text:
Accused Salinas child killer attacked in jail
Amy Larson
KSBW.com Digital Media Manager
Felix Cortez
KSBW / Amy Larson
Gonzalo Curiel
SOURCE: KSBW / Amy Larson
An accused Salinas child killer, Gonzalo Curiel, was attacked by an inmate in the Monterey County Jail during the first week of his murder trial. An inmate attacked 20-year-old Curiel last week, Sheriff's Cmdr. John Thornburg told KSBW on Thursday. Curiel was being housed with about two dozen other inmates when he was attacked. He suffered scrapes and bruises, and deputies quickly broke up the fight, Thornburg said. As a result, Curiel is now being held in isolation.On Thursday, a 12-year-old girl testified that Curiel and her aunt, Tami Huntsman, tortured, starved, and murdered her 3-year-old sister and 7-year-old brother.When Monterey County Deputy District Attorney Steve Somers asked Jane Doe if she thought she was going to die, she answered yes, because she was running out of energy.She described being choked, kicked, and starved for months by her aunt and her aunt's boyfriend. By November of 2015, the two youngest Tara siblings were unable to cling to life any longer.The surviving Tara sibling testified for three hours Thursday, reliving the horrors of what happened inside the Salinas apartment where the three Tara siblings lived with Huntsman, then-16-year-old Curiel, and Huntsman's biological twin children.Because of her young age, Jane Doe testified Thursday through a closed-circuit television. That spared her from having to see Curiel, a packed courtroom gallery, and the jury.Curiel's defense team has called for zero witnesses, and most of the prosecution's witnesses were not cross-examined. Closing arguments are slated for Monday.A 3-by-6-foot bathroom was used as a torture chamber for Delylah Tara, 3, Shaun Tara, 7, and herself, Jane Doe testified. They were stripped naked, sprayed down with cold water, beaten with a shower head, and locked in the bathroom for extended periods of time.Doe testified about the day she was bent over her bed and whipped with a belt by Curiel as Huntsman held her down. That beating was carried out for no apparent reason, the girl testified. On Thanksgiving Day 2015, she was huddled in the cold bathroom. When she was allowed out, she saw Shaun and Delylah sitting motionless and silent on the floor. Later that night, her two siblings were taken away by Huntsman and Curiel, with no explanation for where they were going.The next day, the family packed up their belongings and moved to Quincy, Calif. There was a blue storage bin in the trunk. Shaun and Delylah were nowhere to be seen.A pathologist testified Thursday that the two children died from blunt force trauma head injuries, combined with starvation.Doe testified that life was normal when she and her siblings were first sent to live at the Salinas apartment.Their biological father was being sent off to prison to serve a two-year sentence, and their mother had killed herself, according to Huntsman's ex-husband, Chris Criswell."We went to Great America. We played outside a lot, along with all the neighborhood kids," said Doe.Huntsman never spanked the kids. She sent them to their room for a time out if they misbehaved.Life turned very dark after Curiel moved in, Doe testified. The torture began.Doe testified that her aunt would get angry at the children very easily and Curiel started acting as if he was in charge."He would tell us what to do. He pretty much made the rules," Doe testified.Doe tried to run away while in the third grade because she had a bad feeling about Curiel. She went to a friend's house after school, but her runaway plans were thwarted when her classmate's mother called Huntsman."I was grounded for a long time," Doe said.The Tara siblings were kept inside the bathroom for most of the day and night, often without clothing on, she testified."It was really cold and wet and we would be sprayed with cold water, the window didn't have glass so cold air came in," Doe said.Doe said Curiel caught her trying to escape to get help for her younger siblings."Gonzo took me and put me on my bed and started punching me in the jaw and, mostly, face," Jane Doe testified.The young children didn't understand why they were being tortured by the person who was supposed to take care of them. Shaun and Delylah's bodies were found hidden in the blue storage bin, locked inside a Redding, Calif. storage unit that Huntsman had recently rented. A key found on Huntsman's keychain matched the storage locker's lock. Curiel's fingerprints were found on duct tape used to seal the bin, and air freshers were sprinkled around the storage unit. An investigator with the Monterey County District Attorney's Office was part of the team that conducted the autopsy.She cried after a replica blue bin was carried into the courtroom. She continued to wipe away tears as she testified that Shaun weighed only 29 pounds when he died. Delylah weighed just 18 pounds.Huntsman pleaded guilty to all charges to avoid going on trial and the dodge the death penalty. She will be sentenced later this month to serve life in prison without possibility of appeals or parole.
SALINAS, Calif. —
An accused Salinas child killer, Gonzalo Curiel, was attacked by an inmate in the Monterey County Jail during the first week of his murder trial.
An inmate attacked 20-year-old Curiel last week, Sheriff's Cmdr. John Thornburg told KSBW on Thursday.
GUILTY: Curiel found guilty of murdering 2 Salinas children
Curiel was being housed with about two dozen other inmates when he was attacked. He suffered scrapes and bruises, and deputies quickly broke up the fight, Thornburg said.
As a result, Curiel is now being held in isolation.
Shaun and Delylah Tara
On Thursday, a 12-year-old girl testified that Curiel and her aunt, Tami Huntsman, tortured, starved, and murdered her 3-year-old sister and 7-year-old brother.
When Monterey County Deputy District Attorney Steve Somers asked Jane Doe if she thought she was going to die, she answered yes, because she was running out of energy.
She described being choked, kicked, and starved for months by her aunt and her aunt's boyfriend. By November of 2015, the two youngest Tara siblings were unable to cling to life any longer.
The surviving Tara sibling testified for three hours Thursday, reliving the horrors of what happened inside the Salinas apartment where the three Tara siblings lived with Huntsman, then-16-year-old Curiel, and Huntsman's biological twin children.
Because of her young age, Jane Doe testified Thursday through a closed-circuit television. That spared her from having to see Curiel, a packed courtroom gallery, and the jury.
Curiel's defense team has called for zero witnesses, and most of the prosecution's witnesses were not cross-examined. Closing arguments are slated for Monday.
A 3-by-6-foot bathroom was used as a torture chamber for Delylah Tara, 3, Shaun Tara, 7, and herself, Jane Doe testified. They were stripped naked, sprayed down with cold water, beaten with a shower head, and locked in the bathroom for extended periods of time.
Doe testified about the day she was bent over her bed and whipped with a belt by Curiel as Huntsman held her down. That beating was carried out for no apparent reason, the girl testified.
On Thanksgiving Day 2015, she was huddled in the cold bathroom. When she was allowed out, she saw Shaun and Delylah sitting motionless and silent on the floor. Later that night, her two siblings were taken away by Huntsman and Curiel, with no explanation for where they were going.
The next day, the family packed up their belongings and moved to Quincy, Calif. There was a blue storage bin in the trunk. Shaun and Delylah were nowhere to be seen.
A pathologist testified Thursday that the two children died from blunt force trauma head injuries, combined with starvation.
Doe testified that life was normal when she and her siblings were first sent to live at the Salinas apartment.
Their biological father was being sent off to prison to serve a two-year sentence, and their mother had killed herself, according to Huntsman's ex-husband, Chris Criswell.
"We went to Great America. We played outside a lot, along with all the neighborhood kids," said Doe.
Huntsman never spanked the kids. She sent them to their room for a time out if they misbehaved.
Life turned very dark after Curiel moved in, Doe testified. The torture began.
Doe testified that her aunt would get angry at the children very easily and Curiel started acting as if he was in charge.
"He would tell us what to do. He pretty much made the rules," Doe testified.
Doe tried to run away while in the third grade because she had a bad feeling about Curiel. She went to a friend's house after school, but her runaway plans were thwarted when her classmate's mother called Huntsman.
"I was grounded for a long time," Doe said.
The Tara siblings were kept inside the bathroom for most of the day and night, often without clothing on, she testified.
"It was really cold and wet and we would be sprayed with cold water, the window didn't have glass so cold air came in," Doe said.
Doe said Curiel caught her trying to escape to get help for her younger siblings.
"Gonzo took me and put me on my bed and started punching me in the jaw and, mostly, face," Jane Doe testified.
The young children didn't understand why they were being tortured by the person who was supposed to take care of them.
Shaun and Delylah's bodies were found hidden in the blue storage bin, locked inside a Redding, Calif. storage unit that Huntsman had recently rented. A key found on Huntsman's keychain matched the storage locker's lock. Curiel's fingerprints were found on duct tape used to seal the bin, and air freshers were sprinkled around the storage unit.
An investigator with the Monterey County District Attorney's Office was part of the team that conducted the autopsy.
She cried after a replica blue bin was carried into the courtroom. She continued to wipe away tears as she testified that Shaun weighed only 29 pounds when he died. Delylah weighed just 18 pounds.
Huntsman pleaded guilty to all charges to avoid going on trial and the dodge the death penalty. She will be sentenced later this month to serve life in prison without possibility of appeals or parole.


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'There's nothing more psychotic than a character that is super cute but terrifying at the same'
MPC breaks down its mischievous Mini-Puft shots in 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife'.
Wildly contrasting with its–spoiler alert–photoreal digital human work in Jason Reitman's Ghostbusters: Afterlife, MPC Film also worked on some of the super-fun shots of the Mini-Pufts encountered by Paul Rudd's character in the supermarket.
Animation supervisor Christophe Paradis tells befores & afters how toddlers were the inspiration for the movement of the Mini-Pufts, and how their violent ways helped make the scenes as humorous as possible.
b&a: How did these Mini-Puft shots come MPC's way?
Christophe Paradis: DNEG had started work on the marshmallows before we did. We were mainly working on Egon for the most part. Then the VFX supervisor Alessandro Ongaro and director Jason Reitman came in and said, 'Hey, we would love it if you guys could animate some Mini-Puft shots as well in the supermarket.' Two involved the barbecue, another was the s'mores and then the other big one was the blender. We said, 'Yes, absolutely. We'll do this!'
Director Jason Reitman on set.
b&a: When you got started on those shots, what were some of the early motion tests that you did?
Christophe Paradis: Because of their design and the fact that they are Mini-Pufts, and due to the proportions of their body, the most relevant thing for us was to look at toddlers. There's nothing more psychotic than a character that is super cute but terrifying at the same. It's just two opposite contrasts together.
I think that's what makes the Mini-Puft really special is that contrast. And then, what's not cute about a toddler? So we looked at every kind of movement that's appropriate to a toddler, like, slight clumsiness. They don't quite know what to do with their body yet. They're a little bit wobbly. They waddle around. These Mini-Pufts are also kind of blocky and puffed up. Toddlers are also good for that! They move in an awkward way. Those are all things we wanted to take and infuse in these characters as much as we could.
In terms of references, we couldn't do this in all honesty without going into the '80s, because that's of course 'all-Ghostbusters'. Jason actually used animatronics in this film and real props for the Terror Dogs, for example. So we thought, 'Okay, what can we get inspired by from the '80s? We looked at Gremlins for when they turn into pure evil and they wreak havoc, especially the bar scene. We said, 'How did they film this? How did they frame this? What makes it funny? Are there actions that we can seek inspiration from?'
It gave us a lot of information into timing and composition, including to have the right timing for another action say in the background. That's the challenge with big establishing shots with a lot of characters that all look the same, where do I look? We knew we needed to orchestrate this in a way where the audience knew where to look and at what time. Referencing movies like Gremlins was a good help for that.
The last piece of reference was about channelling our inner evil. Thinking about, what did we used to do when we were kids in the schoolyard, to pick on other kids, or if another one was a bully? Those are all very relevant thoughts for the animation team.
b&a: As part of looking at yourselves and thinking about what you used to do, did the animators shoot vidref of themselves?
Christophe Paradis: We did, but not that much, because it just goes to the nature of the Mini-Puft themselves. If we filmed ourselves doing an action, we were a little bit worried that we would get too much realism into the movements. We didn't want them to look like an adult. We didn't want them to be very human in a way.
Going straight to keyframe from just our imagination meant that we could keep them very much as a character that was not too relatable to humans, even though they are bipeds, and they're doing very, very human things. But at least in their motions, we went a little bit more comical and cartoony.
b&a: So definitely no motion capture, even just for blocking or anything?
Christophe Paradis: Not at all, quite the opposite.
b&a: Were the Mini-Pufts rigged in any particular kind of way, or was there any kind of FX sim side of it that helped with their motion?
Christophe Paradis: Yeah, absolutely. Because they are marshmallows, that just lends itself very much for squash and stretch. And so, in the barbecue shot, for example, one of them gets skewered right through the body by another. Actually, he skewers two of them at the same time. And it just goes right through the body and with a lot of energy. It allowed us to be overly violent with it. Every little thing needed to be violent. Like skewering had to overshoot. If they fall, we had to have another one fall onto his buddy. Or, there was the melting.
b&a: I was thinking, when one of them goes through the grate of the barbecue and he's burning, I mean, how could you resist not doing a Terminator 2 moment there?
Christophe Paradis: Well, you know what? When he was melting, that's something Jason told us! He said, 'That needs to be in there'. And it was just a great reference to Terminator. It was just perfect. The whole movie is about Easter eggs and nostalgia and all that stuff.
b&a: The s'mores thing is really funny to me. Because in Australia, s'mores has become this breakout hit. Was there any particularly challenging thing with getting that layer of chocolate and biscuit and the heating gun thing to work together?
Christophe Paradis: Oh, yeah. That was definitely a challenge. We had to work out, how do they bring the chocolate? How do they layer everything with that one marshmallow in the middle? And then we thought, 'How about that marshmallow in the middle actually is a part of it?' He helps the whole deal, he wants to get melted.
b&a: It's part of their mischievous character, but I love that they're just always smiling. People might think it's quite simple, but I'm curious about consistency and getting the right emotions for all these different Pufts that need to be smiling.
Christophe Paradis: That's a great question. Actually, one of the things is–and this again, goes back to Jason's vision of keeping things simple–it was all about having a little sense of animatronic, stop-motion-y kind of old school-ness to them. For animators, there's often a tendency to push everything, like adding emotions and pops and everything. Here we had to be very careful and tell everyone, 'No, no, no. We're going to tame this down. We're just going to keep it very simple with the facial.' That allowed us to get just that much more psychotic with them.
I don't know if you're familiar with the meme, overly attached girlfriend?
Christophe Paradis: She just has the face. You see a lot of eye white, and her smile. It feels like anything can happen. We thought, 'Man, this is great. We don't need to animate it or make it squish. Let's just let that face be like that, and then it's just going to create even more contrast to everything that's happening.'
I mean, they are getting torched. They are getting melted, burnt. They're falling, they're killing each other. One of them is playing soccer with another one's head. But they're all just happy about it. And they're enjoying the moment, and they're psychotic.
So it was important, just as you say, to actually not animate them too much. Sometimes we put in facial expressions, just enough to acknowledge the action. Eye-line can be important. That's always important, but we would just put a, 'Ooh', or maybe like a little frown, just enough to signal, oh, he's annoyed, or he's enjoying it. Like the s'mores. The s'mores one is enjoying the heat, and he goes into a cosy like, 'Oh, I'm getting s'mores. This is great.'
b&a: My final question is, what was it like then doing marshmallows compared to say the digital human work you did on the film? That seems, of course, to be such a contrast.
Christophe Paradis: Yes, it's completely different. We had to put in just a tonne of care, a tonne of emotion. We had to be scientific to really pay attention to anatomy. And this is a real human. This is someone that we know about. It's much more serious in tone, just the setting of that. That was a completely different tone.
Actually, we did most of our work on Egon first, and then it overlapped a little bit, but it was kind of like two different chapters in our work. It was like the very serious, emotional, caring side that had to be just absolutely perfect, to the pixel, and then contrasted to the, 'let's brainstorm and have as much wild of fun as we can.'
Christophe Paradis Ghostbusters: Afterlife MPC Film
VFX Notes: 'Shang-Chi' – A VFX and martial arts masterpiece

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Pakistan lauded for creating jobs through plantation drive
Jamal Shahid Published May 4, 2020
ISLAMABAD: The World Economic Forum has recognised Pakistan's efforts to continue with its plantation drive and creating employment during the coronavirus pandemic.
This is the second time it has acknowledged Pakistan for planting trees to fight impacts of climate change.
The forum engages political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
In a short video, the forum shows how Pakistan has engaged out of work labourers, including construction workers, to plant saplings and earn $3 a day enough to feed their families and help keep the economy running during the lockdown.
The forum points out that tens of thousands of new 'jungle jobs' have been created and rows of tiny seedlings planted that if cared for will grow into huge forests.
Pakistan has engaged out of work labourers to plant saplings, World Economic Forum says
Workers have to wear masks and maintain social distancing. Pakistan is aiming to plant 10 billion trees to reduce the damage caused by impacts of climate change. It has suffered some of Asia's worst deforestation, the forum said, adding Pakistan is among countries most vulnerable to its devastating impacts.
From river floods caused by Pakistan's melting glaciers, severe droughts and unprecedented and unpredictable rains, climate change has already cost the country $3.8 billion since 1998.
Trees strengthen riverbanks and protect against soil erosion decreasing risks of flooding and mitigating effects of global warming.
The forum also recognised Prime Minister Imran Khan whose party planted one billion saplings while in power in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from 2013 to 2018.
In KP alone, more than 40 species of trees were planted and the project has already exceeded its target of one billion trees.
The forum said the project goes far beyond the money spent, protecting a region of future generations and creating a whole new habitat for wildlife. The forum encouraged all other countries to learn from Pakistan by tackling adverse effects of climate change by planting trees.
The Ten Billion Tree Tsunami is a Rs125 billion project aimed at expanding forest cover at all available spaces over five years, including increasing urban forestry, which has become a popular trend to fight heatwaves generated by concrete jungles that cities have become.
Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2020
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Inspired by 'purpose' Apple Valley football continues run with 9-win season, playoff appearance and college recruitment
California California-Football Football Southern Section
December 7, 2019 February 27, 2021 Lance Smith, SBLive	1559 Views 0 Comments	apple valley sun devils, High Desert, high school football, Jayden Denegal, jeremy justice II, kenyard edwards jr, matt rohrbaugh, ryan webster, ty-ty smith
APPLE VALLEY – In the span of five years, the Apple Valley High School football program has grown from a playoff afterthought into a division title contender that continues to climb the Southern Section ranks.
The Sun Devils just completed a 9-1 regular season and made the Southern Section Division 6 playoffs, and their combination of talent and success is attracting interest from Division I colleges on the recruiting front as well.
COLLEGE PROSPECTS ABOUND
On the recruiting front, the biggest news was when sophomore QB Jayden Denegal made headlines by picking up offers from Auburn and Georgia halfway through the year. Denegal had great production and outstanding efficiency throwing the ball. He finished with 2,154 passing yards, 33 passing touchdowns, and 68.2% completion on only six interceptions in the regular season.
He got the first offer around Week 5, in which Apple Valley won 26-7 against Adelanto. He remembers getting the news about Auburn when his father and his private quarterback coach texted him. UGA followed suit in short succession.
"It was super sudden," said Denegal. "I didn't know it was going to happen. It was exciting."
Denegal, like the other top threats on offense for Apple Valley, would've had even more production on the year were they not blowing out nearly every team they faced.
The emergence of Denegal as a top-flight quarterback came at the best possible time for the Sun Devils. In their peak years of 2017 and 2018, they had one of the best quarterbacks the High Desert had ever produced in Jeff Widener, who now plays at Northern Arizona. Stepping in as a sophomore for Widener meant Denegal had big shoes to fill.
Denegal is one of several star players this year on Apple Valley who have played themselves on to college radars. Senior TE/DE Ryan Webster and senior SS/OLB/WR Jeremy Justice II have been getting college interest since over a year ago, with Justice holding an offer from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and both of them in discussion with numerous D-1 and D-2 schools. RB Kenyard Edwards Jr. and WR Tyron "Ty-Ty" Smith broke out this season and quickly put themselves in position to play college football.
Edwards and Smith led all of Division 6 in regular season rushing yards and receiving yards, respectively. Smith caught for over 1,000 yards in the regular season and finished with 17 touchdowns. Edwards finished the year with over 1,500 rushing yards, 17 rushing touchdowns, two receiving touchdowns, and a kick return touchdown too. Both put up good numbers in somewhat limited action last season, but neither were the top option at their position on the team for a whole year.
Smith was third on the team with 600 receiving yards and nine touchdowns last year. Now he's been getting D-1 attention from Pac-12 and Mountain West schools since spring/summer ball. He's a college prospect primarily at wide receiver, but is also a strong contributor at FS/CB and for special teams, so he also fits the ATH classification.
Edwards transferred in last season without any film to show coming in. Playing as both a running back and a LB/DB hybrid, he was clearly out of place on JV, and quickly earned reps on the varsity team. Before the end of the year, he had cemented himself in the rotation. This year he was dominant, and reeled in a D-1 offer plus a lot more interested schools in Divisions 1 and 2.
STRONG CULTURE AND COMMUNITY
Apple Valley has a strong internal bond as a community, and most of AVHS's student-athletes grow up together as teammates and friends. The coaching staff coaches youth teams together as well so they know so many of the kids before they even get to high school. Smith is a great example of a born-and-raised Apple Valley product.
Smith and Denegal played peewee football together for two years before high school and have been friends ever since. Smith has been teammates and friends since fifth grade with two other juniors at the same positions in Marquis Cato and Ethan Peratt. Smith also played for their eighth-grade team that feeds in a lot of future Sun Devils, and already developed a relationship with the coaches before attending AVHS.
"The culture is very inviting," said Smith about the football program. "It's like a family once you get here."
The Sun Devils often express their gratitude for their bond between the school and the community. Smith was one of a handful of players to bring up the example of how a large crowd from the town lines up every year to support the team buses en-route to the Bell Game against rival Victorville. They also get an escort from the fire department and police with the football team's battle flags mounted on them.
"Most of the [residents] here went to Apple Valley. They're constantly looking at the football team and how they're doing," said Smith.
"These past couple years have been the best we've been doing. They do a lot to show that they still care, and Apple Valley football still has a part in them."
Edwards was a rare exception for the Sun Devils as a latecomer to the town. And he immediately was treated like family upon joining Apple Valley football, which he has a lot of appreciation for to this day. Knowing that he was going to be entering a reputable program that gets top players college looks was a major reason he embraced the move.
RUN CONTINUES DESPITE TOUGH POSTSEASON LUCK
Despite going 9-1, injury-riddled Apple Valley drew a brutal first round matchup with San Jacinto and lost a 28-21 nail-biter. The Sun Devils were missing star TE/DE Ryan Webster and WR/DBs Ethan Peratt and Gavin Velasquez, and had been playing banged up for weeks, but they still nearly knocked out one of the division's top contenders. San Jacinto went on to defeat undefeated No. 2 Kaiser 17-0, and then lost to La Serna by a touchdown in the semifinals. La Serna only lost the title game to Pacifica (Oxnard) by one point – that's how small the separation was from the top.
Losing a potentially winnable game with some top players perhaps a week away from returning is a painful way to end what was another excellent season during the program's best run ever. Until just a few years ago, 9-1 seasons didn't come around at Apple Valley, who was in Division 10 and struggling to consistently make the playoffs. Until 2017, the Sun Devils hadn't won nine games in a season, even including postseason appearances, since 2006. Now, including playoff games, the Sun Devils have gone 12-1, 10-2, and 9-2 the last three seasons.
'PURPOSE'
Since Matt Rohrbaugh took over as head coach after the 2014 season, one-word mottos have become a critical rallying and organizing force for the team. "Purpose" was the phrase this season. To the players, purpose is about making the hours of year-round training pay off. It's not enough to just go through the motions.
"On the football field, doing things the right way, doing it with purpose–not just because just because you have to, but actually doing it with passion," said Smith.
"For me, elevating my game more because I'm playing to have fun."
Purpose also can involve goals that go farther than high school for some players on the team.
"The big goal is, after high school, what are you going to do next? For [the team's college prospects] there's also the purpose of getting to the next level, getting to do better for your family and for yourself," Smith said. "It's a huge key we're constantly grinding in the weight room and on the field for.
"Truthfully around here, football never stops. Once we lose at the end of the year, we get like a week or two, and then we're instantly back to it. Sixth period. Running, going through plays with whoever we have."
The strong senior class led by Justice and Webster will be missed by the Sun Devils, and the seniors will also miss being a part of the program.
"It's emotional. When you become a senior, it's like it's your last everything," said Justice. "Your last week one, your last Bell Game, your last league-opener. Last playoff run as a high school player."
As much as football is a focal point of his life, it's the people he will miss the most.
"I've never had a team like this that I could really call my family," said Justice. "We're friends outside of football, and everyone on this field is one of my brothers. I'm very thankful for that."
"The hardest thing is going to be leaving all my brothers on the field," Webster concurred.
"This bond that I've built with them throughout the years is one of the closest bonds you can have in your life," said Webster. "Honestly, it's going to be hard to leave it."
Ultimately, everybody who plays high school football will one day be forced to move on. With the young talent up and down the roster and outstanding program infrastructure that coach Rohrbaugh and his staff maintain, there's no reason not to think that Apple Valley is still on the rise, despite losing some key contributors on and off the field.
"A bunch of us believe that next year we can be the best Apple Valley football team to ever come out of this High Desert," said Smith.
Lance Smith, SBLive
Reporter @ SBLive | lance@scorebooklive.com
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MAKKAH: The number of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia passed two million on Saturday, Saudi security chiefs said, as the country finished preparations for the annual Hajj pilgrimage to begin on Sunday.
A final tally will be announced at the beginning of Eid Al-Adha on Tuesday, said Interior Ministry security spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki.
The pilgrims have flown in from almost every country in the world, but all had a similar story to tell — this is the experience of a lifetime.
"This is the first time I have seen the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba. It is the best feeling of my life to be able to perform the Hajj," said Hisham Mostafa, 50, an accountant from Aleppo who fled the war in Syria five years ago and now lives in Turkey.
Nayef Ahmed, 37, from Yemen, sold a plot of land to be able to afford to travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj. "Because of the war the cost was very high. But being here I feel comfort and peace and I pray to God for the war to end," he said.
Over the next few days the pilgrims will retrace the steps of the Prophet Muhammad 14 centuries ago — and their safety and security are a Saudi priority.
"We will prevent any actions that are not part of the Hajj ritual and any act that may impact the safety of pilgrims or their ability to perform the rite," Al-Turki said.
To ensure their safety, pilgrims will wear electronic identification bracelets, connected to GPS. "There is a comprehensive electronic agenda for every pilgrim and we have provided many apps that offer guidance," said the Minister of Haj and Umrah, Mohammed Salih Bentin.
The Hajj is an unparalleled logistical operation, with statistics to match. The Saudi Ministry of Health alone has employed nearly 30,000 physicians, pharmacists, nurses and technicians to provide health care to the pilgrims.
The Saudi Red Crescent is operating 127 emergency centers, 361 ambulance cars and 20 emergency motorcycles, with nearly 2,000 staff on duty in Makkah and Madinah.
There will be 22 operational hospitals in Madinah and the holy sites, and 15 temporary emergency centers, supported by a fleet of nearly 90 ambulances and more than 650 paramedics.


Should You Nap Before or After a Workout?
Home » Sleep Health » Should You Nap Before or After a Workout?
Regular sleep and exercise are critical to leading a healthy and active lifestyle. Hitting the gym regularly without enough sleep and recovery could put your body at risk. The impact of sleep on exercise (and vice-versa) is important to understand so that we can find the right balance between the two.
A good night's sleep can ensure greater alertness and a positive impact on your mood throughout the day. Studies have shown that inadequate (or excess) sleep can affect cognitive and motor performance. It can also contribute to obesity. Exercise, on the other hand, is a great preventive measure against fatal heart diseases, obesity and age-related cognitive decline. Research shows that a lack of physical exercise can lead to chronic diseases. It is crucial to balance levels of sleep and exercise while observing the impact of one on the other.
Sleep is often considered to be complementary to exercise. It helps repair exerted muscles, increasing muscle memory and protein build up. Also, there is an increase in performance and decrease in injury. Just as the right nutrition can aid your workout, adequate sleep can boost your exercise performance.
Limited Strength Training: The growth hormone released during sleep is particularly useful during strength training. It repairs and strengthens bones and muscles. A lack of sleep may limit the weight you could lift during a workout. Your muscles depend on the growth hormone for better performance.
Risk of Injury: It has been observed that minimal sleep increases the risk of injury during exercise. In this study, teenage athletes with less than 8 hours of sleep were 1.7 times more likely to have an injury when compared to those who slept for 8 hours or more.
Risk of Accidents: It can also increase the risk of accidents. This is because sleep reduces cognitive and motor abilities.
Greater Perceived Exertion: The perception of pain and tolerance increases due to a lack of sleep. A study observed that sleep-deprived athletes were more likely to perceive greater exertion (despite no change in heart rate and metabolic rate) when compared to participants with regular sleep. The psychological effect of sleep deprivation will trick you into feeling tired sooner.
While a good night's sleep is essential for a better workout, taking a nap after a workout is debatable. Physical exercise tends to raise energy levels during and immediately after. Once this burst of energy has passed the body tends to feel drowsy and needs refueling. Taking a short nap might be the natural tendency. A post-workout nap has pros and cons.
It can be beneficial to your body as sleep can help repair and grow strained muscle tissue. It also promotes weight loss as repairing muscle tissue will burn fat more effectively. A nap can also be counterproductive. As the body becomes still after intense activity, you may experience muscle cramps. This is especially the case if you skip stretching and hydration.
If you feel sluggish post-workout it is advisable to nap for a an hour. A longer nap might hinder your calorie burn and decrease your metabolism rate. It is also recommended to hydrate yourself to avoid cramping. If you feel your muscles tingling during the nap, drink plenty of water and shake your muscles out.
Many studies have found that exercise can aid those with sleeping disorders. The increase in sleep quality due to a workout has resulted in the suggestion of exercise as a non-pharmacological cure for insomnia. A study found that a physically active lifestyle improved the overall sleep quality. While working out right before sleeping appears to be a concern.
As our days get busier, we resort to working out whenever we can. Most of us pick the end of the day as it is the only time to get some exercise. This may not be the best time to workout. It is widely believed that working out right before bedtime is not conducive to sleep. It may cause post-workout insomnia or result in lighter stages of sleep. However, recent studies have also shown that working out before bed resulted in no drastic change in sleep quality.
Working out at night can be a convenient and preferred option for most of us. Further, it has been observed to be beneficial to sleep quality (if you do not train like an athlete or suffer from insomnia).
The main concern with a high-intensity workout before bed is the rising of cortisol levels, adrenaline and body temperature. Together, these can prevent and hinder sleep right after a workout. In an hour or two, the body begins to return to a relaxed state. This can be a good time to call it a day.
Exercise uses up energy stored in the muscles. This burn of energy is primarily responsible for the tired or 'sleepy' state experienced after the acute energy spike after a workout. Working out relieves you of daily stress by relaxing clenched and knotted muscles. Reducing the physical symptoms of stress can allow you to fall asleep quicker.
Stay Hydrated: Drink ample water before, during and after a workout. Dehydration can often trigger tiredness and make you feel sleepy.
Fuel before and After: Fuel your workout with carbohydrates and replenish lost energy with a meal of carbohydrates and protein.
Sleep Well: Ensure you get a good 8 hours of sleep every night. This will keep you alert and active throughout the day.
Take a Rest Day: If you have been pushing your body too hard, it may be advisable to listen when it is tired. Take a day of recovery and catch up on rest and sleep.
Take a Nap: If you absolutely need to sleep, a one hour nap after your workout can help energize your body and mind.
Aerobic Exercises: You can also do a short run, jump rope, jumping jacks or running up and down the stairs. These must be done one or two hours before bed as they can raise the body temperature significantly.
Yoga: The most conducive exercise for sleep, calming yoga postures can help relax and rewind your muscle after aerobic or resistance training.
A rise in hormonal levels is the primary reason people experience difficulty in sleeping, after a workout. Cortisol is a stress hormone that is released in response to the body exerting itself. This hormone steadily decreases throughout the day and dips during bedtime so that the body is prepared for sleep. However, a workout at this time can cause the cortisol levels to spike up.
Aside from this, adrenaline and norepinephrine will also rise. These hormones are responsible for raising your heart rate, metabolic rate, blood flow to muscles, muscle strength etc. This increases your performance but can hinder the body's ability to relax.
Ideally, these hormones will naturally fall back to the usual levels in time. However, particularly intense workout sessions can result in sustained levels of norepinephrine. The amount of exertion is thus important in cases of post-workout insomnia. In such cases, it is advised to stick to yoga or light exercises during night time.
Another major reason for sleeplessness is caffeine. Some people use caffeine as a stimulant to power particularly strenuous workout. If a large amount of caffeine is consumed after evening, it may keep you up. It can also dehydrate you.
Additionally, exercise elevates core body temperature. Adequate hydration, especially after a workout, can bring down the body temperature. Long workouts of endurance or strength can raise body temperature significantly. This involves further dehydration.
Try doing some cool down stretches. While it is important to stretch before and after a workout, some cool down stretches or calming yoga will soothe your body for sleep. There are particularly postures that can help you relax. Remember to not exert yourself with inversions (upside-down postures like cartwheels).
If possible, schedule your workout to finish three or four hours before you need to sleep. This gives your body ample time to wind down and return to a state of rest. Exercising in the late afternoon can ensure you catch your body's cortisol and body temperature decline. This naturally prepares your body for sleep. You can also consider moving your workout to an earlier time. The best time to workout has been estimated to be between 2 PM and 5 PM. However, it may not be practical to workout at this time. In such cases, it is recommended to workout whenever it is convenient as it will ensure that the habit is sustained.
A light snack after your workout will ensure you get quality sleep. Too much food can cause you to feel bloated, while little food can make you hungry and interrupt your sleep. Opt for a snack that has equal amounts of carbohydrates and protein. You can also drink some chamomile tea to relax the body. Hydration during and post-workout will blunt the cortisol response and ensure you sleep easily.
Do some meditation/deep breathing exercises. This can help bring down your cortisol levels (stress hormone). Mindfulness meditation requires you to pay attention to your breathing and focus on the present. This causes a relaxation response which opposes the stress hormone.
Take a cold shower. This will bring down your body temperature and prepare your body for sleep. Additionally, it will help muscle recovery by decreasing inflammation. It can also trigger sleep signals which will give you deeper sleep.
Sleep and exercise share a bidirectional relationship with each other. Those who lead an active lifestyle have observed better sleep quality, while those who workout cannot ignore the positive effects of sleep and recovery on their overall performance.
Together, sleep and exercise are a combination that promises a healthy mind and body. It is important to be mindful of the timing and intensity of sleep and exercise. This is to ensure that one is not counterproductive for the other. Usually, your body is perceptive to changes and can signal any red flags. Listening to our bodies is the best advice when it comes to sleep and exercise.