THE BULLETIN • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021 A7
Shiffrin
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: My son’s new
wife — who has a daughter
— insisted that his two chil-
dren are not biologically his.
After a DNA test, it turns out
she was right. They aren’t. My
son, my husband and I are
heartbroken. His twins are
10, and they don’t understand
what’s going on.
My husband and I are try-
ing to gently remain in their
lives with phone calls and
limited visits. My son’s wife
refuses to visit with us until
we stop communicating with
the children, promise never to
talk about them and display
no pictures in our home. She’s
trying to convince our son to
stop seeing us, as well. What
to do?
— Disappointed in Texas
Dear Disappointed: Those
children, regardless of who
their birth father is, were
raised believing you and your
husband are their grandpar-
ents. If you love them, do not
knuckle under to your son’s
new wife or it will be only the
beginning of how she will at-
tempt to control you.
She does not have the right
to dictate who you (or your
son, for that matter) see and
communicate with. She also
does not have the right to or-
der you to remove any object
from your home.
If your son opts to turn his
back on those children, that’s
a decision only he can make.
If he also chooses to turn his
back on you, then you raised
a milquetoast instead of a
man.
Dear Abby: I’m a mar-
ried man, and I love my wife.
We’re not living together at
the moment due to unfortu-
nate circumstances.
Being far away from her,
I get extremely lonely. I have
a co-worker who became a
good friend, and I have feel-
ings for her. I have told her
how I feel, and we have hung
out a few times — nothing
sexual. Now she’s moving
away, and I feel heartbroken.
How should I deal? I’m fight-
ing back tears for someone
I’m not even with. What do
I do?
— Heartbroken in the East
Dear Heartbroken: A rela-
tionship does not have to be
sexual to be meaningful, and
your co-worker was filling
a space in your life that was
empty. That you feel a sense
of loss and sadness that she is
moving is not surprising.
Not knowing the unfor-
tunate circumstances that
caused the separation be-
tween you and your wife, I
can only advise you to start
looking for a way to mend
fences or change those cir-
cumstances so you can live to-
gether again, because clearly,
you’re not doing well on your
own. If that’s not possible,
start giving serious thought to
how you plan to live the rest
of your life, because this way
isn’t working.
Dear Abby: The other day I
was on a video conference call
with our boss and two col-
leagues. When “Joan” came
on the call, “something” was
hanging from one of her nos-
trils. She may have had a cold.
I scratched my nose and mus-
tache a few times, trying to
alert her of what was happen-
ing, to no avail. She didn’t re-
act. No one else said anything.
What would the correct
protocol have been? Should
I have left it alone or was I
right to try to let her know? I
did what I would have done
in person. Should I have pri-
vately texted her? Please ad-
vise.
— Telecommuting Woes
Dear Telecommuting: If
the person with the leaky
nose had been you, wouldn’t
you have wanted to know?
Yes, you should have texted
her.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Madalyn Aslan
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
õ õ õ õ õ DYNAMIC | õ õ õ õ POSITIVE | õ õ õ AVERAGE | õ õ SO-SO | õ DIFFICULT
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR TUESDAY, FEB. 16, 2021: Spirited,
courageous and demonstrative, you rebirth yourself several times in this one
lifetime. This year, a new beginning proves to be amazingly successful and
you win accolades. If single, it9s important for you to act spontaneously, so
you fall in love many times. By the end of August you9ll feel ready to move
forward with a commitment. If attached, slow down and smell the roses.
ARIES makes you feel blissful.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
õõõõõ It9s a time to be assertive and seek what you most want. An aware-
ness of your inner gifts and potentials surfaces. You have much energy and
strength today. Resist the temptation to vanquish an old adversary if it arises.
Tonight: Pour energy into constructive projects.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
õõõõ Today you9ll be vibrant and sensitive. Psychic energies are high, and
you could experience telepathy with a loved one. Allow a little slack in your
schedule. Projects can take longer than you expect. Tonight: You may need
extra sleep. Try to go to bed early.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
õõõ Laugh at gossip and scandal; be discreet about what you say and to
whom. There may be changing relationships in your social circle. Wait until
the alliances are more settled before voicing your allegiance. Tonight: A part-
ner could make important choices.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
õõõõõ Today generates a need for freedom of expression. You9ll be seek-
ing an outlet for your inner enthusiasm. An old friend puts in a kind word.
You can combine friendly interaction with business matters. Tonight: Your
pleasant impression opens doors to what you9ve long deserved.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
õõ Ask yourself which issues genuinely matter. Dreams can provide clues to
inner guidance. Direct your tremendous emotional energy toward construc-
tive outlets. Talk over feelings with others and give them a chance to explain
their viewpoints if you9re upset. Tonight: Tension-free.
Continued from A5
Shiffrin excelled in both the
super-G and the slalom por-
tion to win her second medal
of this year’s worlds.
Marco Schwarz won the
men’s combined to give Austria
its third straight gold medal in
the men’s events.
Shiffrin’s success has come
three months after returning
to ski racing from a 300-day
break from competition fol-
lowing the death of her father
in February 2020, the coro-
navirus pandemic and a back
injury.
She ranked third after the
super-G portion on Monday
but was fastest in the slalom leg
to beat Petra Vlhova of Slova-
kia by 0.86 seconds. Olympic
champion Michelle Gisin of
Switzerland finished 0.89 be-
hind for bronze.
Trying not to overpower
her run, Shiffrin skied rather
conservatively through the
first couple of gates before ac-
celerating once she found her
rhythm.
Shiffrin initially shrugged
her shoulders after finishing
her slalom run, seeming to in-
dicate she wasn’t sure whether
her time would hold up.
“It’s always tough to know.
I felt like I was pushing, even
though some turns felt slip-
pery, but I was still pushing,”
Marco Trovati/AP
Mikaela Shiffrin competes during the slalom portion of the women’s combined race at the alpine ski world
championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Monday.
Shiffrin said. “I thought if
somebody else has the timing
a little bit better, especially the
very top part, I don’t have a
guaranteed medal off.”
However, no one came even
close to the American. Even
Vlhova, the overall and slalom
World Cup leader, lost ground
on Shiffrin after she placed
seventh in the super-G.
Two of Shiffrin’s main com-
petitors failed to complete their
slalom runs.
Elks
Continued from A5
Staff and fans wore appro-
priate face coverings during
the game, and the Pickles’
players, coaches and fans were
also encouraged to wear masks
while traveling from game to
game.
At the stadiums, cash was
not accepted and all tick-
ets were digital to eliminate
shared contact between guests
and employees. Each person
that entered the facility was
required to take a contact-free
temperature check, and no
one was allowed inside the
stadium with a temperature
higher than 99 degrees.
The protocols the Pickles
used last summer are to be ex-
pected at Elks games, starting
with the June 3 home opener
at Vince Genna Stadium.
“We are basing our plans off
those regulations,” Hirko said.
NCAA
Continued from A5
North Carolina fell flat with
a chance at a resume-building
win on Saturday, scoring 48
points in a loss to No. 9 Vir-
ginia. The Tar Heels failed to
have a double-figure scorer for
the first time since 1966, are
12-7 overall and No. 56 in the
NET after going 1-6 in Quad-
rant 1 games.
Kentucky, at 6-13 and No.
76 in the NET, will likely need
to win the SEC Tournament to
join the field of 68.
On the rise
Kansas (15-7, 9-5 Big 12):
Once a blueblood appearing
to be in trouble, the Jayhawks
have reeled off three straight
wins. Kansas has some big
Ryan Brennecke/Bulletin file
The West Coast League season
was canceled last summer, but
the Bend Elks are planning a re-
turn to play this coming June.
“(Similar guidelines) is what
our fans should expect. We are
hoping our fans will be under-
standing of the times.”
This year, the feeling is they
are more prepared than last
summer when the pandemic
potential resume builders af-
ter facing rival Kansas State,
with games against No. 7 Texas
Tech, No. 13 Texas and No. 2
Baylor to close out the regular
season.
UConn (9-5, 6-5 Big East):
The Huskies picked up a crit-
ical win by beating Xavier
80-72 on Saturday without
James Bouknight. UConn is a
superb defensive team and if
Bouknight is fully healthy, the
Huskies could make a run to
the field of 68.
Rutgers (12-7, 8-7 Big Ten):
The Scarlet Knights were poised
to reach the NCAA Tourna-
ment for the first time since
1991 before the tourney was
canceled last season. Rutgers
may still have work to do to
end the streak this season, but it
has won five of six after beating
First-run leader Federica
Brignone straddled the third
gate as Italy keeps waiting for
its first medal at this year’s
worlds after five events. Two-
time defending champion
Wendy Holdener of Switzer-
land also skied out early in her
run.
In the men’s race, Schwarz
edged defending champion
Alexis Pinturault by four-hun-
dredths of a second. Loic Meil-
lard of Switzerland was 1.12
behind in third.
Schwarz, a bronze medalist
two years ago, was four-tenths
off the lead in fifth after the su-
per-G portion but showed his
slalom skills as he posted the
fastest time in the deciding leg.
Canadian skier James Craw-
ford surprisingly led after the
super-G part and finished a ca-
reer best fourth.
The worlds continue with
parallel races for both women
and men on Tuesday.
was still in its early stages.
“(The Pickles) were able to
do test runs, and they were
able to do it without COVID
cases,” Hirko said. “We have
had research, and we are try-
ing to go above and beyond to
provide that experience that
our fans are used to.”
The Knights, who play their
home games at Goss Stadium
on the Oregon State cam-
pus, say that the program is
in regular contact with OSU
officials. While competing in
intercollegiate athletics since
last fall, OSU is no stranger to
dealing with the obligations
of competing during the pan-
demic.
“The university is well-
versed in health protocols and
has done a great job keeping
their athletes and staff healthy,”
said Bre Miller, the president
and general manager of the
Knights, in the release. “We
appreciate their support, we’ll
lean on them for advice, and of
course we’ll meet all OHA and
Benton County guidelines and
protocols at the time of com-
petition.”
The season is still months
away from starting, but the
Elks’ roster is complete and
the team will start announcing
some of its players over social
media platforms over the next
couple of weeks, according to
Hirko.
Made up mostly of out-of-
town college players, the Elks
rely on host families to pro-
vide housing to the players
during the summer. Currently,
the Elks are finalizing plans
to continue their host family
tradition without putting the
families at risk.
“We are hopeful that it will
be a similar experience for
our players,” Hirko said, “and
enough families to host.”
Northwestern on Saturday.
Oregon (12-4, 7-3 Pac-12):
The Ducks were among the fa-
vorites to win the Pac-12, but
they labored through injuries
and two COVID-19 pauses.
Oregon finally had its top five
scorers on the floor together
in a victory over Arizona State
last week and has won three
straight after beating Arizona
in Tucson.
Fading hopes
Maryland (10-10, 4-9 Big
Ten): The Terps have wins over
Illinois and Wisconsin but have
been inconsistent most of the
season. Maryland has lost three
of four and could use a strong
finish to get off the bubble.
Drake (19-2, 10-2, Missouri
Valley): Less than two weeks
ago, the Bulldogs joined No. 1
e
Reporter: 541-383-0307,
brathbone@bendbulletin.com
Gonzaga and Baylor as Divi-
sion I’s only undefeated teams.
Drake then lost at Valparaiso
and was blown out by No. 22
Loyola Chicago. A win over the
Ramblers in the rematch on
Sunday was huge.
Toledo (16-6, 11-3 MAC):
A team on the NCAA Tour-
nament bubble can’t really af-
ford consecutive losses late in
the season. The Rockets did
just that against Ball State and
Bowling Green in their last two
games.
Stanford (13-8, 9-6): The
Cardinal have wins over Ala-
bama and UCLA on their re-
sume, but also have losses to
Arizona State and Utah. They
still have chances to pick up
marquee wins with No. 20
Southern California and Ore-
gon remaining.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
õõõõõ You will do some investigative work to solve a mystery. Today
brings help from hidden sources. You will have a sense of spiritual guides and
entities watching over you. You will discover hidden aptitudes. Tonight: In
wonderment at the day you9ve just had.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
õõõõõ Today you insist on fairness. This is annoying to a certain someone
who is tempted to overlook awkward details. Stand your ground. Your ethi-
cal attitude wins admiration in the end. Others are loyal. An important new
partnership can be forged. Tonight: Making a difference.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
õõõ Health and fitness come up strongly today. You might be critical of
yourself and want to overcome any unhealthy habits or shortcomings. Have
faith that as long as you do your best, all will be well. Tonight: Your sense of
humor helps a great deal.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
õõõ There9s a chance to escape from your responsibilities for a time. Sep-
arate work into small segments and take breaks to avoid fatigue. Be aware
of how emotions and attitudes affect your work. A pet needs extra tender
loving care today. Tonight: Play with friends.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
õõõõ It9s a poignant day. You will communicate better with authority
figures at work. You9ll be aware of how family traits affect you. Family history
can provide clues to maintaining your health and well-being. It9s easier to
enlist cooperation and support from others. Tonight: Relax.
Taylor Towery and the team at The
Bulletin have been knowledgeable,
attentive to our needs and
delivered successful print and
digital campaigns. We will
continue to use them as we
grow our business and expand
throughout Oregon and look to
them for advertising guidance.
Thank you for your continued
professionalism and kindness.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
õõõ Your schedule is full. You9ll use words in a clever, convincing way. Your
Very Sincerely,
judgment is good; make choices and commitments. Don9t let yourself be-
come scattered. Concentrate. It is very important to return all phone calls and
emails promptly. Tonight: A surprise call.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
õõõõ Be receptive to a new work location. A project you9ve contemplated
is worth pursuing. Extra effort extended today leads to future benefits. There
could be some new developments at work to analyze. Tonight: Thoughts
and conversation revolve around money matters.
www.bendbulletin.com
541.382.1811
Heidi Olson-Dunlap
Broker
Mountain Living Real Estate Group of Central Oregon
Mountainlivingreg.com