The 12 1/2- foot tree will deck the hall of the County Administration Center until the new year. Those "presents" underneath are just for show, but a stable County government with sound financial direction and great management are this year's real gifts, says CAC Property Manager Leonard Pinson.
See photo gallery of more images
They kicked soccer balls, threw footballs, hoola hoopped, and balanced themselves on indo boards. They learned how to plant vegetables and tried to name common and unusual vegetables.
Most importantly, the students from Monarch, a school for homeless children, learned about the importance of healthy eating and exercising during a health fair organized specifically for them outside the County Administration Center.
“These are kids who really need to eat properly,” said Helen Robbins-Meyer, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer, who was joined by Chief Administrative Officer, Walt Ekard, other County executives. “Any information you provide on how to live well and eat nutritiously will help end the cycle of homelessness.”
During the two-hour health fair, about 140 students in grades K-12 arrived in groups, collected a bag, and visited the many tables where they learned about staying active and how important it is to eat fruits and vegetables.
According to recent studies about one third of 5th, 7th, and 9th graders in the region are overweight or obese. Children who are overweight are more likely to be obese and unhealthy when they grow up.
Furthermore, poor diet, lack of physical activity, and smoking are three behaviors that contribute to the four chronic diseases—heart disease, type 2 diabetes, lung disease and cancer— that are responsible for more than 50 percent of deaths in San Diego County.
The County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) has been working with community partners to prevent chronic disease and childhood obesity. The Live Well, San Diego! initiative is a 10-year plan to improve the health and wellbeing of residents in the region.
At the health fair, while some students collected healthy snacks or played with County executives in the many recreation areas. If they stopped by each table and recreation area, they collected stickers and treats.
“These are kids who live in cars or shelters and oftentimes don’t have access to healthy foods,” said Richard Haas, Operations Team Leader at Monarch School, adding that school staff have been instructed to provide healthy snacks to students. “This is an opportunity to make sure they make healthy choices.”
Last winter, San Diego County saw above-normal rainfall throughout the county. What can we expect this winter season and further out?
The National Weather Service wants us to be a “Weather Ready Nation.” So, meteorologists based in the Rancho Bernardo office talked to city and county representatives including firefighters and law enforcement this week to prepare them for weather-related hazards this season.
First of all, you may have already heard, we are experiencing a weak to moderate La Nina weather event which generally means less rain here in San Diego and more in other regions like the Pacific Northwest. However, forecasters pointed out that last year we actually had more rain than usual and it was also a La Nina event. This year, they are comparing models that show what has occurred historically in San Diego during years when there have been consecutive La Nina events to predict the winter outlook.
Alex Tardy, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said that just because the season started off wet in November, it doesn’t mean that it will continue. Data seems to show there will be an average season for rainfall, but we can still have some big storms that would impact the county in December or January.
“There’s still a threat of a big rainfall event this season,” Tardy said. “These types of scenarios are more common in a weak La Nina or neutral event.”
Tardy explained that one 4- to 10-day period of intermittent heavy rainfall is all it would take to cause significant flooding and hazards in the county.
Temperatures are expected to be cooler than normal this winter with increased chances of frost or freeze in December through mid February. Low snow levels are also predicted during several storms.
After one or possibly two heavy rainfall events this winter and a few smaller storms, it is likely that February through March will be drier than normal.
“We’re not out of the woods with wildfires,” Tardy said. “If we enter into the predicted dry weather, an early fire season could be in the making this spring.”
If this prediction holds true, the seasonal grasses and plants that come up after the rains could quickly dry up and become fuel for wildfires.
While Tardy offered the long-range outlook for first responders, he said the public can also take this information and prepare at home.
National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Moede also provided the city and county with an overview of resources for weather information starting with their redesigned web site at weather.gov/sandiego. The site was reorganized to be more user-friendly and has new front page features. It retains a “point and click” interface meaning people can click anywhere on the map and get current weather conditions and a forecast for that point. The site also offers a “Weather Story” thumbnail for quick updates, headlines that quickly state the latest news, and popular links in a new toolbar tab menu.
Chula Vista emergency services coordinator Tom Leonard, who attended the meeting, said the forecast information and online tools are a great resource for the region.
“If we have a weather event, it’s more helpful to get fast information for my city,” Leonard said.
Holiday madness is upon us, but soon we’ll be celebrating the beginning of a new year and making New Year’s resolutions.
So if you’ve decided 2012 is the year to finally put your financial house in order, sign up now for a workshop that will help you do just that and keep at least one of your resolutions.
Money advisor George Chamberlin and realty expert Gary London are presenting an Investment and Retirement Symposium Wednesday, January 25. Chamberlin is the money advisor for NBC Channel 7/39 and hosts his own radio program on KOGO called Money in the Morning. He’ll tell you how to start taking control of your financial future.
Gary London is the president of London Group Realty Advisors and advises real estate developers, financial institutions and investors on what is happening with San Diego’s real estate market. What will it look like five or ten years down the road? Should you buy now?
Take advantage of these presenters’ expertise and start putting your financial plans into action.
The symposium takes place Wednesday, January 25 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel in Mission Valley. Dinner and parking are included in the price and there will be great giveaways and prizes too!
The cost is only $15.00 per person or $25.00 per couple if you register before January 10. After that date, the cost rises to $20.00 per person or $30.00 per couple. All current and former County employees and their guests are welcome, but seating is limited and registration closes January 20.
So start the New Year off right and get the financial advice you need, after all, it’s Your Money, Your Retirement, Your Future that we’re talking about!
To register, click here or call the Deferred Compensation Department at (619) 531-5840.
A dozen teenagers stifle giggles as they creep towards an apartment building in Spring Valley on a mid-December night.
When they get to the right door, every kid puts something on the porch. They can’t believe no one’s seen them.
One finger rings the doorbell; a hand bangs on the door; some kids are already running away. The storm of feet makes neighbors look out windows, but the group hurls themselves into a waiting van and they’re off.
Back at the apartment, a mom comes to the door. Momentarily confused, now she sees what’s happened.
Her porch is completely covered — with brightly wrapped presents for the kids and a frozen turkey, stuffing and everything else for the holiday feast she thought the family would have to skip.
This festive and caring prank called “Ring and Run,” is an annual tradition of the Rec Clubs at Parks and Recreation’s Spring Valley and Lakeside Teen Centers. Every year, the Rec Clubs identify families in need and collect donations from the community.
The exciting twist on community service gives the Rec Club members a positive feeling about civic participation and connects them to their neighbors.
The Rec Club Ring and Run has helped 65 families in Spring Valley and Lakeside over 10 years.
The goal of the Rec Clubs is to provide a safe, fun, positive environment free of violence, drugs, prejudice, and racism. The middle and high school kids in the after-school and summer program participate in all kinds of physical, artistic, leadership, educational and community service activities that help them grow.
Ryan Flickinger, our County’s Program Coordinator for the Lakeside Rec Club, calls the annual fundraiser, “one of the most rewarding things I’ve done at my job.”
The Lakeside and Spring Valley Rec Clubs are getting ready for this year’s “Ring and Run” and are seeking donations of cash or checks, frozen hams or turkeys, boxed mashed potatoes, gravy packets, stuffing, canned food, dinner rolls and unwrapped gifts for children of all ages.
Any County employee who wants to support Ring and Run can drop off items at the Parks and Recreation County Operations Center office at 5500 Overland Avenue, Suite 410. Donations can also be dropped off at the Lakeside Teen Club at 9911 Vine Street, or contact Ryan Flickinger at 619-443-4169.
Check out these videos that capture the Ring and Run’s excitement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mSFUCMADLQ
The County of San Diego has a lot of unsung heroes – County employees who do a lot of good work out of the spotlight and the public eye. One such employee – the Health and Human Services Agency’s Susanne Boston – couldn’t escape notice and was named one of the 2011 County Health Improvement Partners (CHIP) Outstanding Community Partners.
“When she found out she was getting this award, she thought it was a mistake because she is usually the one doing the behind the scenes work to make everyone else look good,” said Kristin Garrett, President and CEO of CHIP. “I am very proud to have had the honor to work with Susanne for the past 10 years. She’s very deserving.”
Boston is a Health Information Specialist II at HHSA. She has represented the County on the Access to Care for Children Team project, participated with CHIP Needs Assessments, organized numerous health events on an array of public health issues, helped to schedule Question, Persuade, and Refer Suicide Prevention trainings for the North County, has been instrumental in the coordination and implementation of the urban rural roundtable and been involved with the Resident Leadership Academy.
“I would describe Susanne as passionate, energetic, gracious, positive, humble, and committed to serving the community at a local neighborhood level,” said Garrett. “She is just very exceptional in her commitment to helping people.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by those that work closely with her. “Susanne is so passionate about the work she does to further the goals of Live Well, San Diego! and improve the lives of North County residents,” said Barbara Jimenez, HHSA Deputy Director. “We are so proud of her and fortunate that she is on the Health & Human Services Agency team.”
“Susanne is a gem, a true unsung hero who exemplifies the intent of CHIP’s award,” said Carey Riccitelli, Boston’s direct supervisor. “It’s not just that she has a great personality - she’s very passionate about her work, and very fun, but she also has one of the strongest work ethics of anyone I know.”
In 2000, Community Health Improvement Partners, better known as CHIP, launched the Outstanding Community Partner Awards. The awards epitomize those who go above and beyond to volunteer their ideas and expertise and provide leadership.
Previous winners from HHSA include Nick Macchione, Alan Smith, Leslie Ray, Rhonda Freeman, Nancy Bowen, Holly Shipp, Tracy Delaney and Dr. Wilma Wooten.
Congratulations to the 55 employees who graduated from the Dynamic Management Seminar, which emphasizes professional management skills and leadership concepts.
CAO Walt Ekard, who taught one of the courses on leadership as part of the 10-week curriculum, also presented the graduation certificates to each employee at a ceremony held in Marina Village Friday. The participants included representatives from each of the five county groups.
“Our goal from the beginning was to entice you to become better leaders,” Ekard told the group. “The overriding element to being a leader in our organization, and any organization I think, is character… politics will always get in the way, but for us, we have to play it straight.”
The 10-week curriculum included courses on the General Management System (GMS), thinking big, political dynamics, generations in the workplace, scope of authority, operational planning, and labor relations.
“This is an opportunity to deal with our next generation of managers, exposing them to classes taught by practitioners - not theorists - who work within our general management system,” said Human Resources Director Donald Turko.
In other words, when it came to learning about regional leadership, Ekard and Assistant CAO Helen Robbins-Meyer taught the class, and when it came to interacting with the Board of Supervisors, Pam O’Neil and Chairman Bill Horn presented the course.
The seminar also provides an opportunity for employees to network and share ideas about various management styles. They also meet people from other Groups or departments who they would not usually get to see.
The seminar is offered at most once a year or every two years and is targeted to employees who may be promoted into unclassified service or who oversee a program or unit. Employees who are interested in participating in the next seminar, which has not been scheduled, should inquire with their supervisor or group human resources manager.
Thirty-three peace officers were sworn in Thursday to help the San Diego County Probation Department manage the new influx of felons from the state prison system.
“Since August, I’ve promoted 29 officers and hired 31 new Correctional Deputy Probation Officers,” said Chief Probation Officer Mack Jenkins. “It’s all part of the growth the probation department has to do for the realignment implementation. We will be responsible for at least 2,000 more felons and we have to grow.”
Among those Jenkins promoted was Cesar Escuro, who will serve as the director for the newly created Post Release Offender Division. Escuro, who has a law degree and has worked for the department for 16 years, is “well-suited to manage the new division of high risk offenders,” Jenkins said.
The chief also promoted Denise Huffhines, Robert Pettengill and Christiene Andrews (who did not attend) to Supervising Probation Officers at the ceremony.
He told the supervisors their job will be challenging at times because they must serve as an advocate and voice for those they manage while meeting the needs of their own managers at the same time.
Jenkins also swore in 29 Deputy Probation Officers Thursday, who were promoted from Correctional Deputy Probation Officers.
“You carry a badge and you carry the status of a peace officer in this state and you will be held to a higher standard. As a probation officer and deputy probation officer, you literally control the liberty of another human,” Jenkins said.
The chief emphasized to the newly sworn officers how important rehabilitation is to their mission. Jenkins told them they need to be able to identify those who really want to change their behavior and offer services and treatment.
“That is what I expect, that is your role,” Jenkins said. “The role of probation is protecting the loved ones behind you - the community at large - and focusing on offenders and trying to reduce recidivism by helping them change their behavior.”
He also told them they needed to commit to excellence to succeed in their careers. He defined excellence in three steps: Caring about your job because you’ve been tasked with it; Working in an ethical way with the highest standard of integrity; and looking for every opportunity to support your coworkers.
It doesn’t have to be casual Friday. Over the next couple weeks, the County March of Dimes Team wants to see us wearing blue jeans—and a sticker.
The Blue Jeans for Babies sticker campaign is a comfortable and visible way for County employees to help March of Dimes raise awareness and money to combat the problem of premature birth around the world. Buy the sticker for $2, and you can wear jeans and the sticker for a day. (Of course pick a day jeans won’t interfere with your duties.)
Blue Jeans for Babies runs through Dec. 8. Some departments have taken part in the fund and awareness raising event in the past, but this is the first year the County March of Dimes Team is taking it Countywide.
To get a sticker, contact the Group representatives at the bottom of this page, or ask around and find out if your department’s March of Dimes Team lead is selling them.
The sticker campaign kicks off just in time for the first-ever Prematurity Awareness Day, Nov. 17. March of Dimes hopes the day will help spread the word about the problem of premature birth.
Each year, 13 million babies around the world—1 in 8 in the U.S.—are born prematurely. One million premature babies die each year die from complications of their early birth.
The March of Dimes charity directly funds research and education programs to help with this issue.
Once you’ve got your sticker, if you’d like to do something else to help you can also get a March of Dimes keepsake or a holiday gift to pass along. The County team is selling special March of Dimes seasonal Beanie Babies for $3 to $7. There are Christmas tree ornaments, sock money pilgrims, turkeys, reindeer and more.
Again, contact your Group or departmental lead to buy a Beanie.
The County of San Diego March of Dimes Team has raised more than $40,000 to support the charity this year with fundraisers that included the annual March for Babies walkathon earlier this year.
County March of Dimes Team Contacts:
Chair: Eric Lardy: eric.lardy@sdcounty.ca.gov
CSG lead: Vicki Chappell: vicki.chappell@sdcounty.ca.gov
FG3 lead: Damien Quinn: damien.quinn@sdcounty.ca.gov
LUEG lead: Susie Vaughn: susie.vaughn@sdcounty.ca.gov or Veronica Allen: veronica.allen@sdcounty.ca.gov
HHSA lead: Yvonne Contreras : yvonne.contreras@sdcounty.ca.gov
PSG lead: Linda Yoakum-Latimer: linda.yoakum-latimer@sdcounty.ca.gov
If you haven’t been to the County Operations Center lately, you might not recognize it. You know the two new office buildings with all the windows? Well, now there are two more.
And there’s also a big building between them destined to be a conference center.
The word on the street—or on Overland Avenue— is that even COC employees who see the construction progress every day are in awe of the rapid changes.
“The one word is, ‘Wow,’” says Jeff Redlitz the Project Manager of the COC construction. “People can’t believe how fast it’s happened.”
Redlitz said the new office buildings will be done, furnished and ready for move-in by late July or early August 2012.The structures are identical to the buildings at 5550 and 5560 Overland Avenue that opened earlier this year, and departments that are lucky enough to get the new space will enjoy the open floor plans, natural lighting and that new building feel.
And then there’s the view. If you think there’s nothing to see in Kearny Mesa, you might change your mind when you survey the city spreading out below and the mountains beyond from the third or fourth floor of one of the Overland offices.
So who gets the sweet new digs? Lucky departments include the Department of Planning and Land Use, Public Works, juvenile division attorneys from the Public Defender and the Alternate Public Defender and County Counsel attorneys who handle juvenile dependency hearings. Other occupants will be Human Resources, the Auditor/Controller and an inmate records division of the Sheriff’s Department.
Even if your department isn’t at the COC, you’ll want to find a reason to visit the new conference center when it opens. It’s designed to be a campus hub, with a dramatic second-floor terrace and attractive landscaped roof that will make it a great place to grab lunch or have a meeting.
The food service contractor, CulinArt, is expected to run a restaurant-style cafeteria with healthy and high-quality food. The company runs corporate cafes all over the country, and one of their operations in Connecticut was ranked number three on a list of “best corporate cafés” by Fortune 500, after Google and eBay. Locally, CulinArt feeds Qualcomm and Intuit, the tech company that makes TurboTax.
Besides being the COC’s gastro-gathering place, the conference center will host Planning Commission hearings, which now meet in the County Annex on Ruffin Road, and will be available as a second meeting place for the Board of Supervisors.
The conference center will also be used for large-scale trainings and other public meetings. With solar panels, low water landscaping and a variety of sustainable features, it’s aiming for LEED Platinum Certification, the highest mark of “green” building recognized by the industry. The first two office buildings at the COC are LEED Gold certified, and the other two are expected to achieve the same mark.
Now, if you’re saying to yourself, the COC’s so great, I wish I could take a piece of it home, here’s a little secret. Have you noticed the lemon tree? Go ahead and pick a nice yellow fruit if you see one, Redlitz says.
“Most people are too polite to pick them,” he says.
The lemons may go off-limits, if it turns out the giving tree can’t stand the attention. But in the meantime, enjoy the tree, enjoy the COC, and look forward to the new additions.
An artist's rendering shows the conference center, which will be a focal point for meetings and meals.
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