Colleagues Remember Larry Yates

County employees were saddened to hear of the passing of Sheriff’s Community Services Officer Lawrence “Larry” Yates over the weekend.

Yates, 54, died after scuba diving in the La Jolla Shores area Saturday afternoon in an incident that was widely covered by local media. He is survived by his wife Vanessa.

Yates, who lived in Chula Vista, was a familiar face around the County Administration Center in recent years. Hired as a Deputy Sheriff Cadet in 2006, he served as a Community Services Officer assigned to Court Services and County Administration Center (CAC) Security in recent years. That meant he often interacted with the public at the CAC’s entrances, making sure those entering were successfully screened for weapons and that the building was safe.

Colleagues described him Monday as an intelligent, personable man who had a good sense of humor and was close with his family.

Sheriff’s Deputy Cliston Hensley said Yates was always very professional with the public.

He was active, Hensley said, often riding his motorcycle to work and going scuba diving around the world with his wife. Yates often talked about his dog, named Tarzan, and was known for flipping the TV in a Sheriff’s break room to the Animal Planet station. He also volunteered with the Boy Scouts.

Hensley said Yates had a dry, witty sense of humor. His father had been in the Navy, so he knew a lot about the military and its rankings. When Hensley would greet a member of the military and goof up their title, Yates would jokingly correct him.

“He would say, ‘you just promoted him,” Hensley said.

Yates’ supervisor, Cpl. Chuck Russell, said a group of Sheriff’s Department co-workers based at the CAC went to breakfast together every other Saturday. Yates was excited to go scuba diving after their breakfast this past weekend, Russell said.

“He made a lot of friends here,” Russell said. “We’re all friends.”

Notes and condolence cards can be sent to the family at: Court Services Bureau-San Diego, Mail Stop C-26. Information on a funeral service and a donation fund for Yates’ family is pending.

Making the Case for Getting Fit

Some had run in marathons, while others had barely if ever exercised.

Now this wildly diverse group of County employees, many of them from the District Attorney’s office, works out together during their lunch hours at the County Complex in Vista. Some work for the Sheriff’s and Probation Departments.

What brought them together? An interest in getting fit. Their vehicle to do that is CrossFit, an exercise program that builds both strength and endurance through ever-changing routines. Workouts can vary from running and weight lifting to striking sledgehammers against tires, as the group did on a recent day. The point is to mix it up, working a variety of muscles and keeping the exercise interesting. Routine is the enemy, said one of the group’s founders, Keith Watanabe, a Deputy District Attorney in the Vista office.

“You make yourself do things you wouldn’t otherwise do,” said Hung Bach, also a Deputy District Attorney in the Vista office and a member of the group. “It builds confidence. It makes you think and wonder what else can I do? It’s addicting.”

Now an affiliate of the CrossFit company, the group officially goes by the name, “CrossFit Aequitas.” Aequitas means justice in Latin.

The group’s roots go back to 2010, when a Superior Court judge based in Vista invited some of the Deputy District Attorneys to do a CrossFit workout together. Watanabe and Deputy DA Garret Wong joined him and quickly got hooked.

Over the years, more employees started participating in the workouts. They chipped in to buy equipment and installed a few pull up bars next to the complex’s parking lot. Employees even paid for Wong, a former personal trainer, to get his instructor certification through the CrossFit company. It offers gyms around the country affiliate status for a few thousand dollars a year.

Wong said a police officer he knows told him public agencies can become an affiliate for free under a special nonprofit status through the CrossFit company. So last year, Wong worked to arrange that.  

Wong said their status as an affiliate gives the group more caché. He runs daily lunchtime CrossFit workouts at the County Complex in Vista, with about five to 10 participants per session. He also sends daily workouts by email to a list of 150 people, who are spread around the County. About 25 members are active at the Vista location, and DA employees at other locations around the County follow the workouts.

Wong recently led about a dozen employees in a challenging but fun workout in the parking lot behind the Vista County Complex. They met about noon on an unseasonably warm day, starting out with a warm up of jogging, high steps and stretching. Then they moved into the heart of the workout, a circuit with four stations that would have them running while carrying each other piggyback, jumping rope, lifting kettle bells and striking sledgehammers against a huge tire. Wong split the employees into teams of two or three and asked them to try to make it around the circuit as many times as possible in 30 minutes. Participants cheered each other on, encouraging one another throughout the workout.

Claudia Plascencia, also a Deputy DA based in the Vista office, said she had never exercised before she started doing the CrossFit workouts three months ago. She’d heard about the workouts soon after she started the job. Now she and the other attorneys assigned to misdemeanor trials go to the workouts together a few times a week.

“I don’t think I would do these on my own,” she said.

Nikki Cassidy, a Deputy DA who also recently started the workouts after being hired, praised Wong for his patience in leading her and others through the exercises. She said she’s long been a runner but that the CrossFit workouts have helped her build strength.

“It’s totally toned me up,” she said. “It’s awesome.”   

She said that joining a CrossFit gym would normally cost $130-$180 month, but that these workouts are free.

Working out was nothing new to Dan DeLeon, Probation director in Vista and former Army reservist, when he started doing CrossFit with the group. He had run in marathons and other competitions, but said he feels better than ever now: stronger and more fit and energetic.

“This has changed my life,” he said.

For more information, visit the CrossFit Aequitas website.

Brighten Up Your Diet

Throw together a colorful stir fry of mushrooms, green peas, cabbage, onion and chard.

Mix up some fresh guacamole using avocado, tomato, onion and even a dash of corn.

Got a sweet tooth? Grab some passion fruit, apricots or nectarines.

Eating a variety of vegetables and fruit will push up your point count – and could even win you a prize – through the County’s newest employee wellness challenge.

Mix It Up, offered in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, encourages employees to add more vegetables and fruits to their daily fare—and a bigger mix of both. The quarterly program lays out a goal for employees of eating at least three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit per day.

Employees who rack up the highest point counts will win prizes, said William Erese, the County’s Wellness Coordinator. The top five teams and top three individuals with the most points will receive awards.

Employees can sign up either individually or in teams of four to 10. All you have to do is log your daily veggie and fruit intake through the County’s Mix It Up website. Totals are automatically calculated and immediately broken down by color. For example, if you ate blueberries, red apples and asparagus, the online program would create a table showing what you ate by color.  

Eating a good variety of vegetables and fruits provides a mixture of vitamins, minerals, fiber and other health benefits. That, in turn, can help reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, some cancers, diabetes and hypertension.

Erese said the County hopes the program will not only encourage participants to eat healthier but that it will have a ripple effect, raising awareness among other employees as well.

Many teams have already signed up, and the names show they’re having fun with the program. Among the clever and funky names listed on the program’s website: Orange You Green with Envy, The Veggie Masticators, Lettuce Be Winners! and Giving Peas a Chance.

For more information or to sign up, visit the County’s Employee Wellness website and click on “Quarterly Wellness Challenge” or the Mix It Up website. 

Polinsky Health Fair Highlights Live Well, San Diego!

The Polinsky Children’s Center (PCC) recently hosted its third annual health fair for teen foster youth and their caregivers.   The event, “Celebrating Health,”   promoted healthy eating, physical activity and living tobacco and drug free lives.  

Nearly 500 people attended the event including County Board of Supervisors Chairman Greg Cox, Health and Human Services Agency Director Nick Macchione and Child Welfare Services Director Debra Zanders-Willis.

More than 30 vendors were on hand including several chefs who cooked up healthy meals and snack samples. 

One of those chefs was Sam Zien, also known as the “Sam the Cooking Guy.” Zien has 14 Emmy awards and has published three cook books. His message at the health fair was to follow your dreams and he stressed the importance of eating healthily. Some classic “Cooking Guy” programs can be found at http://countynewscenter.com/video/sam-the-cooking-guy.

The physical activity demonstrations included step aerobics, weight lifting and a wide variety of dancing. The cheer and step teams from San Pasqual Academy showcased their talents to encourage teens to participate in team sports and extracurricular activities. 

Southwestern College football coach Ed Carberry spoke about the athletic opportunities junior college has to offer as well as the importance of believing in yourself and not giving up because hard work will pay off.

Jason Gaines, a Southwestern football player, also spoke to the teens about his obstacles and challenges and the important role sports played in his current success.

PCC is the county’s 24-hour emergency shelter  for children who are placed in protective custody because of abuse or neglect. The facility is building programs and activities that focus on healthy nutrition, daily movement and exercise, and tobacco cessation.

Some of the actions PCC has already taken include menu  changes with a reduction of  sugar and an increase of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and healthier snack choices. 

The health fair was part of the County’s Live Well, San Diego! initiative to create a healthy, safe and a thriving community.

Thank You for Marching for Babies

More than 200 County employees along with family and friends got up early last Saturday and laced up their walking shoes for the March for Babies walk in Balboa Park. They were among an estimated 7,000 who walked a three-and-a-half-mile loop across the Cabrillo Bridge, up to the edge of the San Diego Zoo and back across the bridge.

The  money raised is used by March of Dimes to help  prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Walkers included representatives from all five County Groups and Supervisor Dave Roberts. Walking were CAO Helen Robbins-Meyer, Assistant CAO Don Steuer, HHSA General Manager Nick Macchione,  FG3 General Manager Tracy Sandoval, HR Director Don Turko, County Counsel Tom Montgomery, and CTO Michael Haas among others.

The March of Dimes will release a final total of money raised in the next few weeks. They are still counting. Some money was turned in at the event and some was contributed online. Before the walk, County employees raised more than $22,000.   

But don’t stop now! You can still raise funds or contribute. The March of Dimes campaign is year-round at the County.  Blue Jeans for Babies stickers can be purchased for $2 which allows employees to wear jeans on a day approved by their supervisor. Stickers can be purchased from your departmental March of Dimes coordinator. Some department supervisors may not allow sticker sales if jeans are not appropriate for that office. (Stickers are on backorder at the moment from the March of Dimes.)

A handful of fall beanies and limited quantities of winter beanies will also be sold later in the year. Some departments may also choose to hold departmental fundraisers and donate to March of Dimes.

If you’d like to make a donation online, visit our March of Dimes page. Please donate through one of the five County groups to make sure our employees get the credit for raising the funds.

Employee Turnout Nearly Triples at Health Screenings

Hundreds of additional County employees now have a better sense of their health, after taking part in last month’s free Kaiser Permanente Wellness screenings.

Record numbers of employees turned out for the series of screenings, held at nine County office locations March 11-29. In all, 1,448 employees participated, up from 565 last year. The screenings took place in Kaiser Mobile Health Vehicles. Employees got to learn their blood pressure, glucose levels, body mass index and height and waist measurements.

Human Resources Director Don Turko said the high turnout showed employees are paying attention to “their numbers” and taking greater responsibility for their wellness.

“I am confident we will build upon this year’s progress when we repeat the program in 2014,” he said.

The screenings first started in 2010. That year, a total of 523 employees participated.

This year, the turnout was so robust that Kaiser had to bring in additional medical staff to handle the demand, said William Erese, the County’s wellness coordinator.

Among the changes that likely helped increase turnout this year: the Department of Human Resources linked the screenings to its Employee Health & Wellness Incentive program, offering employees $100 each to complete the health screenings and fill out a Health Risk Assessment. Employees could also visit the Kaiser Health Vehicles during work hours. And the screenings were available to all employees, regardless of their health insurance provider.

Employees can earn the $100 payout until June 30, when the incentive program ends. Employees will just need to fill out the required paperwork and visit their doctor.  

For more information or to get started, visit the Employee Health & Wellness Incentive Program web page or call HR’s Employee Benefits Division at 888-550-2203.

Parks PSA is CREAM of the Crop

First the silver screen, now an award of excellence. The County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is showing off a new plaque these days from the California Park and Recreation Society (CPRS). During a recent CPRS awards ceremony in San Jose, Parks took home the 2012 Award of Excellence for a public service announcement (PSA) video in the marketing category. (Watch the PSA below)

You could even say it won the C.R.E.A.M. of the crop! That’s because the PSA met the CPRS award requirements showing County Parks met Challenge, Resourcefulness, Execution, Accomplishment and Mission principles.

“County Parks has so much to offer with more than 45,000 acres of parks, trails and open space,” said DPR Director Brian Albright. “A PSA for neighborhood movie theaters was the perfect answer so that the next time these folks were thinking of getting outside, they would think of our parks, trails and facilities first.”  

So what was the PSA about exactly? You know how old family movies take you back in time to the wonderful times you had together? This PSA takes on that same nostalgic look and showcases all the family fun you could have at a County park campsite. The video vignettes highlight hiking, biking, fishing, horseback riding, bird watching, quiet times playing board games, marshmallow roasting over a campfire and of course, camping.

Lakeside REC Club Supervisor Ryan Flickinger (middle) accepts the 2012 Award of Excellence for marketing from the California Park and Recreation Society.

The PSA made its debut last September at four of the most visited movie theaters in San Diego County, the AMC theaters in Escondido, Mission Valley, Otay and El Cajon. The 60-second video ran on the silver screen during movie previews and patrons could also catch the PSA on large 52” television screens in theater lobbies while waiting in line to buy snacks.  

DPR and the County Communications Office worked together to produce the PSA and all the actors were volunteers or County Park employees. They should be proud. Their efforts paid off. During the five-week time period the PSA was shown, theater management estimates nearly 646,000 people saw the video each week. Cox Communications also aired the PSA on its channels 50 times during the same time period. Statewide recognition from the CPRS award was just a bonus.  

County Parks knows it has a lot to offer. It just needed to get the word out there. People watched and listened and who knows? Your neighbors might invite you over to see some home movies of their adventures at a nearby County park. Take popcorn!  

DA's New IT Chief Escaped Saddam's Iraq

Long before he was designing information technology systems for large companies, Usama "Sam" Georges was designing something far more important: his clandestine escape from Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

Last month, Georges began his new role at the District Attorney's Office as Chief of the Information Technology Division. The journey to this point in his career took a path many only read about.

After Georges graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from a university in England, he was drafted into the Iraqi military. He was assigned to the paratrooper unit from 1984 to 1987 until he was seriously injured by a bomb. More than 200 fragments embedded in his skin after the explosion.

"Just one year ago a doctor removed the last fragment that remained in my back," he said.

Serving in the Iraqi Army under Hussein left little room for choice. One did as they were told or their families would be tortured Georges said. During his eight years in the military, he became known as an 'honest man' who tended to find himself under investigation on numerous occasions.

"The only reason I wasn't killed is because the army was weak after the Gulf War," Georges said.

Still, even though his life was spared, his assignments became more intolerable -- evidence he wasn't free of punishment for leading with integrity.

In 1992, Georges refused to take part in a violent assault in an area he was in charge of in Northern Iraq. Instead, he negotiated a peaceful end, which was perceived by military intelligence as defying orders. He was ordered to the capital to face an investigation, and Georges knew his family would never see him again if he went to the meeting.

Georges, his wife and their two small children managed to escape Iraq. The family was smuggled through check points until they reached relative safety. Ultimately, they settled in Turkey, where they applied for political asylum and were eventually relocated to San Diego.

"We've been through a lot," Georges said. "It's heartbreaking, but it's something I must talk about in order to influence future generations."

Georges worked at a gas station, a liquor store and did other odd jobs after arriving in San Diego in 1996. He finished his master's degree and eventually went on to work at a number of high profile companies in the information technology department including 10 years at Hubbs-SeaWorld as the director of information technology.

He has taught IT related courses at a number of area colleges including Foundation College, Coleman University and Cuyamaca College.
At the DA's Office, he oversees 27 employees who carry out the information technology mission of the organization, which includes courtroom prosecution and community outreach efforts.  

Probation and Sheriff Cross Relay Race Finish Line Swiftly

Probation Supervisor Carl Heidemann runs in the California-Nevada desert in the 2013 Baker to Vegas relay race.Over the weekend, the San Diego County Probation team crossed the finish line at 15:56:07 just ahead of the San Diego Sheriff Department team which came in at 16:32:31 in the Challenge Cup “Baker to Vegas” Relay Race.

Probation went from finishing in 92^nd place to 42^nd place and the Sheriff’s went from 104^th place to 69^th place. Both teams shaved significant time from last year’s race which went on despite record temperatures. This year it was hot and windy, temperatures peaked at 99 degrees and only dipped down into the 70s at night.

The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office also had a team in the race and finished at 16:55:30.

The three county teams were among 260 law enforcement teams from around the world to compete in this year’s 120-mile relay race.

“San Diego County Probation was the fastest team among all the probation teams that entered,” said probation team captain Linda Yoakum-Latimer.  “At the end, we were just ecstatic. We really surprised ourselves. We didn’t realize we were going to take back our title and that’s a nice feeling because we’d lost that title for a few years.”

The Hamburg, Germany SWAT team also thanked the San Diego County Probation team during the awards ceremony for helping them gather race supplies like water, food and race supplies which allows them to participate in the race.

Deputy Kim Nicholson assigned to the Encinitas Sheriff's Station starts her leg of the race this past weekend.San Diego Sheriff’s Department team captain Denese Deal said they improved their time by 37 minutes and moved up from 104^th place to 69^th place.

“It ran smooth, everyone got where they had to go and everyone had a good time. We actually had such a great race,” said Deal. “We’re excited for next year.  I know everybody is already training for next year.”

Next year, the race will be held the weekend of March 22-23, so temperatures will be less severe.

 The San Diego County Sheriff's team and support staff.