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Bridge: Dec. 25, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:51 GMT

In my club’s penny game, South was the notorious Joe Overberry, whose obsession with overtricks costs him tons of points and puts gray hairs on his partners’ heads.Against four hearts, East took the ace of clubs and returned a club. Joe won, drew trumps and led a diamond. West rose with the ace(!) and led the ten of spades.Joe, who thinks it nobler to go down in pursuit of an overtrick than make his bid, saw a chance here. He was sure West had the queen of diamonds; why else would West grab the ace instead of sparing declarer a guess?DOWN ONESo Joe took the ace of spades, led a trump to his hand and returned a second diamond to dummy’s jack. East produced the queen and led a spade to West’s king for down one, and North sobbed like the Mock Turtle.Joe might have gotten his treasured overtrick on a lucky day, but for the contract, he should play the queen of spades at Trick Six. If East had the king, Joe would still get home if West had the queen of diamonds.DA...

Word Game: Dec. 25, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:51 GMT

TODAY’S WORD — ADVISING (ADVISING: ad-VIZE-ing: Giving someone advice or a recommendation.)Average mark 16 wordsTime limit 25 minutesCan you find 20 or more words in ADVISING? The list will be published tomorrow.SATURDAY’S WORD — SEMIPRO semi simper sire some sore sperm spire spore emir epos mire miser miso moire mope moper mopier more mores impose isomer perm peso pier poem poise pome pore pose poser pries prim prime primo prism proem prom promise prose repo rime ripe rise romp rope roseTo purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last!RULES OF THE GAME:1. Words must be of four or more letters.2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible.4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or ...

Sale closed in San Ramon: $1.5 million for a three-bedroom home

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:51 GMT

2000 Wineberry Drive – Google Street ViewA 1,675-square-foot house built in 1998 has changed hands. The property located in the 2000 block of Wineberry Drive in San Ramon was sold on Dec. 4, 2023, for $1,515,000, or $904 per square foot. The layout of this single-story house consists of three bedrooms and two baths. In addition, the home is equipped with an attached two-car garage, accommodating vehicles and storage needs efficiently.Additional houses have recently been purchased nearby:On Wineberry Drive, San Ramon, in March 2023, a 1,675-square-foot home was sold for $1,600,000, a price per square foot of $955. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In August 2023, a 2,740-square-foot home on Sorrelwood Court in San Ramon sold for $2,250,000, a price per square foot of $821. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.A 2,969-square-foot home on the 100 block of Black Calla Court in San Ramon sold in August 2023, for $1,835,000, a price per square foot of $618. The home has 4 bedroom...

Ask Amy: Who knew toy kitchens would prompt so many stories?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:51 GMT

Dear Readers: A recent question from “Wondering Parents” raised the topic of giving “gender stereotypical” toys to children. (Wondering Parents were admonished for wanting to give a toy kitchen set to their daughter for Christmas.)Related ArticlesAdvice | Ask Amy: My husband won’t tell me where my money went Advice | Ask Amy: Would it be odd for her to give the bride a present? Advice | Ask Amy: I went behind my wife’s back to deal with her high-strung friend. Was I wrong? Advice | Ask Amy: She was such a fun friend, and I’m stunned she turned on me like this Advice | Ask Amy: I’m annoyed when people give gifts to children for no occasion This question – and my response – brought on a huge response from readers reminiscing about and praising the qualities of toy kitchens. (Who knew?)On this day when so many children are exploring the outer limits of their own capacities for joyful...

Harriette Cole: A guide to making the most of the season, Christian or not

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:51 GMT

DEAR READERS: Merry Christmas! Happy holidays! Joy to you! I want to be as inclusive as I can in my greeting, because I truly do want to welcome each and every one of you into the biggest hug of the year.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: My girlfriend cries easily, and I’m wondering if it’s a tactic to shut me down Advice | Harriette Cole: The problem started when my daughter switched to public school Advice | Harriette Cole: The 3 lists and one calendar you need for your 2024 life strategy Advice | Harriette Cole: There’s only so much I can do for this Plain Jane Advice | Harriette Cole: I don’t want to offend my friend but I can’t stay in this house We deserve to feel unconditional love right now. After a year filled with innumerable twists and turns and ups and downs, this time of year we reserve to pause, be with loved ones and celebrate.I recently asked a friend ...

“Es mucho… Estamos sufriendo porque no tenemos la mano de obra”, dice el sheriff del condado de Maverick a CNN

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:51 GMT

(CNN)  — Al discutir el impacto en las fuerzas del orden locales mientras Estados Unidos lucha con un aumento de inmigrantes sin precedentes, el sheriff del condado de Maverick, Tom Schmerber, le dice a Rafael Romo de CNN: “Estamos sufriendo porque no tenemos la mano de obra”.“Es mucho”, dijo Schmerber. “En lo que respecta a las fuerzas del orden, estamos sufriendo porque no tenemos la mano de obra para ocuparnos de lo que llamamos ‘el negocio local’, los elementos criminales y luego el problema de la inmigración; por lo tanto, nos está costando mucho mano de obra.”Las autoridades federales informaron de un promedio de siete días de más de 9.600 encuentros de migrantes a lo largo de la frontera sur de Estados Unidos en diciembre, según un funcionario de Seguridad Nacional, una de las cantidades más altas jamás registradas, informó CNN anteriormente. Durante el mes de noviembre, la Patrulla Fronteriza encontró a casi un cuarto de ...

Mostly cloudy, but merry and mild Christmas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:51 GMT

Good morning and Merry Christmas! We’re waking up to areas of fog and drizzle. We’ll continue to see a lot of clouds today, but it’s mild with highs in the upper 40s/low 50s.Temperatures are mild start to finish today. With all the cloud cover overnight, our temperatures held in the upper 30s/low 40s. We’ll reach the upper 40s/low 50s. The fog should lift by mid-morning, then we’ll still see a lot of clouds today. There could be some breaks of sun later today, but clouds win it. Low clouds fill in again tonight. We’ll have areas of fog. Tomorrow more of the same! Highs will be in the upper 40s/near 50, and we’ll see a lot of clouds.

Cardinal O’Malley calls for peace during Mass at Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:51 GMT

Cardinal Sean O’Malley called for peace around the world as parishioners celebrated Christmas during a Midnight Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston.O’Malley’s message echoed that of Pope Francis, who also called for peace as wars rage in Ukraine and Gaza.“We celebrate Christmas when we make it a feast of love, of friendship, of reconciliation, and of peace,” said O’Malley, who attended a meal at the Pine Street Inn earlier in the day.He added, “In a world where there is still no room at the inn, we must commit ourselves to be compassionate in our response to the poor, the sick, the refugees, the prisoners, the stranger, the homeless, those who are of a different color, speak a different language, those who embrace another ideology.”Christmas Masses will be held at the cathedral throughout the day Monday.

Roxbury fire leaves 1 resident displaced

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:51 GMT

Boston fire officials credited an aggressive attack that contained a fire to a single floor of a six-family duplex on Christmas Eve. Crews responding to a reported structure fire on 20 Rockville Park ordered a second alarm and used a ladder truck to fight the flames, according to a post on the department’s X account. There were no reported injuries. One person was displaced.The cause of the fire remains under investigation.https://twitter.com/BostonFire/status/1739089414481973629This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Red Sox wish list goes deeper than baseball this Christmas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:08:51 GMT

In past years, Red Sox fans would go into the offseason with an ambitious wish list and big dreams for the upcoming season. Usually by Christmas the team’s done most of its shopping, giving fans the chance to buy new jerseys and tickets and look forward to a big new year.This year? Fans aren’t feeling quite so festive.After four mostly disappointing years Red Sox fans have reached their wit’s end, and the discourse surrounding the club has reached a depressing low. Not even a change in leadership from Chaim Bloom to Craig Breslow has lifted fans’ spirits, and the stubborn optimism that once defined the fandom has been replaced by chronic melancholy.It’s going to take more than a couple free agent signings or trades to help lift the mood.Because Opening Day is still four months away, the kind of inspiring worst-to-first turnaround it’ll take to break the cycle of negativity isn’t something Santa can deliver this Christmas morning. But there a...