New location for State Farmoffices at 121 S. China Lake Blvd.

With the retirement of RogerDorman, the State Farm office at121 S. China Lake Blvd will be

moving June 1st.Customers that frequent thislocation can now make their

payments and insuranceinquiries to the Gary Charlon

State Farm office at 995 N Norma.For more info call 760-446-4279.

100 E. Las Flores Ave.Ridgecrest, CA 93555

760-375-6900 Open Daily 10am-5pm

Shop 24/7 atwww.shop.maturango.org

W e remember the men and women who have sohonorably served this country throughout history. We

remember their courage, their selflessness and theirdedication. We remember the hardship, the suffering

and the sacrifice they endured. On Memorial Day andevery day, we remember with respect those who have

have fought to defend our democratic ideals and secureour freedoms. With deep gratitude, we salute our

country’s brave and honorable veterans.

1522 N. Inyo • 446-2204

Saluting theVeterans of

the United States of America

PhotosMay 25-26, 2019 www.ridgecrestca.com A3

QUESTIONS? Contact Managing Editor Christopher Livingston at 375-4481 x111 or atclivingston@ridgecrestca.com

IMMANUEL CHRISTIAN GRADUATION

JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTSalutatorian Corbin Barker gives his address – with a little help from Zachary Neeley.

JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTClass valedictorian Nitya Lorber gets a hug fromExecutive Director Ratna Rajaratnam after receiv-ing an award.

JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTNitya Lorber treats the crowd to a special musical presentation.

JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTJeffrey Wong presents the class gift.

JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTThe graduates move their tassels to the left upon graduating.

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NewsMay 25-26, 2019 www.ridgecrestca.com A8

QUESTIONS? Contact Publisher John Watkins at 375-4481 orjwatkins@ridgecrestca.com

BY STACIELAWRENCE

NAWCWD Public Affairs

Earlier this year, thir-teen employees fromNaval Air Warfare CenterWeapons Division spenta day aboard USSTheodore Roosevelt (CVN71) participating in theScientist to Sea program.

Scientist to Sea givescivilians an opportunityto learn about naval equip-ment and proceduresaboard a carrier and see,firsthand, how the systemsthey develop are used bythe fleet.

“When I initially joinedNAVAIR, my group offriends discussed Scien-tist to Sea and were em-phatic that opportunitieslike this were rare and ex-traordinarily important,”said Megan Richter, a me-chanical engineer andtouring member of theEngineer and Scientist De-velopment Program. “I ama strong believer that un-til we are talking and com-municating with activeduty servicemen andwomen about the prob-lems they face with theirgear, we will not under-stand the certain impend-ing problems that are fac-ing us on a technologicallevel against adversarialnations.”

The participants board-ed a C-2 greyhound air-craft in North Island and

arrived on the flight deckof the Roosevelt at sea.While on board, the grouptoured various areas of thecarrier such as the kitchen,hangar and maintenancedepot, the library andchapel. Talking to Sailorswas encouraged duringmeals and the group metthe carrier’s captain, exec-utive officer, air boss andcommand master chiefamong others.

“We got to ask theSailors a lot of questions,”said Jazmine Travis, a sys-tems engineer for the F/A-18, E-18G, SidewinderAIM-9X and Joint Hel-met. “It was encouraged toask them questions, knowtheir interests and if theyhad issues for us to thinkabout while we’re design-ing anything. That waspretty cool.”

For many of the partic-ipants like William Jink-ins, talking with the Sailorswas an eye-opening lookinto the long hours andmanual work that goesinto working on a carrier.The group met with andlearned the duties of sev-eral Sailors including thechow boss and the ord-nance and nuclear techni-cians.

“Learning about what ittakes to be a Sailor was re-ally enlightening,” saidJinkins, an aerospace en-gineer and member of theDigital Innovation Accel-eration Team at NAW-

CWD. “What I took awayfrom one of my first inter-actions was that we cansometimes make our sys-tems too complicated. Wehave to maintain that useror end-customer focus andfigure out how can wemake things easy for ourSailors.”

During their trip, thegroup got to witness pilotsperform trap landings,launches and “touch andgo” maneuvers, where thepilots take off from theflight line very shortly af-ter landing. The Distin-guished Visitor programaboard the carrier was tai-lored to NAVAIR employ-ees.

“They brought out someof the weapons that wetest at China Lake,” Travissaid, “and we got to meetthe aviation ordnancemanin charge of puttingweapons on the aircraftand taking them off. SinceI do weapons integration,it was very helpful to seethat and ask if there’s anyissues they have with theloading or unloading.”

When it was time to re-turn to North Island, thegroup boarded a C-2 air-craft again and catapultlaunched off the flightdeck. The seats in the CODaircraft are rear-facing,which created an experi-ence in itself.

“That was pretty awe-some,” Jinkins said. “Wedecelerated from about

140 knots to zero in thespan of like 400 feet. Thetrip, overall, was an awe-some experience and Ilearned a ton about howour Sailors operate andthe trying conditions thatthey have to undergo.”

“Going on a carrierdrives home the reality ofhow dangerous workingon a carrier can be,”Richter added. “While acarrier is an incrediblesymbol of the UnitedStates, it is also a very vul-nerable piece of workingequipment manned large-ly by young adults whoare working in conditionsa majority of us wouldn'teven dream of and they’redoing it day-in and dayout for months on end.That is a very humbling re-alization to come face-to-face with, and for that I amnothing but appreciative.”

For those who partici-pate in the Scientist to SeaProgram in the future,Jinkins encourages themto remain respectful asthey learn the ins and outsof such a large vessel.

“Learn as much as youcan about the operationsand what the Sailors’ re-sponsibilities are,” he said.“Do ask questions, but alsobe respectful. Since you’renot in uniform, it’s easy tostick out or unintentional-ly be in someone’s way,but just keep in mind thatyou’re visiting someone’shome away from home.”

Scientist to Sea participants share theirexperience, new online application debuts

COURTESY PHOTONaval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division scientists and engineers aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt(CVN 71) witnessed practice take-offs and landings during a Scientist to Sea trip in March.

A 'Reel' hero indeedOn May 29 at 7 p.m.at the Historic USO Building, 230

W. Ridgecrest Blvd., the Historical Society of the UpperMojave Desert’s Classic Movie Night concludes it pop-ular “Reel People, part 2” film series with the exciting truestory of a real American hero, played by Oscar winningfavorite, Tom Hanks.

On January 15, 2009, our airline pilot hero skillfullylands US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River offManhattan after both engines were disabled by a birdstrike. All 155 passengers and crew aboard survive. Thismiraculous feat captivates the hearts of the Americanpublic, but leaves our hero haunted, and experiencinga dream in which the plane crashes into a building.

But, his nightmare was just beginning.The National Transportation Safety Board claims that

several confidential computerized simulations shows theplane could have landed safely at either airport withoutengines. Our hero, however, insists that he lost both en-gines, which left him without sufficient time, speed, oraltitude to land safely at any airport. He realizes that theBoard believes the accident may have been pilot error,which would end his career. It will be up to him to prove,in public hearings, that his course of action was the rightone.

Director Clint Eastwood’s story of the harrowingflight and subsequent publicity and investigation co-starsAaron Eckhart as the brave co-pilot, and Laura Linneyas our hero’s wife.

Since the name of this film happens to be that of themain character, our film license prohibits the mentionof either. But, you probably know it. If not, call 760-375-8456 for the title, or visit the Historic USO lobby for afilm schedule.

The doors open at 6:30 p.m. to allow our hungry gueststo “fuel up” on the tasty treats offered at our thrifty SnackBar. Admission to the movies is, as always, free, but youknow, by now, how excited we are to receive donations.

Our seventh Annual “Summer of Movie Magic” beginson June 5 with family-friendly film favorites screeningevery Wednesday through Aug. 7. Stop by now for a spiffynew film schedule.

See you at the movies every week…all summer long.

COURTESY PHOTOThe Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert’s  Clas-sic Movie Night concludes it popular  “Reel People, part2”  on May 29 at 7 p.m.

Ridge Writers meet June 6Noted High Sierra poet Eva Poole-Gilson will present

the June 6 Ridge Writers program with informationabout exciting new developments from the ImaginationLab in Bishop. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in themeeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633W. Las Flores. The public is invited and admission is free.

Activities of the Imagination Lab include the EastsideWriting Circle, talk and music, yoga, Tai Chi, andQigong. Among upcoming events, the Lab will host Art-Break video interviews from the 1980s on Friday, June14 at 6:30 p.m. Building on the Lab’s achievements,Poole-Gilson has announced a campaign to launch theHigh Sierra Arts Museum, a permanent venue to hon-or local artists in their many diverse genres. It will be de-signed and blueprinted by a brain-storming network ofarea individuals and organizations.

For a bonus at the June 6 Ridge Writers meeting, shewill bring Gail Swain who created and will perform asneak preview of the premiere of the first High SierraCast of Characters film, “Mary Austen.”

Poole-Gilson taught writing and literature for 20 yearsat Cerro Coso College. With California Arts Councilgrants, she was poet-in-residence at two High Sierra highschools. She has particularly enjoyed serving as a teach-ing poet via California Poets in the Schools, housed inSan Francisco.

Ridge Writers (www.facebook.com/RidgeWriters;CWC-ridgewriters.org) is the East Sierra Branch of the110-year-old California Writers Club (calwriters.org)which traces its roots back to Jack London and friendsin the Bay Area.

Memorial DayRemember and Honor

We will never forget

200 N Gold Canyon St(760) 375-1943

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Desert AreaResources &

Training

520 S Richmond Rd760-375-8000

desertempirefair.com/events

AA SSppeecciiaall TThhaannkkYYoouu TToo AAllll WWhhoo

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Youngblood said thatchanging the requirementfor use of deadly force to“necessary” is “a very dan-gerous and slippery slopeto put our police officerson.”

Youngblood talkedabout other difficultieswith finding appropriateapplicants. He said askingabout marijuana use inthe past year reduced apool of 1,000 applicants to200. After a backgroundcheck and physical agilitytesting the pool was re-duced to 25. He said fiveare about to graduate fromthe academy shortly.

Youngblood also talkedabout squatters and thehomeless. He said in hisopinion there is a reasonthere are so many home-less people in Kern Coun-ty. He attributed a largepart of the problem to re-cent laws that have de-creased the penalties forcertain drug-relatedcrimes.

“In Kern County, for thelast 35 years there has notbeen one empty jail bed,”

he said. “Today, after Prop47 and 57 decriminalizedeverything: possession ofheroin and possession ofmethamphetamine aremisdemeanors, citable of-fenses . . . today there are600 empty jail beds inKern County,” he said.“And I can show youwhere those 600 peopleare.”

He said the people inquestion have, in his opin-ion, two issues: mentalhealth issues and drug is-sues.

Youngblood said that inthe past, periods of incar-ceration could be used tohelp people get help.

“I've got news for you.These people are not goingto get help when they areout on the streets,” he said.“We had a captive audi-ence. We have lost that. It'sa shame to watch whatthe state is doing.”

On a lighter note,Youngblood also talkedabout how he was asked toput his voice on the line toraise funds for cancer pa-tients at last year's MediaMusic Jam. He said lastyear he agreed to help witha cancer fundraiser butsomehow wound up per-forming as a singer at the

event. “There was a little bit of

a miscommunication.They thought I was agree-ing to sing. I thought I wasagreeing just to help,” hesaid as people laughed.

Apparently, his perform-ance was such a hit hewas asked back this year.

This year, he said, heagreed to perform againon the condition that newDistrict Attorney CindyZimmer play the fiddle toaccompany him on theHank Williams song “YourCheating Heart” and singharmony for the RickyNelson song “Mary Lou.”

“Both of which sheagreed to,” Youngbloodsaid. He reported the mostrecent rehearsal had gonevery well.

“She is really talented,”he said of Zimmer.

The Media Music Jamwill take place at BuckOwens' Crystal Palace onJune 22 this year. All fundsraised will go to the KernCounty Cancer fund tohelp local cancer patientswith financial needs.

See the Media MusicJam Facebook page orwww.buckowens.com/tickets/ for more infor-mation.

YOUNGBLOODContinued from A1

JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTKern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood speaks about deadly force, the home-less problem and the Media Music Jam during a Rotary Club of China Lakelunch on May 15.

HonoringAll Those

Who ServedThank you

Ridgecrest AreaConvention &

Visitors Bureau

760-375-8202643 N. China Lake Blvd. Ste. C

www.visitdeserts.com

760-764-1300

Honoring andremembering all ourbrave service men &

women who haveserved to protectour great country

B1RIDGECRESTCA.COM DAILY INDEPENDENTM A Y 2 5 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 9

BREAKING NEWS AT RIDGECRESTCA.COMSPORTS

SPORTS EDITOR LJENNINGS@RIDGECRESTCA.COM PHONE: 760-375-4481

MILWAUKEE — You’dprobably be too distractedby the size of Giannis An-tetokounmpo and KawhiLeonard, too enamoredwith their shot-makingand ball-handling andtrash-talking ability, to no-tice if you’re sitting court-side.

But from the nosebleedseats at Fiserv Forum, yousee one of the most impor-tant parts of the EasternConference finals unfold-ing below you on everyMilwaukee Bucks posses-sion in their half-court of-fense.

You can see the Torontodefense beat like a heart,the life of the Raptors de-pendent on a series of pre-cise contractions and ex-pansions to keep theBucks from getting easylooks at the basket or be-yond the three-point line.

Before Game 1, youcould hear in his voiceand the slight smile onhis face just how difficultToronto coach Nick Nursethought it would be to de-fend the Bucks. Beingeverywhere on the floor,turns out, is a tough ask.

While most teams witheven a low level of analyt-ical influence understandlayups and three-point-ers, the Bucks put it into

extreme practice thanksto the driving ability ofAntetokounmpo, a torna-do of limbs, muscles andseemingly unending po-tential.

“No, it’s not easy at all.He and the rest of theirteam make it as hardprobably as it is in thisleague,” Nurse said beforeGame 1, a 108-101 Bucksvictory. “But you’ve got toprotect the rim, you’ve gotto protect the free-throwline, don’t send him to theline, and you’ve got to con-test the shots somehow. …And we’ve got to help.And when you do help,they try to kick it out, andyou’ve got to either ro-tate, right, to contest, oryou’ve got to forget therotation, just hustle.Sometimes it’s not veryperfect, the rotations, andyou’ve just got to bust yourbutt and get out there.”

For more than threequarters of Game 1 onWednesday, the Raptorswere in rhythm.

Any concerns that theteam’s hearts were still inToronto, celebrating a se-ries-winning shot thatbounced on the rim fourtimes before deliveringLeonard another signa-ture playoff moment, werequickly erased watchingthem defend from a dis-tance.

You’d see Antetokounm-

po try to slash his wayinto the paint, you’d seethe Raptors collapse, andwhen the ball would getpassed out, you’d see themsprint out. Contract andexpand, contract and ex-pand, contract and ex-pand.

“I thought our defensewas pretty good,” Nursesaid after Game 1. “Ithought we were execut-ing our game plans reallywell. I didn’t feel like wewere under that muchstress.”

But when a heart has topump that hard for thatlong in the most impor-tant game of the season,there’s probably some lim-its.

Just three days removedfrom the emotion ofLeonard’s cinematicgame-winner, the Raptorsstarted to slow down.

“We started off the gamewell,” Leonard saidWednesday. “We just did-n’t finish it up too great.”

The Bucks hit half oftheir 10 three-point at-tempts in the fourth quar-ter; their other points ei-ther all came at the free-throw line or at the rim.After being everywhere inthe half-court defense forthe first three quarters,the Raptors were sudden-ly nowhere.

A day later, crammedin a small supply storage

room at their hotel in Mil-waukee, the Raptors facedthe media before an earlyafternoon film session andowned up to their late-game defensive failures.

“My energy level wasnot there, but my coachesand my teammates knowI can do it,” Raptors for-ward Serge Ibaka said. “Ibelieve I can do both. I canprotect the rim and thengo out there and contestthe three-point shots.”

There are other thingsthe Raptors can do to eventhe series in Game 2 — be-ing better on offense cer-tainly being a big one.Missed shots andturnovers allow the Bucksto run, and when that hap-pens, it doesn’t matterhow locked in a team is ondefense.

But on those other,slowed-down possessions,the Raptors’ heart needs tobeat.

As Nurse talked aboutwhat happened the nightbefore and what needs tohappen in Game 2,Leonard stood impatient-ly in the doorway, waitingfor his coach to wrap uphis news conference.

“Come on,” he said.Next door the Raptors

were waiting to begin afilm session, the team ea-ger to try to figure outhow they can beat longerand stronger.

BY DAN WOIKELos Angeles Times

STACY REVERE/GETTY IMAGESThe Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo(34) attempts a shot over the the Toronto Raptors'Marc Gasol in the fourth quarter in Game 1 of theEastern Conference finals at the Fiserv Forum inMilwaukee on May 15, 2019.

Raptors’ defense ran out of steam against the Bucks at the finish of Game 1

Burroughs High School is looking for coaches! Varsity softball, JV softball, Varsity boyssoccer, COED swimming, JV girls soccer, JV volleyball and girls wrestling each have po-sitions available. For those interested, please submit a letter of interest and coaching re-sume to the Burroughs’ Athletic Director, Michele Lazaro, at mlazaro@ssusd.org.

BURROUGHS COACHING JOBS AVAILABLE

ANAHEIM, Calif. —Due to travel, weather andrest, the Twins have takenbatting practice only oncein the past six days. Justimagine if they weren’t sorusty.

Minnesota smackedaround another helpless

pitching staff on Thursday,crushing a franchise-recordeight home runs en route toa 16-7 drubbing of the An-gels. Jonathan Schoop andMiguel Sano each connect-ed twice, while Jorge Polan-co, Max Kepler, EddieRosario and C.J. Cron alljoined in as well as theTwins completed, albeit aday later than planned,

their most successful WestCoast swing in 23 years.

Minnesota won six timesin seven games, going 3-1 inSeattle and 3-0 in Ana-heim, and did it by simplybludgeoning their oppo-nents with one of the mostoverwhelming displays ofpower hitting in baseballhistory. Despite being with-out injured sluggers NelsonCruz and Mitch Garver,the Twins clobbered 22baseballs over the fencesduring their weeklong trav-elogue, and outscored theMariners and Angels, 67-29. The last time they vis-ited two Pacific Time Zonecities and lost only oncewas in August 1996, whenthey went 8-1 on a swingthrough Anaheim, Seattleand Oakland.

The Twins’ 98 home runsthis year ties them with the2000 Cardinals and 1999Mariners for most everthrough 49 games of a sea-son. They have now hiteight home runs in a gamethree times in franchisehistory — once in 1963,and the other last month,on April 20 in Baltimore.Coincidentally, both eight-homer games this year haveprocured in a makeup of arainout the day before.

Martin Perez (7-1) wasthe beneficiary of the Twins’latest outburst, on a daywhen the left-hander’s con-trol largely eluded him.Perez walked four for his

second straight start, andlasted only five innings be-fore Rocco Baldelli turnedto his bullpen for three un-eventful innings and aninth-inning meltdown byAustin Adams. Perez gaveup a home run to DavidFletcher and a double toMike Trout that turned intothree bases when it bound-ed past Rosario in the left-field corner; Trout scoredon an Albert Pujols ground-out.

Adams allowed the An-gels a futile five-run rally inthe bottom of the ninth ona solo homer by BrianGoodwin and a grand slamby Tommy La Stella, re-quiring Matt Morin to en-ter the game to record thefinal out.

But the Angels rallycouldn’t have added muchstress to the Twins’ day, notafter they made quick workof Angels starter Matt Har-vey with a six-run secondinning and a two-run third.

Oddly, the Twins’ firstrun was scored on a sacri-fice fly that was actually apopup. Rosario, on third af-ter an infield hit and a wildpitch, shocked Angelsshortstop Zack Cozart bytagging up and charginghome once Cozart glovedLuis Arraez’s pop to shortleft field.

Then came the fireworks.Schoop start it by blasting

LOS ANGELES ANGELS

BY PHIL MILLERStar Tribune

Twins blast eight home runs in 16-7 rout of Angels

JAYNE KAMIN-ONCEA/GETTY IMAGESThe Minnesota Twins' Eddie Rosario (20), MarwinGonzalez (9) and Byron Buxton celebrate after a16-7 win against the Los Angeles Angels at AngelStadium of Anaheim, Calif., on Thursday. SEE TWINS, B4

It’s okay to be wrong.Especially when mak-ing predictions about

sports. Especially when making

predictions about how aplayoff series will turn out.

And I was wrong.There is a reason that

51% of people competing inthe NHL playoff bracketwere automatically knockedout of during the first weekof playoffs…it is just hard topredict what will happen.

I had predicted that theCarolina Hurricanes wouldpull off an upset againstthe Boston Bruins.

And boy was I wrong. The Hurricanes were

swept, something that noother team had evendreamt of doing. When the’Canes beat the WashingtonCapitals in the first round ofthe playoffs, the rest of theNHL was speechless.

The defending StanleyCup champions were out,just like that. And they weredefeated by a wild card

team.So they were the obvious

choice for me. I don’t needto keep mentioning that Iam a die-hard Los AngelesKings fan. The Hurricanesreminded me of the 2012Kings, and so I was hopefulfor Justin Williams oncemore.

But here we are. The Bru-ins absolutely dominatedCarolina, a team that could-n’t capitalize on the powerplay for anything.

Not to mention, TukkaRask (the Bruin’s goal-tender) has been playingout of his mind this post-season.

Oh, I forgot to mention,the St. Louis Blues also de-feated the San Jose Sharks.

Although I took theSharks in seven games, Idid mention that the serieswas a toss up and wouldcome down to goaltend-ing. Something that MartinJones did not get the memofor.

Now that all of that is outof the way, let’s talk aboutthe Stanley Cup Finals.

The Bruins are the fa-vorite to win. They’ve beenhere before. Recently. Andthey know what it takes towin a cup.

Backed by head coachBruce Cassidy, the team

JENNINGS COLUMN

It’s okay to be wrongwhen making predictions

LAUREN JENNINGS

SEE JENNINGS, B4

ST. LOUIS — It’s theclosest he’s been to a profes-sional championship tro-phy. It’s as if he could reachout and touch the silver.

But Vladimir Tarasenkosat stoically that Augustday and didn’t mess withthe Wanamaker Trophy.

Last summer, a fellowRussian hockey superstarhung out with the StanleyCup, and the Blues’Tarasenko was placed onstage beside a golf award.Tarasenko was asked to joinother St. Louis athletes at apre-PGA Championshippresentation — so he satwith the likes of OzzieSmith, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mike Shannon andWhitey Herzog.

To think, a summer later,these could be his champi-onship-winning brethren.

To think, a summer later,Tarasenko could be just likeAlexander Ovechkin — thebest player on the StanleyCup champions.

It will take elite hockeyfrom Tarasenko. He wassub-par in one game of theConference finals — Game1. Against the Boston Bru-ins in the finals, he mightnot have a game to spare.

Stare, snipe, score, re-peat.

He has the stage.And after years of being

one of the “other” greatRussian players, No. 91 hasthe opportunity and pedi-gree to ascend. No, he prob-ably never will surpassWashington’s Ovechkin. Butif St. Louis wins the StanleyCup, the two with theirtoothless smiles can standside-by-side, champions for-ever in back-to-back years.

It’ll just take a simpletask or two — penetrating aBoston defense that wouldmake Bill Belichick proudand then peppering a goaliewho’s playing even betterthe Blues’ Jordan Binning-ton.

But Tarasenko is playing

the best hockey of his career.He gobbled up the Sharks.This is going to be wickedfun.

“I think every time hegets the puck he puts themon edge,” Blues teammateRyan O’Reilly said. “Havingsuch a shot like he does,teams are scared when hegets the puck and maybeovercompensate for that —and other things becomeavailable. Having playedwith him throughout theyear, you see how dangeroushe is, whether it’s takingthat shot or just being athreat, that opens so much.”

And how about this stat.Since the start of the 2014Stanley Cup playoffs,Tarasenko has 30 goals inthe postseason, third-mostin the National HockeyLeague (Ovechkin, with 34,is first).

And after tallying threepoints in the entire, gruelingseven-game series againstDallas, Tarasenko finishedwith eight points in sixgames against San Jose —including a point in everygame. He was the only play-er, on either team, to dothat.

This all happened be-cause No. 91 was vigorous-ly and sometimes viciouslyengaged (in at least the finalfive games). He’s one ofthose athletes who fuelshimself by doing the littlethings.

Sometimes we see a base-ball player make a couplestrong plays in the field,and sure enough hit a cou-ple line drives in the ensu-ing at-bats. Well, in the lat-est series, Tarasenko cir-cled the Sharks. He un-leashed body checks, hemade hustling backchecksand influenced theforecheck. He finished theseries with 16 hits — onlythree Blues players talliedmore.

And as the Blues, with theCampbell Bowl in the bow-els of Enterprise Center,tried to set the tone early inGame 6, Tarasenko crashedinto Timo Meier. And then,

as if to show the hand-pass-er what he could do,Tarasenko used both handsto violently shove Meier inthe face. In the regular sea-son, that would’ve beenroughing; in the postseason,that was just rough.

“I think this is the part ofthe year where points andindividual stuff and every-thing else just goes (away),”said Tarasenko, who is thirdon the Blues this postseasonwith 13 points (eight goals,five assists). “We’re justthinking about wins andthat’s it … . We just keepplaying our game, keepplaying our brand of hock-ey.”

And lately, he’s got thatshooting rhythm going. It’sa different type of rhythmthan a basketball player,who is in the zone if he orshe makes numerousjumpers in a game. But it’sthe hockey equivalent.About once a game,Tarasenko has sniped a goalin a seemingly small win-dow. It’s as if you can markhim down for one marks-

man’s shot.The penalty shot in Game

5 was sublime. And then inGame 6, the clincher,Tarasenko snapped whatwould be the game-winnerabove Martin Jones’ shoul-der … inspiring some onTwitter to spell the “o” in hislast name with a dartboardbullseye emoji.

This might sound weird,but he’s at his best when hedoesn’t think with the puckon his stick. Yes, of course,you’re perpetually think-ing on the ice, puck or not.But we know those mo-ments. He’ll have a chanceto shoot and hesitates tocreate something else. He is,of course, a world-classpasser. But if there everwas a time for No. 91 to beselfish and snipe, it’s againsta goalie with a goals-againstaverage that looks like anERA from Pedro Martinez’sheyday.

“He’s got his head up alot, sees the ice well,” Bluescoach Craig Berube said ofTarasenko — it was Berube,after Game 1, who chal-

lenged No. 91 to play hun-grier. “His hard work is pay-ing off. He’s working hardwithout the puck, and he’s apowerful guy.”

•••

The views expressed arethose of the columnistand do not necessarilyrepresent the official

stance of the Daily Inde-pendent.

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STAR TRIBUNEThe Blues' Vladimir Tarasenko celebrated with teammates on the bench after scoring a goal in the firstperiod against the Wild.

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LeBron James doesn’tappear to be wastingmuch time sitting on thecouch watching the NBAplayoffs.

The Lakers superstar isspending his offseasonreaching out to poten-tial free agents aboutjoining him in Los Ange-les, according to multiplereports. And one of thepeople James is reported-ly targeting is Sixersswingman Jimmy But-ler.

“(Butler) likes L.A, Le-Bron James has been intouch with him and hewould join the Lakers ina second if they offeredhim a max deal,” Los An-geles Times sportscolumnist Arash Markaziwrote on Twitter Thurs-day.

Markazi isn’t alone insuggesting James has in-terest in playing along-side Butler. ESPN’s BrianWindhorst reported onThursday’s Pardon theInterruption that theLakers star reached outto both Butler and Toron-to Raptors star KawhiLeonard more than amonth ahead of the offi-cial start of NBA freeagency, which this year isJune 30 at 6 p.m.

“From what I under-stand, (James) has al-ready begun the recruit-

ing process,” Windhorstsaid. “There’s no tamper-ing enforcement by play-ers, and while MagicJohnson — the guy whogot in trouble for tamper-ing before is no longerthere — LeBron is ‘tam-perer-in-chief ’ of theLakers right now.”

Butler is slated to make$19.84 million next sea-son, but he has a playeroption that he’s expectedto decline, making him afree agent. Following theSixers’ season-ending lossto the Raptors earlier thismonth, Butler told re-porters he enjoyed play-ing in Philadelphia,where he became a fanfavorite during the sec-ond half of the seasonand playoffs.

“As long as you playhard, the city loves you;and give your all, that isall they ask of you,” But-ler said. “It has definite-ly been fun to meet andinteract with the fans andthe people in the organ-ization and absolutelyeverybody is amazing.”

Despite the outreachby James, it’s unclear ifButler would want toplay alongside the NBAsuperstar. Prior to But-ler’s signing with the Six-ers last season, ESPN’sAdrian Wojnarowski re-ported that playing inLos Angeles was “less ap-pealing” to Butler afterJames signed with theLakers.

There’s also still thepossibility the Sixers willoffer Butler a max con-tract to remain inPhiladelphia alongsideJoel Embiid and BenSimmons. After tradingfor Tobias Harris backin February, general

manager Elton Brandsaid the team’s managingpartners were on boardwith re-signing both freeagents “to keep this coretogether a long time.”

But Butler also posteda cryptic Instagram mes-sage that seemed like a

goodbye to many Sixersfans.

“Technically, knock onwood, I’ll get a max con-tract anywhere I chooseto go,” Butler told re-porters earlier thismonth. “You always wantto be able to win. That’s

the key for me, for sure.You’re looking at coaches,looking at the city.There’s a lot that goesinto it. But for me, aslong as I’ve got my peoplewith me, everybodyknows I’m cool if they’rehappy.”

LeBron James reportedly recruiting Sixers’ Jimmy Butler to LakersBY ROB TORNOE

The Philadelphia Inquirerand Daily News

MITCHELL LEFF/GETTY IMAGESJimmy Butler #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts along with James Ennis III #11 at the end of the sec-ond quarter of Game Six of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Toronto Raptors at the WellsFargo Center on May 9, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pa. The 76ers defeated the Raptors 112-101.

SAN DIEGO — You askMaximum Security ownerGary West if he knows orcares about public per-ception. Does he thinkpeople paint him as anunprecedented hard-luckcase or lingering thorn af-ter the most controversialKentucky Derby in its 145-year history?

He wonders what youthink. So you tell him.

On the night of the wa-terlogged Derby, when hishorse was “pulled down”— a $1.86 million winnerfor mere minutes, before astunning ruling by stew-ards — sympathy swelledfor sports heartache unlikeany other. Envisioning aChurchill Downs officialsnapping away the iconicgarland of roses fromWest’s wife, Mary, madeplenty cringe.

After a failed appeal,the filing of a federal law-suit and West’s recent $20million challenge to fourhorses from the race,though, you explain that itfeels as though sentimenthas shifted.

West paused.“Yes, I think there are

people who probably thinkthat I’m a crybaby for do-ing this,” West said byphone earlier this week.“To those people, I onlysay the old adage, untilyou’ve walked a mile inanother man’s shoes, don’tjudge them.”

Deep down, you wonderif West realizes this is like-

ly a lost cause — even inthe courts, though that’sdefinitely an unpre-dictable place for the Der-by-without-end to playout.

So many unexpectedtwists and turns can hap-pen inside court hallways,weighing and sortingmonetary damages andthe like. Specific wordingin Kentucky Horse RacingCommission regulationsstating that, “Findings offact and determinationshall be final and shallnot be subject to appeal”surely will matter, too.Precedents, ground rulesand all.

The goal of talking toWest, however, was notto handicap an outcomethat could take monthsor years. It was to peelthe onion of motivationsand figure out what theroad forward might looklike.

So, you ask West to de-fine the goal of going tocourt. To be compensatedfor the winner’s share? Toshift the narrative in termsof far more lucrative, post-career breeding rights?Those seem unlikely driv-ers in all of this, since theWests are generous, phil-anthropic billionaires.

Is it an attempt torewrite the history books?Is it simply a commitmentto what’s right is right?

“I don’t know,” saidWest, leaning on lawyerlyadvice, “if it’s appropriateto comment on that atthis time.”

What’s next for Maxi-

mum Security, the home-bred who seemed bestamong 19 as he navigatedthe Churchill Downssoup?

“Our plan is to do thebest we can to give thishorse a chance to be the 3-year-old champion,” Westsaid. “The Belmont wouldnot be the appropriatething to do to that end.”

Scratch redemption in aTriple Crown race.

West said the horse ismost likely aimed towardthe Haskell Invitational,July 20 at New Jersey’sMonmouth Park. Thatlikely would mean a preprace in the Pegasus Stakeson June 16 at Monmouth,West said.

What about the chal-lenge he issued, offering$5 million in any head-to-head race with eventualDerby winner CountryHouse, Preakness winnerWar of Will, Long RangeToddy or Bodexpress?That’s up to $20 million ifeach horse outruns Maxi-mum Security at somepoint between now andJan. 1.

That’s not going to hap-pen — and West surelyknows it.

“I think it would be re-ally good for racing,” Westsaid, “but I’m unaware ofanyone taking us up onthe challenge.”

What about the rumorthat the Wests, who madeDerby starts with HighLimit (20th, 2005), DollarBill (15th, 2001) andRockamundo (17th, 1993),would leave racing alto-gether?

“At this time, I don’tknow the answer to that,”he said. “I don’t have acomment on that rightnow. When I’m emotion-al about something, I havetendency to let time passand until I’m not emo-tional.”

In a television interviewthat aired two days afterthe race, those emotionsseemed to be in full-swell.West called ChurchillDowns “greedy” for itsmassive Derby field,adding that they know-ingly put lives at risk.

Any feedback?“I’ve heard nothing from

Churchill Downs — northe stewards, nor the(Kentucky) racing com-mission,” West said.

Another question bub-bles to the surface: If stew-ards had agreed to talkthat night, would this beover?

“It certainly could haveended that night, but theydidn’t have the commoncourtesy after 144 run-nings without a horse be-ing set down to meet withus,” West said.

In almost all sports, youremind West, they’re care-ful to create buffers be-tween participants and of-ficials — most times, forgood reason. West coun-tered that in other sports,however, appeals avenuesexist.

“The fact that three peo-ple who oversee the Ken-tucky Derby, KentuckyOaks and agitate billionsof dollars one way or an-other based on the deci-sions they make, the deci-sions they make are unap-pealable to anybody. Theyare judge, jury and execu-tioner. Aggrieved parties

have no recourse whatso-ever.

“I’m unaware of any-where in America wherethat particular situationis true. I think those arebad rules.”

Still entrenched. Stillfighting.

West probably is bestserved to walk away, nomatter how painful thingsremain. Few understandthe game-changing workin defense of America’smost vulnerable eldersthat the couple champi-ons. They grind tirelesslyfor others, instead ofspending days slurpingumbrella drinks along theMediterranean coast.

Right now, West is beingpainted with a very broadand mostly uninformed,unbalanced brush.

But as he points out,those are his muddyloafers to walk in.

•••The views expressed

are those of the colum-nist and do not necessar-ily represent the officialstance of the Daily Inde-

pendent.

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BY BRYCE MILLERThe San Diego Union-Tribune

Bryce Miller: Maximum Security owner says people‘probably think I’m a crybaby’ for fighting Derby finish

JAMIE SQUIRE/GETTY IMAGESA view of Maximum Security and Country House both being hotwalked while awaiting the outcome of a protest after the 145th running of the Kentucky Derbyat Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on May 4, 2019. Country House was declared the winner after a stewards review disqualified Maximum Security.