharf

When the last 150 feet of Santa Cruz’s iconic wharf plummeted into the ocean Monday, city leaders were still grappling with damage it had sustained two years earlier during back-to-back winter storms.

With the construction equipment now at the bottom of the ocean, some local residents are asking why the city waited until the winter — when storms are common and the sea is rougher — to start a $4 million project to repair the popular pier.

The complicated answer is that the repairs were hamstrung by a common California problem: tension between protecting the environment and maintaining key infrastructure, a battle that has played out along the coast for years. Strict permitting requirements and lengthy litigation by environmental activists have stalled efforts to fortify the pier that could have helped it withstand the storm, current and former city officials say.

At the center of the delays: seagulls.

It was for the benefit of the western gull, commonly known as the seagull, that the city of Santa Cruz delayed the most critical part of the repair work, installing new timber piles — the columns that hold up the wharf — until September, because gulls and another bird, the pigeon guillemot, make their nests in the wharf’s wooden beams.

The protections for the birds are imposed by the state Coastal Commission, from which the city must obtain a permit before it can do repairs. Most major construction — including replacing the piles — must take place between September and March to avoid the nesting season.

“Our work window is a very narrow six months over the winter time when we tend to have storms and big waves,” said Tony Elliott, director of Parks and Recreation, which oversees the wharf. “The wharf is a 110-year-old structure, and it requires a lot of work. … It takes more than six months out of the year to maintain it effectively.”

Neither the western gull nor the pigeon guillemot are endangered species, yet the Coastal Commission says federal and state laws protect their nesting areas.

At the city’s request, the commission in February loosened some restrictions to allow piles to be installed during nesting season under certain conditions — only after 10 a.m., for a maximum of four hours a day, so long as workers steered 300 feet clear of any nests.

“Practically, it didn’t change the dynamics,” Elliott said.

Birds aside, the city also took several months to find a company to lead the repair work. Santa Cruz had funding for the project and engineering plans drafted by June, but it didn’t choose a contractor for the project until mid-August, just a few weeks before the permit allowed construction to begin.

Commission spokesman Joshua Smith said the commission has worked with Santa Cruz for years “to allow for wharf maintenance while also ensuring that sensitive species are protected.” The commission has granted emergency permits to allow the city to conduct repairs even during the nesting season, like one issued in July to allow the damaged Dolphin Restaurant to be removed from the wharf.

But Jon Bombaci, who managed the wharf for decades and retired in 2021, said that years of Coastal Commission restrictions have compounded stress on the wharf.

“There needs to be a reassessment of the policies that direct the Coastal Commission’s permitting process,” he said. “Their time restrictions were antithetical to getting repairs done.”

The Coastal Commission did not respond to questions about whether the permitting requirements led to the delays.

Bombaci also pointed out the irony of the permit restrictions.

“These birds are nesting in a manmade structure,” he said. “If you don’t do the repairs in a timely manner, you’re going to lose the whole thing anyways.”

Santa Cruz officials also say lengthy litigation has delayed a master plan first envisioned in 2014 that could have helped to buffer the pier from strong swells.

The plan called for new pedestrian walkways and retail spaces intended to get more tourists out to the wharf and increase parking and rental revenues, which was expected to support operations and maintenance in the long term.

By focusing on additions to the wharf, rather than simply retrofitting it, the city could tap more federal funds. Grant money was more available when it came to adding public walkways and bike improvements, and less available for simple repair projects, city officials said. The additions, including a walkway on the wharf’s western edge, were engineered to provide additional buffering to the pier’s main structure and protect it as further repairs were completed.

But the master plan faced opposition from Don’t Morph the Wharf, a group that sought to preserve the wharf’s historic aesthetic. It also took issue with the proposed Western Walkway, which they worried would be unsafe for pedestrians. Under pressure, city officials delayed approving the master plan.

In 2020, the council finally signed off. Soon after, Don’t Morph the Wharf sued the city under the California Environmental Quality Act, a law that was originally written to ensure projects consider their impact on the environment but has since been weaponized by numerous groups to impede new development. Activists have used CEQA lawsuits to challenge everything from student housing at UC Berkeley to electrical grid expansions.

This year, the city passed a version of the master plan without the controversial Western Walkway. City officials lament that, during the time the case took to move through the courts, the city missed out on millions of dollars in grants.

City Manager Matt Huffaker said it can’t be known whether the expanded pier would have stood up against the record-breaking swells Monday or last winter’s storms.

“But we would have been in a stronger position had we been able to move forward with some of those projects in a more timely manner,” he said.

Liza Horvath, Senior Advocate: Saying goodbye to 2024!

Out with the old, in with the new! Here are some of my favorites from 2024 and some from years prior. The questions and answers have been condensed so more could be included. Happy 2025!

Question: A sense of fairness: I am curious about one of your columns where a sister seemed distraught that her brother’s IRA would not be going “to the right beneficiary.” It sounded like it was very disturbing to her although she was not his beneficiary in any way. You have written that an inheritance is a gift, not an expectation, so I wonder why so many people get upset when they are left out of an inheritance? I say, just move on.

Answer: I believe that when we loved someone and know they saved and planned to see their estates be distributed in a certain way, to see those plans not being honored can be extremely upsetting. In fact, it can be devastating and heartbreaking to family or friends. We recognize that something went wrong with “the system” and it is unfair.

A sense of fairness lives in most mammals. A study done by primatologist Frans de Waal shows humans are not the only ones upset when they perceive unfairness. De Waal taught a capuchin monkey to hand over a pebble in exchange for a cucumber slice. Once the “lesson” was learned, De Waal then gave a second monkey a grape – a much more loved treat – in exchange for a pebble. The grape exchange took place in sight of the original cucumber monkey. The researcher then returned to the first monkey and, when he rewarded the monkey with the usual cucumber slice, the monkey screeched and threw the cucumber at de Waal. The monkey also refused to do further “work.”

I know firsthand that our horses have an extreme sense of fairness – or is it entitlement? My old mare has been with us the longest of all our horses and believes that when it comes to grooming, she should go first. If, instead, I take one of the “newer” geldings out to groom first, she snorts and turns her rump to me.

So, yes, if we see that another’s plans are not being honored or appear unjust, it can erode our faith that our plans will be fairly adhered to. As well, it should.

Question: Never commit your inheritance until it is in hand: I am inheriting from my sister’s trust and my uncle is the trustee. He told us that we would be getting our money this month. I made an offer to buy property based on that promise and now he says we won’t get our money for months! Because of his promise to give me the money this month and this delay, I will lose the deposit I made on the property and also lose the property. Can I sue him? I am so outraged!

Answer: A beneficiary of a trust should never enter a binding contract in the hope they will receive trust monies at a certain time. You should not have signed a purchase agreement until the funds were in your account. I am guessing your uncle did not “promise” you the money this month and, if he did, he should not have made such a promise.

Trust administration can go very smoothly but a myriad of delays can cause distribution to beneficiaries to be delayed. This is why I always advise would be beneficiaries not to commit their inherited funds until those funds are in hand.

Question: Missing Cremains: I have one that I bet you haven’t heard before. Mom died nine years ago and, at her request, she was cremated. For some reason, Mom’s remains were sent to my aunt. To this date, my aunt refuses to give me her ashes or scatter them in the bay, as mom wanted. My aunt has blocked my calls and, when I see her at family gatherings, she avoids me like the plague! Why did the cremains go to my aunt and what can I do about my aunt’s lack of action about scattering them?

Answer: Being in the business for over 30 years, I have pretty much heard it all and, unfortunately, keeping cremains “hostage” is not that uncommon. Immoral and mean, yes, but not unheard of. So, let us first clear up who has authority over the cremains. When someone dies, the person who is named as the agent in the decedent’s Advance Health Care Directive has authority to work with the funeral home, obtain death certificates and direct what happens to the body. If the decedent did not have an AHCD, then “next-of-kin” can direct what happens. It sounds like your aunt was in the position to direct and it sounds like she did part of her job. However, she has failed to complete what Mom wanted done with her cremains. It is time to call a lawyer.

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 questions call (831) 646-5262 or email liza@montereytrust.com

Top 10 boys wrestling rankings

Top 10 boys wrestling rankings

1. Palma:

2. Hollister:

3. Alisal:

4. Monterey:

5. Santa Cruz:

6. Greenfield:

7. Salinas:

8. Aptos:

9. Soquel:

10. Alvarez:

On the bubble: North County, Rancho San Juan, Watsonville, Gonzales, Soledad.

Prep Stories of the Year for 2024: Stevenson makes first state girls golf appearance in 17 years

PEBBLE BEACH>>Jason McArthur remembered watching Stevenson’s first official girls’ golf practice back in August, seeing drives soaring through the Del Monte Forest sky.

At that point, before the Pirates even had a golf tournament, the fourth-year coach knew he had a special group of players ready for a historic run.

“It was at the driving range on the first day of tryouts,” McArthur said. “Seeing the returning players and those that tried out. All the pieces that were missing were in place.”

Having come up short the past two years in the Pirates’ bid to reach the state championships, McArthur never brought it up. He didn’t have to.

Instead, he let his players’ game do the talking throughout a season that witnessed an eighth straight undefeated Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division season.

Stevenson’s girls golf team, including Nikki Iniakov (left), Coco He (right) and Lucinda Wu (middle), finished fourth at the State Championships. (John Devine — Monterey Herald file)

“I think everyone felt the momentum that we had been so close in the past,” McArthur said. “We felt like we underperformed at last year’s Northern California finals. So let’s get to state this year and see what we can do.”

The biggest problem McArthur encountered was having eight of the top 10 players in the area. Only six scores can count in the team total.

While eight different players took turns playing rounds throughout the league season, even earning medalist honors, McArthur had one leader in senior Nikki Iniakov, who had been to state the previous three years as an individual.

A four-time Gabilan Division Player of the Year, the Harvard-bound golfer had one goal for her senior year and that was to help the Pirates get to state as a team.

Stevenson put together a milestone moment at the league finals by winning the Gabilan Division championships by 75 strokes over runner-up Carmel.

It set the tone for the following week when the Pirates shot 27 strokes better than the previous year at the Central Coast Section finals, yet finished second to Valley Christian of San Jose.

“Most of our players might tell you they underperformed,” McArthur said. “That’s not me. We shot 27 strokes better. But Valley Christian got better too. We seemed to be nipping at their heels.”

For the fourth straight year, the Pirates found themselves at the Northern California finals, with a shot at state on the line.

“There were nerves and motivation,” McArthur said. “It was a blend of different types of nerves and excitement. They knew they were good enough. They didn’t want to let each other down.”

The ride home from the NorCal finals was about making plans for a Southern California trip after Stevenson earned one of three spots, placing second behind Valley Christian.

For the first time in 17 years, the Pirates were going to the state championships as a team, with an eye on leaving a legacy on campus.

With sophomore Lucinda Wu leading the Pirates, along with freshman Isabella Sun, the only one with state experience was Iniakov – the lone senior in a group of six that competed.

Maintaining that edge for four straight weeks is as mentally challenging as it is physically. Yet, a fourth-place finish at state included finally beating Valley Christian.

Stevenson’s Nikki Iniakov helped lead her team to a second-place finish at the Central Coast Section championships. (John Devine — Monterey Herald)

“That felt good,” McArthur said. “But it was bigger than that. Once we knew we beat everyone in Northern California, it validated what we had done all year.”

The fourth-place finish was the highest in a state team competition with no divisions in the county since Stevenson’s boys golf team won a state title in 2013.

Talk on the drive home wasn’t about the accomplishment. Instead, it was already about next fall where a more experienced group will take another shot at the pinnacle of high school golf.

Had all six equaled their best scores of the season, the Pirates would have brought home a state title. Easier said than done. But not an unrealistic goal to set in the future.

“These girls weren’t angry, just hungry,” McArthur said. “That makes me happy. We’re closing the gap. For the girls to see that we are not that far off is big.”

Operation Christmas Cheer: Feeding the hungry and feeding them well

Earlier this year, Natasha Lopez took her love for cooking and combined it with her love of helping people and became the Salvation Army’s first kitchen manager. With the help of three cooks, Lopez is in charge of feeding more than 125 clients Monday through Friday.

The Salvation Army is known for many things: Family adoptions, toy donations, rental/housing assistance and more. But locally, one of the most meaningful impacts of the organization is its ability to feed hundreds of people in need each week.

Operation Christmas Cheer, a fundraising project sponsored by 1st Capital Bank, The Herald and the Salvation Army helps pay for some of those meals. Since 1985, it has raised more than $2.6 million for needy Monterey County families and individuals. None of the money raised goes toward administrative costs or overhead. Those wishing to contribute can visit bit.ly/OperationChristmasCheer or use coupons printed in The Herald to have personalized messages published in the newspaper.

In her role, Lopez creates monthly menus full of nutritious, hearty meals to send over to the Sabu Shake Sr. Good Samaritan Center in Sand City. She then helps cook all the meals.

“I enjoy working with food,” said Lopez. “I also love feeding people and I really like it here because I have the freedom to try new things.” She believes that it’s her responsibility to supply the community with not only nutritious meals, but delicious meals. According to Lopez, she’s made it a priority to expand on common meals the Salvation Army provides by adding more variety to what she serves.

Aware that these meals might be the only thing clients are eating that day, “we can add nutrition to it and still have it be really tasty,” said Lopez.

Being from Watsonville, “I’ve seen the homeless population increase over the years and I really do believe (the organization) helps out,” she said. “We serve a total of 125 people Monday through Friday. I know there’s other organizations that do that, but it’s still just amazing that we can do that.”

Lopez and her team of cooks “work really well together and I’m so thankful for them.” To them, it’s all about the clients, Lopez said. The team of three are very aware of “where (meals) are going and who they’re going to,” so they do everything they can to put love into their cooking.

When planning this year’s Christmas meal, Lopez decided to expand on the traditional food served as well as expanding the dessert menu. “If we’re able to, why not make these days special?” she remarked.

Last Monday, the Salvation Army hosted its annual Christmas lunch, serving about 150 clients through sit-down and to-go boxes.

Seeing first-hand how many lives are touched daily by the Salvation Army, Lopez said “it’s rewarding knowing that what I’m doing is helping.”

Horoscopes Dec. 28, 2024: John Legend, put yourself first and reserve time for loved ones

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Sienna Miller, 43; John Legend, 46; Seth Meyers, 51; Denzel Washington, 70.

Happy Birthday: Wipe your slate clean and get back to basics. Put yourself first and reserve time for loved ones. Exercise caution when asked to contribute to something you know little about. Moving or changing at home will give you the boost you need to broaden your interests, circle of friends and long-term plans. Socialize, network and declutter your surroundings by donating items you no longer use. Your numbers are 7, 19, 23, 26, 33, 35, 42.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Experience is the best teacher. It’s time to get your hands dirty and do your part to help those less fortunate. Be a good listener and offer suggestions that give hope to others. Refrain from providing donations you cannot afford to organizations you aren’t familiar with. 5 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Attachments will weigh you down. Liberate yourself from people and possessions occupying too much time and energy. Restructure your daily routine to ensure you pay attention to whatever brings you the most valued return. Set goals, implement standards and focus on whatever helps you satisfy your soul. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): What you do, not what you say, counts. Pick up the slack and follow through with your plans. Your actions will set the pace for those following in your footsteps. Your input will gain momentum and attract positive attention. Be direct, ask for what you want and get written agreements. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Pay attention to what’s happening around you. Someone will try to take credit for something you did. A money matter puts you in a vulnerable position. Avoid getting involved with someone who doesn’t play fair or uses you. Use your skills resourcefully, and you will outmaneuver anyone in your way. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You may have a track record, but you’re only as good as your last performance. Stay on top of matters using hands-on tactics to ensure you hold the interest of those whose opinions matter to you. A partnership will require a heart-to-heart talk to maintain equality and respect. Romance is favored. 5 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’ll do best if you take care of unfinished business. Look through your closet and household items; you’ll find the perfect items to help you bring in the new year with pizzazz at a price you can afford. Say no to temptation and yes to opportunities to do things your way. 2 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Let’s get physical. Sign up for a fitness class or participate in an activity you enjoy. Looking out for your best interests will make you feel good and keep you healthy, wealthy and wise. Trips, educational pursuits and exploring your options will lead to exciting prospects. Romance is in the stars. 4 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Time is money, so use how you present yourself and your skills to get ahead. Avoid getting into a heated debate with someone as staunch as you. No-win situations are wasteful and prevent you from reaching your full potential. Sidestep controversy and do what you do best. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): It’s a moment of truth. Rethink what’s transpired and how you handle situations, and consider what you can do differently moving forward. There is always room for improvement, so be open to suggestions. Opportunity is apparent, but so are pretenses; don’t believe everything you hear. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Evaluate your relationships with associates and determine who shares your concerns and interests. Adjust your surroundings at home to make your space more relaxing. Setting boundaries will help curb anxiety and deter others from causing you grief. Channel your energy into fitness and healthy living. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Stop worrying about what you cannot control. Look for opportunities that will help you build a solid base. A professional opportunity or chance to raise your profile in your community is within reach. Take advantage of a platform that allows you to promote what you enjoy and do best. 4 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Recap what’s happening before you decide your next move. Get the facts and figures straight and question anything that doesn’t suit your needs. Put safety first, and say no to manipulative tactics. Trust your judgment, not someone trying to lure you into something questionable. 2 stars

Birthday Baby: You are helpful, resilient and reliable. You are energetic and spontaneous.

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.

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SF Giants miss out on Corbin Burnes, who signs surprise deal with Diamondbacks

Buster Posey got his shortstop. He didn’t get his ace.

Right-hander Corbin Burnes has agreed on a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the largest contract in franchise history, according to multiple reports. Now, if the Giants are to upgrade their starting rotation this offseason, they will have to fall back on their contingency plans.

San Francisco had reportedly been a favorite to sign Burnes, who grew up in Bakersfield and attended Saint Mary’s College in Moraga. Burnes, winner of the 2021 NL Cy Young Award, will join right-handers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly on the Diamondbacks, a divisional rival who led all of baseball in runs last season.

Arizona wasn’t the only team in the NL West to get stronger on Friday. Earlier in the evening, outfielder Teoscar Hernández reportedly agreed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a three-year, $66 million deal. Along with Hernández, the defending World Series champions have signed a pair of former Giants in left-hander Blake Snell and outfielder Michael Conforto as well as right-handed reliever Blake Treinen and utility man Tommy Edman (extension). The Dodgers, unsurprisingly, are also a favorite to land Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki.

The San Diego Padres have yet to make a true impact move this offseason, and there’s a realistic chance they lose shortstop Ha-Seong Kim and outfielder Jurickson Profar in free agency. Still, the Padres are coming off a season where they won 93 games and nearly upset the Dodgers in the NLDS, taking a 2-1 lead before their offense faltered in Games 4 and 5. They, like the Dodgers, are a favorite to land Sasaki.

Signing Burnes would have unquestionably given the Giants a better chance of competing in baseball’s most stacked division, and several of San Francisco’s players were vocal about the team’s pursuit of Burnes.

After signing a franchise-record seven-year, $182 million contract with the Giants, Willy Adames said at his introductory press conference that he would be in contact with Burnes, who he played alongside with the Milwaukee Brewers. Logan Webb said on “The Chris Rose Rotation” that signing Burnes would “almost be like a perfect match.” With Burnes joining the Diamondbacks, Adames and Webb will have to spend much of the next half-decade competing against Burnes.

In failing to land Burnes, San Francisco’s rotation projects to consist of Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison and Hayden Birdsong — the same quintet they had in place entering the Winter Meetings.

The best available unsigned starting pitcher is right-hander Jack Flaherty, who bounced back last season (3.17 ERA, 162 innings) and won a World Series with the Dodgers after struggling from 2020-23 (4.42 ERA, 299 innings). Aside from Flaherty, there aren’t many true impact arms on the market.

In recent weeks, the list of free-agent starters who have inked deals includes Max Fried, Nathan Eovaldi, Sean Manaea, Walker Buehler, Alex Cobb, Shane Bieber, Luis Severino, Frankie Montas and Matthew Boyd. Aside from Flaherty, San Francisco’s options include Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Charlie Morton, José Quintana, Patrick Corbin and Kyle Gibson, among others.

San Francisco will also likely make a pitch to Sasaki, but there is a realistic chance that Sasaki — like Burnes and Snell – joins one of the Giants’ divisional rivals, whether it be the Dodgers or Padres.

The Giants still need to upgrade their starting rotation if they want to compete in a stacked NL West next season. How they do so at this juncture is unclear.

Reeling Warriors fall to .500 with shorthanded loss to Clippers despite comeback effort

LOS ANGELES — The Warriors didn’t have Steph Curry or Draymond Green, but they played with the type of intensity that such a disadvantageous situation requires.

Fighting for every rebound, applying ball pressure, trapping dribblers and wreaking havoc at any opportunity, the Warriors cut a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit to three.

But the comeback effort went ultimately unfinished. Jonathan Kuminga scored a career-high 34 points on 11-for-19 shooting and 11-for-14 at the foul line, but he was the lone bright spot in a sluggish offensive night.

“One of the best game I’ve ever seen him play,” said head coach Steve Kerr.

Still, Golden State’s 23rd ranked offense in December is bound to fall even more after the Warriors put up 92 points and shot 7-for-38 (18%) from behind the 3-point arc. The Warriors shot 36.8% from the floor and got clunkers from Dennis Schroder, Andrew Wiggins and Buddy Hield.

Curry (knee injury management) and Green (back contusion) each sat out the first night of a back-to-back, requiring the Warriors to summon a miracle. The fourth quarter teased one, but ended anticlimactically in a 102-92 defeat.

After starting the season 12-3, the Warriors are .500. They’ve lost 12 of their last 15 games, a slide that has spanned five weeks of uninspiring play, a constant search for lineup solutions and a motivational speech from Curry. Golden State (15-15) is in a perilous position with two games left in the calendar year.

And now somewhat of a moral victory in which the young core of Kuminga, Trayce Jackson-Davis (season-high 15 points, nine rebounds) Brandin Podziemski (five turnovers, no assists) and Moses Moody impressed.

“I love this group,” Kerr said. “I love the competitive fire they show. Tonight was a good example. Long season. We’re back at square one — 12-3 and 3-12. We’re right in the thick of everything. I know it’s tough when you’re in a stretch like this, but we’re where we need to be. We’ve got to find it, we’ve got to find the combinations. But that type of energy, that’s what we need to turn this thing around.”

The Warriors are who they are because of Curry and Green. So without them for a night, they needed to change.

Against the Clippers, what they missed in terms of star power and shot creation, the Warriors tried to make up with energy. Golden State chased down seven offensive rebounds in as many minutes to start the game. Even when they shot 30% from the floor and 3-for-12 from deep — including a pair of airballs — they won the first quarter by two. Podziemski rattled in a triple to put the Warriors ahead before the buzzer.

In the game, the Warriors hauled in 19 offensive rebounds and forced 21 turnovers.

Kuminga came off the bench and quickly became the offensive focal point upon his entrance. Steve Kerr kept him in for 18 straight minutes across the first and second quarters, and then later for another uninterrupted 18-minute stint.

“When you get chances like that, you go out there and seize it,” Kuminga, 21, said. “I’m still young, still got fresh legs. It was a little bit challenging, but you’ve just got to go do it.”

He earned the extended looks. In addition to his efficient downhill scoring, Kuminga hauled in 10 boards. The Warriors want him to be more active on the glass and defensively, and he more than obliged, closing possessions with rebounds and intercepting an entry pass on the perimeter, leading to a Buddy Hield transition 3.

Like with that play, the Warriors tried to blow up the Clippers’ offensive sets before they began by denying Ivica Zubac and other initiators the ball. On offense, they played much more drive-and-kick ball than usual, adjusting with their personnel. Dennis Schroder (7 points on 3-for-11 shooting) also ran a healthy amount of pick-and-rolls, but couldn’t find the net and got benched for the fourth quarter.

Out of halftime, the Clippers realized Golden State had practically no outside shooting, so they packed the paint to stuff anything in the paint. They went 0-for-8 from 3 and scored just 19 points in the third quarter. The only chance they had to reliably score was in transition.

James Harden targeted the smaller Schroder on the other end. When the Warriors had Kuminga top-lock him, he solved that, too. Norman Powell and Derrick Jones Jr. supplied supplementary scoring, helping the Clippers stretch a nine-point halftime advantage to an 81-62 blowout.

Facing the 19-point deficit, the Warriors relentlessly turned the Clippers over with ball pressure. In a 90-second span, Golden State forced four straight giveaways. Lindy Waters III intercepted Harden then stripped him — two of four turnovers in the final frame for the Clippers guard.

“Organized chaos,” Jackson-Davis said.

As Harden melted down, Jackson-Davis flipped in a baby hook to make it a five-point game with just under five minutes left, capping an 18-4 run. Minutes later, Kuminga — initiating the offense in the halfcourt — found Moses Moody in the corner for a 3-pointer, inching within three.

Yet the Clippers reached back for a 9-0 knockout run in crunch time.

Effort was never a problem for the undermanned Warriors. But in the last two minutes, the Clippers had just enough to stave off the young Warriors.

“We just showed that we can be a big part of us winning,” Kuminga said of himself, Podziemski, Jackson-Davis and Moody. “Big part of helping us win. We’re still trying to figure out because we haven’t been winning lately, but I feel like this could pretty much tell us who we can be going forward.”