Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 464
May 27, 2024
‘Anything’s on the table’ for SF Giants rotation once soon-to-be-father Blake Snell makes Memorial Day start
SAN FRANCISCO – Blake Snell will start Monday on the pitcher’s mound, and he may end the day as a father.
The 31-year-old left-hander was reinstated from the paternity list on Sunday and will make his scheduled start as his girlfriend, Haeley Mar, is still awaiting the birth of the couple’s first child.
Her due date was last Monday, and Snell flew back from Pittsburgh to the Bay Area after his Wednesday start against the Pirates.
Snell, the reigning National League Cy Young award winner, has struggled in orange and black since signing a two-year, $62 million deal with the Giants.
He failed to make it past the fifth inning in any of his first three starts in April, and then he went on the injured list with a left groin injury.
After dominating the minor leagues during his rehab stint, Snell surrendered four earned runs in 3 ⅓ innings during his May 22 return against the Pirates.
Giants manager Bob Melvin saw reasons to be optimistic after the latest start.
“Incremental progress across the board,” Melvin said. “He was pretty good there early on. They made him throw a lot of pitches and it got away once he came out of the game, but I thought his stuff was a lot better.”
The longtime manager was cagey when asked about the plan for Tuesday, with a vague “TBD” listed as the San Francisco starter facing former Giants first-round pick Zack Wheeler on the MLB website, before Kyle Harrison is slated to start on Wednesday.
Mason Black, who filled that spot in the rotation through much of the last month after making his major league debut May 6, was optioned to Triple-A on Friday to make room for reliever Drew Pomeranz. In Thursday’s win over the Pirates, Black allowed four runs (all earned) in 2 2/3 innings, the third time in his four starts that he gave up at least that many runs.
“I think anything is on the table,” Melvin said. “Whether we want to piece it together, whether we go with a regular starter or we call someone from the minor league side.”
Wiseley makes another start at SS
San Francisco Giants’ Brett Wisely (70) hits a single against the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, June 4, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)Brett Wisely will make his third consecutive start at shortstop after getting seven hits in his last three games. The 25-year-old from Jacksonville is batting .438 in 16 at-bats, but perhaps most importantly, has not committed an error.
Related ArticlesSan Francisco Giants | What Blake Snell said after latest rough start for SF Giants: “Big league spring training, you need it” San Francisco Giants | Wisely wows at shortstop in SF Giants’ Memorial Day victory over league-leading Phillies San Francisco Giants | In wake of injuries, could SF Giants alter outfield wall at Oracle Park? San Francisco Giants | SF Giants end wacky road trip with walkoff loss to Mets San Francisco Giants | SF Giants sit Marco Luciano for 2nd straight game amid defensive woes“Brett’s been great, and that’s why he’s out there,” Melvin said. “We always talk about how if you get here and you perform, we’re going to find a place for you to play.”
He has replaced top prospect Marco Luciano, who is hitting .391 but also committed five errors in the first five games of the Giants’ road trip before being sat for the finale against the New York Mets.
Luciano isn’t totally in the doghouse, but he’s firmly behind Wisely.
“Marco will get in the game here in this series, probably against lefties, but right now Brett is swinging the bat well and that’s why he’s in there.”
Injury updatesThe Giants’ shortstop situation could get even more muddled soon. Shortstop Nick Ahmed is rehabbing from a left wrist sprain and is expected to start batting practice in the next few days. Keaton Winn, who is dealing with a right forearm strain, threw a bullpen session on Monday morning. Melvin said ace Logan Webb is doing okay after yesterday’s game. The manager said. “He had a little bit of shin splint thing at first base … It bothered him for a little bit and then it started to loosen up, but no restrictions going into his next start.”Outfielder Michael Conforto could start a rehab assignment later this week, and is expected to increase his running over the next few days. Former Met Conforto said, “It was an unrealistic timeline to try and come back in New York. I think we made a good decision to let this heal with time.”
PCAL all-league softball teams
Pacific Coast Athletic League all-league softball teams
Gabilan Division
Most Valuable Player: Mia Phillips, Hollister
Pitcher of the Year: Abi Jones, Salinas
First team
Sabrina Hardin, Stevenson
Kalea De Leon, North Salinas
Mia Phillips, Hollister
Madeline Bermudez, Hollister
Dom Olivera, Hollister
Ella Myers, Monterey
Denae Lee, Monterey
Abi Jones, Salinas
Aliyah Morgan, North County
Jessica Cisneros, Salinas
Sophia Cardinale, Notre Dame
Dani Amendola, Alvarez
Maya Martinez, Notre Dame
Second team
Aalyssah Huihui Martinez, Notre Dame
Ava Thompson, Salinas
Grace Peffley, Hollister
Michelle Wallace, Alvarez
Taylor Page, Monterey
Johnny Casarez, Hollister
Sam Regalado, Salinas
Leslie Ruiz, North County
Ryanna Elliott, Monterey
Shailene Riemedio, Notre Dame
Johana Alonzo, North County
Claren Wong, Stevenson
Kiersten Jara, Notre Dame
Richard Chamberlin Sportsmanship team
Claren Wong, Stevenson
April Gonzalez, North County
Iliana Parez, North Salinas
Michelle Wallace, Alvarez
Emma Herrera, Notre Dame
Sam Regalado, Salinas
Jenna Deese, Monterey
Avery Chavez, Hollister
Mission Division
Pitcher of the Year: Amelia Martinez, Watsonville
Offensive Player of the Year: Nicole Tapson, Carmel
Defensive Player of the Year: Savannah Hardy, Pacific Grove.
First team
Amelia Martinez, Watsonville
Esperanza Sigala, Watsonville
Julia Maldonado, Watsonville
Nicole Tapson, Carmel
Allie Hacker, Carmel
Savannah Hardy, Pacific Grove
Malaya Carrillo, King City
Kayla Silveria, Monte Vista
Lisa Villanueva, King City
Isis Turner, Pacific Grove
Ava Mangiapane, Carmel
Lily Grundy, Carmel
Amber Mercado, King City
Second team
Gia Johnson, Monte Vista
Ashley Jimenez, Watsonville
Jillian Lerma, Watsonville
Hope Yoshiyama, Santa Catalina
Ky Dahle, Carmel
Alex Giammanco, Pacific Grove
Felicia Houde, Pacific Grove
Aliza Carrillo, King City
Avery Munoz, King City
Raylie Moore, King City
Cameron Llamas, Watsonville
Angelina George, Carmel
Lili Gaona, Pacific Grove
Chloe Lemaster, Carmel
Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship team
Pacific Grove, Erin Shoemaker
King City, Amity Hearne
Watsonville, Kianna Perreira
Monte Vista, Ava Alvarado
Santa Catalina, Layla Borman
Carmel, Lily Grundy
Gonzales, Samantha Franco
Cypress Division
Offensive Player of the Year: Jordan Smith, Alisal
Pitcher of the Year: Mikayla Sanchez, Greenfield
Defensive Player of the Year: Jasmin Estrada, Alisal
First team
Jordan Smith, Alisal
Jasmine Estrada, Alisal
Nevaeh Lopez, Alisal
Alexia Calderon, Soledad
Kassandra Hernandez, Soledad
Mikayla Sanchez, Greenfield
Alyssa Castillo, Rancho San Juan
Kalissa Barrera, Marina
Desiree Peraza, Trinity
Kaimi Tulua, Seaside
Micah Smith, Alisal
Hemeria Dela Torre, Pajaro Valley
Sam Ortiz, Alisal
Second team
Zoe Martinez, Anzar
Aailiyah Ruiz, Alisal
Carmelina Esquivias, Alisal
Jaylynn Garcia, Soledad
Arlette Mosqueda, Soledad
Delylah Ocampo, Soledad
Chloe Zavala, Greenfield
Andrea Ruano, Rancho San Juan
Cerise Salas, Marina
Isabelle Combs, Trinity
Norma Tulua, Seaside
Jayla Navarro, Marina
Olivia Contreras, Pajaro Valley
Sydney Smith, Marina
Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship team
Isabella Ramirez, Alisal
Kyra Grantham, Marina
Yara Hernandez, Greenfield
Verbena Cain, Trinity
Katie Acosta, Pajaro Valley
Delylah Magdalene, Rancho San Juan
Alexia Calderon, Soledad
Leveaha Duran, Seaside
Eligie Bellizio Sportsmanship team: Seaside
Salinas mayor won’t seek re-election
Salinas Mayor Kimbley Craig has announced in a press release she will not be running for re-election, citing issues with the City Council.
“The general ability to facilitate open, transparent and mutually respectful council discussions has become increasingly challenging,” Craig said in her press release. “Many community members have recognized that the meetings have become longer and the dialogue between councilmembers and the public is more contentious. This form of governance has become untenable for me.”
Craig has been a Salinas council member for eight years and will have served four years as mayor.
“I am honored and have loved serving the public and hope to continue doing so in some other meaningful form in the future,” Craig said. “Simply stated, it’s time to transition that experience to another capable leader.”
Craig noted she ran on a platform of encouraging economic development and increasing police and fire personnel for the city. She says those aren’t the primary priorities for the current City Council. She said she has concerns over the economic future of the city.
“There is a growing, long-term structural deficit, and unfunded liabilities that need to be addressed,” the press release said.
Craig was first elected to the city council to represent the 5th district in 2010. Craig, who was a 35-year-old public relations business owner at the time, ousted single-term councilman Steve Villegas. In 2020, she defeated Chris Berrera in the mayor’s race. In 2022, she unsuccessfully ran for county supervisor, a seat eventually won by Glenn Church.
Craig is currently the President and CEO of the Monterey County Business Council.
“I do want to acknowledge I am incredibly encouraged by the residents who step up to use their voices, the leadership of the Interim City Manager and the City Attorney, the great work of the current city employees, and the new beginnings of a new City Manager who starts next week,” Craig said. “I refuse to be a lame duck with the time I have left. I will do what I’ve always done – be a workhorse for Salinas. I have plenty on my plate to stay engaged through my entire term. I
encourage the residents of Salinas to watch the council meetings and join me in working for a better future in the next chapter for Salinas.”
PCAL all-league baseball teams
Pacific Coast Athletic League all-league baseball teams
Gabilan Division
Most Valuable Players: Nash Horton, St. Francis, Matt Maxon, Carmel, JJ Sanchez, Carmel
First team
Nash Horton, St. Francis
Matt Maxon, Carmel
JJ Sanchez, Carmel
Wyatt Barton, Hollister
Johnny Carnazzo, Palma
Micah Cervantes, St. Francis
Javier Fonseca, St. Francis
Jr Ibarra, St. Francis
Justin LeMaster, Carmel
Zander Lunt, Carmel
Trey Silva, St. Francis
Nate Wedderburn, Monterey
Carter Wright, Monte Vista
Second team
Brody Edmunds Pacific Grove
Jackson Everett, Monterey
Bo Iandoli, Carmel
Jordan Isla, Salinas
Bubba Martinez, Palma
Daniel Martinez, Hollister
Bixby Moranda, Carmel
Cooper Palmer, Salinas
Rocco Razzecca, Palma
Steph Russo, Monterey
Kaleb Shannan, Palma
Nate Vasquez, Salinas
Breyden Watkins, Hollister
Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team
Ben Tucker, Carmel
Celso Lopez, Hollister
Evan Takehara, Monterey
Mikie Melenudo, Monte Vista
Kyle Lavin, Pacific Grove
Diego Villarreal, Palma
Nick Rianda, Salinas
Nick Fantl, St. Francis
Eligie Belizio Sportsmanship team: Pacific Grove
Mission Division
Most Valuable Players: Andrew Nichols, Soledad, Xavier Mendez, Alisal
Pitcher of the Year: Manny Gutierrez, Greenfield
First team
Xavier Mendez, Alisal
Andrew Nichols, Soledad
Manny Gutierrez, Greenfield
Amani Wilson, Stevenson
Ayden Ramirez, Alvarez
Adam Morris, Rancho San Juan
Isaiah Andrade, Alisal
Reggie Bell, Stevenson
Josh Degroodt, North Salinas
Anikan Tavarez, Soledad
Phinn Thomas, Stevenson
Daniel Valenzuela, Soledad
Vidal Perez, Soledad
Second team
Ayden Munoz, Rancho San Juan
Noah Nelson, Rancho San Juan
Jose Aguirre, King City
Sean Ishii, Stevenson
Vince Barajas, North County
Ivan Chavez, Alvarez
Jay Serrato, Alisal
Brady Legions, Watsonville
Tyler Baldwin, North County
Julian Hanson, Alvarez
Tony Pantoja, Greenfield
Andrew Raya, Soledad
Ayden Rodriguez, Watsonville
Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team
Jesus Cervantes, Rancho San Juan
Chase Whittman, Soledad
Isaiahs Garcia, Alvarez
Alexander Loredo, Alisal
Jake Burkhardt, North Salinas
Mateo Lopez, Watsonville
Andrew Airada, Stevenson
Gerado Rangel, King City
Damien Martinez, Greenfield
Sportsmanship Team Elgie Bellizio Team: North County
Cypress Division
Player of the Year: Joseph Acosta, Gonzales
Offensive Player of the Year: Jayden Valero, Seaside
Defensive Player of the Year: Gary Salmeri, Seaside
First team
Joseph Acosta, Gonzales
Jonathan Ybarra, Gonzales
Ivan Pantoja, Gonzales
Daniel Mendez, Gonzales
Adrain Perez, Gonzales
Jayden Valero, Seaside
Gary Salmeri, Seaside
Taylor Rice, Seaside
Leo Alvardo, Marina
Kaleb True, Marina
Juan Moreno, Pajaro Valley
Pablo Moreno, Pajaro Valley
Second team
Noah Flores, Gonzales
Manuel Perea, Gonzales
Ethan Vasquez, Seaside
Noah Deleon, Seaside
Giovanni Moriel, Pajaro Valley
Alex Acosta, Pajaro Valley
Richard Chamberlin All-Sportsmanship Team
Jericho Ryan, Marina
Julius Vallalobos, Gonzales
Brandon Moreno, Pajaro Valley
Cesar Vargas, Seaside
Elgie Bellizio Sportsmanship Team: Pajaro Valley.
Mary Jeanne Vincent, Career talk: New grad launch tips
Graduation is just around the bend, an event students (and parents) approach with both anticipation and trepidation. This is when the rubber finally meets the road. Here are some networking strategies for getting your career off to a great start.
Build and stay in touch with your network. You may be an introvert but that does not let you off the networking hook. You will need a solid network throughout your career and the sooner you develop it the better.
Here are some strategies for creating a network that works for you. Be as interested in your colleagues and work associates as you expect them to be in you. Recently, I needed to change an appointment with one of my clients because my dog had a health issue. The next time we met he asked me how she was doing. A simple kindness that I won’t forget. It is that easy – he heard my concern and followed up when the opportunity presented itself.
Say thank you and mean it. People like to know that their efforts are appreciated. When someone goes out of their way to help you, socially, at work, or careerwise, tell them how much it means to you. You can send a short text, make a quick call, or drop them a note. I have a former colleague who calls me every few years for a reference. Once I’ve provided it, I don’t hear from her again until the next time she wants a reference. As you might guess, every time she calls, I know she needs something. It makes me think twice about picking up the phone.
Periodically share something of interest with your network for no special reason – just because. It could be a great travel book, a work resource or a fabulous dive restaurant in San Francisco that you know this person would enjoy. It only takes a couple of minutes to let them know you are thinking of them.
Make time to network; carve out 15 minutes a week to send a “thinking of you” email to a couple of people in your network. When you meet someone socially or through work and you sense a connection, follow up, get LinkedIn and ping them periodically to say “hi.”
It is important to note that while most of us stay in contact with those in our inner circle, we often lose touch with those casual acquaintances whom we rarely see. It is equally important to check in with them periodically.
According to sociologist Mark Granovetter who studied the impact of strong and weak ties in job searches, a large network of weak connections is more valuable than a small network of tight connections. It turns out that your weak connections are more helpful when building your career because they provide access to a wider audience, different environments and a broader range of ideas. Your circle of influence and that of your close connections overlap a lot so offer little in the way of new information.
When building your network, it is a good rule of thumb to make a habit of giving more than you take. When you are perceived as providing more value than you take, people will always be happy to return your calls.
Mary Jeanne Vincent, career expert and strategist, has a coaching practice in Monterey. She may be reached at (831) 657-9151, mjv@careercoachmjv.com, or www.careercoachmonterey.com
A talk with new Friends of Laguna Seca CEO
Mary Eberhart was a controller who worked for Roger Penske, the former owner of Michigan International Speedway. Her teenage daughter Lauri needed a high school summer job and she was hired to facilitate media credentials.
A few decades and a long work history in the hierarchy of several of the country’s iconic facilities later, the former summer intern has assumed new responsibilities in a long and varied career. She knows well the racetracks in Pennsylvania to Michigan and North Carolina to Virginia.
Eberhart, who earned her law degree from Wake Forest University, ran the day-to-day operations of Charlotte Motor Speedway for three years. She also served as General Counsel of Speedway Motorsports and Charlotte Motor Speedway for more than 12 years.
In early May she was named to run Friends of Laguna Seca. The non-profit organization, which began in 2016, recently signed a 50-year concession agreement lease to manage Laguna Seca Recreation Area.
The industry veteran and her husband, parents of two adult sons, will soon relocate to the Monterey Peninsula. She officially became the CEO on May 1 but the plan is to have the concession agreement operational beginning July 1.
“I’ve had a long career in motorsports; I’ve done every single job,” said Eberhart from Charlotte during a recent telephone interview. “I’ve done media credentials. I’ve sold tickets. I’ve taken out the trash. I’ve done corporate packages. I’m passionate about it and I really love it.”
Just before traveling to the Indianapolis 500, Eberhart spoke with The Herald about her legacy in the industry and her new position.
Question: Friends of Laguna Seca recently signed a 50-year lease with the County of Monterey. That’s a long lease. Can you provide some insight?
Answer: It’s called a concession agreement but it’s to manage and operate the facility, the entire facility, the raceway plus the associated recreation area. It does not include the rifle range, but it includes everything else.
The reason that it is a 50-year lease and why it’s important for the Friends of Laguna Seca that it’s a 50-year lease is because historically Laguna Seca has been underfunded and it has lacked proper investments. Friends felt it was important to have a long timeframe so that we could raise the money.
Q: Do tracks have personalities or a certain vibe?
A: 100 percent. I think speedways do have personalities. Each facility has its own characteristics that makes it something people want to experience. I really cut my teeth at Michigan International Speedway, which is a 2 1/2-mile oval in a rural area in the middle of nowhere Michigan. It’s 90 miles from Detroit, which is the epicenter of the automotive industry.
Charlotte is a mile-and-a-half, a high-bank NASCAR track in the epicenter of motorsports. Its history almost goes back as far as Laguna Seca. It has its distinct characteristics. And look at Richmond, which is a three-and-a-quarter-mile fast track. But it’s in an urban center, with its own set of issues, noise, neighbors and traffic. And then you have Laguna Seca. It has its own look and its own vibe.
Q: You spent a lot of time on and around racetracks. Have you ever competed in motorsports?
A: I am not a racer. I’ve driven on the speedway. I went on lap rides with Dale Earnhardt back in the day. That was a lot of fun.
Q: What exactly is Friends of Laguna Seca and what is your job?
A: Friends of Laguna Seca is a single-purpose entity. It’s a 501 (c) (3) and a non-profit and its sole purpose of existing is to invest and improve Laguna Seca Raceway. That’s its charter. It’s singularly focused. We are not going to cure cancer.
But it’s very inspirational. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it. Our goal is to restore, revitalize and reinvent Laguna Seca Raceway. There’s a lot to be done and I am the leader of those efforts. To goal is to return Laguna Seca to its glory days.
Q: If you could look in the crystal ball, let’s say five years from now, is there something you’d really like to see at Laguna Seca? Do you have a super project in mind?
A: I do have something in my mind that I would like to see, but we have to do a full assessment of what’s there, what we can use, what we can’t use. There are a lot of permitting issues we have to work through and deed restrictions we have to work through. I don’t want to put anything out there. But it would be something on par with the (international) events at the Monterey Aquarium or in Carmel By The Sea. That’s the three- to five-year plan.
Q: Moto GP was held a Laguna Seca in recent years but hasn’t returned. Any chance of that?
A: Anything is possible. What we are going to do is take a look at the physical plant. We are going to assess the property and the facilities. We are going to assess the schedule. We are going to take a look at everything. As a non-profit, we have to make sure we are making as much money as possible to invest in the facility. And we have an obligation to make sure we have the highest and best use of the facility. But everything is on the table.
Q: What is your experience at Laguna Seca?
A: I’ve been there many times. My last experience was last year at Rennsport (Reunion) to take a look at that event. That was super fun. I’ve been to the IndyCar races. I have been to the Historics. I’ve been out there quite a bit. The skeleton, the bones of the facility, are fantastic. You’ve got the corkscrew. You’ve got the ups and downs. You’ve got the elevation. From the back side of the course, you can see the ocean.
There are so many wonderful things to see in the topography. I think we can leverage that to turn it into an international showcase. It gets me excited. I am a race fan. I like to go to races. I like to go to sporting events. And I like to gather ideas wherever I go.
College Athlete of the Week
College Athlete of the Week
Tony Tao, CSUMB golf: Tied a Cal State Monterey Bay school record over 18 holes, carding a 63 at the NCAA Division II National Championships.
Honorable mention: Will Musson, CSUMB men’s golf; Jaden Sheppard, CSUMB baseball, Max Farfan, CSUMB baseball; Wilhelm Berg von Linde, CSUMB men’s golf; Cole Murchison, CSUMB baseball; Aiden Lee, CSUMB baseball; JJ Engman, CSUMB baseball.
2 people, 1 RV, 1 year: Florida travel writers complete American journey
Travel writers Susan and Simon Veness were trying to escape the rat race when they hit the road for a year in an RV.
“For the last 20 years we have been working flat-out, seven days a week, never took time off,” Susan Veness says. “We didn’t take vacations, and we were so burned out that we just needed to hit the reset button.”
The Venesses took off in their 36-foot RV – dog Ruthie and a subcompact car in tow – with a route in mind that went to Michigan, then across the country to the West Coast before swooping down across the South and back home to Apopka.
“The challenge was to try and see as much of the country as we could. We really wanted to see America,” Simon Veness says.
Their mission was completed, mostly, and ended recently with a stay at Fort Wilderness at Walt Disney World. There were bumps along the way, including mechanical difficulties, a stretch of 19 days without hot water, tight mountain passes and harrowing bridges that might have contributed to high blood pressure.
“We met a lot of mobile technicians in those first months,” Susan says. After two months and another frustrating RV repair, they considered pulling the plug on the 12-month project that had been in the works for four years.
“So we had to take the rig in, stay in a hotel. We spent a couple of days really just saying we’re not sure we can do this,” Susan says. “And then we bucked up our courage and decided, yeah, we want to keep going. And then, for months, it was just beautiful. Smooth sailing.”
“The last six months were the gravy. They just seemed to go so fast,” Simon says.
The Venesses are the creators of “The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World” book sires and the “Brit Guide to Orlando and Walt Disney World” guidebook. They have written for blogs, magazines and newspapers, and their trip updates have appeared in The Independent newspaper in the U.K. The second edition of Susan’s “Walt Disney World Hacks” book came out in April.
They submitted another book days before heading out in the RV. This fall, their new book “111 Places in Orlando That You Must Not Miss,” will be published.
Their on-the-road workload was “doing this easy stuff that we can do remotely rather than the press events and the openings and the restaurants and everything that goes with it, which is what makes it feel like you’re on a treadmill,” Simon says.
A stand-out state for Simon was Utah, he says.
“Absolutely everywhere we went, there was a stunning panorama … amazing national parks, just incredible vistas right throughout the state,” he says.
Another highlight for the couple was watching “wave after wave” of sandhill cranes at Wilcox Playa in southeast Arizona, Susan says.
“We spent a whole evening one night watching these birds flying in from literally out of the sunset into this wildlife area of marshlands, where they were settling for the winter,” Simon says.
“It was mind-blowing watching those. The noise, the site, the backdrop. It was like a David Attenborough nature documentary. You’re sitting there open-jawed for hours watching those,” he says.
Travel writers Susan and Simon Veness stand with their 36-foot Winnebago, their home for a year, while rolling across the country. (Courtesy Veness family)So much togetherness in such tight living quarters was not an issue for Venesses, they said.
“We’re always together. For 20 years all of our work has been together. So that was really the easy part,” she says.
“Our office is only 11 feet square [at home], and both of us are in there pretty much every day,” he says.
Along the way, they decided their initial itinerary was too ambitious, so they opted against Washington, Oregon and northern California, which allowed them to slow their pace.
Simon says he eventually got used to the conditions of driving an RV.
“You’ve got to be dialed in all the time because it just takes one small give in the road, and it throws you off course because of the weight of the whole vehicle,” he says.
“By the end of the trip, I didn’t want to stop because I love the view from the cab,” he says.
The trip covered more than 35,000 miles between the RV and the car in 22 states.
The Venesses check out Mount Rushmore, one of several landmarks visited during their RV adventure. (Courtesy Veness photo)Once they got back to Florida, they stayed at Disney World before heading back to their house.
“We really wanted to end the trip where, really, everything for us started. We met through Disney, you know, we got engaged to IllumiNations [at Epcot]. A huge portion of our work has been around the theme parks,” Susan says.
They say they missed their Florida neighbors; they didn’t miss the humidity.
They plan to write something about the experience, but they’re mulling the best angle to take. They believe they’ll make another RV trip, but for a shorter duration and in a smaller vehicle.
“We definitely want to do more,” Simon says. “We still have unfinished business out west.”
Solar eclipses are so last month. Get ready for a ‘planetary parade’
By Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — First came a rare solar eclipse, followed by the northern lights, fueled by a solar storm. The next celestial phenomenon will come next month, when skygazers can look forward to an alignment known as a “planetary parade.”
The parade will start June 3, when Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune will be aligned, according to Star Walk Astronomical News, a planetarium phone app.
During such events, multiple planets can be seen across the sky. A “mini planetary alignment” is when three are aligned; a large alignment comprises five or six, according to the outlet.
But don’t expect to see them all.
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“Contrary to many reports and social media postings, there will not be a string of naked-eye planets visible on June 3,” he said via email. “Mercury and Jupiter will be far too low in the sky at sunrise. Even under ideal conditions (a dark sky, free from light pollution) Uranus is very dim and challenging to spot. The skyglow near dawn makes matters worse.”
Neptune, which is six times dimmer than Uranus, requires a telescope to be seen, according to Dyches.
The “real parade,” he said, will occur about four weeks later, on June 29, when Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and the three-quarter moon will be visible in the morning twilight. In Southern California, this should occur around 5 or 6 a.m., according to Paul Robertson, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at UC Irvine.
“If you went out that morning, you could actually see all of those four objects at the same time, and that’s not really the same for the June 3 thing,” he said.
The parades won’t be the end of this year’s sky spectacles.
A nova outburst is expected to take place at some point before September, Robertson said.
The outburst will be visible in the constellation Corona Borealis and will be as bright as the North Star for about a week before fading, according to Space.com.
The phenomenon occurs when a white dwarf and red giant star orbit each other. As the white dwarf takes stellar material from the red giant, a flash of nuclear fusion is ignited, launching a nova outburst, according to the outlet. The event is expected to be a “once-in-a-lifetime stargazing opportunity.”
“I think people may have gotten a little more interested in watching the sky since the big eclipse,” Robertson noted. “I know people traveled for that. It changes your perspective on things.”
©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Review: ‘The Beach Boys’ is a sentimental documentary that downplays the band’s squabbles
By Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times
I will (almost) always watch a film about the Beach Boys — the latest, titled simply “The Beach Boys,” premiered Friday on Disney+ — not just for the part they played in American musical and cultural history but for the part they played in my own. From 1966 to 1969 my father worked for the band, in the capacity of a tour promoter; that these were their years of lesser popularity, as rock got heavy and dour and jammy, meant that this relationship gave me no cachet among my peers. But it was interesting to me.
I saw them play, in striped shirts, white suits, colorful velours and out of costume, at the Hollywood Bowl, when the kids still screamed during their shows; at the Melodyland theater-in-the-round across from Disneyland, when they seemingly couldn’t get booked any closer to L.A.; and at the Whisky A Go Go, when “Sunflower” was released. I saw Dennis Wilson drag race; his Shelby Cobra rolled over my toe as it was being pushed to the starting line, but as much of the weight had been stripped out of the car, no damage was done. Bruce Johnston introduced me to Eric Clapton backstage at a Blind Faith concert. (“This is Eric,” he said. “Hello,” I said.) I rode for a minute in a car with Carl Wilson and his parents.
I knew them as much as any child knows a parent’s business associates, which is to say, not at all really, but they were familiar characters, as were the support staff in the office, the studio and the road. They came together in stray bits of news and gossip, coalescing into a pantheon that floated about my life. The Maharishi, with whom the band briefly toured, gave my dad his mantra. And there was Charles Manson, of course, the ineradicable dark blot in any telling of this tale, who attached himself to Dennis looking for pop stardom. My father had moved on by the time of the Tate-La Bianca murders, but as he had once thrown Charlie out of the office — that was a moment in our house.
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It’s irresistible material, a show business story and a family drama, salted with child abuse, drug addiction, mental illness and recovery, a war between art and commerce and an arc of success and failure and success — when “Endless Summer,” a two-LP best-of package went to No. 1 on the charts in 1974, it catapulted the group into permanent residency as “America’s Band.” With its range of good-time rock ‘n’ roll and ambitious, eccentric art-pop, they’re at once a band for everybody and a band for geeks.
Running less than two hours at a time when four-hour rock docs are not unusual, this is a swift, compact telling, with surprisingly little in the way of music and whole swaths of recording history skated over. But it looks fantastic, with a bounty of archival photographs and home movies, many of which are new to me, even as a veteran of these things. Apart from new interview footage with the survivors, in and around the band, and the customary pop musician testimonials, not much if anything will be new to the fans. What is new, among Beach Boys documentaries, is the tone, which does not linger on the sensational episodes and downplays the squabbling to emphasize the love.
For a group whose relations have been famously divisive, and whose story has been marked by tragedy — the early deaths of Dennis and Carl are represented only by a closing title card — it’s essentially good-natured, even sentimental. (The film checks out early in their ongoing, competitive careers, before the Beach Boys became Mike Love’s band and Brian a solo artist, and surprisingly omits their 50th-anniversary reunion tour and final studio album, the 2012 “That’s Why God Made the Radio,” which is not bad at all.) Everybody, even problematic Wilson dad Murry, gets their due. A staged but genuinely sweet closing scene may bring a tear to your eye.
Like the Beatles or the Grateful Dead, the Beach Boys are a perennial act whose influence will long outlive them. And eventually the idiosyncratic pop music they made in the late 1960s — my years in their orbit, which is to say my Beach Boys music — came to be celebrated. Few bought “Friends” when it came out in 1968, but now you can listen to a four-part podcast in which well-informed fans take it apart, tenderly, track by track, instrument by instrument, voice by voice.
‘THE BEACH BOYS’MPA rating: PG-13 (for drug material, brief strong language and smoking)
Running time: 1:53
How to watch: Disney+
©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
