November Awards

Fallbrook Library Wins People Choice Award

The new Fallbrook Library is the proud winner of the People’s Choice Orchid from the San Diego Architectural Foundation. Chairman Bill Horn accepted the award at the annual Orchids and Onions ceremony October 27. The presentation highlighted this year’s good (and bad) building designs.

A judges’ panel picks most of the Orchids and Onions, but online voting determines the “People’s Choice” award. After receiving multiple nominations, Fallbrook Library received the most votes. The 19,000-square-foot-building achieved LEED Silver Certification for sustainable design. A 3,500-square-foot area of the roof is landscaped with succulents. The library also features natural lighting, a “living room” area with fireplace, a Poets Patio, community room, a large and colorful children’s area, a homework center, and a teen room. The construction of the Fallbrook Library involved the design-build team of C.W. Driver – General Contractor; Ferguson Pape Baldwin Architects – Architect of Record; and Manuel Oncina – Design Architect.

The People’s Choice Orchid Award is one of five awards that the Fallbrook Library has received to date. The other awards include the 2010 Civic Project from the American Concrete Institute; an Excellence Award in the civic project category from the Design-Build Institute of America; the Unique Project Award from the Association of General Contractors; and the Excellence Award from the Association of Builders and Contractors.  

Hazard Way Buildings Receive LEED Certification

The newly renovated Hazard Way Buildings, which are part of the County Operations Center campus, received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification under the USGBC Green Building Rating System. Several building features contributed to the certification, including high-energy efficiency, low-water usage both inside and for landscaping, superior indoor air quality, environmentally friendly building materials and recycling of demolition materials.

DGS Receives Qualifications-Based Selection Award

The Department of General Services recently received a 2011 Qualifications-Based Selection Merit Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies and National Society of Professional Engineers. This national award recognizes those who use qualifications-based methods to procure the services of consulting engineers at the state and local level.

Housing Authority Earns High Performer Status

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) designated the County’s Department of Housing and Community Development, serving as the Housing Authority of the County of San Diego, as a High Performer for Fiscal Year 2010-11. The High Performer designation is the result of the Housing Authority receiving an overall rating of 103 percent out of 100 percent (including bonus points) for the annual Section 8 Management Assessment Program Certification.

The rating is a housing authority’s yearly report card. Housing authorities receive a rating based on 14 key performance indicators, such as the voucher utilization rate and quality control results. High Performer is the highest possible designation. This rating shows that the Housing Authority is administering the Section 8 Rental Assistance program at a level higher than HUD’s standards and provides the Department access to additional funding opportunities.

First 5 San Diego Campaign Wins Top Award

First 5 San Diego’s Oral Health campaign recently received the top Public Service Announcement (PSA) Award from the Public Relations Society of America. The honor recognized its efforts to promote good oral health care for pregnant women and children through the age of 5. Dental disease is the most prevalent childhood disease in the nation yet it is 100 percent preventable. Studies show that one-third (36.4 percent) of children age 5 and under in San Diego County have never visited a dentist. Good dental health is important for pregnant women too because bacteria from the mother’s tooth decay can affect the health of her unborn child. 

First 5 San Diego’s Oral Health PSAs, available in English and Spanish, highlight the importance of practicing good oral hygiene and regular dental check-ups for pregnant mothers, infants, toddlers and preschoolers and provides information on free dental checkups and referrals for young children and pregnant women. The PSAs are a component of First 5 San Diego’s Oral Health Campaign which ran from February to June 2011.

Chief Probation Officer Honored as Law Enforcement Official of the Year

The San Diego Crime Commission named Chief Probation Officer Mack Jenkins as Law Enforcement Official of the Year at a ceremony October 21. The award was presented by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and Sheriff Bill Gore. Jenkins was honored for his work as the chairman of the Community Corrections Partnership. The group’s executive committee was tasked with a monumental challenge: creating a local plan for public safety realignment, which shifts thousands of offenders from state to county responsibility. In addition to his work on public safety realignment, Jenkins was honored for his contributions to public safety during his 33-year career, including the design and implementation of special supervision programs for domestic violence, sex and drug offenders. Probation Officer Bobby Burns was also honored as one of the commission’s 16 Blue Knight award recipients. Other County recipients included Sheriff’s Department Detective Anthony Calvert and District Attorney Investigator Gary Helson.