Sweeney: News Quiz 2020

Some holiday staples are hold this year — why couldn’t it be fruitcake or the Cheez-It Bowl? But some traditions aren’t so easily upended. So get ready for the 25th mostly annual edition of The Press Democrat Editorial Department’s Quiz for News Junkies.

You know the rules — No tweeting, no TikTok and no soliciting help from the Texas attorney general. So sharpen your No. 2 pencil, keep a safe social distance from more constructive activities, and see what you remember about a year most of us are ready to forget.

1. Who is Brett Crozier, and why did he make headlines?

2. Which of the following were allowed to remain open during the coronavirus shutdown?

A. Casinos

B. Laundromats

C. Gun stores

D. Marijuana dispensaries

E. All of the above

F. None of the above

3. Jesse Ventura, the one-time professional wrestler and governor of Minnesota, was a write-in candidate for president. Within five votes, how many did Ventura get in Sonoma County?

4. Jan. 17 was the 100th anniversary of an unpopular program. What was it?

5. Aug. 19 marked the centennial of something much more popular. Name it.

6. Assemblyman Marc Levine introduced legislation requiring all Californians to:

A. Drive electric cars

B. Take weekly COVID tests

C. Vote

D. Eat their vegetables

E. Recycle beverage containers

7. What special treat did guests at Jordan Winery’s Super Bowl party receive?

A. Footballs signed by Joe Montana

B. A magnum of Cabernet

C. Cameo roles in a John Jordan music video

D. A helicopter flyby arranged by Sheriff Mark Essick.

E. A halftime performance by Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead

8. Why was Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins unhappy about Super Bowl LIV?

A. The 49ers blew a 10-point lead and lost the game

B. The TV commercials didn’t live up to the pregame hype

C. The halftime show was inappropriate for children

D. The NFL ignored coronavirus protocols

E. James Gore got better seats

9. True or false, as a percentage of voter registration, Sonoma County had California’s largest turnout in the November election.

10. What barrier did Alyssa Nakken break in 2020?

11. In 2020, the city of Santa Rosa opened — and later closed — its first-ever sanctioned homeless camp. Where was it?

A. Finley Park

B. Old Courthouse Square

C. The Carrillo Adobe

D. Joe Rodota Trail

E. A Place to Play

12. Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren finished first, second and third in the Democratic presidential primary in Sonoma County. Who was fourth?

13. An iconic Sonoma County agriculture product ended a 57-year run in 2020. Can you name it?

14. True or false, the rock bank Metallica performed at Gundlach Bundschu Winery despite the coronavirus pandemic?

15. Minna Stess, 14, of Petaluma is a candidate to make the 2021 U.S. Olympic team in what sport:

A. Skateboarding

B. Surfing

C. Karate

D. Gymnastics

E. Softball

16. Of the Glass, Meyer and Walbridge fires, which was the largest? And within 5,000 acres, how much did it burn?

17. Name the Casa Grande High School graduate who was selected first in the major league baseball draft.

18. I served 24 years on a local city council before losing my seat in the November election. Who am I?

19. Sonoma County chose a novel approach to keeping homeless people from setting up a new camp on the Joe Rodota Trail. What was it?

A. Releasing skunks

B. Playing classical music

C. Closing the trail to the public

D. Posting security patrols

E. Levying a lodging tax on tents

20. On the last weekend in May, two Sonoma County leaders vowed to defy public health orders relating to the coronavirus. Name them.

21. Sonoma County’s oldest living World War II veteran turned 105 in August. Who is he? (Hint: Santa Rosa Junior College’s first three-story building was named in his honor.)

22. True or false, Sonoma County is the sixth-fastest growing county in California.

Let’s finish with a bonus question that might foreshadow a more tranquil 2021. In honor of Alex Trebek, please answer in the form of a question. This mega-newsmaker isn’t otherwise mentioned in this year’s quiz.

Answer: Who is Jared Kushner’s father-in-law?

We got this far without using his name, why not make it a clean sweep?

Here are the rest of the answers:

1. Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, a Santa Rosa High School graduate, was commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. He was fire after seeking help from the Navy with a COVID-19 outbreak on his ship.

2. The answer is E. Casinos, gun stores, marijuana dispensaries and even humble laundromats remained open during the lockdown.

3. Jesse Ventura got 15 votes in Sonoma County.

4. Prohibition.

5. Women’s suffrage.

6. The answer is C. Levine sought to require people to vote in all elections (curiously there is no requirement for legislators to vote on every bill).

7. The answer is D, a flyover by the sheriff’s helicopter.

8. The answer is C. Hopkins said parts of the performance by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez were too risqué for children.

9. True. Voter turnout in Sonoma County was 90.49%, edging out Marin County’s 90.25%.

10. Joining the San Francisco Giants, Alyssa Nakken became the first woman on a coaching staff in the 151-year history of major league baseball.

11. The answer is A, Finley Park.

12. Michael Bloomberg finished fourth in the primary.

13. Willie Bird Turkeys was sold to Diestel Family Ranch of Sonora.

14. True. There was no audience for Metallica’s Aug. 10 concert, which was filmed for drive-in screenings.

15. The answer is A, skateboarding.

16. The Glass fire was largest, burning 67,484 acres.

17. Spencer Torkleson was picked first overall by the Detroit Tigers.

18. Jake Mackenzie of Rohnert Park.

19. The answer is C, closing the Joe Rodota Trail to the public.

20. Sheriff Mark Essick and Bishop Robert Vasa said they would ignore coronavirus-related public health orders. Both later relented.

21. Al Maggini, who flew 35 combat missions over Europe as a B-17 navigator.

22. False. The state Department of Finance reports that Sonoma County’s population has declined in each of the past four years.

Jim Sweeney is editorial director of The Press Democrat. Email him at jim.sweeney@pressdemocrat.com.

You can send letters to the editor to letters@pressdemocrat.com.