For this point in the water year — which starts in October — the totals are around twice the average at many Bay Area spots. November was drier than normal, and December brought about double the average rainfall.

The totals below are from Dec. 1 to Jan. 16 at National Weather Service stations.

The site of the greatest reading, Uvas Canyon, is at 1,100 feet elevation near the Casa Loma fire station, about 2 miles east of Loma Prieta.

To the south, Mining Ridge, at 3,288 feet elevation in Big Sur, has recorded 84.16 inches from Dec. 1 to this week.

Read more: 35 key figures that sum up the atmospheric river blitz

Located just north of Antioch and south of Rio Vista, Brannan Island State Recreation Area is part of a maze of waterways and marshes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta long popular for boating, fishing, swimming and camping.

And though its picnic tables and campsites surrounded by mighty oaks and towering eucalyptus trees sit empty now, Clint Elsholz, state Diablo Range District acting superintendent, knows that the park will soon be filling up.

“(Since the pandemic), parks have seen a big spike in attendance,” said Elsholz, who oversees the 336-acre site. “People want to be outdoors, so I expect the campgrounds to be very popular over the summer.”

Last March, American Land & Leisure, which operated the park since 2013, opted not to renew its lease with State Parks, effectively shutting down the park much to the dismay of its longtime users. Elsholz said park officials scrambled to reassign workers and reopen the popular boat launch last June, but only on weekends, while they looked for a concessionaire to replace the Utah property management company.

Elsholz thanked the public for its patience while waiting for a new operator. He added that he was “excited for the new partnership” with Park Delta Bay of Isleton to bring camping and day-use opportunities back to Brannan Island. Reservations for the 136 campsites – both tent and RV hookups in five different areas and a rustic cabin – were being taken as of the first of the year.

Park Delta Bay operates an RV and tiny house resort just down the road, about six miles from Brannan Island State Recreation Area, and Esholz said he believed the company would do well restoring the state recreation area, which first opened in 1952.

“He (owner Eric Chiu) has vision,” Elsholz said, noting that adding a bait store – the first ever at the site – should be a welcome amenity for visitors.

Hap’s Bait and Tackle, a longtime Rio Vista store, was forced to close recently and will be reopening at the park.

“He (Chiu) is going to put it in as part of the experience at the park, and that’s the kind of vision that will bring people out,” Elsholz said. “It’s pretty exciting. It’s something that’s important to the locals.”

Chiu could not be reached for comment but his park managers Chris and Billie Logan, who are doing much of hands-on work sprucing up the park, were optimistic about its future and said getting the bait shop up and running was “the first order of business.” Chris Logan estimated it would open “in a couple of weeks.”

The couple managed the park for three years before leaving last spring, but were excited to return when the new operator was found.

“I came back because I know so much about the park and I knew it was the right time to come in to try to get things done that I thought needed to be addressed,” said Chris Logan who now lives with his wife inside the park. “I knew I could get a fresh start and get things going.”

Besides cleaning up debris, landscaping and other minor maintenance, Logan said the park will have to clean up the beach in the Seven Mile Slough area for the summer, when operators expect to add lifeguards and paddle boats for rent. The beach will be a big draw, he said.

“People always come in and say, ‘Where’s the beach?’ ” Logan added. “It’s tide-oriented. When the tide is in, there’s no beach, when the tide’s out there is.”

Elsholz said over the years the beach has become overgrown with weeds but park officials will work to clear it.

“We have some Himalayan blackberry that’s crept in there that we want to take out and expand it,” he said of the beach. “It’ll still accommodate swimming – I don’t think we’re going to have to dredge – but we’re going to do some vegetation management on the site.”

“Boaters drive 60 to 100 miles to come here because it’s one of the nicest boat launches (in the delta area),” Logan said, noting they can launch up to 10 boats at a time.

“It’s nice and wide, and the parking is plentiful,” Elsholz added.

You don’t have to convince longtime boater Doug McArthur of Stockton about that. McArthur has run charter fishing boats out of Brannan Island for more than a decade and was delighted when the park fully reopened in December.

“There’s a lot of private boat launches, but this is one of the few public ones in the area,” he said. “There are days on the weekends during the prime fishing season when you can’t find anything less than probably 80 to 100 boat trailers in the parking lot.”

Even on a busy day, though, McArthur said he’s never had to wait for a launch “because there’s so much space.”

“That’s what we love, and the fact that it (the park) sits between the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers,” making it easy to fish either one depending on conditions, he said.

“I can pull out of that spot and go left or right and I’m pretty much right on top of where I want to fish without having to go burn a bunch of fuel down the river,” McArthur said.

If you don’t have a boat, like to camp or hang out at the beach, Elsholz noted Brannan Island has a network of trails, bird watching and “many ways to connect with nature.”

“I just think it’s overlooked,” he said. “I think that the delta is overlooked by a lot of people.”

Online camping reservations for Brannan Island State Recreational Area are available on ReserveCalifornia.com.

“While Brentwood’s Post Office officially opened the town of Brentwood in 1874,” said Darin Gale, Brentwood’s assistant city manager, “we’re celebrating Brentwood becoming a city, which took place in 1948 (when it was incorporated).”

While a lot of press is given to Dr. John Marsh and the restoration of his 1870s home on the outskirts of the city, Brentwood’s history can be traced back even further. Archeologists at the UC Davis Anthropology Department found remnants of cooking fires, sites for making food and tools and nearly 500 human burials along Marsh Creek several years ago. Some artifacts were estimated to date back more than 7,000 years, but radiocarbon dates from more than 130 of the burials returned dates ranging from 3,000 to 4,000 years ago.

While that might go back a little too far, the East County Historical Society offers insight into the Miwok and Yokut Native American tribes that once inhabited what is known today as the city of Brentwood. The organization also mentions Spanish explorer Captain Pedro Fages and his climb up the western slopes of Mount Diablo to become the first European to see the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in 1772.

No matter how far one can go back to lay claim on when Brentwood first became Brentwood, there can be no doubt that the city’s founders laid claim to the area and legally made it their own in 1948. Then, a group of business owners and farmers formed the Brentwood Improvement Association and worked to collect the necessary signatures to sign a petition to incorporate into a city.

Within just two weeks, the group was able to get 170 property owners to sign the petition and present it to the county supervisors for approval. The election for cityhood was held and won on Jan. 15, 1948.

According to the Historical Society, the first mayor of the newly formed city was John Lane. He and a five-member City Council quickly hired a city clerk and set up a Police Department, Planning Department and city court. The rest, as they say, is history.

Gale said that after Jan. 21’s birthday party kick-off, city officials plan to incorporate the 75th anniversary into events and activities throughout the year. One special event will be an anniversary gala scheduled for Oct. 11.

“We’re also hoping to partner with other organizations that are hosting events as well,” he said. “For example, if a group is hosting a 5K run, we’re hoping they’ll change it to a 7.5K run and other ideas like that.”

The city is also looking for local families who might have old photos that tell the stories and history of Brentwood. Gale said they also hope to work with local residents interested in shooting a quick video about their family history in the community.

“We’re calling this our anniversary photo mosaics,” Gale said. “People can go online and add their photos. The photos will be displayed at events and added to the city’s social media sites.”

The website address to send the photos to is https://www.brentwoodca.gov/government/city-manager/brentwood-75th-anniversary-celebration/brentwood-75th-anniversary-photo-mosaic.

All are welcome to the free 75th birthday party, which will feature games, cupcakes the opening of a Brentwood time capsule and an opportunity to learn about the city’s history. The indoor party at the Brentwood Community Center (35 Oak St.) will take place rain or shine.

Roni Gehlke can be reached at oakleynow@comcast.net.

Robert Steven Jones was struck in the chest, back, and shoulder and died of those injuries a short time later, according to the pathologist who performed his autopsy. Police say the injuries to his back were a result of Jones twisting as bullets struck him.

The March 22, 2022 incident was recounted on Friday by five law enforcement officials — three who were present, and two who investigated the aftermath of the shooting.

Coroner’s inquests are held for every law enforcement-involved fatality in Contra Costa, and juries are asked to classify each death. Typically the votes are unanimous, but Friday was far from it; of the 15 jurors, eight voted to rule Jones’ death a homicide, and seven voted for suicide.

Despite the narrow margin, homicide will stand as the official manner of death. The decision carries no criminal nor civil liability.

Jones was fatally shot around 9 p.m. on the 8000 block of Westport Circle in Discovery Bay. Police had been called there for a report that he’d shoved his wife and was acting erratically. When two deputies entered the home, he allegedly brandished a knife and picked up an air rifle that shoots arrows, a weapon used for hunting or archery. The officers testified they believed it was either a hunting rifle or shotgun at the time.

The two deputies retreated and set up a perimeter around the house, calling additional units, a police dog, a drone and a hostage negotiation team as backup. They said they were anticipating a lengthy standoff, but that Jones emerged from the home with the arrow gun and began walking toward several of the officers.

Contra Costa sheriff’s Sgt. Amanda Sears testified Friday that she fired three shots at Jones after becoming convinced he was going to shoot her or her colleagues. She remembered thinking, “This man is going to shoot us. It’s not an if, it’s a when.”

“I remember begging him, ‘sir, please don’t make me shoot you. I don’t want to shoot you, put the gun down,’” Sears testified, pausing briefly to collect herself as she spoke.

Oakley police Sgt. Kevin Morris, the only other officer who fired to testify Friday, said he fired five to six shots at Jones after hearing a gunshot and assuming that Jones had fired at Sears and sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Duke.

Duke, Sears, and Deputy Antonia Powell have been identified as the sheriff’s employees who fired at Jones, while Morris and Oakley police Officer Tyler Radcliffe were identified as the Oakley officers who fired. All told, 17 police rounds were fired within a matter of seconds, according to Contra Costa District Attorney Senior Inspector John Garcia.

Both Morris, Sears, and a third deputy who was present but didn’t shoot Jones testified that he pointed the arrow rifle at officers several times during the encounter. Melen testified that after the shooting, Jones’ wife posted to Facebook that Jones, “never wanted to hurt anyone. He just was done and wanted an end.”

Melen also said there was something about Jones’ residence that stood out from those of his neighbors.

It was adorned with a “Thin Blue Line” flag and blue Christmas lights, to signal support for law enforcement.

The Paradise Skate owner and his staff were caught off-guard by the all-day New Year’s Eve rain that pummeled the region, having no time to add sandbags and spray foam in the cracks to fortify the business before water poured in, flooding the building and effectively shutting it down the only roller rink in eastern Contra Costa County for months to come.

“There was lots of water everywhere and it penetrated the building and came through the drains that normally shouldn’t have anything in them,” manager Bob Bruce said. “And once it gets in, the wood will soak it up.”

Warrenburg, who was away at the time, said the building had six inches of water surrounding it.

“The problem was when it came so fast like it did, we did not get time to seal all the doors like we normally do,” he said.

Warrenburg’s staff later added some 200 sandbags around the building and was able to seal the doors to prevent more water from seeping into the rink and are now standing by to pump it out if needed when the next storm hits.

“It comes in very minimal and you just take a shop vac and suck it up and then you pour the water out … and we can keep the damage minimal if we can do that,” he said.

In the meantime, his 16 employees – some just hired – are out of work until the rain stops, the fixes are made and they can reopen. It’s a timeframe Warrenburg is unsure of at this point while he waits for estimates to replace the rink’s 9,300-square-foot maplewood floating floor and the surrounding carpet among other items.

He’s also had to cancel dozens of parties, classes and other events that were scheduled, the rink owner said.

“I’m giving refunds like crazy,” he said.

Michelle Higby of Concord coaches an artistic roller skating club and runs classes four times a week at the Antioch rink and was disheartened to hear of the water damage and temporary closure.

“We’ve worked really hard to build the club,” she said. “And, it’s mostly heartbreaking for those kids since this was going to be our first full season since before COVID.

“It’s pretty hard on some of the kids because they’re getting old enough to be committed on their own (to the sport),” Higby added. “It’s not just fun; they’ve got goals that they’re trying to meet.”

Bruce suggested that it would be eight to 12 weeks before the rink can reopen, and that also depends on the supply chain, and how fast materials can be shipped.

“It’s a major guess,” he said, noting they’d keep customers aware of progress on their Facebook page.

Warrenburg, who bought the business – formerly called Roller Haven – in 2008 and leases the building from the state, is no stranger to flooding. Operating as a roller rink since 1969, the structure is located at the county fairgrounds, near a creek that flows to the San Joaquin River and is prone to flooding during high tides and torrential rain storms.

In 2009, more than a quarter of the rink’s wooden floors were damaged when 18 inches of rain surrounded his building, but even so, there was less damage because they were able to protect the building with sandbags and foam before the deluge hit.

“We’re not flooded around our building at this point – the water comes and goes – so water comes up and floods us and then after the tide goes down and the water goes out, the water goes away from our buildings,” he said. “ When the water is up against our building, whether it’s one inch, two inches or six inches, we have water coming through some of the cracks, and we use shop vacuums and sump pumps to get the water out.”

Bruce said he’s hoping the rain will stop long enough to dry things out and get back in the building and make some repair estimates.

“Mother Nature needs to stop raining right now,” he said. “We’ve got (the building) sealed and barricaded and sandbagged just to keep everything else from getting ruined.”

Rainwater causes seasonal flooding around the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds area. The county’s flood control district made improvements to the stormwater system in 1993, but a gap was left near the area of 10th and O streets because of a lack of funding. Additional culverts were added in 2012, paid for from a Department of Water Resources fund for flood prevention.

Now Warrenburg is hoping there will be federal or state disaster relief funding to help him renovate the flooded-out center, which he estimates will cost somewhere uo to $400,000 in repairs. Unfortunately, his flood insurance lapsed while he was changing insurance companies, he said.

“We don’t know when it’s gonna flood again. … We’re just kind of watching the news. We keep watching the creek, so we stay on top of it.”

Despite the challenges, the hardy business owner has no intention of leaving because he said he really enjoys running a family entertainment business.

“Yeah, we do have to put up with this flooding, and usually, it’s a lot of work every winter, especially when there’s wet winters, but it’s worth it,” Warrenburg said. “It’s been like 15 years (since significant rain damage); however, this time the rain got us.”

The chorus meets on Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 17, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Brentwood Community United Methodist Church and is open to all ages and abilities.

If it sounds like fun, but you area afraid you can’t commit to every Tuesday, organizers have a solution. Rehearsal tracks are provided when you register so you can practice on your own.

Registration information is available at
www.brentwoodcommunitychorus.com.

Brentwood Community United Methodist Church is at 809 Second St., Brentwood.

The new law is intended to ensure that seniors and other adults — in particular those who rely on cannabis for medicinal reasons — have access marijuana vaping products. Proposed by Supervisor Diane Burgis, the ordinance allows permitted cannabis retailers located in unincorporated areas to sell and deliver the products.

The ordinance passed 3-2 with supervisors Federal Glover and Candace Anderson voting no.

During the first reading of the ordinance on Dec. 6, Burgis said the motivation behind the revised ordinance was that the 2019 law hurt seniors and other adults who rely on cannabis vaping products for both recreational and medical reasons. In particular, it affected homebound seniors in unincorporated areas, she said.

“What we’re trying to do by having policies here in Contra Costa County is to give people a way to access safe products,” Burgis said.

At the December meeting, both Glover and Anderson voted against the ordinance, saying it would send mixed messages to the public and betray an effort led by Contra Costa youth who wanted the ban in the first place.

“We clearly took a leadership position back in 2019 when we had a number of our students throughout this county that came before us and asked for the leadership to put this ban in place,” Glover said. “And I’m not going to turn away from that. I think it’s important that that we listen to our youth when they cry out and ask for this help.”

Glover said there is no evidence “that vaping does not cause problems to individuals” and partially lifting the ban would send “false messages or confusing messages to our public that it’s OK to do this this while at the same time saying that we want to prevent it.”

On Tuesday, groups advocating for cannabis access told the Board of Supervisors that banning pot vape products has created an illicit black market for the product and disproportionately affected vulnerable populations who rely on cannabis primarily for medical reasons.

Renee Lee, a resident of the retirement community of Rossmoor who runs an organization with a mission to help seniors legally access and safety use cannabis, said the majority of medicinal cannabis users in the unincorporated community near Walnut Creek prefer vaping.

“I am so happy,” Lee said after Tuesday’s vote. “It’s like a big weight off my shoulders … (the ordinance) had been very unfair.”

Sarah Armstrong of American for Safe Access, the country’s largest and oldest advocacy organization for medical cannabis patients, said forcing people to travel medicinal marijuana “often stimulates a black market because they simply cannot go to the nearest dispensary if they don’t have one near them.”

Before the vote, Burgis emphasized that the ordinance makes no change to the current ban of tobacco and flavored tobacco vaping products; nor does it allow for new dispensaries in unincorporated areas.

“This does allow the sale of one particular set of cannabis products, which are already sold in many cities of Contra Costa County and are available to purchase in nearly every other part of the state that has approved cannabis retail sales,” she said.

In passing the ordinance, the board also directed Contra Costa Health Services to begin working on an awareness program about the dangers of youth cannabis vaping. Supervisor John Gioia said creation of such a program was a major factor in his decision to support the new legislation.

The following totals from the National Weather Service are from Saturday, Jan. 7 — when rain began in the evening for most of the Bay Area — through 6 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 12. They are raw numbers, not yet checked for quality control.

The site of the greatest reading, Uvas Canyon, is at 1,100 feet elevation near the Casa Loma fire station, about 2 miles east of Loma Prieta.

Higher totals were reported to the south: Mining Ridge, at 3,288 feet elevation in Big Sur, had 21 inches.

Find the chart for the previous week of rain here.

All parks in the East Bay Regional Park District were closed Jan. 4-5 in expectation of hazards resulting from an atmospheric river storm. This could happen again if circumstances require it to protect the public. Here are some safety tips for winter activity in the parks:

• Check the weather before you go, and go with a friend so that someone can seek help if there’s an emergency. If you go alone, be sure to tell a responsible person where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Then inform him or her when you’ve returned. In an emergency, call 911 or 510-881-1121 anytime, 24 hours a day.
• Be prepared for changeable weather. Dress in layers, carry extra warm clothing, and wear sturdy footgear. It’s better to carry clothing you may not need than it is to need clothing you don’t have.
• Bring a map and stay on the official trails. Don’t take shortcuts on unmarked paths. Maps can be downloaded from the park district website, ebparks.org.
• While you’re on the trails, watch for rockslides, fallen trees and any other hazards. The rangers try to keep on top of the situation, but there are many trails that will likely have considerable storm damage. Abide by any signs warning of closures or dangers, and cooperate with instructions from park district staff.
• Take a snack for an energy boost. A thermos full of a hot beverage works well too.
• Trails will likely be muddy. Leave a pair of dry shoes in the car, along with a cardboard box for those muddy boots.

For up-to-date information on park hazards and closures, visit ebparks.org/alerts-closures online.

2023 Trails Challenge: With the New Year comes the 30th annual outing of the park district’s always-popular Trails Challenge program. It’s free, fun for all ages and levels of ability and easy to join.

The goal is to complete any five Challenge trails or 26.2 miles (the same distance as a marathon) of non-Challenge trails. Record the trail names and distances, and submit your log to reservations@ebparks.org by Dec. 1, 2023. You’ll be rewarded with a 2023 Trails Challenge pin while supplies last. The program is a great way to become reacquainted with familiar regional parks or explore new ones. It’s also an incentive for enjoyable and healthy outdoor exercise.

You can download the Trails Challenge guidebook at ebparks.org/TC. It contains a list of 20 trails, graded as easy, moderate or challenging. There are trails open to hikers, bicyclists, dogs and equestrians. Trails Challenge 2023 also offers increased accessibility, with trails that are usable by people with mobility limitations.

Some examples are easy hikes listed for Bay Point Regional Shoreline in Bay Point and Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline in San Leandro. For a moderate hike, there’s a trail at Sunol Regional Wilderness in southern Alameda County, and one at Lake Chabot near Castro Valley. Challenging hikes include trails at Morgan Territory north of Livermore and Wildcat Canyon in Richmond.

Besides the detailed trail descriptions, the Trails Challenge guidebook contains useful information about trail safety, etiquette and essential equipment. The 30th Anniversary Trails Challenge program is made possible by support from Kaiser Permanente and the Regional Parks Foundation.

Sunol: The cultural history of the Ohlone peoples is the theme of a program from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday in the visitor center at Sunol Wilderness Regional Preserve with naturalist Kristina Parkison. Drop by the Ohlone cultures informational table to learn about the rich culture and thriving present-day lifestyle of the people who lived previously in what is now the park.

Sunol Regional Wilderness is at the end of Geary Road off Calaveras Road, about 5 miles south of Interstate 680 and the town of Sunol. There’s a parking fee of $5 per vehicle; the program is free. For information, call 510-544-3249.

Fremont: With the rains come mushrooms and other fungi. Learn more during a naturalist-led “Funky Fungi” program from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont. Find out why mushrooms grow in circles, why mushroom rings have been historically associated with fairies, and other mushroom lore. Then make your own fairy craft.

The program is free, and registration is not required. Ardenwood admission fees apply. Ardenwood is at 34600 Ardenwood Blvd., just north of Highway 84. For information, call 510-544-2797.

Berkeley: “Old Skool Skillz” is the title of a program from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Environmental Education Center in Tilden Nature Area near Berkeley with naturalist Anthony Fisher.

Oakley: Topics related to the ecology of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta will be explored during a hands-on, naturalist-led “Afternoon Adventure” program from 2 to 3 p.m. Jan. 15 at Big Break Regional Shoreline near Oakley. The program is free and registration is not necessary. Big Break is at 69 Big Break Road off Oakley’s Main Street. For information, call 510-544-3050.

Online: Due to possible storm-related park closures, it’s a good idea to check the park district website (ebparks.org) before heading out to be sure your park is open. And stay safe when out enjoying the parks. For a full list of activities and programs planned in the regional parks, visit ebparks.org/things-to-do online.

Ned MacKay writes about East Bay Regional Park District sites and activities. Email him at nedmackay@comcast.net.

“At first, we did think it was a ferret,” said Melissa Ethridge from Antioch Animal Services. “We kept him warm and comfortable overnight until another volunteer came in and said they thought it was a mink.”

It turns out that minks and ferrets do really look quite alike. They’re both from the mustelid family, along with polecats, weasels, badgers, otters, martens and stoats. Many of these mustelid species can be found in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta region, but most are rarely seen.

Perhaps the most common of the mustelid family familiar to East Contra Costa County residents is the river otter. Ferrets are the only domestic species in the family and are generally lighter brown in coloration. Although the body shape is very similar, mink are likely to have slightly longer tails than ferrets, and their fur is typically sleeker.

“Mink also have a little white on their chin,” Ethridge said. “And it is important to note that mink are a little more aggressive than their playful cousins.”

While you probably won’t usually see mink hanging out downtown, the one at Antioch Animal Services (AAS) didn’t wander very far from its general habitat, said Miriam Klingler. Klingler is an East Bay Regional Park District naturalist who works at Oakley’s Big Break Regional Shoreline, where mink have been seen many times over the past few years.

“The mink could have gotten lost while hunting for food,” Klingler said. “Mink hunt on land and in water.”

She said the little critters are very territorial and that the one at AAS may have shied away from another’s territory while out looking for mice and rats. Mink also eat shrimp and other shellfish. Generally just 20 to 30 inches long, mink have even been known to eat other mink or other members of the mustelid family.

“They are opportunity eaters,” Klingler said.

Klingler also said East County has a lot of competition for food for small shoreline animals such as mink. Along the East County shoreline, it isn’t uncommon to find otters, badgers, beavers, raptors and even coyotes — all part of the same food chain as the mink.

One other difference between mink and the rest of the mustelids is that mink are often raised on farms and are legal to hunt in California for their fur. However, there are many restrictions for hunting the small animal in the Delta region. As far as Klingler knows, there are no mink farms in Contra Costa County.

As with all wild animals that eat mice and rats, mink are susceptible to poisons used to kill critters that they hunt, and Klingler asks that people not use poisons whenever possible. As for the little mink found in the AAS parking area, he was transported to Lindsey Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek as soon as his biological identity was ferreted out.

Ethridge said the people at Lindsey even needed a few minutes to ensure they had the mink correctly identified before treating him. They later released him back into the wild in the wetlands area behind the Antioch Marina.

“It was very special being there for the release,” Ethridge said. “It was a very happy ending.”

Roni Gehlke can be reached at oakleynow@comcast.net.