A homicide suspect accused of a deadly shooting in San Pablo has been arrested after nearly a year on the run, officials said.
San Pablo police announced Thursday that Juan Vargas, a 26-year-old San Pablo resident, was located and taken into custody in Mexico on January 11 following more than nine months of investigation. Authorities say Vargas had eluded capture while detectives worked across multiple jurisdictions to track him down.
After his arrest, Vargas was extradited to the United States and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility in Contra Costa County on January 13 on a Ramey arrest warrant for first-degree murder, police said.
One day later, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office filed formal felony charges against Vargas, including murder and attempted murder, with firearm and criminal street gang enhancements.
Police say Vargas is believed to be responsible for a violent homicide that happened on March 29, 2025. Officers were informed by a witness that day that a man had been shot around 1:30 a.m. Everyone involved in the incident had left the scene before law enforcement arrived.
Investigators later learned that the victim, identified as 26-year-old Richmond resident Emmanuel Rodriguez Flores, was taken to an area hospital by acquaintances and died from his injuries.
San Pablo police said Vargas remains in custody without bail.
San Pablo police credited a coordinated effort among several agencies for Vargas’ arrest and extradition, including Mexican law enforcement authorities, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Los Angeles Police Department.
In the San Ramon Valley, fire leaders are trying to protect homes from potential wildfire, but their efforts to do that were cut significantly short, at least for this fire season.
The San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District knows its area faces high fire risk, particularly on Mt. Diablo and in Mt. Diablo State Park, where the district is responsible for responding to fires on much of that territory.
In 2025, the district had been working on a plan to cut down vegetation that could present fire risks at the park, in an effort to protect local neighborhoods that could be impacted by fires there, including Danville’s Blackhawk community, which has around 3,000 homes.
SRVFPD was aiming to treat 300 acres of potential fire fuel at the park this year, but said they ultimately were only able to get to about 22 acres in the two weeks they were able to work. The district was using tools called masticators to grind up excess brush that could present a fire risk.
Incoming SRVFPD Chief Jonas Aguiar said that the district was hoping to start the work in June, but wound up not getting approval from the state to start the work until October. He said the district was notified around August that they would only have until November 1 to complete the work.
“There was a concern with the ground temperatures due to the Alameda Whip Snake, and its inability to move out of the way of the masticators,” Aguiar said.
SRVFPD also said that it was told by parks officials that more needed to be done to protect manzanita trees, as well as possible indigenous burial grounds.
District leadership expressed disappointment that they weren’t able to make more progress.
“We know this is something — on any given fire season — where we can have large loss of structures and potentially lives, there’s devastation that happens every year during California fire seasons,” said Aguiar.
The outgoing SRVFPD Fire Chief Paige Meyer, in his last week of the job, wrote a letter to California’s governor and State Parks director expressing frustration with the process, saying all the hurdles amounted to “the near-complete dismantling of a life-safety strategy.” Meyer also called on the state to immediately reassess its fire mitigation restrictions in “state-designated high-hazard areas.”
In a statement Thursday, a spokesperson for the California State Parks said it has not received Meyer’s letter and that news of it “came as a surprise” as it is “not reflective of our work and collaboration with the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District.”
“State Parks stands ready to work with the SRVPD to complete critical projects for the benefit of the public and will provide the SRVFPD with a formal response and identify potential areas of improvement within the state’s control,” the spokesperson said.
The State Parks department also said that some of the requirements referenced in the district’s letter are federal requirements, not state ones. The spokesperson added that those requirements were shared with the district “at the onset of discussing this project” and that the district did not submit its application to the State Parks for “roughly five months.”
“Despite this, we were able to process the permit in under four weeks,” the spokesperson continued.
The news of this shortened fire protection work isn’t sitting well with some homeowners who are already dealing with insurance hassles over their fire risk.
“We all know what just happened in Pacific Palisades. I don’t want to get caught in the same trap here in Blackhawk as what happened down there,” said Jason Skeoch, who lives in Blackhawk. Skeoch said he has been asked by his home insurer to take action to reduce fire risk on his property, and he feels the state parks should have to do the same.
Fire district leaders said the work they were able to accomplish at the park in 2025 will have an impact. According to their modeling technology, the brush they already cleared will slow the progress of a fire from reaching homes by about an hour.
Aguiar said the district is hoping to get another shot to complete the work this year. They are planning to apply for additional permits and approvals.
Ryan Hardy, 23, should be considered armed and dangerous, Antioch police Lt. William Whitaker said in a news release.
“Members of the public are advised not to confront him,” Whitaker said. “Anyone who sees Hardy in public or has information regarding his whereabouts is urged to call 911 immediately.”
Whitaker said detectives identified Hardy as a suspect through a “combination of video surveillance, witness statements and forensic evidence.”
Detectives also identified several people who helped Hardy evade police, Whitaker said, adding that those individuals — and anyone else who “knowingly assists” Hardy in the future — will be arrested on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact.
The shooting happened Monday afternoon in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 3915 Delta Fair Blvd. The girl was hit in the head while riding in a car with her family.
Officers found the car at a nearby shopping center and provided first aid to the victim until relieved by Contra Costa County Fire Protection District personnel. The girl was then rushed to Children’s Hospital Oakland, where she was listed in stable condition.
In a news release Monday, Lt. Gary Lowther said “the family does not appear to have been the intended targets.”
Anyone with information related to the case can contact Detective John Cox at 925-481-8147 or jcox@antiochca.gov.
SAN PABLO – A person of interest in a fatal shooting at a Richmond eatery shot himself Tuesday in the parking lot of the San Pablo Police Department, according to police and media reports.
The Richmond and San Pablo police departments announced the development at a joint news conference late Tuesday evening.
“Our officers heard one single gunshot from within the parking lot of the San Pablo Police Department,” San Pablo police Capt. James Laughter told reporters. “We then located a male subject lying on the ground with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
The person was taken to an area hospital, where he was listed in critical condition, KTVU FOX 2 reported.
The Richmond shooting happened just before 1:45 p.m. Monday at an IHOP in the 3400 block of Klose Way, where the victim and the person of interest worked together.
Coworkers initially believed the victim was hurt in an accident, but the injuries “appeared suspicious” to firefighters, who called officers to the scene, according to the news station.
The victim ultimately died from a gunshot wound at the scene, KTVU FOX 2 reported.
Before the person of interest shot himself, he approached an officer at the police department, but there was a “language barrier” and he walked away, according to the news station.
Authorities did not release any additional details about the Richmond shooting Tuesday.
If you or someone you know is struggling with feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers free, round-the-clock support, information and resources for help. Call or text the lifeline at 988, or see the 988lifeline.org website, where chat is available.
The end to a wild week of whipsawing weather across Northern California is at hand.
Sunny skies, calmer winds and cooler temperatures are forecast to return to the Bay Area on Saturday and linger into early next week, offering a respite from a weeklong parade of storms that felled trees, flooded roadways and caused power outages affecting thousands of people.
In the Sierra, clouds were expected to part beginning Saturday, potentially allowing skiers easier access over Interstate 80 and Highway 50 to take advantage of several feet of fresh powder around Lake Tahoe.
A few final rounds of rain and gusty conditions were expected throughout the day Friday, particularly around midday and into the early afternoon as a final band of storms sweep through the region.
But in a word, the weather should be “beautiful” for the last several days of 2025, said Dylan Flynn, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
“The sun will be shining, the wind will be light — it’s going to be really nice,” Flynn said. “The only potential drawback will be cooler temperatures that could dip overnight into the 30s for parts of the Bay Area, making it “noticeable, especially compared to how warm it’s been,” he added.
The calmer forecast comes after a drumbeat of storms pummeled the Bay Area, bringing with them hurricane-force gusts that toppled trees and left many residents celebrating Christmas in the dark.
Several thousand people were without power Friday morning, the vast majority in the Santa Cruz Mountains, along with other parts of the Peninsula and in the South Bay, according to Pacific Gas & Electric’s outage map. In all, the storms knocked out power to more than 777,000 people across PG&E’s California network, and about 41,000 of those people remained in the dark late Friday morning, said Paul Moreno, a spokesman for the utility provider.
Overnight Thursday into Friday, the weather service received reports of downed trees affecting Highway 152 and several boats damaged in the Santa Cruz Harbor from more bands of storms that rolled through the area.
Radar indicated a potential water spout in Monterey Bay right outside of Santa Cruz on Christmas Day, Flynn said, though it was not immediately clear whether it came ashore and caused any damage. The weather service also issued a tornado warning over the Santa Cruz Mountains later in the day, though it later appeared unlikely that anything touched down. Formal survey teams have not yet been dispatched.
Perhaps the greatest damage to emerge late this week came at the Lick Observatory atop Mt. Hamilton, where gusts of up to 114 mph on Christmas Day ripped open the shutter to its 36-inch Great Refractor dome, the observatory announced Friday. The dislodged shutter, which weighs more than two tons, “fell outward onto the roof of the Great Hall, crushing several structural beams,” according to a press release.
Though the telescope itself was not damaged, repairs to the facility are expected to take months. Complicating matters are the fact that the telescope’s precision lenses and electrical systems could now be “vulnerable” to precipitation, the observatory said.
“This was a frightening moment for our staff,” said Matthew Shetrone, deputy director of the University of California Observatories, in a statement that lauded his staff’s work to protect the telescope. “When the storm broke, everyone was safe, but the spiritual core of our observatory had been damaged.”
In all, since the first storms came ashore last weekend, Oakland and San Francisco have received more than 4 inches of rain, while the Oakland and Berkeley hills — along with the Santa Cruz Mountains to the southwest — received between 5 and 8 inches of precipitation, the weather service reported. San Jose received about 1.75 inches of rain, while similar totals were measured in Mountain View and Palo Alto and slightly more than 2 inches fell over Fremont.
The highest totals came in the North Bay, where Mt. Tamalpais received 15.11 inches of snow over the last week, according to the weather service. More than 6 inches fell in Tiburon, and Fairfax.
To the east, snow continued to fall over the Sierra — providing a direly-needed lift to Lake Tahoe-area ski resorts that had delayed their openings amid an unseasonably dry start to the season.
Several ski resorts reported another two feet of powder from early Christmas morning to just before dawn on Friday, according to Scott Rowe, another National Weather Service meteorologist. That latest dumping left Soda Springs with 72 inches of snow so far this week, while Kirkwood reported 59 inches of powder, and Bear Valley said it had received 58 inches of snow.
Borreal reported 47 inches of snow this week, as of early Friday morning, while 58 inches of snow had fallen at the summit of Palisades Tahoe.
Accessing those ski resorts remained difficult Friday. Caltrans continued to enforce chain controls over Interstate 80 over Donner Pass and Highway 50 over Echo Summit. Still, the new solid base layer of snow was a welcome sight.
Just a week ago, on Dec. 19, California’s statewide snowpack was at 12% of its seasonal average, with the state’s northern-most peaks registering just 4% of its normal snowpack total for that date, according to the California Department of Water Resources. Central California — including much of the Lake Tahoe region — also was at just 12% of average.
But as Friday, the state stood at 69% of its snowpack average for the day after Christmas, with northern California coming in at 44% of average and the Central Sierra reaching 73%. More snow was expected to continue falling Friday before easing off this weekend.
“We’ll take any snow at this point in time,” Scott said.
Jakob Rodgers is a senior breaking news reporter. Call, text or send him an encrypted message via Signal at 510-390-2351, or email him at jrodgers@bayareanewsgroup.com.
OAKLAND – Two bores of the Caldecott Tunnel were closed Christmas Eve due to a “storm-related electrical emergency,” according to the California Department of Transportation.
As of 7 p.m., eastbound Bore 1 and westbound Bore 3 were closed. Caltrans said traffic is still flowing in both directions through westbound Bore 2 and eastbound Bore 4.
There is no estimated time for a full reopening, but “crews are actively working to resolve the issue as quickly and safely as possible,” Caltrans said. Motorists are advised to expect delays and allow extra time for their commute or use alternate routes.
The bore closures came amidst a series of powerful storms, which have knocked out power, flooded streets and felled trees throughout the region.
Caltrans plans to share updates about the closure on its X page. Motorists may also call 800-427-7623.
SAN FRANCISCO — The future of women’s basketball was on full display at Chase Center on Sunday night.
And Cal had no answer for her.
Despite a valiant effort, Cal couldn’t stop Freshman sensation Jazzy Davidson as she scored 24 points in a 61-57 win for USC.
Sakima Walker finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for Cal. Taylor Barnes also had 13 points and Lulu Twidale added 11 points.
Cal did just enough to trail by just three points at halftime.
But Cal quickly took back the momentum coming out of the halftime break. The Bears scored seven unanswered points to start the third quarter to take a three-point lead and force USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb to call a timeout.
After scoring 14 points in the first half, Cal held Davidson to just three points in the third quarter.
Cal’s lead ballooned to as large as nine in the third quarter, but USC ended the quarter on a 10-3 run to come within two points of Cal’s lead heading into the fourth quarter.
USC took a four-point lead with under 90 seconds left on a jumper from Kara Dunn. Two free throws from Gisella Maul cut the Trojans’ lead to just two at the 1:15 mark.
But a costly turnover down two and a missed free throw trailing by Walker was the difference late as USC hit every clutch shot at the line to seal the win.
Despite a hot-scoring start from Davidson, Cal kept up with the high-powered USC offense.
The Bears shot 41% from the field and didn’t allow USC to find a secondary scorer in the first half. Davidson scored 14 points through the first two quarters, but no other USC player scored more than seven.
USC forced 11 Cal turnovers that led to nine points, helping the Trojans build a 31-28 advantage by halftime.
SAN RAMON — A cluster of earthquakes struck the San Ramon area Friday night, continuing a pattern of seismic activity in recent weeks, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Things kicked off at 7:41 p.m. with a magnitude 2.5 centered 3.1 miles southeast of the city.
It was followed by a pair of quakes at 7:49 p.m. – a magnitude 2.9 and a magnitude 3.8. The earthquakes were centered 3.1 miles and 2.4 miles, respectively, southeast of the city.
The biggest of the bunch – a magnitude 4.0 – hit at 7:56 p.m. 3.1 miles southeast of the city.
The earthquake swarm continued with a magnitude 3.1 at 7:57 p.m. and a magnitude 2.9 at 8:10 p.m. – the temblors were centered about 2.4 miles southeast of the city.
There were no immediate reports of injuries of damage, but BART ran trains at reduced speeds until it completed safety inspections, resulting in a 20-minute delay.
Regular train service resumed just before 8:45 p.m., according to the transit agency.
LAFAYETTE — The campus at Las Trampas bustled as it usually does on the typical weekday, with dozens of intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals engaging with programs designed to stimulate and assist their independent living.
This day, though, was busier than most.
State Sen. Tim Grayson (D-CA9) would be visiting them, touring the grounds and meeting with some of the members, who Las Trampas empowers to advocate for themselves.
The nonprofit, founded in 1938, currently serves 86 individuals ranging from 22 to 72 years old who live with moderate to profound cases of Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism. It has the capacity to help up to 120 people, but because of staffing shortages, a waiting list runs more than 50 deep with an average admittance time of two to three years.
Recently, an even more dire issue has arisen: Around 35-45% of Las Trampas members are recipients of Medicaid, and through a waiver program, those funds amount to $3.5 million of the organization’s $10 million annual budget. That funding could be lost as the federal government implements its “One Big Beautiful Bill,” as it’s called by supporters, and makes planned cuts of nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid nationwide.
Las Trampas lead direct service provider, Lindsay Brown, and participant Danny Robinson make cookies during the California Senator Tim Grayson’s visit to Las Trampas in Lafayette, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2025. Las Trampas is a nonprofit organization that supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through day programs, residential services, and supported living. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
“To get the senator here to see the critical work that we do on a regular basis is very important,” said Daniel Hogue, who has run the organization for the past 14 years. “It gives them a personal perspective of what their investments are and that removing any of those investments could really be damaging for people like Ariel, who’s now been living on her own for a very long time.”
One of three self-advocates who helped prepare for and sat in on the meeting, 40-year-old Ariel Bellet lived with her parents until 2018, when she enrolled with Las Trampas. At first, she said she felt “nervous,” but now? “I love it.”
A proud paycheck earner and owner of a 9-year-old Maltese Chihuahua, Ariel benefits from Las Trampas’ supportive living services, which allow her to live on her own in the community.
“All of that could get taken away very quickly if things come to pass,” Hogue said.
That was the topic at hand during an hour-long meeting with the state senator, who Hogue said has been a “very proactive” ally in Sacramento. Grayson lends not only a sympathetic ear but an empathetic one. His older sister, Shari, lives with an intellectual disability, “and I want to make sure those benefits don’t go away,” he said. “I want to make sure that Shari can age with dignity and be her own person and be very well accepted in the community she lives in.”
California Senator Tim Grayson, second from right, greets Las Trampas participants during a visit at Las Trampas in Lafayette, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2025. Las Trampas is a nonprofit organization that supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through day programs, residential services, and supported living. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
And that, in turn, is the mission of Las Trampas.
Grayson was able to witness it firsthand, making stops in classrooms where program participants showed off their artwork, took a break from learning about indigenous music and prepared snacks in the recently renovated kitchen, where all the counters are at wheelchair height. At other times, there are life skills classes and outings into the community.
Arie and Tevin Whack, who also participated in the meeting and helped guide the tour, are part of Las Trampas’ Vocational and Occupational Advocacy class. On other days, they can be found marching with signs on Mt. Diablo Boulevard, or even advocating for disability rights and inclusion in meetings with legislative aides at the Capitol.
Las Trampas participant Tevin Whack cleans the windows at Las Trampas in Lafayette, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2025. Las Trampas is a nonprofit organization that supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through day programs, residential services, and supported living. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Tevin, an outgoing performer who dreams of being on Broadway, said he got involved “to stick up for my rights.” He takes BART all the way from his parents’ house in Pittsburg “because I love it here … I’m here almost every day.”
Grayson understands the power of self-advocacy. When he sought Special Olympics funding in the state budget, he went into three meetings seeking $2 million. He walked away with $6 million after Shari delivered prepared remarks from her perspective.
“I am so overwhelmed at so much that is being done here at Las Trampas,” Grayson said. “So much that is being done for the individual that they can rise up with self-dignity and rise up and be the beautiful person that they’ve always been and be accepted.”
California Senator Tim Grayson, middle, looks around during a visit at Las Trampas in Lafayette, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2025. Las Trampas is a nonprofit organization that supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through day programs, residential services, and supported living. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
ABOUT SHARE THE SPIRIT Share the Spirit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operated by the East Bay Times/Bay Area News Group. Since 1989, Share the Spirit has been producing series of stories during the holiday season that highlight the wishes of those in need and invite readers to help fulfill them.
HOW TO HELP Donations to Las Trampas will cover salaries, onboarding and training for increased staffing at the nonprofit, enabling 20 more adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to come off the waitlist and access inclusive day services, personalized living support and skill-building opportunities. Goal: $10,000
A Union City woman accused of shooting a 17-year-old boy is also suspected of making criminal threats and stalking another person, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office said on Wednesday.
On Nov. 23, San Ramon police responded to a shooting in the city, near Bollinger Canyon and Talavera Drive. When they arrived, they found a teen who had been shot once in the upper shoulder. He was taken to the hospital and released shortly after being transported.
The following day, police announced they arrested 40-year-old Xiaojie Zhang on a $1 million Ramey Warrant for attempted homicide.
Police said Zhang and the victim are known to each other, but they would not be commenting on the nature of their relationship to protect the family and the victim’s privacy.
She was arraigned on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to attempted murder. The DA said she also pleaded not guilty to charges of child abuse, criminal threats and two charges of stalking.
The attempted murder, child abuse, and one stalking charge are in connection to the injured teen, the criminal complaint states. The other stalking charge and the criminal threats charge are in connection to a different victim, whose identity was kept confidential.
Due to a gun allegedly being used, there are enhancements connected to the charges involving the injured teen.
In total, she faces five felony charges, and she is still being held at the Martinez Detention Facility on a $1,675,000 bond.
A date for her hearing has not been set as she waived her right to a preliminary hearing within 10 days of being charged, the DA said.
SAN RAMON – A magnitude 3.0 quake jolted the Tri-Valley area late Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake hit around 10:11 p.m. about 2.6 miles southeast of San Ramon, 3.6 miles north of Dublin and 5.6 miles south-southeast of Danville, the USGS reported.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The quake was felt as far away as San Rafael, Alameda and Stockton, according to the USGS.
It was the area’s second noteworthy earthquake of the day. Around 5:53 a.m., a magnitude 3.1 quake struck about 3.1 miles southeast of San Ramon, the USGS reported.
Both came just eight days after three temblors rattled the same area over the course of about 100 minutes. More than 30 earthquakes also were recorded between midnight and 10:15 a.m. on Dec. 8, according to CalTech’s California Earthquake Center.
The appointed Alameda County District Attorney, Ursula Jones Dickson, was the endorsed candidate of the Pamela Price recall committee, which promised to end the alleged coddling of criminals. Indeed, Jones Dickson promises justice by prosecuting more children as adults and sending them to adult prisons.
Now, though, she has finally found a judge to drop manslaughter charges against the killer of Steven Taylor, former San Leandro cop Jason Fletcher. This despite then-District Attorney Nancy O’Malley’s Probable Cause Declaration that when he was shot after being tased twice, “Mr. Taylor was struggling to remain standing as he pointed the bat at the ground …” and “posed no threat of imminent deadly force or serious bodily injury to defendant Fletcher or anyone else.” Jones Dickson considers dropping the charges justice.
I would like a district attorney who has only one standard of justice.
Anyone who truly cares about future generations and acknowledges the impacts of climate change and the health risks of coal-related particulate pollution can’t in their right mind want to locally handle, ship and ultimately facilitate the burning of several million tons of coal annually.
If Oakland Bulk & Oversized Terminal LLC and its partners intend to develop their export terminal for coal, then they should build the specialized, enclosed, dome-shaped terminal they had said they would build to address coal dust health concerns — dust that could harm port workers and nearby residents.
The best outcome would be building a bulk terminal to export hundreds of commodities, excluding coal. If there’s still an option to stop coal as an export commodity here by gathering additional environmental health information, then that pathway should be pursued.
Dan Kalb Oakland
Family history offers tips for good health
As your family gathers for the holidays, ask about your family’s health history. Knowing your family’s health history can be key to a longer, healthier life. And it can help your health care provider identify traits that may put you at risk for certain health conditions or diseases.
Talk to immediate family members. Include three generations. Grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews may all have helpful information. Gather information about major medical conditions, age of onset, and for deceased relatives, causes of death. If you have a family history of a condition, it’s important to know this. While you can’t change your genetic makeup, there may be steps you can take now that could help you stay healthy.
Felicia Ziomek Livermore
Root fraud and waste out of ACA program
Our Congress wants health care for all Americans. We all want health care for all Americans. But let’s do it the right way. The current Obamacare program is not sustainable. Replete with the fraud, waste and corruption that has been uncovered — finally — it is obvious that it is costing far more than it should. Extending the existing subsidies without improving the program and its controls is simply throwing good money after bad.
Let’s get control of the current program, drive out the fraud, waste and corruption, so we can see what the existing program would cost if managed properly. Then we can determine how much we can afford to spend and design a well-controlled program that meets our needs. Extending the current payouts without controlling whether the money is spent appropriately, although easier, is simply irresponsible.
John Griggs Danville
China, Russia watching South America gambit
Why has Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered our largest, most lethal aircraft carrier with supporting destroyers and guided missile ships to sail near Venezuela? Donald Trump says it’s to stop drug traffickers, yet, at the same time, he released from prison the Honduran ex-president, who was convicted of massive cocaine trafficking into our country.
The aircraft carrier was moved from the eastern Mediterranean, near the Ukraine conflict. Trump seems to be abandoning our allies in Europe, giving Russia the opportunity to expand its war-stolen territory in Ukraine, while at the same time, he’s picking a fight in our hemisphere with fishermen in small boats.
Is the “emperor” crazy? Are his true loyalties toward aggressive dictators like Vladimir Putin? Americans need to know.
China is watching us closely and assessing whether we would defend Taiwan, Japan and Korea if they pulled a “Putin” in the western Pacific.
It was shocking to read that a few neighbors are opposed to having a cricket field in the proposed Palm Avenue Community Park in Fremont. The main fear is that flying cricket balls could injure a child or elderly person or damage homes or cars. Do baseballs ever fly out of the field and cause personal injury? Balls flying over to the street or neighborhood will be rare and can easily be prevented in the design and construction of the stadium.
It is more likely the fear of the unknown. People here are not familiar with cricket. Both baseball and cricket trace their origins back to medieval European bat-and-ball games and are more like “cousins.” Cricket fields all over the world are in the middle of cities and residential neighborhoods, and they are safe. It is fun to play and or watch cricket, so let us go for it.
The New York Times article about Phil Tagami’s proposed Oakland coal terminal is very misleading.
The article says, “a state judge ruled in 2023 that the city had to uphold its deal with Tagami.” However, that ruling only provided Tagami with $320,000 in damages. The disappointed coal developers found a judge in Kentucky whose suggestion of hundreds of millions in damages was rejected by Kentucky’s district court on November 21.
The article quotes Tagami as denying that the project “makes a difference in the world.” But several mile-long trains every day would be spewing unhealthy coal dust from Utah to Oakland. And when burned, that much coal would cost the world tens of billions of dollars in damages (using the EPA’s social cost of carbon).
The article says, ”The coal project must now go forward.” Those of us who care about the livability of Oakland will continue to oppose this deadly project.
My attention was drawn to Abby McCloskey’s column.
As this article asserts, a strong foundation in spelling in a child’s early learning years leads to reading and literacy proficiency down the road. My personal academic experience bears this out.
In my elementary school years in the 1950s, I had a natural strength in spelling, which was nurtured by my teachers. I still have all of my certificates of achievement, which span local through regional spelling contests that I entered.
Further, this skill led me toward my love of writing — whether it be in the form of a school essay, poetry or, as you are reading now, my penchant for submitting letters to the editor.
While “spell check” is a helpful tool, our brains still rely on the visualization of words to connect the dots in our educational journey.
Sharon Brown Walnut Creek
Immigration judges’ principles cost them
As the season of gratitude, peace, joy and hope approaches, recently unbenched San Francisco Immigration Judges Patrick Savage, Amber George, Jeremiah Johnson, Shuting Chen and Louis Gordon have inspired this letter. Although no reason was given for their forced departures, I wasn’t surprised. Having seen several preside over mandatory immigration hearings restored my hope in this country’s future. Unfortunately, the very behaviors that gave me hope put them at risk of losing their jobs. Behaviors like being well-versed in immigration law, diligent in their efforts to fully understand cases from both immigrant and government perspectives, and exhibiting both kindness and respect to all present within their courtrooms.
The current administration has rendered these judges easily disposable obstacles to any campaign promises conflicting with this nation’s laws, Constitution and system of checks and balances. Fortunately, obstacles like integrity and allegiance to oaths of office can’t be as easily disposed of.
The winter holidays are nearly here, which means it’s a great time to gather with friends and family for some festive celebratory drinks. But where to go? If cozy kitsch, the glow of Christmas lights and an abundance of tinsel are your vibe, head for one of these 11 pop-up holiday cocktail bars around the Bay Area.
Sippin’ Santa and Miracle — two pop-up bar organizers — work with existing bars to offer their seasonal cocktail menus. The Sippin’ Santa concept is generally more tropical and tiki-drink focused, while the Miracle bars also offer professionally developed cocktails “and the nostalgic energy of the best office party you’ve ever been to.”
Originally launched in 2014 in New York City, the Miracle pop-up has grown since then, and now brings its seasonal pop-ups worldwide, according to its website. Meanwhile, the first Sippin’ Santa started in 2015 in New York City and has since expanded to over 60 locations across North America, especially following the creation of a 2018 partnership with tiki connoisseur, writer and bar owner Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. Generally, the menus are the same across the different locations for each concept, and each has a number of collectible cocktail mugs as well.
There are five of each concept open now or very soon around the Bay Area.
Santarex mugs are a popular item at Miracle’s pop-up holiday experience in participating restaurants and bars. (Photo by John McCall, South Florida Sun Sentinel)
SIPPIN’ SANTA LOCATIONS
Beer Baron, Pleasanton
Open 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 15-Jan. 4, at 336 St. Mary St., Pleasanton; beerbaronbar.com
Open 5 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays-Saturdays, Nov. 28-Dec. 31 (closed Christmas Day), at 32 Third St., San Francisco; konastreetmarket.com
55 South, San Jose
Opens at 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and 6 p.m. Sundays, Nov. 20-Jan. 3, 55 S. 1 First St., San Jose; the55south.com
Flamingo Lazeaway Club, Santa Rosa
Open 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. and 2:30-10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 31, at 2777 Fourth St., Santa Rosa; lazeawayclub.com
Additional California locations are in Hollywood, Paso Robles, Sacramento, San Diego and Santa Barbara.
The Snowball Old-Fashioned cocktail made with rye whiskey, gingerbread, aromatic and wormwood bitters and orange essence will be served during the Miracle pop-up bar experience at participating restaurants and bars this holiday season. (Courtesy of Miracle)
MIRACLE LOCATIONS
You’ll also find Miracle pop-up bars at the following bar locations. These cocktail bars are less tiki-themed, more.
Pop’s Public House, Gilroy
Open 4-9 p.m. Mondays, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays, 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays and 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 31, at 1300 First St., Gilroy; popspublichouse.com
The Fat Pigeon, Livermore
Opens 2 p.m. weekdays and noon weekends through Dec. 31, at 2223 First St., Livermore; fatpigeonbar.com
The Double Standard, Oakland
Opens 4 p.m. weekdays and 2 p.m. weekends through Dec. 31, at 2424 Telegraph Ave., Oakland; doublestandardbar.com
Brewsters Beer Garden, Petaluma
Open 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays through Jan. 1, at 229 Water St., Petaluma, brewstersbeergarden.com. The location is also hosting Santa visits each Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m., starting Dec. 2.
The Waterhawk Lake Club, Rohnert Park
Open 11:30 a.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. weekend through Jan. 1 at 5000 Roberts Lake Road, Rohnert Park; thewaterhawk.com
ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS
Making Spirits Bright, Los Gatos
Los Gatos Soda Works will also be hosting its own seasonal pop-up with a new, independent holiday cocktail menu and extravagant decorations. Opens daily at 4 p.m. through Dec. 31 at 21 College Ave., Los Gatos; reservations encouraged. losgatossodaworks.com
BRENTWOOD – Mayra Jimenez Almaras was 8 when she came to the U.S. from Mexico with her parents and two siblings. At 11, she was working long hours under the scorching sun in the Brentwood fields, picking green beans and packing corn.
Those days are now behind her as the 21-year-old prepares to graduate from Saint Mary’s College of California in December with a bachelor’s degree in finance.
As a way to give back to the organization that helped her family, Jimenez Almaras works as a community health worker with Hijas del Campo, which, translated from Spanish, means “daughters of the field.”
The Contra Costa County-based nonprofit aims to help migrants, seasonal farmworkers, and their families to improve their lives, working conditions, health, and safety. Their work focuses on food security, health care, housing, education, workers’ rights and legal aid.
Jimenez Almaras was in high school when she first met Marivel Mendoza and Dorina Moraida, co-founders of Hijas del Campo. At the time, they were handing out back-to-school supplies and educational resources.
“A door opened for me, providing different types of resources, not just education-wise but, in general, so much mentorship and leadership,” said Jimenez Almaras.
Through the nonprofit, Jimenez Almaras not only received support for her college application but also a laptop.
That same laptop not only helped Jimenez Almaras, but also her mom, who later used it to complete a community health worker certification program through Hijas del Campo.
Now, Jimenez Almaras’s mother no longer works in the fields, but instead in an elderly care home.
Her two siblings have also moved on. Her older brother teaches at an area school, while her younger brother is pursuing a degree at a community college.
Jimenez Almaras said that while the world sees farmworkers as a vital source of food for their plates, many fail to recognize that farmworkers themselves face food and financial insecurities, as well as chronic diseases.
She urged local leaders to respect and advocate for the community that provides sustenance.
“Have that respect, treat everyone equally, and at the end of the day, just be thankful that we’re there every single day, not only thriving for our own families, but thriving for yours as well,” said Jimenez Almaras. “Look out for the people that feed you and don’t bite those hands.”
Hijas del Campo co-founders Dorina Salgado-Moraida, left, and Marivel Mendoza are photographed in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. Hijas del Campo is Contra Costa County-based nonprofit organization that aims to help migrant and seasonal farmworkers, along with their families, to improve their daily lives, working conditions, health and safety. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Hijas del Campo was founded by a group of women who met in early 2020 after seeing how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted farmworkers.
Mendoza and Moraida are both first-generation Mexican-American women whose parents toiled in the fields when they first moved to the U.S.
“My dad didn’t work in the fields too long, but he would always talk to us about how hard that work was and how important it was for us to honor the people who pick our food because it’s a backbreaking job,” said Moraida, the nonprofit’s program director.
Volunteer Milka Ambrosio sorts and unloads a recent shipment of donated items while at Hijas del Campo in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
The organization just celebrated its fifth anniversary. Over the years, it has worked with 500 core families — nearly 2,000 people — through outreach activities, giving farmworkers bags of essential, seasonal items, said Mendoza, executive director of Hijas del Campo.
For example, during the summer, packed bags include intravenous fluids to treat dehydration, masks to reduce the risk of valley fever, and sunscreen to protect workers from the sun. During the winter, there are hand warmers, socks, gloves, and scarves, among other items.
“When we say we take care of farmworkers in our county, it doesn’t matter where they’re from,” said Mendoza. “We’re going to make sure that we have some kind of touch point with them and connect them to resources where they live, if it’s possible.”
Volunteers work on sorting donated clothes at Hijas del Campo in Brentwood, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
The nonprofit has also partnered with Contra Costa Health Services, the California Department of Public Health, and San Joaquin County to inform providers about the rise in valley fever and how to recognize its symptoms among agricultural workers.
Amid federal political uncertainty, Mendoza and Moraida said the organization is also educating farmworkers on their rights and partnering with immigration law groups, such as the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area.
Beyond health, education has become a cornerstone of their work. The organization partners with Lenovo, which donates about 20-30 laptops annually to students from farmworker families, and organizes a “Lunch and Learn” program, bringing in professionals who are either immigrants or first-generation college students to share their stories and inspire students.
In 2023, Hijas del Campo began building four tiny homes to provide transitional housing for farmworkers living in unsafe or substandard conditions. Each of the homes offers wraparound services, including financial literacy, mental health support, and healthcare access.
Part of the rent paid to the nonprofit is deposited into a savings account and returned after two years, in hopes that the residents will be independent enough to move out and find their own housing.
“The hope is that in two years, they’ll feel more stable and confident. Having a secure place to live changes a person,” said Moraida.
ABOUT SHARE THE SPIRIT Share the Spirit is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operated by the East Bay Times/Bay Area News Group. Since 1989, Share the Spirit has been producing series of stories during the holiday season that highlight the wishes of those in need and invite readers to help fulfill them.
HOW TO HELP Donations to Hijas del Campo will enable the nonprofit to buy and distribute 500 food bags to 378 low-income farmworker families in Contra Costa County for two months, prioritizing access for people who face barriers to traditional food assistance. Goal: $10,000
