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Fremont baker and mother of 5 stars on the Food Network’s Halloween Cookie Challenge

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

Christina Ledesma, aka “The Retro Cookie Lady” from Fremont, was sure she bombed her phone interview for the Food Network’s Halloween Cookie Challenge.“The associate producer asked me why I loved Halloween. My response was because of all the memories with my mom growing up,” Ledesma recalls. “I immediately started crying. My mom was a single parent and seeing all the effort she put into the holidays made me appreciate her so much.”It turned out the producer liked that answer. This Monday at 7 p.m., Ledesma will be competing for a $10,000 prize on the Halloween Cookie Challenge’s fifth episode of Season 2, “Halloween Stained Glass and Halloween Funhouse.” She’ll be making spooky cookie creations, like a 15-inch long haunted house and a translucent glasslike cookie. Tuning in will be her mother, her husband, her four daughters and her son.“My mom is very excited, to say the least,” she says. “And my ni...

Statue worth $500k stolen from Saratoga residence

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

Oct. 9Vandalism: Between 7:19 p.m. on Oct. 3 and 7:51 p.m. on Oct. 9, someone defaced professional offices in the 19000 block of Cox Avenue with graffiti. The total amount of damage was estimated at $2,000.Vehicle burglary: Between 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 8 and 10:50 a.m. on Oct. 9, someone entered a vehicle parked at the Vineyards of Saratoga residential complex on Saratoga Avenue and stole tools for a loss estimated at $500.Oct. 10Theft by false pretenses: At 1:36 p.m., someone telephoned a Saratoga resident acting as an employee of the fraud unit at the victim’s bank, claimed the victim’s account was comprised and ultimately convinced the victim to wire transfer money to an unknown account for a loss of about $12,000.Oct. 12Grand theft: Between 3 p.m. on Oct. 6 and 12:56 p.m. on Oct. 12, someone stole a statue from a residential property in the 15000 block of Norton Road for a loss estimated at $500,000.Vehicle tampering, grand theft: At 4:30 a.m., two suspects tampered with a vehicle...

Public nuisance vs public access: Fence blocking popular Mount Diablo path renews years-long clash

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

DIABLO — For decades, cyclists by the thousands have cut through the bucolic, wealthy enclave of Diablo on their upwards trek to the sweeping trails and woodland vistas of Mt. Diablo State Park.Now, a 6-foot black iron fence with a “No Trespassing” sign and trail cam is blocking a popular exit of that path — posing an “imminent and grave” threat for those who are now forced take a “far more dangerous route,” according to a complaint filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court earlier this month.Construction of the fence in late September renewed a yearslong, convoluted legal battle pitting private property rights against public access to that land.Cyclists have long said the quiet, private roads near the Diablo Country Club provide a safer route than the narrow, winding Diablo Road in Danville, which lacks any shoulders, sidewalks or bike paths and is filled with fast-moving motorists.A bicyclist rides along Diablo Road on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017, in Danville, Calif. (Aric Crab...

Spoontonic Lounge to close at midnight after failed appeal to Walnut Creek City Council

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

Patrons at Spoontonic Lounge will keep being cut off at midnight, after Walnut Creek city officials unanimously denied the bar owners’ appeal of shortened hours that were handed down two months ago amid drunken, rowdy behavior and other problems around the property.Now, Spoontonic’s management, staff members and longtime patrons claim the change has slashed revenues so dramatically that the bar’s survival is on the line.Advocates of the watering hole at 2580 N. Main St. gathered at Tuesday’s Walnut Creek City Council meeting, pleading with elected officials to reverse — or even just delay — the decision to end alcohol sales two hours earlier than before, which the city’s Planning Commission first approved in August.But the elected officials declined to re-modify the Conditional Use Permit for the establishment, after the city’s legal team and local authorities argued that the previous change was necessary to help mitigate ongoing calls for police service, including issue...

Salah scores twice as Liverpool beats 10-man Everton 2-0 in Merseyside derby in Premier League

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool needed two late goals by Mohamed Salah to get past 10-man Everton 2-0 in the Premier League in a Merseyside derby dominated by refereeing decisions on Saturday.Ashley Young picked up what appeared to be a soft yellow card in the 18th minute then was sent off in the 37th for another foul on Liverpool winger Luis Diaz, handing the hosts a numerical advantage at Anfield.That was the 23rd red card handed out in a Merseyside derby in the Premier League era — more than in any other fixture — and it could easily have been 24 when Ibrahima Konate, already on a yellow, avoided another after pulling back Everton striker Beto.Konate was immediately substituted, Everton manager Sean Dyche raged on the sidelines and he endured more frustration when Diaz’s cross struck the outstretched right arm of substitute Michael Keane in the area.Salah dispatched the penalty in front of The Kop in the 75th minute for his sixth league goal and added another following a coun...

Will Jordan the latest in the line of prolific All Blacks wingers

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Will Jordan would be content not scoring a try in the Rugby World Cup final as long as New Zealand wins it.Jordan’s hat trick in the 44-6 semifinal win against Argentina on Friday gave him a tournament-leading eight tries, and put him in the company of greatness.Nobody has scored more than eight tries in a single tournament; the only others to score eight were Jonah Lomu in 1995, Bryan Habana in 2007 and Julian Savea in 2015. If, as expected, Jordan lines up for the All Blacks in the final next weekend, he will have a chance to own the record outright.“The World Cup win is what we all came over here to do,” Jordan said on Saturday. “I will be perfectly happy to take a zero on the scoresheet if it means we get the job done. It’s a team game and the group is really focused at the moment around what we want to do. Hopefully I can play my part in that.”He played his part on Friday with the opening try, a walk-in from a Richie Mo’unga double miss-out pass. ...

Sri Lanka earns its first win at Cricket World Cup. South Africa reaches 399-7 against England

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

Sri Lanka finally notched its first win at the Cricket World Cup by beating the Netherlands by five wickets on Saturday in Lucknow, India.The Dutch, which produced a stunning 38-run win over South Africa, scored a competitive total of 262 on the back of maiden ODI half-centuries from Sybrand Engelbrecht (70) and Logan van Beek (59).Offspinner Aryan Dutt (3-44) troubled Sri Lanka with the new ball in the batting powerplay before Sadeera Samarawickrama made an unbeaten 91 off 107 balls and eased Sri Lanka to 263-5 for its first points after losses to South Africa, Pakistan and Australia.Opening batter Pathum Nissanka followed his half-centuries against Australia and Pakistan with 54 as Samarawickrama anchored Sri Lanka’s run-chase.Dutt troubled Sri Lanka’s top-order with his variations as he claimed the wickets of Kusal Mendis (11) and captain Kusal Perera (5) inside the batting powerplay.Fast bowler Paul van Meekeren provided the Netherlands hope when Nissanka got a healt...

ACTORS STRIKE PHOTOS: See images from the 100 days film and TV actors have been picketing

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hollywood’s TV and film actors have been striking for 100 days now, and there’s no end in sight.The strike began July 14 at what should have been a celebratory time for many performers and the industry. Nominations for the Emmy Awards had just been announced, heaping praise on shows like “Succession,” “The Last of Us” and “The White Lotus.” The #Barbenheimer craze was in full swing and poised to set the box office on fire, giving another jolt to still-recovering movie theaters.While the writers strike — declared more than two months before — had slowed the industry, it immediately ground to a halt with a fiery speech from actors guild President Fran Drescher. Actors joined writers on the picket lines for the first dual strike in more than 60 years.Work on new seasons of shows like “Abbott Elementary” and shooting on films like “Deadpool 3” stopped. Outside studio offices in California and New York, and at filming hubs around the country, actors have pi...

The Hollywood actors strike hits 100 days. Why hasn’t a deal been reached and what’s next?

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — While screenwriters are busy back at work, film and TV actors remain on picket lines, with the longest strike in their history hitting the 100-day mark on Saturday after talks broke off with studios. Here’s a look at where things stand, how their stretched-out standoff compares to past strikes, and what happens next.INSIDE THE TALKS THAT FAILEDHopes were high and leaders of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists were cautiously optimistic when they resumed negotiations on Oct. 2 for the first time since the strike began 2 1/2 months earlier.The same group of chief executives from the biggest studios had made a major deal just over a week earlier with striking writers, whose leaders celebrated their gains on many issues actors are also fighting for: long-term pay, consistency of employment and control over the use of artificial intelligence.But the actors’ talks were tepid, with days off between sessions and no repor...

Move over Jimmy Kimmel, it’s now the LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 16:10:59 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Goodbye, Jimmy Kimmel. Hello, Rob Gronkowski to the world of bowl games.The LA Bowl announced on Saturday that Gronkowski has signed a multiyear agreement to partner with the college football postseason game. LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk will take place at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 16 and match teams from the Mountain West and Pac-12 conferences.“Jimmy was a fantastic host and brought a lot of elements to the game. But it’s my turn now and I’m going to turn it up, that’s for sure,” Gronkowski said.Gronkowski said having this bowl game named after him is in some ways a full-circle moment. His Arizona squad defeated BYU 31-21 in the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl, which hosted the Mountain West-Pac-12 matchup before it was relocated to Los Angeles in 2021.Rob’s brother, Chris Gronkowski, caught a 24-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to give the Wildcats their first bowl victory and winning season in 10 years. It also ended up being Rob Gronkowski’s final collegiate ga...