Early morning Basque sunshine is threatening to break through Take the first turning off the main road and you will come across Real Union’s bar gentle music is playing as a couple of locals enjoy a coffee The artificial pitch used for training is opposite and Real Union’s first-team players have started to trickle out for today’s session.  where Aston Villa manager Unai Emery’s footballing foundations were formed a sovereign community of just over 60,000 in the Basque Country about a 25-minute drive east of San Sebastian and four kilometres from Emery’s family home in Hondarribia The Athletic is visiting on the weekend Emery guided Villa into the FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace next month to add to their two-leg Champions League quarter-final with Paris Saint-Germain This is all a world away from the footballing company Emery If you sit high enough up in the ground’s largest stand you can see buildings that sit on French soil a short distance away to the left and just over the Bidasoa River which runs past the stadium and serves as a natural border between the two countries its waters flowing between and around three small uninhabited islands in midstream To your right and behind the opposite goal 1924 and 1927 — the years this club won the Copa del Rey “The reason we are here is because of those years,” Real Union president Igor Emery the siblings acquired a controlling stake in this Spanish third-division side “We have family in the history of the club because I was born in 1980 and even my brother but we know all about what he did at the club because of all the things he told me and my three brothers “We would come and watch Real Union all the time I used to play for the academy when I was 13 and started as a goalkeeper The four Copa del Rey trophies are now proudly displayed in the conference room where we’re sitting including keeping a clean sheet against Real Madrid his greatest moment across 110 appearances Antonio’s brother Roman had featured in the 1918 win against Madrid FC who became Real Madrid a couple of years later the Emery name was central in three of the four trophy wins within 14 years.  another of the four brothers along with Igor has been the chief groundsman here for the past two years “This project can personally be made for us and our family,” Igor says “We are working together to get the club right and to go higher (in the Spanish league system) We are still in a position where Real Union shouldn’t be “Unai and I started talking about taking over because our other two brothers are not so involved in football and because we would always speak about how Real Union were doing just as Unai left Arsenal and being in the pandemic everything accelerated in us buying the club.” Unai and Igor spoke to the previous owners and Ricardo Garcia who served as president for two decades and had turned the club into a public limited sports company having gained knowledge of the inner workings of a football operation from accompanying Unai when he managed Paris Saint-Germain and later Arsenal we were not talking about me being the president,” he says “We were talking about trying to help effectively but how to solve them when you are inside is not the same as when you are outside or in the stands.” the Emerys have restored stability off the field While staving off relegation from the third division is the short-term priority long-standing staff say the family’s support has transformed the club with wages unpaid and their stadium ageing rapidly professionalism has increased and unsurprisingly due to the association of a certain Emery brother the club have been incorporated into V Sports the group which owns Villa as part of its multi-club model the seats were white and full of rubbish,” says Ricardo Costa a player at Real Union for seven years and now their goalkeeping coach for the past 19 We had a lot of problems with money and getting paid He is tasked with shaking Real Union out of the deep-rooted malaise and taking them back towards those former glories Along with fellow Basque sides Athletic Club and Real Sociedad Real Union was among La Liga’s founding members in 1929 Founded in 1915 after two breakaway teams (Irun Sporting Club and Racing Club de Irun) were knitted together — which owed to the mediation of Alfonso XIII the King of Spain and hence the name “Union” — the early years were plentiful Those four Copa del Rey triumphs ensued between 1913 to 1927 (the first of them won by Racing Club de Irun) The club’s peak years mainly lay in the early part of the 20th century and have firmly stayed in the past Real Union suffered relegation from Spain’s top division in 1932 and have never been back “Irun doesn’t have the economic potential of other major cities the character here is quite humble and simple If you add the fact that the average age of our fans is quite high then the truth is that we don’t make as much noise as we should “We have been fighting to revive old glory we achieved our last promotion to the second division in a season that was also historic — we eliminated Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in the Copa del Rey (on away goals after the two-leg tie finished 6-6 on aggregate) we couldn’t maintain our status and fell back into hell.” Hondarribia to the north is busier and more aesthetic boasting a coastline that looks across the river estuary towards France and historic stoned buildings.  the Gal Stadium is an unusual hive of activity The first team are playing later against FC Andorra — this season’s first Friday home game — and will welcome the visitors’ owner and president Gerard Pique the former Barcelona and Spain defender who helped the national team win the 2010 World Cup and the European Championship two years later commercial partners are converging in the hours before They are shown around the stadium and Igor gives a speech pitchside at the tour’s conclusion Unai Macias Fernandez is Real Union’s head of communications but in truth Matchday duties include writing for the website “What you don’t get at most places are those incredible mountains,” he says The right-back from the second team works at the club there are three or four people (running things) only me in communication and another person helps in marketing.” Gal Stadium was built in 1926 and has had small cosmetic uplifts since to reach a 5,500 capacity Its name derives from the generosity of local businessman Salvador Echeandia Gal who gifted 313,000 pesetas (£1,580 in today’s money) to buy this plot of land beside the river The stadium’s inauguration was marked with a match against Barcelona.  Graffitied walls surround the artificial training pitch the first team are getting their session in during the morning before retiring in the afternoon for a siesta “Here is where the academy trains,” Macias Fernandez says “They train as young as 12 and we now have lots of teams.” in volume and the quality of players,” adds Mikel Bengoa “We’re improving training methods at grassroots level.” Senior figures are bustling around the stadium going out of their way to introduce themselves breaking away from his usual tradition of a coffee every morning.  There are several cogs to the overall machine but no part is more influential than the Emerys though yet to materialise on the pitch (Real Union are 15th in a 20-team league) son and father of goalkeepers,” says Costa You can imagine the importance that Real Union has always had in his family The four brothers have absorbed Unionism in their home since they were children I sincerely believe they’ve let their feelings guide them to buy us — with their hearts more than their heads I’m sure their grandfather and father would be proud.” “The Emery family’s first objective when they bought Real Union was to provide financial social and institutional stability so that it wouldn’t disappear,” says Bengoa they aimed to honour the families who made Real Union great in the past.” The family’s synergy with Real Union is unequivocal starting locally in Hondarribia before joining Real Sociedad I have a certain sense of responsibility with my father and grandfather I have that responsibility towards my land,” the Villa manager said after taking ownership of the club What we have to do is recover that feeling in Irun it would be for Real Union to be in the first division I want to ensure Real Union also has its place It has just reached midday and two men are out on the pitch a lawyer and trusted confidante of the Emerys The Emerys are fiercely proud of where they were raised “Born in Hondarribia” is the first sentence on Unai’s Instagram bio and he was close to tears when he received the town’s “gold badge” from the local council in November 2022 to commemorate his achievements in management Dancers dressed in traditional green and white colours welcomed him into a packed town hall who made a speech — watched him collect the honour.  Unai Emery owns all of these characteristics,” said mayor Tom Sagarzazu A post shared by HONDARRIBIKO UDALA (@hondarribiko_udala) societal themes had to be considered when returning to Real Union Many supporters — “Unionistas” — had lost faith “The fans were not coming anymore,” says Igor “The club had a debt with nearly everybody here and they were not taking care of the academy The biggest value of this club is our four cups yet they were behind a cupboard with other smaller ones “You can try to bring good players with a lot of money but sports is different They invested a lot of money but the results weren’t coming It changed when Unai came because they changed the way they are working.” If Villa’s manager can only have a slight focus on Real Union at the moment,  then it does little to ease the tension of him watching their matches from his house in Birmingham when the schedule allows He is in continual communication with Igor and head coach Albert Carbo who took over in December after being part of his backroom team at Villa last season The 34-year-old draws on Emery’s expertise on footballing matters “He is 200 per cent focused on Aston Villa but will have attention on Real Union when he can,” Igor says “Tonight he will watch the game and yesterday he was telling me that he was nervous Emery’s presence across both clubs naturally lent itself to a more formal partnership between Aston Villa and Real Union the latter came under the V Sports umbrella The idea was for a cross-pollination of ideas where Villa players could be loaned to Real Union coaches would join them and the general setup would be enhanced through Villa’s data and methodology “Villa staff often come to Irun to monitor the players we’ve loaned,” says Costa “The relationship is very fluid and enriches us We exchange reports and share work methodologies and databases including travelling to Egypt and meeting ZED FC staff; players from Vissel Kobe a top-flight Japanese side Villa collaborate with the aim was to bring talent here and to develop them for their return to Villa.” “Unai comes out a few times a year,” adds James Wright a 20-year-old goalkeeper on a season-long loan to Real Union and one of four Villa players to have made such a move in the past two years “I have weekly meetings with the goalkeeper coach (back at Villa When time goes on and you start to learn what people are saying you do feel pride that you made the move.” Real Unions’ shareholders ratified an agreement that saw V Sports turn their working partnership into a financial one Board members approved a capital increase of €4.5million in exchange for V Sports having a 25 per cent stake.  we can be in the Spanish market and French market,” Igor says “It’s a way for V Sports and us to have control of a lot of players “My goal is to go into the professional league — La Liga 2 or La Liga and then the second ambition is to be promoted.” V Sports co-owner Wes Edens visited Gal Stadium in February and was pictured with Igor holding Real Union’s away shirt the claret and blue pallet is in homage to Villa’s home kit On Saturday Wes Edens was watching our game at Stadium Gal. Thank you for your visit and support! pic.twitter.com/eohpLuWuNX — Real Unión Club Irun (@REALUNIONCIRUN) February 24, 2025 “We would like to explore our partnership with Villa more,” Igor admits “We agreed to change the away kit to engage Villa supporters We knew it was going to be appreciated and we also got Adidas because of their partnership with Villa (fellow co-owner Nassef Sawiris owns a six per cent stake in the sportswear giant Real Union are recapturing local supporters while adding more from hundreds of miles away in the English Midlands the squad spent a week at The Belfry hotel and golf resort which is less than a mile from Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training centre They used the Premier League club’s facilities before getting a tour of Villa Park and playing a friendly match against League Two side Barrow Staff were pleasantly surprised to see their Villa-inspired shirts among the crowd that day “We are very grateful for the partnership and it gives us more opportunity to sell more shirts,” Igor says Dusk has turned to darkness and the other side of the French border is no longer visible The attendance for the FC Andorra match is lower than the average of about 1,000 due to the change in fixture date to a Friday evening Real Union do not have the fizz in their passing to break lines or sufficient precision from cutback crosses as the rain showers start towards the end of the game the point from a goalless draw is an important one against their sixth-placed visitors “Having the support of a club as great as Aston Villa gives us a sense of security that allows us to work with peace of mind,” says Costa “Now a new capital increase has been approved we’re going to have a significant financial boost Our feelings about the future are unbeatable.” Jacob is a football reporter covering Aston Villa for The Athletic. Previously, he followed Southampton FC for The Athletic after spending three years writing about south coast football, working as a sports journalist for Reach PLC. In 2021, he was awarded the Football Writers' Association Student Football Writer of the Year. Follow Jacob on Twitter @J_Tanswell Clashes between police and suspected members of the Northeast Cartel left 22 people dead in Coahuila after gangsters attacked a small town in the northern border state The Coahuila government said that eight gunmen and four state police officers were killed in clashes on Saturday in Villa Unión a town about 65 kilometers south of the border city of Piedras Negras Police killed seven more suspected cartel members early Sunday as they traveled towards Nuevo León after fleeing Villa Unión The other two people killed were unarmed civilians who were kidnapped by criminals The newspaper Milenio reported that that two municipal Civil Protection workers and a 15-year-old boy were abducted in Villa Unión on Saturday The boy is believed to be one of four minors who were kidnapped but subsequently rescued by authorities Governor Miguel Ángel Riquelme Solís said Monday that the death toll had risen to 22 after the discovery of the body of one of the attackers He also said two people have been arrested The deaths of the cartel sicarios and police on Saturday occurred during a confrontation that lasted more than two hours Armed men traveling in pickup trucks emblazoned with the initials CDN (Cartel del Noreste) entered Villa Unión at about midday Saturday and attacked municipal police and the municipal offices triggering a state police operation that turned into a lengthy gunfight that claimed 12 lives Rapid gunfire can be heard on videos posted to social media by local residents while photographs taken after the gun battle showed burned out vehicles and the bullet-ridden façade of the municipal building A church and some 30 homes were also damaged during the clash A resident identified only as Martín told Milenio that he and other locals hid in a shop while the gunfight occurred We were told that they [the suspected cartel members] the motivation for the cartel’s attack on the small town was unclear Villa Unión Mayor Narcedalia Padrón Arizpe said in a television interview that the town is usually very calm Municipal public security director Jonathan Vallejo told reporters that seven of 10 municipal police officers deserted the town after the attack we’re focused on returning peace to the residents of the municipality Sunday’s clash occurred on a road known as “La Brecha del Gas” that connects Villa Unión with the Nuevo León municipality of Anáhuac The government said that suspected cartel members were located thanks to an air and land search 18 weapons and a large quantity of ammunition from the criminal group on the weekend Governor Riquelme said that several gunmen stole vehicles to flee Villa Unión and kidnapped locals to guide them out of the town on dirt tracks The Saltillo newspaper Zócalo reported that one of the stolen vehicles was a hearse on its way to a funeral The vehicles of two men from the United States in Coahuila on a hunting trip were also hijacked by suspected cartel members The men were reported as missing but were later found “safe and sound,” police said The violence in Coahuila came just days after United States President Donald Trump said that Mexican drug cartels would be designated as terrorist organizations The United States attorney general is scheduled to meet with authorities in Mexico this week to discuss bilateral security cooperation but President López Obrador has repeatedly stressed that he will not accept any U.S ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC The union representing workers at a Pickering long-term care home are once again criticizing management – this time over an alleged heating outage SEIU Healthcare says it had to bring in space heaters on Sunday for the kitchen staff at Orchard Villa who had been wearing their winter jackets while preparing meals The union says the home had provided a personal-sized space heater for the large industrial kitchen They allege the freezing conditions extended from the kitchen to the dining hall In a letter sent to the Southbridge CEO on Monday SEIU Healthcare demanded “accountability for leaving workers and seniors in freezing conditions for a period of at least five days.” “Failure to properly act in the face of [minus-20] degree temperatures is cruelty to workers,” wrote President Tyler Downey in a letter on Monday to Southbridge Care Homes “It’s inhumane and beyond corporate mismanagement.” Downey went on to publicly call for the Ministry of Labour to inspect the situation “It’s the job of the employer to protect workers,” he added Orchard Villa has been in the news on several occasions in recent years Health care advocates have been appealing to the legal system to prevent a 30-year license extension along with the construction of a new building on the site Orchard Villa was one of the subjects of a scathing military report in 2020 At least 78 deaths were linked to the first wave of COVID-19 notify us by selecting that text and pressing Ctrl+Enter ON L1J 8P5 | 905-571-1019 | newsroom@kx96.fm Suspected cartel members shot at Villa Unión’s mayor’s office before being chased by police Security forces have shot dead seven more suspected cartel gunmen after a weekend attack on a northern Mexican town bringing the death toll to 21 and adding fuel to a debate about whether the gangs should be deemed terrorists The government of Coahuila state said 10 gunmen and four police were killed in shootouts on Saturday in Villa Unión, days after Donald Trump fanned bilateral tensions by saying he would designate cartels as terrorists The gunmen peppered the Villa Unión’s mayor’s office with bullets and state police pursued the gang members after they fled the town killing seven more in the early hours of Sunday the Coahuila government said in a statement The events in Villa Union add to a series of recent security lapses that have raised doubts about the containment strategy of the Mexican president who took office a year ago pledging to get a grip on chronic gang violence López Obrador said on Friday he would not accept any foreign intervention in Mexico to deal with violent criminal gangs in response to Trump’s comments is due to visit Mexico next week to discuss cooperation over security US and Mexican criticism has focused on the 4 November killing of nine women and children of US-Mexican origin from Mormon communities in northern Mexico, and the armed forces’ release of a son of the drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman under pressure from cartel gunmen in the city of Culiacán although the homicide total in the state that borders Texas is well below where it was seven years ago Homicide figures are pushing record levels across the country as a whole A soldier walks past City Hall that is riddled with bullet holes Mexico (AP) — When dozens of pickup trucks crowded with armed men and mounted machine guns roared into Villa Unión border began to realize they were the target of a military-style invasion What followed were hours-long gunbattles between a cartel force estimated to number 70 to 150 men and state police that left 23 people dead At least 50 homes and buildings were riddled with bullet holes authorities found about 20 abandoned vehicles some with machine-gun turrets and welded armoring; the doors of many were professionally printed with the initials of a drug cartel At least four had .50 caliber mounted machine guns Residents claimed there were at least twice that many pickups the Coahuila state government raised the death toll by one from 22 previously and said 10 suspects had been arrested most of whom asked that their names not be used for fear of reprisals A local roast chicken stand began heating up the rotisserie Saturday for the day’s business “Ever since Thursday night we had been having good sales; a lot of people showed up for Turkey Day,” said an employee at a food stand in town’s main square Workers repair the facade of City Hall riddled with bullet holes “My brother-in-law counted 50 trucks but there were more on the other side of town,” said one man One shop owner counted 20 trucks but stopped counting when he saw that some had Texas plates—or no plates at all He knew that meant they weren’t police Others began seeing pickups with the letters “CDN” on their side “CDN” stands for “Cartel del Noreste,” or “Cartel of the Northeast,” one of the splinter groups of the old Zetas The shop owner who noticed the odd license plates dove into his shop and hid behind the counter The attackers descended from their vehicles with assault rifles and as soon as the shopkeeper closed his door “You don’t know what to think at a moment like that an ambulance and a police patrol truck were shot up A shop’s windows are riddled with bullet holes near City Hall after a gunbattle in Villa Unión a grandmother pulled her two grandchildren into an armoire to shield them as a hail of gunfire rang through the town “It seemed like an eternity passed,” she said parish priest Federico de los Santos was in his church along with a half-dozen parishioners when the gunfire began They threw themselves to the ground as the bullets flew One young man who was walking down the street in the town’s center when the gunfire broke out pounded on a food stall where the 71-year-old owner was starting to roast chicken He banged until the owner let him in to take cover “I’d never seen a shootout like that except in the movies,” said the stall’s owner A pocket of light illuminates a statue of the Virgin Mary in Villa Unión The attackers abducted three civilians: two local firefighters and an employee of the town’s public works department apparently intending to use the civilians as guides to escape along the dirt roads that circle the town National Guard soldiers arrive in Villa Unión sequential fire from assault rifles and the steady chatter of machine guns in long bursts The gunfight lasted for an hour and a half and left four state police officers and at least nine attackers dead A school bus with bullet holes sits parked outside City Hall in Villa Unión Residents began to sweep the shattered glass and bullet casings from the streets also appeared alive but traumatized hours later The attackers had left him far outside of town Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. We don’t flood you with panic-inducing headlines or race to be first We focus on being useful to you — breaking down the news in ways that inform We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today The attack comes days after President Trump announced he wants to label Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations by Catherine Kim LinkThe city hall of Villa Union, Mexico riddled with bullet holes following an attack by a drug cartel. Gerardo Sanchez/AP PhotoAt least 21 people have died due to a battle between Mexican police officers and cartel gunmen just days after President Donald Trump said he planned to label Mexican drug cartels as terrorists a town near the Texas border with Coahuila state on Saturday and attacked local government offices and 10 gunmen and four policemen were killed during the resulting shootout in the village Seven additional cartel members were killed by security forces after the attackers fled The attack will likely fuel Trump’s argument for categorizing drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations,” just as groups like al-Qaeda He has a history of seeing drug cartels as a major threat and often cites the cartels in stump speeches about the need to build a wall on the US-Mexico border Trump’s latest position on the cartels has alarmed a number of experts because it could give the president license to use US military force against the groups without authorization from the Mexican government Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has made it clear that he will not allow foreign intervention, and has offered to increase cooperation with the US on fighting drug gangs instead, according to Al Jazeera His government already works with the US intelligence community and drug and law enforcement officials from the State Department to combat cartel violence there hasn’t been a foreign intervention in Mexico and we cannot permit that,” López Obrador said at a news conference on Friday “Armed foreigners cannot intervene in our territory.” Things, however, aren’t looking great for López Obrador, who was elected into office in 2018 in part on a platform of cracking down on cartels. Murders are at a record high rate, according to the Los Angeles Times: There have been 29,414 homicides so far this year in comparison to 28,869 in the same period in 2018 — which was already considered an all-time high Attorney General William Barr is supposed to visit Mexico next week to discuss joint security efforts and the most recent gun battle in Villa Union fresh in everyone’s memory all eyes are on what will come out of his meeting with Mexican officials Although Trump has long pointed to Mexican drug cartels as a problem, they resurfaced as a key issue for him after gang members ambushed a US Mormon family traveling in northern Mexico on November 5 Six children and three mothers were killed “This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth,” Trump tweeted following news of the ambush Trump was also likely encouraged to intervene after the Mexican government failed to detain El Chapo’s son Although the notorious drug lord’s son was captured on October 17 the police released him shortly after they were ambushed by other gang members By categorizing drug cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations,” the US would be able to sanction those who support the groups and bar associates from entering the country It could also open doors for the US military to use force against the cartels And although reclassifying cartels as terror organizations wouldn’t automatically authorize the president to launch overseas military operations many are worried that Trump could attempt to push the limits It’s also unclear how effective this designation actually would be. The cartels are well funded and well established, and as Vox’s Alex Ward has reported, many Mexicans see cartel violence as a problem created by US policy: “There is no political will in Mexico to invite US troops in. It is both an issue of nationalistic pride and an understanding in Mexico that what fuels drug cartels are weapons sold to them in the United States and drugs consumed by Americans,” Jana Nelson, a Mexico expert at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington, DC, told me. “From the Mexican perspective, the root cause of violence is on the other side of the border.” “Cutting the cartel’s access to military-grade weapons, bought in the United States and smuggled into Mexico, is an effective way to limit the their firepower,” Nelson continued. “Intelligence coordination between the Mexican and the American government for operations against the cartels is also effective, especially when using the Mexican Navy for operations, which is less likely to tip off drug cartels.” It is unlikely that López Obrador will ever be on board with a US military intervention, partially because it would mean the death of his political career. But with rising homicide numbers in Mexico and the issue of border security being one that animates his base, it also seems unlikely that Trump will back down anytime soon. Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day, compiled by news editor Sean Collins. The end of the de minimis exemption, briefly explained. How a terrorist attack put the neighbors on the armed conflict. His administration is great at breaking things — but it’s failing in its bigger goal. Trump’s “51st state” talk brought Canada’s Liberals back from the dead — and undermined a key American alliance. It could be a brand-new day for Canadian politics. Alee Young scored 15 points Saturday and Chloe Rossi was named tournament MVP as Fort LeBoeuf won its own tip-off tournament with a 42-34 win over Erie improved to 2-0 and Erie dropped to 1-1 on the season LeBoeuf went on a 15-5 run in the second quarter to take a 23-14 lead at the half The two teams played evenly in the second half as the Bison remained perfect through the opening weekend LeBoeuf hosts Seneca on Thursday and heads to the Hickory tournament after Christmas to end 2021 Emily Samluk and Jillian Soder added eight points apiece for the Bison Saturday Arianna Mitchell paced Erie with 12 points Hope Garrity scored 25 points on a school-record seven 3-pointers to lead the Tigers to a win in the Harbor Creek tip-off tournament Saturday while the Huskies dropped to 1-1 to start the season Harbor Creek led 21-20 at the half and 30-29 after three quarters before Fairview ended the game on an 11-8 run Freshman Brooke Przybylski continued her hot start to the season with 16 points for the Huskies and Rylee Kapsar added 12 the Lancers ended the game on a 15-8 run to pull out their first win of the season on Saturday North East led 24-19 after three quarters before the McLane rally Avery Van Dyke led the Lancers with 14 points and Louisa Opp added seven Alex Cozzens paced North East with 13 points Girls action, opening night: Erie County girls basketball teams post big wins the Bears improved to 2-0 with another dominant defensive performance on Saturday Cathryn Reynolds paced the Bears with 13 points followed by 12 from Jessica Messenger and eight by Michayla Magee Avery Phillips led Meadville with nine points the Wildcats used a 12-2 run in the second quarter to build a six-point cushion and hang on for another win Saturday Northwestern trailed 11-7 after the first quarter before taking a 19-13 lead at the half Chloe Yazembiak had another big game with 10 points to lead the Wildcats and Taylor Stagl added nine Tayler Elchynski led Corry with eight points and Rachel Brady added seven the Victors swept their Border Battle this weekend with a win on Saturday afternoon Villa Maria improved to 2-0 and heads off to Las Vegas this week for the Tarkanian Classic Carissa Dunham led the Victors with 19 points followed by Daniela Shaughnessy with 11 and Jayden McBride added eight Anna Tranum and Olivia Kulyk combined for 34 points to lead the Lakers to their first win of the season in the Slippery Rock tournament while Mia Mangini scored nine and Shannon Stevenson added eight for the Lakers Chasie Fry led Sharpsville with eight points The Hillside Villa Tenants Association is engaged in one of the longest rent strikes in the history of Los Angeles Their struggle has become one of the longest lasting rent strikes in the history of the city as dozens of tenants have not paid a dollar of rent in over three years Their efforts have also been notable for the radical demand they have placed on the city: expropriation the tenants have demanded that the local government use the process of eminent domain to take the building from the landlord and keep it permanently affordable But the new year also brings a new battlefield: eviction court as 35 families have now been served unlawful detainers The first batch of lawsuits was filed in September 2023 and the latest ones were filed and served to tenants just days before Christmas of the same year While the Hillside Villa tenants’ struggle began in response to threats of enormous rent increases to get to the point where more than 30 families were willing to entirely withhold their rents The tenants won an initial, interim victory back in 2019 by using the courts to their advantage Legal aid lawyers were able to demonstrate that the landlord did not comply with state notice laws related to increasing rents on buildings that were formerly subject to affordability restrictions This forced the landlord to negotiate with the city to keep rents low for 10 years in exchange for certain subsidies yet this deal collapsed by the fall of 2019 The long-threatened rent increases resurfaced and became a reality in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the landlord serving notices of rent increase to take effect in October 2020 This is when the first large group of tenants began the rent strike but then quickly reissued to take effect in February 2021 with dozens of families completely unable to pay the rent strike expanded to more than 30 households HSVTA has kept its eye on the ball and has not stopped fighting for expropriation of the building through eminent domain “We are poor people, we are elderly people, we are families with small children, and we cannot pay the rent that the landlord is demanding,” explained Rosario Hernandez, a resident who has lived at the property since 1988. Hernandez knows the impacts of eminent domain well: She was displaced from her previous home when the city expropriated land in the area to make room for the Los Angeles Convention Center “The landlord will not stop,” she continued “He will do everything he can to raise the rent and get us out and that is why the city must take the property from him.” After years of fighting the prior council member for their area, Gil Cedillo, in May 2022, HSVTA won a historic city council vote that instructed the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) to take the first steps in moving towards expropriation LAHD was instructed to conduct an appraisal of the property’s market value and make an offer to the landlord to purchase it rather than ask the tenants themselves to allow access which has of course resulted in further delays the appraisal — ordered to be conducted nearly two years ago — still has not happened notifying her that the Hillside Villa building would be placed in a “Special Location” file for increased awareness among the local command This is a salient example of the heads of two major city departments working in concert to protect landlords In early February, the city council passed a motion introduced by council member Hernandez asking for a report back on the situation from the Housing Department it has been communicated to HSVTA that the council member’s and mayor’s office expect this report to include some sort of deal made with the landlord — negotiated entirely behind closed doors without input from the tenants — that may effectively sink the prospects for eminent domain Tom Botz has made his choice: He would rather spend tens of thousands of dollars paying his lawyers to throw 35 families onto the streets than negotiate a solution for the city to take ownership of the building — and pay him tens of millions of dollars in the process — so that the community could benefit That all 35 families will be represented in court is above all a testament to the tenants’ organization and fierce struggle Any tenant lawyer or organizer in Los Angeles knows the difficulty of winning the lottery-like process to get an eviction defense attorney as a low-income tenant This is one of the extremely important lessons here: It is precisely because of HSTVA’s collective political battle over the last five years that they have been able to accomplish the otherwise impossible task of finding lawyers for 35 families at once Community-minded lawyers at various nonprofit organizations across the city have stepped up and will vigorously defend the tenants in court — almost certainly with other organized tenants from LATU and CCED at their backs The story of Hillside Villa has vast implications for the battle between landlords and tenants over land in Los Angeles and exposes the weakness of the government’s response to this dire situation The tenants’ organizing begs the question: If supposedly progressive politicians cannot bring themselves to expropriate even one building from a landlord from Malibu how do they expect to tackle the extraordinary crisis we are living through While the tenants are confident they will win in court they also know that victory in the legal system is not enough; the landlord can try again the city must take bold action to put the Hillside Villa Apartments under public or community control as the tenants and their movement have been vigorously demanding is clear about the larger stakes involved: “I am fighting these evictions so that my children and grandchildren have decent housing We must also be organized for others in this city who are in the same situation and have the same fight we are witnessing a terrifying array of anti-democratic tactics to silence political opposition increase surveillance and expand authoritarian reach Truthout is appealing for your support as Trump and his sycophants crack down on political speech Nonprofits like Truthout could be caught in Trump’s crosshairs as he attacks dissenting groups with bad faith lawsuits and targeted harassment of journalists these attacks come at a time when independent journalism is most needed The right-wing corporate takeover of media has left reliable outlets few and far between with even fewer providing their work at no cost to the reader Who will be there to hold the fascists to account We ask for your support as we doggedly pursue justice through our reporting Truthout is funded overwhelmingly by readers like you Please make a tax-deductible one-time or monthly donation today Lynn Ta is a labor lawyer and housing justice organizer in Los Angeles Chinatown. Jacob Woocher is an eviction defense lawyer and an organizer with the Los Angeles Tenants Union. As Trump and his sycophants work to silence political dissent, independent media is a key part of the resistance. Support our work by making a one-time or monthly donation to Truthout today. Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The Northeast Cartel attacked police and the municipal building in Villa Unión on Saturday in an attempt to take control of the area to run drugs The attack by the cartel’s military wing Hell’s Army left 23 people dead who confirmed the cartel’s plans to take over the region “The statement [of the attackers] is confidential but I can say that we have found that the route to the United States is attractive to the criminal group for the trafficking of people arms and drugs,” said Coahuila Attorney General Gerardo Márquez He said about 50 civilians opened fire on the municipal building in Villa Unión where they were met by 15 police officers who fought back until other security forces arrived The cartel hitmen were ultimately driven away from the town but not before they had taken several people hostage Officials reported that all the hostages were later released The area resembled a ghost town after the attack three closed schools and most people too scared to leave their homes to attend Sunday mass at the local church The National Guard installed a base of operations in Villa Unión on Monday to secure the town we are going to establish personnel here permanently to provide more confidence to the people of Villa Unión and we’re going to coordinate with the municipal authorities so that they can start carrying out their normal activities,” said National Guard coordinator Rubén Barraza Sources: Milenio (sp) It was an extremely violent weekend in northern Mexico as a series of shootouts between security forces and a cartel left at least 21 people dead near the U.S. border. The killings come mere days after President Donald Trump vowed to designate Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations which was met with lots of opposition from Mexican officials The bloodshed in northern Mexico began at around noon on Saturday when members of cartel drove into Villa Unión which is around 35 miles southwest of Eagle Pass and proceeded to unleash a hail of gunfire on the town hall Videos and photos of the aftermath showed the town hall riddled with bullet holes A total of 14 people were killed in the shootouts Saturday The government of the northern state of Coahuila then said that security forces had killed an additional seven gunmen early Sunday Ahorita en villa unión coahuila pic.twitter.com/IU4SQlyhvn Así vivieron en Villa Unión, Coahuila, la balacera protagonizada por integrantes del Cartel del Noreste.Leer más... https://t.co/lIgl1OTFYz pic.twitter.com/A7wIOS0UOC who were believed to be members of the Cartel of the Northeast Although cartels have often engaged in fierce battles to control smuggling routes there are no signs that any rival cartel was targeted in the shootout El gobernador Coahuila,Miguel Ángel Riquelme,informó desde la presidencia municipal de Villa Unión,que tras los enfrentamientos entre policías y miembros del Cártel del Noreste, el saldo es 7 civiles armados abatidos, a reserva de 3 que falta por identificar, y 4 policías muertos pic.twitter.com/ZHAjppGP9N This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The Non-Public A & B Championships kicked off the action on day one it was a pair of repeat champions headlining the afternoon Villa Walsh completed the three-peat with 59 points This is the sixth title overall for the Vikings Villa Walsh gained an advantage with victories in the DMR (13:39.07) Benedict’s Prep on its way to a runner-up finish (48) Montclair Kimberley finished third with 38 points The Union Catholic boys continue to dominate the relays The Vikings were unbeatable in the relays on Wednesday afternoon Union Catholic also won the SMR in 3:43.79 and DMR in 11:08.73 which finished as the runner-up with 58 points For a staff report on the meet, click here. The N.J. High School Sports newsletter is now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter) Greg Patuto can be reached at gpatuto@njadvancemedia.com Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardToll at least 21 after Mexico cartel attack near U.S borderAt least 14 people died after Mexican security forces engaged in an hour-long gun battle with suspected cartel gunmen in the town of Villa Unión about an hour’s drive southwest of Eagle Pass MEXICO CITY — Mexican security forces on Sunday killed seven more members of a presumed cartel assault force that rolled into a town near the Texas border and staged an hour-long attack The Coahuila state government said in a statement that lawmen aided by helicopters were still chasing remnants of the force that arrived in a convoy of pickup trucks and attacked the city hall of Villa Union on Saturday Miguel Angel Riquelme said at least 14 people had died by that afternoon He also said then that several municipal workers were missing It wasn’t clear if they had since been located The reason for the military-style attack remained unclear Sunday Cartels have been contending for control of smuggling routes in northern Mexico but there was no immediate evidence that a rival cartel had been targeted in Villa Union The new statement did not give a new death total but said seven more attackers were killed on Sunday in addition to at least seven who reportedly died the day before Three other bodies had not been identified The governor said the armed group — at least some in military style garb — stormed the town of 3,000 residents in a convoy of trucks attacking local government offices and prompting state and federal forces to intervene Bullet-riddled trucks left abandoned in the streets were marked C.D.N — Spanish initials of the Cartel of the Northeast gang Several of the gunmen stole vehicles as they fled and kidnapped locals to help guide them on dirt tracks out of town At least one of the stolen vehicles was a hearse headed for a funeral according to the newspaper Zocalo of Saltillo The town is about 35 miles (60 kilometers) south-southwest of Eagle Pass and 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the town of Allende — site of a 2011 massacre involving the Zetas cartel in which officials say 70 died Rapid gunfire could be heard in videos posted to social media along with frantic people telling friends to stay indoors Images of the aftermath of the shootout showed burned out vehicles while the facade of Villa Union’s city hall was riddled with bullets The governor said security forces would remain in the town for several days to restore a sense of calm senior Mexico analyst for the non-profit Crisis Group said there are few incentives for armed groups in the country to refrain from violence “Solving this issue — which underpins impunity — would have to be the centerpiece of an integrated security strategy But such a thing is yet to be presented by (President) López Obrador and his team,” said Ernst “The price of that absence is not least the flaring up of regional conflict scenarios.” Mexico’s murder rate has increased to historically high levels inching up by 2% in the first 10 months of the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador Federal officials said recently that there have been 29,414 homicides so far in 2019 compared to 28,869 in the same period of 2018 The November slaughter by Mexican drug cartel gunmen of three women who held U.S citizenship and six of their children focused world attention on the rising violence Saturday’s attack also showed cartels again resorting to quasi-military operations in a brazen challenge to state authority a massive operation by the Sinaloa cartel prompted the federal government to release the captured son of a drug lord and pull back the army which found itself outmaneuvered on the streets of Culiacan President Donald Trump said in a radio interview last week that he plans to designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations though he declined to say what actions might follow that designation Mexican officials have opposed such a designation Coahuila state itself has been far from the worst-hit part of Mexico amid violence in recent years The government census bureau’s survey of public perceptions of security found that Coahuila ranked well this year with only three other states having a higher public perception of safety EASTON – A picture of the patriarch of Buddy's Union Villa hanging on a wall of the popular Easton grill and bar made it into the movie “Stronger” starring Jake Gyllenhaal that hit theaters nationwide last week The framed picture of Edmund “Buddy” Richard who died in 1998 after he established the Union Villa in Easton with his wife about 40 years ago was placed on the set by his family when the big-budget movie was filmed there in April last year “We snuck a picture of my father onto the wall and it made it into the movie,” said Linda Sykes one of Richard’s children who are now co-owners of the bar also said he was glad to see his father immortalized as a background prop in the “Stronger” movie which is about Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman “My father was a great guy,” EJ Richard said So to have his legacy on the silver screen is pretty amazing.” who saw the film the night it premiered last week said she went to the AMC Braintree late Thursday night not knowing whether she’d make the director’s cut She and her grandfather’s photograph were in the movie momentarily but Callahan said she was pumped to see “Stronger,” especially after the producers left her guessing about whether they made the director’s cut “They said you’ll have to wait and see,” she said especially at the beginning and in the middle Gyllenhaal at one point in the film drives out of the Union Villa parking lot with a wide shot of the outside of the restaurant Callahan said she may be partial due to how much the family business appears in the movie but she thinks “Stronger” could win an Academy Award The movie is causing a buzz with customers at the Union Villa which was decorated to look like a bar called “The Brickhouse” in Chelmsford “Everybody’s been talking about it,” Callahan said The film also shows Gyllenhaal and others playing Bauman’s friends fooling around on the swing set in a small park next to the restaurant EJ Richard said that it was amazing how a location scout for the movie came in one day and then was followed by a bus load of crew members measuring the restaurant The movie production company made a wooden sign that said “Brickhouse” as a prop but it was modeled after the “Buddy’s Place” sign that hangs inside the Union Villa EJ Richard said the “Brickhouse” sign still hangs over the bar EJ Richard said he appreciates the subject of the film and respects all of those who suffered terrible injuries as a result of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 but all the people who were hurt that day – it’s just amazing EASTON – A popular Easton restaurant that recently played host to a Hollywood movie was broken into and robbed Sunday Easton police responded to Buddy’s Union Villa on Washington Street about 6:50 a.m after a cleaning company on scene reported a past break-in said Easton Deputy Police Chief Keith Boone “The investigation revealed that phone lines were cut on the roof Officers found an outside door appeared to be forced open and was the point of entry for the break-in the cash registers were damaged and an undisclosed amount of cash was taken,” Boone said indicating the break-in occurred after that time The restaurant typically opens at noon on Sundays the Villa will be open at 3:00 this afternoon,” the restaurant wrote on Facebook we hope to see you for a pizza and a drink tonight.” Buddy’s Union Villa recently was home to filming of “Stronger,” a movie based on a book with the same name written by Jeff Bauman a victim who survived the Boston Marathon bombings Police aren’t sure if one or more people broke into the restaurant One of the owners didn’t immediately return a call to The Enterprise early Monday evening Don't Underestimate The Power Of Water The upper-air weather pattern over North America last week has been an extreme one that has yielded record-breaking results An area of low pressure in the upper atmosphere that pushed into California on Monday dove southward into Mexico where it became mostly detached from the main jet stream to the north This allowed it to stall over northern Mexico resulting in rare March snow for parts of that country and extreme flooding in the southern United States the jet stream built north over southeast Canada where an expansive area of high pressure both aloft and at the surface of the earth has resulted in extreme warmth early in the season Below is a rundown of the three extremes caused by this extreme weather pattern The area of low pressure that formed in northern Mexico was unusually strong and cold for that area strong upper low appears to be an unprecedented event in modern weather observations for Mexico," said Bob Henson in a wunderground.com blog snow fell throughout Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains some high-valley locations even saw snowfall from this storm system Zacatecas International Airport (elevation 7,141 feet) in north-central Mexico reported thundersnow Wednesday Moderate snow was reported there once again Thursday morning Snow was also observed Thursday morning at Durango International Airport which is located at an elevation of 6,102 feet Guadalajara is at a latitude lower than Miami and even Havana its elevation of about 5,200 feet in combination with the cold nature of the low pressure system allowed snow to fall there This is reportedly the first snow in Guadalajara since December 1997 The same upper low that brought snow to Mexico is also one of the ingredients for the major historic flooding that has occurred in parts of east Texas Louisiana and southern Arkansas this past week parts of northern Louisiana and southern Arkansas had been drenched by more than a foot of rain Locally 20+ inches of rain had fallen near Monroe The airport in Monroe received 12.62 inches of rain in just over 24 hours Tuesday evening into Wednesday evening making it the wettest March on record there in about one days time The official total there had since climbed to just under 19 inches by Thursday evening a monthly rainfall total of 20.67 inches made this March the wettest overall month on record at Monroe (MORE: Extreme Causes Flooding in the South) With the low centered over northern Mexico this placed the most hard hit areas on the east side of the stalled storm system deep moisture was pulled north from the eastern Pacific Ocean to southern Mexico the western Gulf of Mexico and into the south-central United States the moisture has been ramming into a stalled frontal boundary in the region leading to a focused area of excessive rainfall To the east of the upper low a ridge of high pressure in the upper atmosphere strengthened and bulged northward across the eastern states to start last week in combination with southerly surface winds around high pressure off the East Coast has led to unprecedented warmth for so early in the year in parts of the Northeast at least 14 locations in Northeast saw the warmest temperatures on record for so early in a calendar year: New York: 81 degrees (This was also 40 degrees above the average high of 41 degrees for the date)Allentown Pennsylvania: 80 degreesBoston: 77 degreesBinghamton Connecticut (Bradley Int'l): 81 degreesMount Pocono New Jersey: 82 degreesNew York City: 77 degreesPhiladelphia: 82 degreesPoughkeepsie more than 50 major reporting sites from the Ohio Valley to East Coast reported daily record high temperatures on Wednesday New Jersey set another record for warmest so early in the season when the thermometer reached 81 degrees setting a warmest so early in the season there Additional daily record highs were set on Thursday up and down the East Coast from North Carolina to Maine We recognize our responsibility to use data and technology for good We may use or share your data with our data vendors The Weather Channel is the world's most accurate forecaster according to ForecastWatch, Global and Regional Weather Forecast Accuracy Overview strong upper low appears to be an unprecedented event in modern weather observations for Mexico,\\\" said Bob Henson in a wunderground.com blog snow fell throughout Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains Moderate snow was reported there once again Thursday morning.  Snow was also observed Thursday morning at Durango International Airport which is located at an elevation of 6,102 feet.  even saw a coating of snow in some areas This is reportedly the first snow in Guadalajara since December 1997 Pennsylvania: 80 degreesBoston: 77 degreesBinghamton Connecticut (Bradley Int'l): 81 degreesMount Pocono 50+ high temperature records broken or tied today across the northern half of the Eastern US. pic.twitter.com/CN0ate65rD \\nDon't Underestimate The Power Of Water Snow will blanket parts of northern Mexico through Friday giving areas south of the border the first snow of the season before some cities in the U.S Cold air has already plunged down the Plains crossing the Rio Grande River into northern Mexico A reinforcing blast of cold air is expected to make that same journey by later Wednesday into Thursday a potent jet stream disturbance will plunge southward from the Rockies and combine with another disturbance coming from the Desert Southwest to provide lift and moisture in the atmosphere for precipitation in northern Mexico and West Texas The result will be snow developing late Wednesday in the Big Bend of Texas spreading south into northern Mexico's states of Chihuahua northern Zacatecas and Nuevo León Thursday before tapering off late Friday are expected to be in the highest elevations of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains in Coahuila state with some accumulations over 6 inches also expected in the higher peaks of Chihuahua and Nuevo León as well as the mountains in the Big Bend of Texas Some light accumulations are also possible in the city of Chihuahua – at an elevation of roughly 4,600 feet – though recent warmth makes it uncertain how much will be able to accumulate on paved surfaces A few wet flakes of snow also can't be ruled out in the city of Monterrey even at a much lower elevation of around 1,700 feet The mountains surrounding the city of over 1 million will likely see heavier snow totals This snow may also occur before some northern U.S cities have seen their first snow of the season Omaha and Pittsburgh had yet to record measurable snow this season All typically do so by mid-November in an average year the words "Mexico" and "snow" don't appear to go together In March 2016, an unusually deep plunge of the jet stream wrung out snow as far south as Guadalajara, Mexico the first time it had been witnessed there since December 1997 Chihuahua typically sees measurable snow a couple of times each winter according to Weather Underground weather historian Christopher Burt This happened just a few days after New Year's Day 2013, Burt wrote, and also occurred during the bizarre South Texas Christmas 2004 snow event Snow is even rarer still in Monterrey, Mexico about 3,000 feet lower in elevation than Chihuahua However, an early-January 1967 storm produced an incredible 20 inches of snow in the city in just eight hours it's not uncommon to see the surrounding mountains of Mexico City covered in a thin blanket of snow at times there have been two instances of snow in Mexico City itself: during the aforementioned January 1967 storm Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been an incurable weather geek since a tornado narrowly missed his childhood home in Wisconsin at age 7. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter We recognise our responsibility to use data and technology for good giving areas south of the border the first snow of the season before some cities in the U.S spreading south into northern Mexico's states of Chihuahua northern Zacatecas and Nuevo León Thursday before tapering off late Friday possibly up to a foot, are expected to be in the highest elevations of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains in Coahuila state with some accumulations over 6 inches also expected in the higher peaks of Chihuahua and Nuevo León Some light accumulations are also possible in the city of Chihuahua – at an elevation of roughly 4,600 feet – though recent warmth makes it uncertain how much will be able to accumulate on paved surfaces A few wet flakes of snow also can't be ruled out in the city of Monterrey Omaha and Pittsburgh had yet to record measurable snow this season the words \\\"Mexico\\\" and \\\"snow\\\" don't appear to go together In March 2016, an unusually deep plunge of the jet stream wrung out snow as far south as Guadalajara, Mexico Chihuahua This happened just a few days after New Year's Day 2013, Burt wrote, and also occurred during the bizarre South Texas Christmas 2004 snow event Snow is even rarer still in Monterrey, Mexico However, an early-January 1967 storm produced an incredible 20 inches of snow in the city in just eight hours it's not uncommon to see the surrounding mountains of Mexico City covered in a thin blanket of snow at times there have been two instances of snow in Mexico City itself: during the aforementioned January 1967 storm Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been an incurable weather geek since a tornado narrowly missed his childhood home in Wisconsin at age 7. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter. Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account Board members and officials from Villa Marconi pushed back this week against union concerns about management of the Ottawa long-term care home Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience union officials called on the Ontario government to investigate the home citing supply shortages and ongoing pay issues among other things said they had been forced to wash and dry residents with pillow cases and sheets at times because of shortages of available clean towels during a media conference at the centre that is attached to the long-term care home board officials and others denied those claims By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of The Evening Citizen will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. “Our goal is to make a better life for 128 residents that are here Our only objective is to give them the highest level of care possible at our home They are our guests and we treat them with the utmost respect,” said Antonio Mariani chair of the board of directors at Villa Marconi Mariani addressed one of the key issues raised by members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees during last week’s demonstration in front of the home: vacation pay that is still owed to employees from early in the COVID-19 pandemic Union officials say about $400,000 is still owed to staff from a period early in the pandemic when they were not allowed to take vacation Mariani acknowledged the home had an “inherited problem that we are still living with” involving back pay for vacation but the home has asked the union for 12 months to pay it interim executive director of the Villa Marconi long-term care said the home had “adequate supplies on all shifts we have backup supplies as well.” Shane said officials monitored the stocks and inventory for all supplies and replenished them “when there is feedback” or when they saw they needed to be replenished “We do not ask anyone to clean any residents with paper towels or pillow cases We provide them with the supplies and materials they need,” Shane said Shane showed reporters a supply cupboard on one of the long-term care floors It was mainly empty with a few towels and some linens Shane said that towels and linens would be re-stocked in mid-afternoon — and that they were used to clean and dry residents when they got up in the morning and before bed Mariani said part of the issue around owed vacation pay was that a company that had worked as a subcontractor in charge of payroll went bankrupt and it was difficult to find records of hours worked during the pandemic He said some workers had been overpaid as a result of the confusion The long-term care home has been managed by the private company Responsive Health Management Inc Members of the board also noted the home had paid its employees increases owed under Ontario’s Bill 124 which capped public-sector wage increases to one per cent annually They said the home was waiting for that money — around $450,000 — to be repaid by the province The long-term care home is part of a larger centre that members of the board describe as “the hub of the Italian community” in Ottawa the complex houses a banquet hall and meeting area hundreds of people were attending a Christmas lunch Members of the city’s Italian community raised money to help build the long-term care home and the centre Ongoing fundraising continues to support the long-term care home Mariani also said staff could come forward with any concerns to the board told the Ottawa Citizen earlier that they repeatedly raised issues around supply shortages and were either accused of taking towels and face cloths home or were told it would be looked into without resolution CUPE national service representative Sherry Wallace said workers in laundry and housekeeping were so short-staffed that they didn’t have time for breaks and said at least one had to leave the floor and go do laundry at the start of shift so there would be clean towels to use Wallace also said workers went “above and beyond” for residents transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account Registration has been successfully completed Make a new account if you don't have one yet Puedes ver la versión Española de BeSoccer.com You can see the English version of BeSoccer.com Vous pouvez voir la version French de BeSoccer.com Puoi vedere la versione Italian su BeSoccer.com Você pode ver a versão Brasileira de BeSoccer.com However Uefa prohibited the partner clubs – Brighton and Union Saint-Gilloise; Villa and Vitória Guimarães; Toulouse and Milan – from exchanging players via sales or loans before the end of the summer transfer window next year The clubs will not use any joint scouting or player database.” Uefa drafted rules on multi-club ownership 25 years ago to protect the integrity of its competitions when the teams could be drawn to play each other during the season Uefa-appointed investigators evaluated three cases in recent weeks The governing body noted the “significant changes by the clubs and their related investors” to comply with the rules that “substantially restrict the investors’ influence and decision-making power over more than one club” Brighton can make their European debut in the Europa League after persuading Uefa’s club finance panel that their owner does not also have decisive influence at Union who are in the Europa League qualifying playoffs Aston Villa’s owners reduced their stake last week in the Portuguese club Vitória and both teams will enter qualifying rounds for the Europa Conference League The French Cup winners, Toulouse, go into the Europa League despite ties to the American investment firm RedBird Capital Partners, which owns the Champions League team Milan If Milan come third in their Champions League group they would drop into the Europa League knockout stages Uefa rules give priority to the team that placed higher in their domestic league The lower-ranked team risked being removed Free daily newsletterKick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football The multi-club rules were most famously tested in 2017 by RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg whom Uefa let enter the Champions League together despite both being part of the Red Bull group no transfer limits were imposed and the clubs have continued to trade often between each other Friday’s ruling ended the prospect of Tottenham OttawanewsVilla Marconi, board refute union allegations about hygiene careBy Katie GriffinPublished: December 17, 2024 at 6:49PM EST Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved In a decision handed down by the Nova Scotia Labour Board on February 19 Wynn Park Villa nursing home – and all employers – are reminded that they cannot violate workers’ rights to form a union which are protected by the Nova Scotia Trade Union Act The 113-page decision declares that the employer did engage in unfair labour practices in February and March 2021 during a union organizing drive by CUPE 5483 The decision upheld the union’s complaint that the employer had violated the Trade Union Act when representatives of the nursing home questioned and intimidated workers about their union involvement “We are pleased with the labour board’s decision It’s the right of all workers to join a union free from interference or intimidation,” says CUPE Nova Scotia President Nan McFadgen we will always stand together to defend our legislated rights.” The full decision, which will be posted to Canlii also states that there is no evidence to support the employer’s claim that the union behaved improperly A new vote will take place shortly; however the union has concerns that employees hired after the date of the first vote held in March 2021 will not be eligible to cast a ballot in the upcoming vote Ontario K1G 0Z7 Tel: (613) 237-1590 Fax: (613) 237-5508  Toll free: (844) 237-1590 Unai Emery's brother, Igor (middle), is the Real Union Club president(Image: Photo By Arnaitz Rubio/Europa Press via Getty Images)Aston Villa's partnership with Real Union Club will continue to blossom as several youngsters are expected to join the Spanish club on loan this summer Villa are working alongside the third-tier side after they became the latest club to fall under V Sports' global network of clubs late last year Egypt and Portugal respectively are also connected to Villa Real Union appointed Villa's former under-21 coach Inigo Idiakez as their manager in December He had worked with Josh Feeney and Tommi O'Reilly at Bodymoor Heath READ | Aston Villa can now sign player Steven Gerrard targeted for £50m on free transfer READ | AC Milan could offer Aston Villa transfer boost before looming FFP deadline Feeney made eight league appearances for the club while on loan and started the final three games of the season O'Reilly played twice after suffering an injury early on in his spell who was the coach at the start of last season returned in April to take over from Idiakez after he was dismissed not long into his tenure Union play in the third tier of Spanish football and their president is Igor Emery Unai bought a controlling stake in the third-tier club two-and-a-half years ago They are a LaLiga founding club that has fallen on hard times in recent years Since their relegation from the second tier in the 2009/10 season Union has remained in the third division of Spanish football Emery’s father and grandfather both played for the team based in Irundarra just three miles from where the 52-year-old grew up was a stalwart of Union and played 110 games for the Spanish club from 1928-1935 also played 15 games for Union from 1957-59 He too was a goalkeeper by trade and played for nine clubs during his 16-year career Union's away kit for next season will be claret and blue, as seen here just like Villa's will be after president of business operations Chris Heck and Nassef Sawiris struck an exciting agreement with one of the big two market leaders in sports apparel Sawiris has a six per cent stake in the company Click here to join our Aston Villa WhatsApp Community to receive the latest news and transfer headlines. Arda Guler set to start in crucial El Clasico for Real Madrid Wayne Rooney slams Ruben Amorim after Man Utd’s 4-3 defeat to Brentford Currently considered one of the best football managers in the world Emery has previously coached many top clubs he transformed the Birmingham club from a mid-table team into one of the best in Europe qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 1983 While Emery is globally known as a top manager few know that he also owns a football club in his hometown he is now the owner of the iconic Basque club Real Union Though Emery never played for Real Union in his own career—starting his football journey at Real Sociedad's academy—his family is closely connected to the club which was one of the founding members of La Liga Both his grandfather Antonio and father Juan played for the club Real Union Club won the Spanish Copa del Rey three times (1918 and 1927) and was one of ten teams that participated in the inaugural season of La Liga in 1929 was the club's goalkeeper at the time and made history as the first goalkeeper to concede a goal in La Liga when Jose Prat of Espanyol scored against him in the 5th minute These were the golden years of Basque football with most top-tier teams coming from this northern Spanish region clubs like Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad took over Real Union was relegated in 1932 and never returned to La Liga spending most of their history in the third division Unai Emery purchased a majority stake in the club where his father and grandfather once played and his brother Igor Emery became the club’s president In their first season under Emery’s ownership missing out on the promotion playoffs by just two points they narrowly avoided relegation to the fourth tier Aston Villa announced a strategic partnership with the Spanish third-division club led by Wesley Edens and Nassef Sawiris (owners of Aston Villa) V Sports owns 100% of Aston Villa and has partial ownership of Portuguese club Vitoria Guimaraes (29%) This partnership has resulted in the loan of three talented 19-year-olds from Villa’s youth academy to Real Union the Basque club boasts players like goalkeeper James Wright (who started his career in Manchester City's academy) central defender Finlay Munroe (a product of Chelsea's academy) and highly-rated Colombian defender Yeimar Mosquera for whom Villa paid 475,000 euros to Colombian club Orsomarso this past summer and when they return to Birmingham—I’m sure—they will be even better than they are now," said Igor Emery by purchasing his hometown club and connecting it with his current employers promotion to the Segunda Division is a realistic goal Real Union fans wouldn’t mind some memorable moments in the Copa del Rey The last time they made headlines was in 2008 when they sensationally knocked out Real Madrid (3-2 Real Madrid's lineup included stars like Raul If the partnership with Aston Villa proves fruitful this historic club could enjoy more surprising successes maybe one day they’ll return to the top division It would be fitting if this happened before 2032 marking 100 years since their last top-tier appearance Nogomania.com is a premier destination for football enthusiasts delivering fresh and in-depth content from the heart of the Ex-Yu region's football scene La Union continues to grow as one of the go-to tourist destinations for city dwellers especially now that revenge travel is truly in full swing If you’re looking for a sign to visit San Juan this is the sign you’re looking for because we’ve got an amazing accommodation recommendation for you A post shared by YLAYA Villa (@ylayavilla) Ylaya Villa is a beautiful boutique hotel that just opened this April It’s located right in the middle of all the action in San Juan if you’re visiting Surftown to enjoy the best restaurants Ylaya Villa would definitely be the perfect weekend home for you What I love about Ylaya Villa is how simply elegant and stylish it is you’ll be greeted by a gorgeous pool smack dab in the middle of their outdoor “lobby” The suites on the ground floor have direct access to the pool The Couple Suite is cozy yet packed with amenities If you’re not in the mood to surf on the beach or swim in the pool If you’re traveling as a family or a group they also have the Family Suite which can accommodate up to 4 people Each room also includes a complimentary breakfast courtesy of The Coffee Library We have a parking area that can accommodate up to 10 cars Posted by Panganan by The Coffee Library on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 And if you don’t want to wander off for your lunch or dinner you can also check out Panganan by The Coffee Library a Filipino restaurant right outside of the hotel; or Kayu a Texas-style steakhouse right across the street Both these restaurants are also from the owners of Ylaya Villa Ylaya Villa offers such a chill yet sophisticated vibe especially with its modern Bali-esque design and the open style of the hotel’s layout The chic ambiance of this boutique hotel is sure to set the vibe of what your La Union trip is going to be like Do you have a story for the WhenInManila.com Team? Email me at vivien.wheninmanila@gmail.com or send us a direct message at WhenInManila.com Facebook Page Join our Viber group to be updated with the latest news and initiating gimmicks--which is a nice way of saying "pasimuno." She's a broken soul that's been saved by grace Follow her on TikTok and Instagram: @viviendelvalle Every quote was awesome and thanks for sharing the content