County Lawyers Accept Service Award Before A Jury of Their Peers

Deputy Public Defenders Frank Barone (right), David Lamb and Randy Mize (left) pose with former Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer at one of their outreach charity golf tournaments.

A San Diego County deputy public defender and a deputy district attorney were each honored with a 2013 San Diego County Bar Association Service Award and are both featured in this month’s San Diego Lawyer magazine.

The two were among 10 recipients selected countywide.

Deputy Public Defender Frank Barone, 42, who has worked for the Office of the Primary Public Defender for 15 years, was chosen for his work as a founding member of the Public Defender Community Outreach Program, a volunteer charity organization composed of Public Defender staff.  

“We do some great work and we’re certainly proud of it,” he said of the outreach organization.

Barone said someone submitted his name for the award without telling him and he got a call letting him know he’d been selected for it while he was on vacation. He gives the outreach program credit for the honor but clearly he has strong ideals about public service.

 “As members of the Bar, we have the unique opportunity to use our education, specialized knowledge and influence within the community to help others. We should feel compelled to use those resources to assist those less fortunate,” he told the magazine.

Barone said he and Deputy Public Defender David Lamb started the program in 2009. The two work with a committee of others in the office to make charitable selections and plan events. All the Public Defender volunteers are involved because they care about helping others, he said.

The organization’s flagship charity event is a golf tournament that benefits the San Pasqual Academy, the County-operated residential high school for foster children.  In the four years since it formed, the organization has raised nearly $100,000, he said.

The outreach organization has also branched out to include fundraising for other charitable organizations such as Reality Changers, Outdoor Outreach, Village of Promise, and the San Diego Mock Trial Competition, Barone said.

To learn more about the work done by the Public Defender Community Outreach Program, visit http://www.pd-outreach.org/.

Deputy District Attorney George Loyd accepts his service award for his work with the Veteran's Court.Deputy District Attorney George Loyd also accepted an award for his instrumental role in launching Veterans Court, was which offers tailored treatment to non-violent veterans who are going through the criminal justice system.

“I’m honored to be recognized for this pilot program, which has already helped dozens of veterans get their lives on track,” said Loyd. “This program saves money for San Diego County in the long run and addresses some of the issues faced by veterans, including post-traumatic stress disorder.”

The program began in 2011 and helps combat veterans avoid costly incarceration and divert them to mental health treatment programs to help them become productive citizens. The court is a collaborative effort that includes the Superior Court, District Attorney’s Office, Defense Bar, treatment providers and the California Veteran’s Legal Task Force.

Loyd said the program’s success is also due to his fellow Deputy District Attorney’s Harrison Kennedy and Evan Miller who work alongside him in managing the Veterans Court.

“I’m so proud of Deputy DA George Loyd and all who have worked so hard to make Veterans Court successful in its first year,” said District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. “Our goal is to work together to stop the revolving door to prison. Veterans Court acknowledges the particular challenges faced by the men and women who have served our country while at the same time holding offenders accountable.”

Veterans in the program are monitored with regular court hearings and are supported by Veterans Affairs and other community-based organizations.

 “I think we all have some responsibility to help make this world a litter better place,” Loyd told the magazine.

Finding Peace--and Better Health--through Pedaling

 Sheriff's Cpl. Chuck Russell headed home from work at the County Administration Center on a recent day. He rides his lightweight carbon fiber-framed bicycle from home in San Marcos to work and back a few days a week.

Chuck Russell hadn’t ridden a bike in decades. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Cpl. didn’t even own one anymore.

But he knew he needed to get in shape.

Running for exercise had gotten harder on his middle-aged frame, and his doctor had ordered him to lose weight and get healthy.

“He said, ‘I’ll be surprised if you make it to 60 (years old),” Russell said. “He told me I was going to have a stroke or a heart attack.”

Over the years, Russell had whittled down his waist size by running and eating less.

But four years ago, at age 56, he decided he needed to do more. He figured he would revisit one of his passions as a young man: cycling. Decades earlier during college, Russell had trained with a cycling club and even competed in some cycling races.

He started out slow, first buying a used mountain bike and riding just a few miles at night and on the weekends.

Now, he makes the 36-mile bicycle trek between his home in San Marcos and work at the County Administration Center downtown a few times a week. His compelling story fits with the goals of the County’s Employee Wellness program, which encourages employees to develop healthy choices.

What pushes Russell to pedal so far? The endorphins and the peace of mind he said he gets from riding.

Riding along the coastline, next to the ocean waves, helps him clear his head.

The exercise doesn’t hurt either. He’s almost down to his high school-age pant size, after dropping about 30 lbs. since he started to riding again. His blood pressure and cholesterol are at healthy levels now. Russell said he hopes to lose at least another 10 lbs. with help too from a protein, vegetable and fruit rich diet.

Over the years, Russell said his weight had ballooned due to what he described as his lack of discretion over his eating, combined with a lack of exercise. A star athlete growing up, he’d become obese and developed the common health problems that come with it: high blood pressure, high cholesterol.

“I would eat anything,” he said. “Cheeseburgers. Donuts. Cupcakes. Candy. Soda. Whatever was sitting around…I’m lucky I’m still alive because I was so overweight.”

He started feeling dizzy, depressed--terrible, he said.

When he first started biking again, Russell said he could barely ride uphill. He would ride maybe three, four miles at a time.

He built enough strength and confidence to try the 10 mile ride each way from home to the Coaster train station in Encinitas, where he would catch the train to work in downtown San Diego. Russell works as a supervisor, overseeing the Sheriff’s department staff at the County Administration Center. 

Eventually, he decided he’d try to ride the whole way to work. He navigated a route south on the Coast Highway, past Torrey Pines State Reserve and through the UCSD campus, then through Rose Canyon, around Mission Bay and along Pacific Highway.

The 36 mile ride each way between home and the CAC takes him about two hours and 20 min. total. Sometimes he shortens his ride a bit, driving his car from home to the Encinitas Coaster station, then riding on bike the next 26 miles to the CAC, or taking the Coaster to Encinitas, then riding the final 10 miles home. He squeezes in more riding on the weekends.

One way or another, “I’m riding a bike every day,” he said.

Last month, he said he rode a total of 982 miles.

On the days he rides to work, Russell carries everything he needs in a bag over his shoulder. He stores his Sheriff’s department uniform in a locker at work. For his commute, he dons bike pants, a cycling jersey, cycling shoes that lock into the pedals and a helmet. Over the years, he upgraded from a used mountain bike to a lightweight, carbon fiber-framed bicycle with thin wheels.

In addition to the health benefits, Russell said he’s made a lot of friends bicycling. He meets up with several other cyclists who also commute from North County to ride segments together. Turns out there’s a whole group who used to ride the Coaster and now bike to work instead.

There have been several close calls with cars, and one minor crash. But Russell was OK. He tries to be as careful as he can.

He plans to commute well into the future.

“It’s a passion,” he said. “It makes me young.”

Learn a Life-saving Skill in 5 Minutes

Employees at the County Operations Center or the North Inland Public Health Center can do something potentially life changing on their breaks or lunch hour Tuesday. And it will only take five minutes.

As part of the annual “Sidewalk CPR” day, County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) Emergency Medical Services staff will be offering hands-only CPR training to County employees from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the 5510 building at the COC and the Public Health Center at 606 East Valley Parkway in Escondido.

Hands-only CPR is cardio pulmonary resuscitation without the mouth-to-mouth breaths and is recommended for use by people who see an adult suddenly collapse. (Traditional CPR is still recommended for all infants and children, drowning victims and adult victims who are already found unconscious and not breathing).

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease. Every year about 785,000 Americans have a first heart attack. Approximately 470,000 people who have already had one or more attacks have another.

The prompt delivery of CPR more than doubles a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival by helping maintain a blood flow to the heart and brain.

Volunteer Firefighter Wins Big on Game Show

San Diego County Volunteer Fireman Joe Pellegrini, come on down! You are the next contestant on “The Price is Right!”

The 22-year-old Pacific Beach man was among a group of local volunteer firefighters who drove up to Hollywood where “The Price is Right” is filmed. They were there for a special “Salute to Firefighters”. Not only was he selected as a contestant, he scored a new car, and is now likely vying for the son-of-the-year award.

The show taped in March, but contestants sign contracts saying they won’t reveal what happens before it airs. That meant  Pellegrini had to keep a big secret from his family, especially his mother. The show aired today (Friday), but he was assigned to fighting the San Felipe Fire near Borrego Springs, so his mother, grandmother and some friends watched the show without him.

After he got back in the station, he called his mother. She and his grandmother were both really excited about his win, especially his grandmother because it’s her favorite show, he said.

That’s when he told his mother that he was giving her the new 2013 Honda Civic LX because he knew she needed a new car and had been talking about getting one. He called it a late Mother’s Day present.

“She was extremely happy. She thought I was kidding,” Pellegrini said.

His mom almost spoiled her surprise when she noticed a letter from the “Price is Right,” he said. She knew he had won something but she never suspected he would give it to her.

Pellegrini said it was his second visit to the Price is Right show. He had gone up last December with some fraternity brothers and his friend won a showcase. If you’re not a regular viewer, that’s a big deal. Two contestants are given the chance to bid on prize packages worth thousands of dollars, and the closest bid wins. Turns out, his friend’s luck rubbed off on him.

Pelligrini described his experience on the game show. Everyone starts out in a big line outside the studio and tries their best to dazzle the screeners who choose the contestants. People have to take their personality up a notch and come across as outspoken and energetic so they will “make good television,” he said. He obviously made a good impression because he was the only one among his group that was chosen as a contestant.

Inside the studio, the firefighter audience was cheering so loudly as they started the show that he almost didn’t hear his name called.

“Oh, that’s me, that’s me!”  Pellegrini remembers thinking.

He first won an iPad and iPad mini, then had the chance to win a new car. He gave host Drew Carey a junior firefighting badge sticker from San Diego County which the host immediately stuck on his suit. To win the car, Pellegrini had to play a price matching game. Initially, he guessed a wrong answer, but Carey gave Pellegrini a chance to revise two numbers and when he did, he won the car.

Pellegrini volunteers at San Diego Rural fire stations as part the San Diego County Fire Authority. He has been volunteering since October of 2011 and recently earned his bachelor’s of science degree from SDSU as well as a degree in fire protection technology from San Diego Miramar College.

“I love it,” Pellegrini said of volunteering. “Obviously, I’d like to get a (permanent) job at a department. I’m testing and applying wherever I can.” Hopefully, his luck will continue to pay off.

To watch the full episode of the show go to this link. He’s in the second half of the show.

Cooking Demos Offer Healthy Inspiration

 Shirley Salado, a nutrition educator with Farm and Home Advisor, teaches one of the County's new "Cook it Quick!" healthy cooking demonstrations.

 We’ve all been there. We’re rushing home from work, hungry and tired, and have little energy or patience left to cook dinner.

That’s where a series of new cooking demonstrations could provide a boost of inspiration.

The free classes, called “Cook it Quick!” started in April and offer employees practical ideas and instruction on how to put together quick, healthy meals. If you can’t make it to a session in person—there’s just one left June 21 at HHSA’s Health Services Complex on Rosecrans—check out a video of the first class on LMS. It’s simply called, “Wellness Cook It Quick Video.”

County Wellness Coordinator William Erese said he expects the Employee Wellness program to offer more cooking demonstrations in the future.

Shirley Salado, a nutrition educator with Farm and Home Advisor, taught the first two classes. At her class earlier this week, more than a dozen people watched as she started up an electrical wok and put together a vegetable-packed Asian stir-fry dish. She poured in some olive oil, onion, garlic, ginger and then colorful bags of pre-chopped vegetables including carrots, broccoli and cabbage. To add some more flavor, she stuck in some low sodium soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and seeds and chili flakes too. She encouraged the class to experiment with their favorite healthy seasonings or sauces.

Salado then showed the audience one way of incorporating both fruits and vegetables into breakfast fare by way of a green smoothie. She whipped up a drink in a blender using almond milk, spinach, carrots, pre-cut mango, frozen strawberries and banana.

“At every opportunity, try to build fruits and vegetables into your meals,” Salado said. “You can have a big lunch salad but why not start in the morning?”

She also showed off a chili dish she’d prepared the night before and then simmered all day in a slow cooker. She substituted chicken for turkey in this recipe below, which is also available online through Martha Stewart’s website here.

Spicy Turkey Chili

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 3 hours, 45 minutes

Yield: serves 6

 

Ingredients:

·       1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless turkey thighs cut into one inch pieces

·       3 cloves garlic, minced

·       1 medium yellow onion, diced small

·       2 Serrano chilies, seeded and minced

·       1 chipotle chili in adobo, seeded and minced

·       1 can (28 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes, pureed

·       2 tbsp. chili powder

·       Coarse salt

·       2 cans (15.5 oz. each) of black beans, drained and rinsed

·       1 tbsp. white vinegar

 

      Directions:

1.   In a 5- to 6- quart slow cooker, combine turkey, garlic, onion, Serrano chilies, chipotle chile, tomato puree, chili powder and one teaspoon salt. Cover and cook on high until turkey is fork-tender, 3 hours (or 6 hours on low). Add beans and cook until warmed through, about 30 min. more. Stir in vinegar and season with salt.

 

Cook’s Note:

Serve the chili with sliced jalapenos for heat, cilantro for fresh flavor and a dollop of sour cream to cool things off.

(From Martha Stewart Living magazine March 2013)

To sign up for a cooking demo or to watch the video of one, visit LMS.

Taking Her Customers’ Needs to Heart

Maria “Mia” Ruffier noticed her customer was having a hard time speaking one day in March. He was stuttering. A Board Assistant in the Clerk of the Board of Supervisor’s Office, Ruffier didn’t know if this was his normal speaking style or if the elderly gentleman was a little nervous.

As Ruffier, who is bilingual in English and Spanish, went through his passport application, she spoke with the man in his native Spanish. Ruffier spends the busy lunch hour – noon to 1 p.m. -- each day processing passports at the County Administration Center. She typically helps between four and seven customers a day.

A few minutes into their exchange, Ruffier noticed the man’s face losing color. It seemed to be turning gray. He reminded her of her late grandfather, who she used to tell to slow down and take care of himself.

She asked the man if he was feeling OK. No, he said. “I don’t feel good,” he replied in Spanish.

Turns out he’d felt dizzy the night before, too. She offered him a glass of water and he accepted. A few more minutes later, his application was ready to go and so the man started to get up. He began pushing himself up and out of a chair when the whole right side of his body just shut down. Ruffier gasped and leaned toward him, trying to prop him up.

"The muscles weren’t working,” Ruffier said. “They weren’t responding.”

“Siéntese, siéntese,” she told him in Spanish, meaning sit down, sit down.

Ruffier ran around the desk, calling out to her supervisor: “my customer almost fell over!” He had become dizzy and lost feeling in his arm, he said. He didn’t know what happened. She pulled up a chair and sat with him until Sheriff’s deputies and paramedics arrived. She explained to them the situation and the symptoms the man was experiencing.

Ruffier called the customer’s wife and told her what was going on. She put the man’s belongings in a plastic bag and gave it to the paramedics, who took him out in a stretcher. He thanked her.

“I almost wanted to cry,” she said.

Turned out the man had a history of heart trouble. He’d had two heart attacks. This time, Ruffier believes he was having a stroke, though she lost touch with him so she doesn’t know for sure. But his symptoms fit some of the key warning signs of a stroke, which according to the National Stroke Association, are:

• numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• severe headache with no known cause

Ruffier said she was just glad this happened at the County Administration Center, where he was surrounded by people who could help. He had traveled by himself from his home in National City that day.

For her actions, she received a quarterly Clerk’s award. She called that humbling. Clerk of the Board Thomas J. Pastuszka said his department’s mission is to provide consistently excellent service to customers, and he praised Ruffier’s readiness to step in and help.

“In this situation, Mia's attentiveness and quick action made a significant impact on this gentleman's life,” Pastuszka said. “I am proud of her and all our staff who work hard to create a positive experience for our customers.”

Ruffier said she did what she would want someone else to do for her. “He was my priority,” she said.

“My mother used to say, ‘them today, us tomorrow,’ and it’s true.”

To learn more about preventing a stroke, check out this County News Center public service announcement featuring Supervisor Ron Roberts: Strike Out Stroke.

Edgemoor Honors RN and CNA of the Year

Wendy Liu was honored as the Edgemoor Skilled Nursing Facilities Nurse of the Year.

Phoebe Pascua was honored as the Certified Nursing Assistant of the Year at Edgemoor.

Dr. Rebecca Ferrini, Edgemoor's Medical Director, at the luncheon honoring the nurse and CNA of the year at Edgemoor.

Attendees enjoyed a healthy Live Well, San Diego! luncheon selection of fresh fruit.

Phoebe Pascua, left, Edgemoor CNA of the Year, and Wendy Liu, Edgemoor Nurse of the Year

Records Clerk's Total Recall Helps Nab Suspect

On average, Probation records clerk Mimi Bailey enters 156 probation cases per month, and she’s processed thousands of probationers’ cases in her job. Still, three months ago she immediately recognized one of them from a San Diego Police Department “Be on the Look Out” (BOLO) email flier and that led to his arrest for new crimes.

Bailey recently received a letter from the San Diego Police Department detective assigned to the case commending her for her sharp eyes.

She had entered the probationer’s case two to three months prior, but she not only recognized him from the photograph on the flier, she remembered that he was on probation for committing a similar crime using the same methods.

“I have a very good photogenic memory.  I can see someone today and then four days later see him in the community and say, ‘Oh that’s the guy and remember everything about the case,’” said Bailey.

She felt certain the probationer was the same person in the police flier about a man who was stealing over-the-counter medications from drug and grocery stores. She immediately notified her supervisor and sent a link to his photo.

The information was forwarded to San Diego police detective Bobby Rollins, who was able to pin three other store burglaries on the man.  Bailey said she was told the guy admitted committing the crimes when the detective showed him the photos.

“This is a prime example of having a quality employee that is focused on her work. (She) is to be commended for her job knowledge, enthusiasm and attention to detail, said Rollins in a letter to the Probation Department.

Law enforcement frequently sends the BOLO fliers, and Bailey always takes a look, but this is the first time she has recognized a wanted criminal. Bailey has worked for the County for 10 years, and she said it was nice to be recognized within her department.

She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and is three classes away from earning a master’s degree in psychology. She aspires to work in law enforcement someday, perhaps as a homicide detective or a with the medical examiner’s office.

Local Celebrities Serve to Benefit Underserved Youth

This Friday, San Diego Chargers, Padres players and Sheriff Bill Gore will be serving lunch and trying to earn tips they can donate to a nonprofit that supports underserved youth and is closely linked to our County Probation Department.

The 13^th Annual Celebrity Waiter Luncheon will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Market Creek venue in the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center, 404 Euclid Ave. in San Diego. A silent auction will begin at 11 and the program and lunch will start at noon.

Not sure if you’ll be able to go or not, given Friday time or the donation asked for a ticket — $100 for individuals or a table for 10 for $1,000. But the nonprofit that benefits is a great organization, so feel free to pass the information to anyone who might be interested.

San Diego County Probation Officer Heather Rios said the proceeds go to STAR/PAL, a nonprofit organization that brings law enforcement officers and kids together in positive programs.  STAR/PAL depends on public employees for its programming.  Four members of law enforcement—Rios and three San Diego police officers—work there full time.

The organization’s philosophy is that building a positive relationship between officers and youth creates safer neighborhoods in the future. Rios, who has worked as a probation officer for 14 years, was assigned to work directly with the STAR/PAL program last December and supports the organization’s efforts.

 “I worked so long in Juvenile Hall and I felt like I was getting a hold of kids after I could have helped them. Here, I get a chance to get to the kids before they get to that step where they have to go to Juvenile Hall,” Rios said. “I get to have more of an impact on these kids before they make that mistake, so it won’t affect the rest of their lives.”

STAR/PAL offers kids free recreational and sports programs that include field trips and educational programming such as diversion classes. Field trips include entertainment such as Circus Vargas, Disney on Ice, surfing clinics, fishing derbies, Junior Chargers Training Camp and the Padres Baseball Camp.

Often, the field trips are an opportunity for some of the kids to do or see things they otherwise might not, said Rios.

On a daily basis, about 35 kids come into the STAR/PAL center in City Heights for sports programs and a homework tutor hour. Annually, more than 10,000 youth participate in STAR/PAL activities or programs across the county.

The six-week-long diversion classes are taught by Rios and the three police officers. The program is offered four times a year with separate classes for girls and boys, she said. The kids are ordered to take the classes usually after being arrested for violating the 10 p.m. curfew, Rios said.  The classes focus on safety issues such as the dangers of drugs and alcohol, preventing sexual assault, conflict resolution, and crime prevention.

County Supervisor Ron Roberts will be presenting a Superheroes for Youth Award to former San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and his wife Rana Sampson.

To purchase a ticket for the Celebrity Waiter Luncheon, call (619) 531-2559 or email coleary@starpal.org. The STAR/PAL web site is at http://www.starpal.org.

County Officials Honor Staff for Graffiti Fight

Chairman Greg Cox recognized key public safety staffers at Tuesday’s board meeting for their role in the graffiti abatement program that took a Grand Golden Watchdog from the Taxpayers Association last week.

“This is a very unique program that was put together by a lot of different people,” Chairman Cox said. “…This is a perfect example of what we as a region can accomplish when we all work together.”

Sheriff Bill Gore and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis also spoke at the meeting to honor their employees, many who have been or were involved in the graffiti program for years and were influential in seeing it adopted by police and public agencies all over the region.

Recognized were:

Undersheriff Ed Prendergast

A “driving force” in Graffiti Tracker being adopted across the Sheriff’s Department and region, Cox said.

Lt. Tony Ray

Who managed the program as it was successfully adopted by the Sheriff’s Department and regional agencies

Lt. Karen Stubkjaer

The current graffiti abatement program manager

Vista Deputy Kevin Johnston

“The most prolific graffiti investigator in San Diego County,” said Chairman Cox.

Keith Spears and George Gonzales

For their work facilitating the contracts that allow the County and the regional agencies to participate in the program

Victor Barr

The deputy district attorney who successfully built and prosecuted multi-count graffiti cases and pushed for more agencies to join Graffiti Tracker so vandals could be prosecuted and ordered to pay restitution, no matter where they left their mark. Cox called him a “bulldog” in going after restitution from vandals.

Jeff Lazar

Deputy district attorney who currently prosecutes multi-count graffiti cases and wins large restitution orders.

Sarah Gordon

Communications officer who wrote the successful Taxpayers Association nomination

See County News Center story about the award and video about Graffiti Tracker