Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 428

Kyle Harrison struggles in first game back from injury as SF Giants fall to Cleveland Guardians

Kyle Harrison looked rusty in his return to the mound on Saturday in Cleveland. 

The De La Salle High graduate put San Francisco in a four-run hole early, and though the Giants battled back late, they eventually fell to the AL Central-leading Guardians 5-4.

After missing nearly a month because of a sprained ankle, Harrison pitched 3 ⅓ innings in his first start since June 10, allowing four hits and four runs while walking four. He did not pitch in a rehab game before taking the mound on Saturday.

The Giants had multiple opportunities to score and possibly take the lead, but couldn’t convert. San Francisco finished just 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position.

Jorge Soler thrived as a leadoff hitter, going 1 for 3 with a double while drawing two walks. Tyler Fitzgerald singled to knock in two runs.

Fremont native Steven Kwan went 2 for 4 and had a solo home run for Cleveland.

Giants manager Bob Melvin noted Harrison’s rust postgame.

“Once he got into it a little bit, it looked like he got better toward the end,” Melvin said. “For a while there it looked like I had to get someone up there in the first, but he got through it and kept us there.”

“We battled back really nicely and made it a game where at the beginning, it didn’t feel like it. We had our chances offensively, but I think overall, Kyle will be much better by his next time out.”

The Guardians jumped on Harrison early. 

Kwan hit a single, second baseman ​​Angel Martínez walked and José Ramírez singled to center field as the top of Cleveland’s lineup loaded the bases in the first inning. 

Cleanup hitter Josh Naylor drove in Kwan on a ground out, giving Cleveland a 1-0 lead. After Harrison loaded the bases again by walking David Fry, Jhonkensy Noel brought home Martínez on a deep sacrifice fly to center. In the next at-bat, Tyler Freeman knocked in Ramírez to give Cleveland a 3-0 lead. 

In the second inning, Kwan homered on a pitch near the top of the strike zone that flew past the wall in center field, giving the Guardians a four-run advantage. 

Harrison exited in the fourth inning after 72 pitches, 44 for strikes.

“Honestly, I think it was just a tough first inning,” Harrison said. “I was working a little too fast and didn’t have my legs quite under me in the first and had too many walks. … I wasted a lot of pitches and so they came at me in the first, and I was pretty mad because I knew I didn’t have too many more.”

The Giants struggled early against Cleveland starter Logan Allen, totaling just two hits through four innings, but San Francisco’s offense found its groove in the fifth. 

Soler started the inning with a walk. Later, Heliot Ramos singled, which prompted Guardians’ manager Stephen Vogt to pull the lefty Allen for right-hander Scott Barlow. 

Matt Chapman walked against Barlow to load the bases with one out in the inning. Fitzgerald singled to center, which scored Soler and Ramos to put the Giants on the board. 

San Francisco capped off its rally with a double steal that saw Chapman score from third, cutting the Cleveland lead to 4-3.

The Guardians pushed the advantage back to two runs in the sixth when Noel homered to left off reliever Luke Jackson. It was Jackson’s fourth homer he has given up this year. 

Related ArticlesSan Francisco Giants | SF Giants’ latest — and last? — bullpen game a success against Guardians San Francisco Giants | SF Giants trade DFA’d pitcher to Cleveland Guardians San Francisco Giants | Chapman, Ramos provide July 4th fireworks on SF Giants’ way to series win over Braves San Francisco Giants | SF Giants silenced by Chris Sale in 3-1 loss to Braves San Francisco Giants | SF Giants rookie Birdsong notches first win to open road trip

The Giants got back within striking distance in the seventh after pinch hitter Michael Conforto’s RBI double scored Chapman to make the score 5-4. 

In the ninth, Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase retired Mike Yastrzemski and Ramos, walked Chapman and induced Conforto into a ground out to finish the game.

The end of the trip is near for San Francisco, as it will play Cleveland on Sunday before starting a six-game homestand heading into the All-Star break. The loss dropped San Francisco to 44-46 overall and 3-2 away from Oracle Park this week. 

Righty Hayden Birdsong is Sunday’s expected starting pitched for the Giants.

Monterey County schools continue to struggle with declining enrollment

MONTEREY >> For the seventh consecutive year, California schools are seeing a continued decline in enrollment and Monterey County is no exception. State-wide, districts are struggling to return to pre-pandemic numbers.

The state’s Department of Education released annual enrollment data in May, which showed that while enrollment decline is slowing, it’s still a continued pattern throughout the state. During the 2023-24 school year, nearly 15,000 students were no longer enrolled.

Research from the Public Policy Institute of California points to declining birth rates and steady migration to other, less expensive states as an explanation for the decline. The two largest districts in Monterey County, Salinas Union High School District and Monterey Peninsula Unified School District are also struggling to keep enrollment up.

According to the institute, more and more families are flocking inland to the Central Valley, which saw a 3.1% growth in enrollment.

Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh said one of the challenges of keeping enrollment up is the exodus of young families to less expensive regions to live. (Monterey Herald file).

“I think (declining enrollment) has little to do with education and all to do with cost of living,” said Monterey Peninsula Unified Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh. “What we hear from our parents is it’s simply too difficult to make it on the Peninsula given the cost of housing in particular, but also health insurance … what you see is a lot of people moving inland where it’s more affordable.”

Monterey Peninsula Unified has seen first-hand how declining enrollment can affect a district. Diffenbaugh says not only is the district struggling with the same decline in enrollment as others, but it’s also struggling with daily average attendance which is directly tied to district funding.

Pre-pandemic, the district had a 95% attendance average per day, now that average is at around 92%. This 3% drop means millions of dollars of funding lost, according to Diffenbaugh.

The county as a whole has also been struggling with chronic absenteeism following the pandemic, according to County Superintendent of Schools Deneen Guss. In the past few years, various districts have come together to create a Community of Practice, an initiative that works to understand the causes of absenteeism and how to address it. According to Guss, the practice “saw tremendous results,” and led to the county doing better than the state average in terms of chronic absenteeism rates.

While still slowly declining, Salinas Union actually saw an uptick in enrollment directly after the pandemic. In 2019-20, the district had 16,257 students enrolled, according to state data. In the next two years, the district’s numbers rose by 268 students. Since then, however, the district’s numbers have been following suit with the rest of California and are steadily declining.

The state’s data does show a significant increase in the number of students enrolled in transitional kindergarten, a bright spot that might point to increasing enrollment in the future – if families stay in the state. Pre-kindergarten enrollment has doubled since 2021-22 and during the last academic school year was around 150,000 students.

Transitional kindergarten enrollment was up by 2.3% in Monterey County during 2023-24.

“I am very grateful to see this exciting outlook for our earliest learners,” said Tony Thurmond, state superintendent of public instruction in a news release. “This success is what can happen for our students when we effectively engage our families.”

The state has also poured efforts into funding community schools, a strategy that centers the family and provides a plethora of resources to keep families engaged and supported. Multiple districts in the county, including Salinas Union and Monterey Peninsula Unified, have received grants to start creating local partnerships that will directly support families.

Monterey County Office of Education Superintendent of Schools Deneen Guss notes that programs have been started fight to chronic absenteeism in local schools. (Monterey Herald).

“That strategy is a beacon of hope in our county and state,” said Guss. “We’re very hopeful that implementing this framework and initiative will really be a game-changer in our schools.”

Enrollment is projected to continue declining over the next 10 years, which will likely lead to school closures. Monterey Peninsula Unified has already seen the effects of this trend. In 2021, Diffenbaugh announced the district would be closing three schools due to decreased enrollment. Highland and Foothill Elementary schools closed in 2022 with Walter Colton Middle being the latest to close this past school year.

“It’s always hard to close schools,” said Diffenbaugh. “With that said, we did that very strategically and worked closely with families and staff on integration into their new school environments.”

The district expanded La Mesa and Monte Vista schools to accommodate transitional kindergarten through eighth grade and allow space for the new influx of students. It also worked to expand and modernize the Highland campus in Seaside which eventually became home to the Dual Language Academy of the Monterey Peninsula.

“All things considered, we made the best of a challenging situation,” said Diffenbaugh. Both Guss and Diffenbaugh say the only real way to fix enrollment is to first address the high cost of living on the Central Coast.

“If people can’t afford to live in the county … then we’re not going to be able to address declining enrollment,” said Guss.

“We’re at a critical point where everyone realizes how hard it is to live here but we need more action,” said Diffenbaugh. “We’re on our way to becoming a retirement community where only children of wealthy people can live here and that’s not what we want and it’s not what our children deserve.”

Weimer to play football this fall at Colorado Mesa University

Monterey Peninsula College linebacker Ricky Weimer has found a home, as the former Salinas High standout will play football this fall at Colorado Mesa University.

Last season Weimer recorded 78 tackles for the reigning American Golden Coast Conference champion Lobos, including nine tackles and a sack for losses. He also intercepted a pair of passes.

Used as an H-back on punts, the 19-year-old showed his athleticism, taking two snaps and turning them into 36 yards and a pair of first downs to keep drives alive.

Weimer collected 108 tackles as a junior as Salinas, compiling 44 tackles in just four games during a pandemic shortened four-game season in the spring of 2021.

Weimer’s older brother Jeff, will be a receiver this fall at Idaho State.

Liza Horvath, Senior Advocate: Honor your independence

Question: I am a senior and have every intention of staying in my home. My kids live in another part of the state and continue to “suggest” that I should consider moving to a senior care home. I am just not interested in doing that at this point and am fine on my own. Any suggestions on what I should say to them so they will quit with the hints and suggestions?

Answer: My mom lived in her own home until well past 80. She then moved into our home but soon decided she preferred living on her own and we helped her move back to her house where she lived until she passed. Mom always made her own decisions and you should, too. If your kids continue to “suggest” you move, tell them that you understand their concerns but you have made the decision to stay in your own home and, if you choose to move, that you and you alone will make that decision. You can go so far as to say that you no longer wish to hear their suggestions. If you are firm with them, this should be the last you hear of it.

As we age, it can feel like we are losing control and others are trying to insert themselves into our lives “for our own good.” When my mom was living on her own and was almost 89 years old, I received a call from her one day while I was at work. “Liza,” she said, “you need to pick me up at the Sheriff’s Department.” I chuckled and said, “Well, Mom, you always told me that if I ever needed to be bailed out of jail, you would leave me there.” To which she tersely responded, “This isn’t funny. Get over here right now!” Turns out that Mom was speeding when a Sheriff pulled her over. Her license was suspended and he took her in, impounding her car. When I asked her why she let her license expire, she told me the DMV had declined to renew it. Not a great choice on her part to continue driving on an expired license but she just didn’t want to stop driving. After that and despite giving up her car, she continued living independently.

Stay on your own for as long as you feel comfortable doing so but take steps to make sure you can do so safely. If your mobility is decreased, try and remove clutter or furniture from walkways and have rails installed on stairs and grab bars in the shower, as needed. Organize your house so everything is easily accessible and you don’t need to reach or bend down.

Take advantage of assistive technology and equipment. A medical alert system to call for help, if needed, can provide some security to both you and your concerned children. Lights that turn on when you enter a room are helpful and medication alarms or automatic pill dispensers are available to remind you to take medications.

Have regular doctor’s visits and stay fit. If you are not already exercising, consider walking, yoga, swimming and don’t forget to do some weight bearing exercise. Seniors with good muscle tone have better balance and can more easily withstand an occasional slip or fall. It has been found that seniors with good muscle tone recover more quickly from illness or hospitalization.

Finally, accept help when needed. This can include transportation, meal planning, delivery or cooking services, housework and laundry or having someone run errands for you. If you have any challenges taking care of finances, have your power of attorney or trustee help – do not ask a neighbor, caregiver or housekeeper to help with your finances. If you did estate planning, you selected someone you trust to help when needed. Use them!

I have many clients in their 90s who are still living independently. It is your decision, and your independence should be honored and respected.

Liza Horvath has more than 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. Questions? Email liza@montereytrust.com or call (831)646-5262

175 fall athletes to watch over 50 days

Angelina Navarro, Gonzales: The senior returns as the Spartans leader in kills, averaging over 13 a match last season, while compiling a team high in service aces.

Navarro was a force at the net defensively as well, collecting five or more blocks in 10 matches, while averaging over 10 digs and 10 service points a match.

Jacqui Powers, Stevenson: Spending the spring improving her speed in the water as a swimmer, Powers could be ticketed for a breakout season for the reigning Northern California Division III champion Pirates water polo team.

Despite a pair of 100 goal scorers returning for Stevenson, Powers provides a third option, with the ability to splash past opponents, producing 58 goals last year.

Jackson Lloyd, Carmel: The Herald’s Male Athlete of the Year last season, Jackson had been one of the most coveted football players among colleges in the country before signing with Alabama.

The 6-foot-7, 285-pound senior is a punishing offensive tackle that often takes opponents on a ride 10 yards downfield. He will protect the quarterback’s blind side, and see time on defense as well.

Lisa Wooninck. Finding sanctuary: Rough seas at Davidson Seamount bring spring surprises

Traversing almost 500 linear nautical miles during a 10-day research survey in early May, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary science staff and partners braved rough seas aboard the Bell M. Shimada, a 208-foot NOAA research ship, to survey marine mammals and seabirds at Davidson Seamount.

Lisa Wooninck

Unfortunate weather conditions made sightings of marine mammals difficult, but still allowed the team to identify and count hundreds of seabirds above the choppy, white-capped seas. The mission extended deep below the waves, with more than 70 casts of oceanographic instruments plunging to depths of up to 6,500 feet to measure the physical, chemical and biological properties of the water column. Additionally, 49 water samples were preserved for environmental DNA analysis, promising new insights into the underwater world and revealing otherwise unseen and unknown species for biodiversity estimates.  

Verania Sosa, one of the survey volunteers and a recent University of Miami graduate, was in charge of data entry of the wildlife observations. “Being on a NOAA ship felt a little intimidating at first, but everyone made me feel welcome,” Sosa said “I had opportunities to visit the ship’s impressive bridge where I could ask questions of the ship’s commanding officer and crew. Despite the rough weather, it was an amazing experience. There was a chance we would see something special.”

And something special they did see. During the survey, the team unexpectedly encountered about 30 Bigg’s killer whales (‘transient’ killer whales). In March 2024, a group of scientists published genetic evidence that the long-considered single killer whale species of the North Pacific (Orcinus orca) should be two separate species: residents (O. ater) and Bigg’s (O. rectipinnus). Physically, Bigg’s are slightly larger than resident killer whales; with differences in dorsal fin size and shape, and saddle patch (the area below the dorsal fin) pigmentation. Bigg’s also feed on marine mammals, such as seals and sea lions, while residents feed on salmon. Differences in their vocalization further point to two distinct species. The Taxonomy Committee of the Society of Marine Mammalogy may determine this summer whether to recognize the new species in its official list of marine mammal species. 

“We were thrilled to share our sighting with the California Killer Whale Project to help us further identify the ecotype of killer whales we observed over Davidson Seamount,” said Holly Lohuis, one of the survey scientists. “The killer whales were identified as a subgroup of Bigg’s that spend more time in open ocean than the well-known Bigg’s often seen closer to shore in the sanctuary. Our sighting created a buzz in the killer whale community.“ 

“Understanding the world of killer whales is crucial not only for appreciating their complex behavior and social structures but also for gaining insights into the health of our oceans,” said Lohuis. ”Their well-being reflects the state of marine ecosystems, making their study essential for conservation efforts and the preservation of biodiversity.” 

Davidson Seamount is nearly 8,000 feet tall, with the summit still more than 4,100 feet below the sea surface. It was added to the sanctuary in 2008 because of its diverse deep-sea life of deep-sea corals and sponges. Besides research of the seamount’s bottom habitat, the sanctuary aims to increase our understanding of the wildlife far above at the ocean’s surface. Upwelling of deep-sea currents that are deflected off the slopes of the seamount may bring nutrient-rich waters to the surface, drawing in predators such as whales and birds. 

The research expedition was the fifth of this type by the sanctuary to Davidson Seamount, and is part of an ongoing project to link predator and prey populations through observations, direct and indirect sampling, and environmental DNA.

Superintendent Lisa Wooninck and her staff at NOAA’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary conduct research, education and resource protection in one of most biodiverse marine protected areas in the world. Learn about new and exciting stories by the sanctuary within these articles. Lisa can be reached at lisa.wooninck@noaa.gov. To learn more about the sanctuary, visit montereybay.noaa.gov.

Column: How can we get people to eat vegetables? Denmark has a way

Howard Chua-Eoan | Bloomberg Opinion (TNS)

One of the most traumatic moments in my life was being forced to eat a tangle of bean sprouts. These were not mung beans: They were thicker and twisted ominously out of their crunchy yellow seeds, looking like imploding tribbles from the classic Star Trek episode. They also gave off sulfuric fumes that made all the kids gag. But there was no escape.

“You can’t leave the table until you have this,” my uncle declared. It was 1979. My family had just immigrated to California and was staying with him and my aunt. That evening, he was in charge of feeding me, my siblings and his own kids because mom and her sister — the usual and very accomplished cooks — were away. If the smell was bad, it was worse going down. We ate these during the war, he said sternly. That made us feel worse: thinking about all the starving children in Japanese-occupied Asia who had nothing else on the menu.

I’d always been more of a carnivore, and those sprouts didn’t convince me to give up on chops and steaks. In the ensuing years, a generation of vegan and vegetarian activists didn’t sit well with me either. They were well-meaning with their catalogs of nutritious facts and save-the-planet statistics. But they often ended up strident, talking down to meat eaters as if we were pre-sapiens and then literally offering us pablum. “Would it kill you to have vegetables?” they’d say. I’d respond: “Maybe not, but that thing you put on my plate just might.”

So I was intrigued by a new initiative being introduced in Denmark to promote vegetables among a population that prefers meat and fish (and deep-fried camembert!). What’s fascinating, as my Bloomberg News colleague Sanne Wass says in her deliciously reported story, is that the literature being distributed by the Plant Fund avoids words like “vegetarian” and “vegan” — and it hasn’t set numerical or statistical targets. Instead, its $100 million in government funds are being directed at encouragement and nudging and the difficult art of convincing people that ingesting a few more greens actually enhances your gastronomic experience. No one is demanding that you give up meat — just to vary your diet. As Sanne says, “Getting people in high-income countries to eat less meat has been singled out as a key way to help the planet. Swapping out beef for a single meal can almost halve a person’s carbon footprint for that day.”

That uncoercive, flavor-forward approach to vegetables is completely preferable to the doctrinaire. The example of India comes to mind where religious groups are trying to force vegan menus on public school children, who are already among the least nourished in the world. An egg is the most efficient way to get protein into growing kids, but that’s forbidden in many parts of the country. Ironically, India also has the largest population of cattle in the world because the animal is considered sacred and allowed to wander freely everywhere. Cows produce a large part of livestock’s 14.5% share of global greenhouse gas emissions.

In Denmark, the Plant Fund is using food festivals and chef training to help increase the presence of vegetables on the national dinner table. Some of the most prominent and critically acclaimed Danish restaurants have been at the forefront of this, notably Rene Redzepi’s Noma (which holds an annual vegetable season that I will savor once more in a couple of weeks); and Geranium, which Sanne cites in her piece. But perhaps the key restaurant in the slow pivot to eating vegetables is Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York. I used to hate carrots until chef Dan Barber served me a single, tiny carrot from his upstate farm. It was like candy — a sweetness all its own and unlike any other carrot I’ve had. That was about 20 years ago. I still approach carrots with some trepidation but no longer with outright loathing — and I am always overjoyed when Barber sends them out to me. Blue Hill raises (and serves) its own animals too. But the vegetables are outrageously good.

London has its cutting-edge vegetarian restaurants as well. I had the opportunity to sample the fare at Plates, a new spot by Kirk Haworth, who was crowned “champion of champions” in the latest iteration of the BBC’s Great British Menu. The menu isn’t vegan but almost completely plant-based (with a house ricotta the closest reference to animal protein). Even the butter that comes with an astonishing laminated bread is concocted from spirulina algae. It is green but absolutely winning. The restaurant has just opened, but it’s already booked up for months.

I’m not giving up meat, but my vegetable love should grow vaster, to steal a line from Andrew Marvell. As chefs turn their talents toward plants, more of my meals will be vegetarian — without feeling I’ve sacrificed enjoyment. I can have my steak, and eat it too. Just less often.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Howard Chua-Eoan is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion covering culture and business. He previously served as Bloomberg Opinion’s international editor and is a former news director at Time magazine.

©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com/opinion. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

‘Starry Fight’ documentary tells ‘love story’ behind Florida van Gogh house

When Nancy Nemhauser painted her Mount Dora home to resemble Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night” in 2017, it set off a legal battle that captured people’s attention worldwide. A new documentary centers on the Central Florida home and the local controversy it sparked, but also tells the story of a mother’s love for her son.

“Starry Fight — A Canvas for the World” is now filming in Mount Dora and focuses on Nemhauser’s decision to keep the artistic paint job despite the threat of fines. She first decided on the distinctive look because her son, 31-year-old Grant “Chip” Harrison, who has autism, tended to wander off. Because he loved van Gogh’s work, the house became a beacon to guide him home.

Nancy Nemhauser’s home is painted like van Gogh’s “Starry Night” in Mount Dora on June 26, 2024. The home and Nemhauser’s story are the subject of a new documentary currently being filmed called “Starry Fight.” (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)

“He has an interest in art, not art across the board but specifically van Gogh,” Nemhauser said. “I want him to know where he has to go, and that was my original reason for painting the wall.”

In 2018, Nemhauser and her husband, Lubomir Jastrzebski, were threatened with more than $10,000 in fines for an alleged code-enforcement violation stemming from their “Starry Night” night home. Jeremy Talcott, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, fought to preserve the paint and ultimately won the case, resulting in Mount Dora settling with the couple. The city paid the couple’s $15,000 legal fees and made a public apology, which Jastrzebski insisted upon.

“When I talked to Nancy and learned how the town had told her she needed to paint the wall to match the house — and [she] chose to paint the entire house, I knew that was my type of person,” Talcott said. “She was willing to take a bold and perhaps a little bit of a crazy step to do something she believed in. It made for a great story.”

Lionel “Lee” Montells is the director, producer and writer of a film centered on the home painted like van Gogh’s “Starry Night” in Mount Dora, pictured on set in Mount Dora on June 26, 2024. The home is the subject of Montells’ documentary currently being filmed called “Starry Fight.” (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)

Lionel “Lee” Montells, the documentary’s director, producer and writer, said he was planning to retire to his original home of Spain after a 40-year career working in TV before stumbling upon the tale.

“I heard about this story in February. I couldn’t stop reading all night long. I couldn’t find a film, a documentary or a book on this house. Maybe nobody had done it because the story was waiting for me,” he said. “Besides the controversy and the legal fight, it’s the story of the love a mother has for her child. Who doesn’t love a great love story?”

Montells said the story is compelling because of its location, the fame of this painting, the freedom of expression issue and the focus on autism, especially as other parents have found hope in watching Nemhauser fight on behalf of her son.

Nancy Nemhauser stands outside of her home, which is painted like van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” in Mount Dora on June 27, 2024. The home and Nemhauser’s story are the subject of a new documentary currently being filmed called “Starry Fight.” (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)

“Everyone can have the sense of how important a mother’s love is and how intense a mother’s love is. Interestingly, Chip calls me ‘mom bear’ and that is what I felt like. I was not going to give up,” she said. “[Montells] was the first person who contacted me about making this a love story and not a controversy. I appreciated that he had that vision. It’s about what a mother would do.”

Despite seemingly having its 15 minutes of fame six years ago, the house has seen a steady stream of curious visitors ever since.

“What started with a simple code violation created a sequence of events so big that it went around the world. To this day, there are still people coming to take pictures in front of her house,” Montells said. “I have articles in Chinese, Japanese, Hindi and every single language you can imagine. It went around the world.”

The director plans to visit Mount Dora several more times to complete filming before piecing together the documentary later this year. Ultimately, he hopes the film will make its way onto the festival circuit and eventually end up on an online streaming platform.

Nancy Nemhauser’s home is painted like van Gogh’s “Starry Night” in Mount Dora on June 26, 2024. The home and Nemhauser’s story are the subject of a new documentary currently being filmed called “Starry Fight.” (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)

Nemhauser hopes her story can prove inspirational for others.

“I had a very hard time because most of the confrontation was on me. I lost a lot of sleep and probably aged years beyond what I should have. I do think winning has helped other people. It has certainly brought other people here,” she said. “I’m delighted that we prevailed. I want to see more compassion and awareness of autism and the difficulties that parents face.”

She doesn’t regret standing up for Chip.

“This is his home,” she said. “Once I had the house painted, he was even more enamored with it. He’s proud to be here.”

Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com.

Gretchen’s table: Lasagna replaces pasta with low-calorie zucchini

Gretchen McKay | (TNS) Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

I’m a pasta fanatic — pappardelle with Bolognese and clouds of Parmesan is a particular fave — but I’m no longer running mile after mile each week to train for races, so it’s probably a good idea to cut back on the carb-loading.

A video on my social media feed reminded me that sliced zucchini squash makes an inexpensive, low-cal substitute for lasagna noodles, and it doesn’t require a lot of fuss to prepare. So I set out to make the traditional Northern Italian dish using panko-and-Parmesan coated strips of the veggie instead of the flat, wide sheets of pasta.

One reason to fall in love with zucchini is that it has a very mild taste, which makes it easy to incorporate into many different recipes. Another is that it’s super good for you. A source of fiber and folate, which aids in digestion and metabolism, the green summer squash is also high in magnesium and vitamin C.

Zucchini are also pretty easy to find in even the smallest grocery store. And in just a few weeks, it will be ubiquitous at farmers markets both large and small as well as countless backyard gardens — sometimes for free, if your green-thumbed neighbors are generous.

I considered this dish a test run for what I hope will be a veggie-forward summer in the kitchen. In addition to the cheese-coated zucchini planks, the recipe features an easy meat-and-tomato sauce and two cheeses: shredded mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Designed to serve just two or three people, it’s made in a loaf pan for just four or five slices.

This dish isn’t for everyone: Both my daughters responded with a “gag” emoji when I told them the lasagna included a simple meat sauce. But that’s an easy enough fix if you’re 100% vegetarian — simply omit and make up the difference with a little more cheese, or substitute a plain tomato sauce. Either way, it’s both filling and pretty tasty.

With a loaf pan and some sauce, it’s easy to turn summer’s zucchini into a cheesy lasagna. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)Pan Zucchini Lasagna

PG tested

2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed

1 egg

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided

Olive oil, for pan

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 cup canned tomatoes

Red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

8 ounces shredded mozzarella

1/3 cup ricotta

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a loaf pan with overhanging strips of parchment paper (so you can lift the lasagna out after cooking).

With sharp kitchen knife or mandoline, slice zucchini into very thin slices.

In large bowl, beat egg with a little water. In a second bowl, stir together panko, grated Parmesan and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Dip zucchini slices into egg, then into the panko mixture and press so the crumbs adhere. Place on a plate and set aside while you make sauce.

Pour a glug of oil into a large saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, then stir in ground beef. Cook, breaking up with a fork or spoon, until meat is browned.

Add canned tomatoes and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place a layer of breaded zucchini in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 of sauce. Dot with 1/3 of the ricotta. Repeat two more times for three layers, then sprinkle the chopped parsley on top.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until and top are bubbly and slightly crispy. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 4.

— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

___

©2024 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Summer heat waves are hitting Europe. Here’s how to handle them

Scott Hartbeck | (TNS) TravelPulse

Europe is hot.

And I’m not just talking about what’s happening on your favorite social media feed. Indeed, the momentum from 2023 — a year when seemingly everybody hopped on a plane across the pond — appears unabated, with early summer crowds currently swarming the continent, resulting in the usual hand-wringing and host of news stories about overtourism.

I’m talking about temperatures.

As I write this, A-list destinations like Rome and Florence are flirting with triple digits with an excessive heat warning in place, and the forecast for Athens features highs in the upper 90s and sunny skies for the foreseeable future.

So here’s a friendly reminder that you should not underestimate the heat in Europe.

I doesn’t matter how much dry heat or humidity you’re used to dealing with, it has a tendency to hit differently in Europe, and you need to have a game plan to deal with it when you travel there in the summertime.

Why do high temperatures in Europe differ from those back home?

For starters, regardless of where you’re from in the U.S., you probably don’t walk around all day in the summer sightseeing. If you are out and about during a heat wave, odds are you are bouncing between air-conditioned spaces.

There is no way to avoid it: you will be pounding the pavement and exposed to the elements on your European vacation. No matter the season, you haven’t come all this way to sit inside and watch TV, so your days will inevitably be chock-a-block with things to do and see. Activity plus high temperatures can lead to an exhaustion level you’re just not used to.

Another reason is that air conditioning, while certainly common in southern Europe and larger hotels all over the continent, isn’t usually as powerful as you may want it to be. This is especially true regarding the units located in apartments or older hotels. Even when you have A/C, it’s probably not going to crank out arctic air like it might back home. Furthermore, sometimes there are limits on how low you can run it and/or settings in place that make sure it doesn’t run while you aren’t in the room.

Lastly, many of us have a tendency to overindulge in Europe, and alcohol, caffeine and heavy meals can all serve to amplify the affects of heat.

How should you beat the heat in Europe during summer?

Early to rise, late to bed

It doesn’t matter where you are on the European map or what sort of heat wave you’re in the throes of, conditions won’t be oppressive between six and nine in the morning, as these are almost always the coolest hours of the day. While nighttime can still be stuffy, once you get past eight, you won’t have to worry about being beaten down by the sun.

While you can’t stack all of your tourist activities into these hours, it’s the perfect time to take walks to scout things out for later (thus spending less time out and about during the hotter periods of the day) and avoid the crowds at photogenic beauty spots.

Wherever you can, book tickets to attractions ahead of time to cut back on any time spent standing outside during peak heat hours. And if the attraction is located outside, book later in the day when there will be fewer crowds (day trips tend to overwhelm attractions during midday), and you won’t have to wait outside as long.

What to wear

Regarding clothing, wear a hat and loose-fitting, breezy outfits made of light colors. These will keep you cooler than tight-fitting dark-colored gab, regardless of whether it’s “wicking” or not.

Apply and re-apply sunscreen, hydrate like you’ve never hydrated before and always rest in the shade where you can. And when it comes to the aforementioned alcohol and caffeine, you’ll want to keep things in moderation.

It’s not all gloom and doom, the summer season in Europe offers long days, fun beach experiences and scores of other travelers to meet and make memories with, but the heat can be a downer if you don’t take precautions.

So just take the precautions and you’re sure to still have the time of your life this summer!

________

©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.