Published: Dec 20, 2025 6:50 am

Newtown Travel Basketball kicked off the season, participating in the Milford Knights Tip-Off Tournament that brought competition from 178 teams across four divisions over two weekends of play. Newtown had 17 teams, with six finishing in second place and two teams taking home championships.

Championship Winners:

Platinum Division — Grade 8 Boys’ Gold, coached by Pete Szklarz and Lynn Yeager.

Silver Division — Grade 5 Boys’ Blue, coached by Joe Brown.

Second Place Winners:

Platinum Division — Grade 4 Boys’ Gold, Grade 4 Girls’ Gold, Grade 7 Boys’ Gold, Grade 7 Girls’ Gold.

Silver Division — Grade 4 Boys’ Blue.

Bronze Division — Grade 6 Boys’ Blue.

Grade 8 Champs

The Newtown Grade 8 Boys’ Gold Travel team won the Milford Knights Tip-Off Tournament Platinum Division Championship. After a rough start in pool play, the boys found themselves down 24-4 in the first half to a hot-shooting Milford Knights team. They picked up the intensity on the defensive end with Kellan Kane as the leading rebounder and started moving the ball offensively and were able to cut the lead to four at the half. The second half was back and forth. The relentless effort on defense wore down the Knights, and the Nighthawks won by six. Leading scorers were Bryce Lowe with 17, Kevin Rancourt with 14, and Will Yeager with six.

The semifinal game featured a matchup against a good Westport team. It was back and forth the entire game. The Nighthawks executed down the stretch and hit key foul shots to pull out another close victory. It was a total team effort where everyone contributed on both ends of the floor. Leading scorers were Kevin Rancourt with 19, Bryce Lowe with 12, and Will Yeager with five.

In the championship game against Fairfield, scoring was at a premium for the first few minutes. Once the first basket was scored, Newtown was off and running. Once again the Nighthawk defense forced turnovers and allowed them to get out and score in transition. Offensively, the ball movement was great, which created a number of good looks. Once again it was a total team effort as Newtown cruised to victory by a score of 45-18.

Grade 5 Champs

The Grade 5 Boys’ Blue Nighthawks drew the FBA Demon Deacons and the FBA Hokies in the pool play portion of the Tip Off Classic in Milford. The Hawks split the two games, losing to the Demon Deacons 28-20 but bouncing back to beat the Hokies 26-20, setting the stage for a fantastic run to the championship.

The championship weekend started out with the Hawks facing the FBA Yellow Jackets in the semifinal game. The first half was back and forth, with both teams taking the lead multiple times, but saw the Hawks losing by two at halftime. That would be the last time the Hawks trailed in the game, going on a 18-0 run sparked by timely steals by Owen Boles and Joey Brown which turned into points, setting the tone for the rest of the game. The Hawks kept pressure on the Yellow Jackets until the final whistle, with Grey Antoinette and Owen Boles leading the team in scoring. Thomas Glovaski and Levi Garrison were beasts on the perimeter on defense, stifling the Yellow Jacket guards.

The Hawks couldn’t celebrate too long, having a small break before facing off in the championship game against the FBA Demon Deacons, setting up a chance at redemption for the Hawks from their pool play loss to the Demon Deacons the previous weekend. The game started with both teams playing tight defense, holding the game scoreless on both sides for the first six minutes. Eventually both teams found their rhythm, however, it was the Demon Deacons leading by four at half. The Hawks were able to regroup and keep the game close in the beginning of the second half, but the Demon Deacons extended the lead to six with under six minutes to play in the game. Even though the lead seemed out of reach at the time, the Hawks stuck together and played the best five minutes of basketball of the game at the end. Grey Antionette led the way, scoring six unanswered points and finding a cutting Brady Singer on a fast break, and Singer hit a jump shot to take the lead by two with one minute left. The Hawks stood tall on defense led by Joey Skura and Santi Puebla, holding the Demon Deacons to tough shots. The game was iced by two key free throws from Brady Singer on a 1-and-1 foul shot and second free throw to push the lead up to four with ten seconds left. The Hawks won 26-22. Hawks centers Billy Harrington and Paxton Rotas had their hands full on defense all game, having to guard players much larger than them but limiting their points and securing key rebounds.

The fifth grade Boys’ Blue team captured the Milford Knights Tip-Off Tourney title. Pictured are, from left, front: Thomas Glovaski, Joey Skura, Grey Antoinette, Santiago Puebla, Joey Brown, and Brady Singer; and back: Paxton Rotas, Levi Garrison, Coach Joe Brown, Owen Boles, and Billy Harrington. —photos courtesy Newtown Youth Basketball Association

The Grade 8 Boys’ Gold team won the tourney title. Pictured are, from left, front: Kellan Kane, Mikey Paloian, Reid Keil, Liam Cooney, Ryan Szklarz, Kevin Rancourt, Davis Gottschalk, and Cian Lahey; and back: Assistant Coach Lynn Yeager, Reed Sgagliardich, Will Yeager, Bryce Lowe, and Coach Pete Szklarz.

The family of Tyler Skaggs has settled a lawsuit with the Los Angeles Angeles after the pro baseball player died from a drug overdose in 2019. 

His family filed the civil suit in June 2021 after the pitcher died of a fentanyl and oxycodone overdose in Texas on July 1, 2019.

Two of the organization’s employees were also named as the family claimed Angels communications director Eric Kay supplied the illicit substances, and former Angels vice president of communications Tim Mead was or should have been aware of Kay’s alleged drug use and distribution of drugs to players on the team.

“The death of Tyler Skaggs remains a tragedy, and this trial sheds light on the dangers of opioid use and the devastating effects it can have,” a spokesperson for the Anaheim, Calif.-based Major League Baseball team said in a statement shared with PEOPLE on Friday, Dec. 19.

“Throughout the course of court proceedings, both parties searched for a path to a mutually agreed upon resolution and a confidential settlement has been reached,” the statement concluded.

PEOPLE reached out to Rusty Hardin, the attorney representing the Skaggs family, for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

“The Skaggs family has reached a confidential settlement with Angels Baseball that brings to a close a difficult six-year process, allowing our families to focus on healing,” the family said in a statement provided to ESPN. 

“We are deeply grateful to the members of this jury, and to our legal team. Their engagement and focus gave us faith, and now we have finality. This trial exposed the truth and we hope Major League Baseball will now do its part in holding the Angels accountable. While nothing can bring Tyler back, we will continue to honor his memory.”

The late athlete’s family was seeking $118 million in potential lost earnings plus added damages, but the exact terms of the settlement have not been made public, according to the outlet.

At the time of his death, the Angels were scheduled to play the Texas Rangers in Arlington in the first game of a four-game series. The game was postponed following Skaggs’ death.

“It is with great sorrow that we report Tyler Skaggs passed away earlier today in Texas,” the Angels wrote in a post to its official X account. “Tyler has, and always will be, an important part of the Angels family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Carli and his entire family during this devastating time.”

On the one-year anniversary of his death, Skaggs’ mother, Debbie Hetman, and his widow Carli spoke out in their first on-camera interview distributed through TMX.news.

“I’m sad all the time. Less numb, but sad, heartbroken that I don’t have my son here,” Hetman said. “It’s not gonna be the anniversary I look forward to ever.”

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Mead left the Angeles before Skaggs’ death to become president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but later resigned from that position in April 2021.

In October 2022, Kay was sentenced to 22 years for his involvement in Skaggs’ fatal overdose.

GRAND FORKS — Regional Youth Assessment Center leaders believe their work may fly under the radar at times. They also believe YAC programs have positively impacted the entire region.

Often, people “don’t know anything about it,” said Lt. Don Doyle, director of certified shelter care and attendant care.

Juvenile detention is a secure environment designated for youth who are required to be held in custody while they go through court proceedings for an alleged offense. It has been offered in Grand Forks for decades but, in more recent years, it has evolved into the YAC, offering certified shelter care and attendant care for youth ages 10 to 17.

Attendant care also houses youth who are going through court proceedings, though the space is designated for less severe offenses that don’t call for a secure environment. Shelter care is intended for youth in crisis, like someone whose guardian is facing a medical emergency, or someone having issues with foster placement.

“Most of the kids who come through shelter care are foster care kids who are having difficulty in the current foster home they’re in, so they’re placed here until they can find another foster home,” YAC Administrator Robin Spain said.

Facility staff are trained to screen juveniles and determine the appropriate placement for them. They do this work for youth throughout northeast North Dakota.

As one of the few facilities in the state with space and the required certifications, the YAC houses youth from Grand Forks County and beyond, even providing space for juveniles from outside the state, when necessary.

“I think having all three programs here has made such a positive impact — not even just in Grand Forks, but the whole area,” Spain said.

Lt. Samantha Lappe, juvenile detention director, said more than half of the kids in custody are from outside of Grand Forks County.

“There just aren’t many placement areas in the state of North Dakota,” she said.

The state’s two other juvenile detention centers don’t hold anyone from outside of their counties, and Fargo’s center closed because additional adult space was needed, Lappe said.

Out-of-county residents are common on the non-secure side of the center as well. Shelter care is particularly limited; the YAC may be the only certified location in the state, according to Spain and Doyle.

Doyle believes it would be nice for the community to see what YAC staff do, and what motivates their work. Gesturing to the shelter area during a recent tour of the facility, Doyle emphasized that “this part here is totally (about) trying to help out kids in the community — kids who have nowhere else to go.”

The YAC was

relocated in August.

It previously was

located behind the Grand Forks County Courthouse,

but is now at 1711 N. Washington St., attached to the Grand Forks County Correctional Center. The new YAC was part of a $33 million county construction project that also

expanded jail capacity.

Though attached, the youth and adult facilities operate separately.

Lappe said a handful of kids transitioned from the old building to the new one. In her opinion, there was a visible difference.

“With it being so bright and open, I’ve noticed a big shift in a lot of the kids,” she said. “They all seem to be a lot more positive. Getting that natural sunlight really makes a difference.”

Spain said she’s noticed a positive impact in her staff as well, due to the light as well as the larger space.

The detention center’s capacity remains the same, though there were previously eight rooms that could hold two residents if necessary, though Lappe said it wasn’t ideal. There are now 16 separate rooms across five units, and each unit has a day room that allows residents to get out of their rooms more often.

The outdoor recreation area is now located just outside the main detention space, so kids have more opportunities to get outside as well. Lappe said the fresh air makes a big difference.

In recent years, the number of kids housed at the facility has gone down, but the severity of offenses has risen, Lappe said.

Violent charges, including those with weapons, have increased for both males and females. Though the majority of youth in detention are male, the gap in charges between males and females has drastically reduced, Lappe and Doyle agreed.

“It’s a scary world out there for kids right now,” Spain said.

With the prevalence of social media, she feels bullying and peer pressure never end. Kids want to fit in, and they turn to drugs ranging from marijuana to methamphetamine, either to avoid judgment from their peers or to self-medicate for mental health struggles, Spain said.

Human trafficking is also a concern, she said, though many may not realize it.

“I think people just think, ‘Oh, this is small-town North Dakota, this doesn’t happen here,'” Spain said. “It does.”

She said there have been kids brought to the YAC because they were being trafficked, and others are discovered to be victims of trafficking later on. She feels part of the issue goes back to peer pressure, wanting to fit in and ending up in dangerous situations.

“Adolescent life is so chaotic right now, and they just have so much going on internally,” Spain said. “To have all of those different variables thrown at them at the same time, it’s just been causing chaos.”

She and the staff hope to create a fresh start by focusing on trauma-based training, recognizing what many of the kids have been through and being a positive presence in their lives.

“I know there are a lot of kids who have been here numerous times who turn their lives around, and they actually come back and talk to (someone on staff) and thank them for turning their life around,” Spain said. “That’s what the ultimate goal is.”

By JOSEPHINE TAKIGUCHI

Mondays.

Mamu and Papa.

Every week, that was always the routine. Ever since I was a little girl, Monday was the day to spend with Mamu and Papa.

Not Grandma and Grandpa.

Not just Mamu, or just Papa. Mamu and Papa.

Nothing about Mamu and Papa has changed since I was little. The large house. The tall driveway. The big pool in the backyard next to the looming hill sprouting kaki and nashi pears, or the cupboard stacked with Fugetsu-do mochi. Every Monday, same routine. As the world around us changed, time continued to tick. Time continues to tick, and tick, and tick. But not with Mamu and Papa.

Time. Another one of the many things that never changed about Mamu and Papa. Time and time again, Monday rolls around and we all gather to enjoy Mamu’s home cooked tonkatsu and sunomono. My mom asks Papa how his back is feeling, as Mamu wears her same bright blue apron in the kitchen to listen to her opera and make more tsukemono appetizers.

“So Dad, how’s your back feeling?” My mom says, reaching over to grab a slice of tonkatsu.

“It’s good, it’s good,” Papa says, pouring tonkatsu sauce over his plate. “Went to the doc the other day to check it out. Everything’s normal.”

“That’s great!”

My brother and I quietly slice our food, listening to the chatter amongst everyone else — the same, routine conversations and catch-up small talk. Mamu has changed the radio station to basketball, and turned it on the TV. The Los Angeles Lakers are playing.

Mamu and Papa have loved basketball ever since their youth. Raising my dad and uncle, they helped manage his basketball team to watch them grow up and play. Papa was the coach, and Mamu always prepared the refreshments for the game. Following in their footsteps, my parents now help around with me and my brother’s basketball team. My dad is the coach, and my mom helps bring the snacks.
Basketball is a big part of our lives.

Of course, basketball was our sport. Since the moment my brother and I could run, we were playing basketball every Sunday for the JA League (Japanese American League).

As time continued to tick, we were starting to play more games. Sunday was always game day, and Game Day was always at Terasaki Budokan.

I was never a star-player for basketball, and my brother was always better than me. I only went to play the games for the sake of my teammates and our “after-the-game” walk to Marukai Market, or a quick brunch at Cafe Dulce.

Mamu and Papa were always at my games. I’d be sitting on the player bench the entirety of the game, and they never left. Time, and time again. Mamu and Papa always watched my games.

One day, after one of my games, my parents had left me with Mamu and Papa to spend the day with them. I picked up my oversized basketball bag that made me look like a floating head from the back, and walked over to where Mamu and Papa sat on the bleachers.

Mamu, sitting with her book, and Papa, with his bulky fall-proof iPad, got up from the bleachers and made their way over to me.

“Mamu and Papa! Hey!” I exclaimed, speeding up the pace.

“Hey there kiddo, nice game today,” says Mamu, nodding her head with that same sweet smile she always wears.

“Ready to go?” asks Papa.

“Yeah, let’s head out. Where are we going next?” I say, beaming with excitement.

We walk out the door, and head down the sidewalk back to the parking lot. I grab Mamu and Papa’s hand as we walk slowly together, one step at a time.

We arrive in front of Weller Court, and pass by the Kizuna Friendship Knot on our way to find something quick to eat. After a few loops around the plazas, we decided we wanted red bean manju—Papa’s favorite.

Mamu suggests that we make our way over to a quieter, more peaceful spot to enjoy our manjus. Papa and I nod our heads in agreement, while in reality, the only thing in our heads is that sweet, red, delectable dessert.

Since the beginning of our walk, I haven’t let go of Mamu and Papa’s hands. The only time was to allow Mamu to pick up the bags with the red bean manju.

“Hey, let’s take a break here. I’m getting a little tired, kiddo, the walk has been pretty long.” Papa sighs, slowly coming to a stop.

“Okay, we’ll rest here,” I say, nodding my head as Papa lets go of my hand to pull up a chair and sit under the shady Aoyama Tree.

Mamu, who was a few steps ahead, turned around after noticing our footsteps weren’t trailing anymore.

“Gosh, you guys, you could’ve given me a warning before I started walking too far,” Mamu complains, swinging her arm up out of frustration. She slumps back over to the table, Papa grinning a sly smile.

“Okay now what’s that face for — stop laughing at me!”

“Am I not allowed to smile at my wife?”

“Smile at me again, and you’ll betcha’ no red bean manju!” Mamu says, as she swipes the plastic “Thank You!” bag behind her chair. Papa leans back and chuckles.

I watch the two of them, happy to be here. Happy to be with them. For a moment, time comes to a brief, yet long halt. I sit at this old, still, bench next to two people who have been my life since the start. I’m used to this reminiscent feeling by now. I enjoy my time with them. We all bite into our manjus.

Papa begins to tell stories after we all eat, and I’ve been folding origami with Mamu. We have many conversations about time in the war, and afterwards we visit the Aratani Movie Theater to watch a movie. We watch a movie, and I notice the wall of people’s names I’ve never seen before. In gold, I read Mamu and Papa’s names outloud. Mamu and Papa then talk about how they met at this theater for their first date after college, and they both made the donation to get their names placed on the wall. They got their names on there because even to this day, their names signify that they are still together in the same moment of time, as if they never actually left.

When we finish eating, we make our way past the hall of greenery and toward the Go For Broke Monuments with the list of people’s names. I walk around and Papa shares stories of his time in the war, memories, and moments.

We talk about his childhood, how he remembers driving away from his house and watching the looters raid his home as he drove farther and farther. He talks about his sister being born in the horse stall there because of the conditions, and how hard it was for him to leave behind his home and other friends. Mamu doesn’t remember because she was too young, but her recollection was of packing her things, and she loved her red fancy coat dress. She even wore that little red fancy coat dress in one of the pictures at the internment camps. Her same, bright sweet smile, and short black hair.

I check my phone and realize it’s getting close to the time we were supposed to return home. We absorb one last look at the monument, and walk back to the car.

On the car ride home, we all sing songs together and laugh about our adventures around Little Tokyo. Time is all mine. Nothing can interrupt this endless moment.

When we return to Mamu and Papa’s house, my parents are there to pick me up. In the car, I watch the trees and buildings zoom by and my eyes fall heavy and close.

Tomorrow is Monday.

The school bell rings and I walk to the car to catch a ride home. Once home, I pack my homework and head to the car. Today is Monday.

Mamu meets me at the bottom of the steps and we tend to her garden at the front. We all gathered around to enjoy Mamu’s home cooked tonkatsu and sunomono. Mom asks how Papa’s back is feeling, and Mamu is in the kitchen. Same routine. While we eat, Papa brings up the topic of college and we discuss what I plan to do for my future — which is weird, since I never would’ve considered him to be interested in that sort.

When dinner ends, I help bring the dishes to the sink and put things away.

Papa comes up to me after dinner, which isn’t part of our routine. I normally don’t talk to him apart from dinner on Mondays. He looks up at me.

“I won’t be here much longer, but I’ll try my best to stick around to watch you graduate from college.” Catching me off guard, I process what he says.

For the first time in my life, as I stared at Papa, time started to move differently. Instead of Mamu and Papa, it was my surroundings and the outside world that seemed to stay still and freeze for a moment, and I stared as my time with Mamu and Papa flashed before my eyes. For the first time in my life, I could see the way they aged.

I noticed the missing grey hairs that used to fill the top of his head, and the glasses that changed as his eyesight got worse.

I noticed the creases under his eyes and the corners of his sweet smile that couldn’t reach as high up on his face as it used to.

I noticed Mamu’s hair had gotten shorter, and lighter. I noticed how much slower they walk, how their hearing has worsened.

I noticed how my mom’s normal question about Papa’s back wasn’t such a normal question anymore.

I finally realized I’m not their little girl anymore.

I’m not their little girl who could barely reach the top of the table with my mini pink chopsticks. I’m not their little girl with her high-pitched voice singing in the car ride with them anymore. I’m not their little girl that fits right into their laps anymore and they can tuck me in and read me bedtime stories.

And as I stared at Papa, I thought to myself. For the first time in my life, I had realized — that I was running out of my time with you.

Josephine Takiguchi is an incoming junior at Granada Hills Charter High School. Growing up in Los Angeles, she joined the San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center, where she played basketball and volunteered at cultural events. Josephine was a member of the LAUSD Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, where she contributed as the students’ voice on improving student experience. This year, she participated in the 21st Rising Stars Youth Leadership Program. Josephine also founded a nonprofit for food allergy awareness to advocate for those with food allergies like her. As with most teens, she enjoys spending time with her friends and going out. She also comes from a big family and enjoys spending time with and babysitting her baby cousins.

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