Don’t Miss Halloween Contest Fun

There’s still time to sign up for two frighteningly fun contests being held on Halloween at the County Operations Center.  Sign up to dress up or carve it up at the Haunted Plaza on Friday—there are openings in the pumpkin carving and costume contests.

All you need to do to sign up is click on the blue links below. Here are the details:

Pumpkin Carving Contest: The contest is open to both freestyle and pattern carvers. Registration is required, so sign up now. Participants carefully carved creations will be displayed at the Haunted Plaza where County employees will vote for the best of the best. Register to enter as a pattern or freestyle carver by emailing your name, title and department. Read the rules before finding the most perfect pumpkin as your canvas.

Costume Contest: Dress to impress! There are four costume contest categories this year: funniest, most creative, scariest or best group. (For best group, make sure to submit only one submission.) The costumes will be judged during the witching hour (12:35 p.m.) at the Haunted Plaza on Oct. 31. Read the rules before fabricating your disguise.

Don’t miss out on a wicked good time! Attend the Haunted Plaza at the County Operations Center on Halloween day from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Some of the planned activities include dancing the Monster Mash, games and contests with sweet prizes, a mummy wrap, and more ghoulish fun.

A new highlight of this year’s celebration is a food drive for the San Diego Food Bank. Employees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to the big bash on Oct. 31. Each person who brings in an item (or items) will receive one entry into a raffle. Winner need not be present to win.

Which Workspace is the Most Wicked?

Ghouls and goblins of the County have deviously decorated their workspaces with cobwebs, creepy crawlies and more. Now, it’s your job to vote for the cream of the crop!

The first five photos in the slideshow below are the finalists. Scroll through the rest to see all the creative and festive entries. You can click on the picture inside the slideshow to enlarge.

Winners will be recognized at the Haunted Plaza at the County Operations Center on Halloween.

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite finalist!

Verint survey software

The Annual Report - It All Adds Up to a Great Story

Take more than 17,000 employees, serving 4,200 square miles, with their jobs involving everything from flu shots to potholes, weddings to law enforcement, library books to air pollution. County of San Diego workers handle all of those and many more. Their success story is captured in a compact, easy-to-read format that won’t put you to sleep: the County’s new annual report.

The County’s latest annual report has been published and it’s nothing like the fusty volume from your grandfather’s day or even your father’s! The online version is short, crisp and clean. Just the facts on some of the major strides we’ve made in the last fiscal year.

You choose the topics that interest you most. What has the County done for you lately in the way of your safety, your health and your environment? Three separate tabs on just those subjects. How do we do it? Find out more about the backbone structure that supports everything we do. Like numbers? See what we’ve accomplished ‘By the Numbers.’ Where do the tax dollars go? See our easy-to-read pie charts.

The county’s annual report is designed to be a quick read but it does have depth. The figures are packed with links leading to more information, including County News Center videos or articles related to accomplishments, a mini photo gallery, department website or the County’s Operational Plan. Like what you see on ‘By the Numbers’? A link to SDCountyinFocus offers even more numbers from each department.

You can also meet our Board of Supervisors, see how the County departments are organized and scan a short list of our top awards.

The annual report is available online and it’s been optimized for your mobile phone or tablet in an in an easy to navigate format. You can even print an 18-page snapshot of the annual report.         

Remember, the Annual Report is our County story, our success story – so show off what we’ve done.

Send the link to everyone, people you work with outside the office, your family, your friends who wonder what the County does exactly. Point them in the direction of your particular area of expertise and they can see how it fits into the bigger picture.   

Our annual report is a reflection of what you do, what we all do here at the County – and you can be proud.

Last Week to Sign Up for Open Enrollment

Open enrollment is coming to a close next week. You only have until Oct. 31 to complete the 2015 enrollment. All County employees are required to enroll. Don’t wait until the last second - mark it off your list today or this weekend!

Here’s a simple checklist to make sure you get everything done before the deadline.

1. Visit the Open Enrollment Website.
2. Review the log-in instructions.
3. Login and review your 2014 elections to prepare for your 2015 enrollment.
4. Make your elections.
5. After you make your elections, get your forms in.  
   • All employees must complete the MetLife beneficiary form.
   • If you waive health insurance –complete your Waiver Form and submit proof of other health insurance.
   • If you enroll in the DHMO Delta dental plan, you need to complete the Benefits Enrollment Change Form to select your dentist.
   • If you add/change dependents, make a switch between medical plans or newly elect one of the Anthem or Kaiser medical plans, you need to complete the Benefits Enrollment Change Form.
6. Print out your confirmation.

You can visit the actual enrollment site off the County network so you can complete enrollment from home. You may receive a “session timed out” message if you visited previously. Sign in again to continue.

Don’t forget: Your enrollment is not complete until you submit all your forms. Submit any forms and/or required supporting documents to the Employee Benefits Division by 5 p.m., Nov. 7. Documents can be sent by email or fax (858) 694-3938 or through inter-office mail to Mailstop O-7. All forms are available online.

Time’s running out to complete your Open Enrollment. Remember, if it’s more convenient, you can complete your open enrollment from home.

Looking for some extra tips on Open Enrollment? Visit the Open Enrollment page or click on these helpful links:

• Review Your Benefits
• Instructions for Logging In
• Logging Into and Out of the System

Bid and Win for a Great Cause

Bid on items and give back to the community at the same time this weekend when the County Employees’ Charitable Organization (CECO) holds its 2^nd annual auction fundraiser. Browse and bid on nearly 250 items to support CECO’s “Power of One” fall campaign. All proceeds will benefit non-profit programs throughout the San Diego region and County employees in crisis.

Bidding opens Friday, Oct. 24 at 5 p.m. and closes at 7 p.m. Sunday. If you’d like a sneak peek now, check out photos and details of the auction items online during your lunch break or after work.

All auction items were donated and range from art to sports memorabilia. Items already causing a stir include beach cruisers, a Samsung Galaxy Tab, harbor cruise tickets, a pampered spa visit, and lunch with CAO Helen Robbins-Meyer.

One hundred percent of money raised by CECO is distributed back to the community. Earlier this year, CECO awarded grants to 93 local programs totaling $232,000. Recipients included Mama’s Kitchen, Second Chance’s transitional housing program, Rolling Readers’, the Employee Crisis Fund and numerous other programs.

“CECO is important because of its great tradition of giving. Because we are touching the lives of people in our very own community,” said CECO President Mavette Sadile, with the County Technology Office. “We are hoping to raise even more money this year and give back even more to the community.”

Registering is easy. Surf over to biddingowl.com/CECO and click “login / register” at the top right corner of the page. You can even set up your account to notify you via text message or email if you’ve been outbid. Since the bidding does take place over the weekend, you may want to email that link to yourself now or otherwise note it somehow so you can get to it while away from work.

The fun is not only for County employees. The auction is open to everyone.

Going, going, gone! If you take part in the auction or not, another great way to contribute to CECO is through an automatic payroll deduction. Plus, if you are already giving, you can increase your current contribution to help CECO achieve its audacious goal of awarding $250,000 in grants in 2015. Learn more.

In Touch: Wearing Pink – and Living Well

It’s a fall color change of sorts. October arrives, and so does pink, the bright sign of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

It’s not only a time to raise awareness about this disease — the cancer that affects more women in America than any other.  It’s also a time to honor those who have survived it and to support everyone who has been affected by it.

That’s why I’d like to invite everyone to join me Tuesday, Oct. 21 and wear pink to show our support for our friends, colleagues, loved ones and everyone who has battled, or is battling, breast cancer.

Tuesday will be a fitting time to show our support. It is also the day that we will present our annual update to the Board on our Live Well San Diego initiative, which we created to improve the health and well-being of all county residents.

When we started Live Well San Diego in 2010, a key guide was the 3-4-50 principle. Those numbers represent that three behaviors – poor nutrition, lack of exercise and tobacco use – contribute to the four diseases – cancer, heart disease/stroke, type 2 diabetes and respiratory illness like asthma – that cause more than half of all deaths in our county. The number one killer locally is cancer.

Live Well San Diego proposes that we can all help ourselves lead healthier lives by attacking those three behaviors — by eating better, exercising more and stopping smoking.

As science makes progress fighting and curing cancer, we will stay committed through Live Well San Diego to promoting choices than can help prevent people from getting the disease.

In the meantime, I’d like to welcome all of you to join me Tuesday and “go pink” to show our support!

Prepare for Witching Hour at the Haunted Plaza

Something good is brewing and it’s coming at you in the form of contests, costumes and plenty of ghastly fun.

All employees are invited to the Haunted Plaza at the County Operations Center on Halloween Day. From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the plaza will be full of tricks and treats. Planned activities include dancing the Monster Mash, games and contests with sweet prizes, a mummy wrap, and more. A pumpkin carving and costume contest will be judged during the festivities, but registration is required beforehand.

A new highlight of this year’s celebration is a food drive for the San Diego Food Bank. Employees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to the big bash on Oct. 31. Each person who brings in an item (or items) will receive one entry into a raffle. Winner need not be present to win.

In addition, there are four contests to sign up for this year. Please note:Pictures must not exceed 10 megabytes (MB).

Workspace Decorating Contest: Show your Halloween spirit by decorating your office, cubicle or other workspace with festive fall décor. To enter select a category—funniest, scariest or most creative—and email photos of your spooktacular workspace (no more than two, please!) between Oct. 20 and Oct. 24. A committee will select five finalists and employees will vote for the top winners via an InSite poll from Oct. 27 to Oct. 29. Winners will be announced Oct. 30 and recognized at the Haunted Plaza on Halloween Day. Read all the rules before submitting.

Scary Face Picture Contest: Have a spellbinding stare? Try entering the Scary Face Picture Contest. County employees can enter by emailing a boo-tiful “before” and a dreadfully eerie “after” photo of their scary face between Oct. 20 and Oct. 24. The frightening finalists will be selected and employees will vote for the winners via an InSite poll from Oct. 27 to Oct. 29. The wicked winners will be announced Oct. 30 and recognized at the COC during the big Halloween bash. Read the rules beforetaking those blood curdling photos.

Pumpkin Carving Contest: Calling all crafters. The Pumpkin Carving Contest is coming soon. The contest is open to both freestyle and pattern carvers. But don’t wait for the Great Pumpkin to arrive to sign up! The contest is open to just 50 artists willing to try their hand at crafting the best jack- o’-lantern. The participants’ carefully carved creations will be displayed at the Haunted Plaza where County employee will vote for their favorite. Register to enter as a patternorfreestylecarver by emailing your name, title and department. Read the rules before finding the most perfect pumpkin as your canvas.

Costume Contest: Get ready to dress to impress in the County’s Costume Contest.  Sign up to participate early! There are four costume categories this year: funniest, most creative, scariest or best group. (For best group, make sure to submit only one submission.) Registration is open to just the first 10 entrees in each category. The costumes will be judged during the witching hour (12:35 p.m.) at the Haunted Plaza on Oct. 31. We’re dying to see your DIY and found costumes.Read the rules before fabricating your disguise.

Prizes will be awarded to winners in the Workspace Decorating, Scary Face Picture, Pumpkin Carving and Costume contests.

Thrive Across America Winners Announced

County employees have been busy thriving – coast to coast, virtually! Some 1,681 employees participated in Thrive Across American and logged more than 2.55 million minutes of exercise during the eight-week program, which ran Aug. 5 through Sept. 29.

Wellness Coordinator William Erese said the program successfully urged employees to get and stay active. It encouraged fitness, held participants accountable and was fun, he said. A daily email with tips on weight and stress management plus healthy recipes nudged participants to stay motivated.

“It is great to see employees support and encourage each other to succeed in health and wellness,” Erese said. “It’s an activity that builds camaraderie through competition.”

Tim Caulder, the top male participant, said his decision to participate was simple: “I want to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible.” Caulder, of Public Works, was one of several employees who exercised and logged their activity every single day of the contest.

The competition was fierce and the annual event continued to gain momentum. A total of 166 teams walked, biked and swam in this year’s contest compared to 144 teams last year.  

In addition to the increase in participants and the impressive amount of time they walked, ran, biked, surfed and held that yoga pose, many employees shed some pounds.

Melissa Martinez, team leader for the HR Admin Shredders, lost 10 pounds. She often fit her workouts in during lunch. Martinez, whose crew came in second place, said the key to her team’s success was daily exercise, eating well, teamwork and a little competitive drive.

“My goal next year is to encourage someone new to participate and help them succeed,” she said.

Due to several ties, 11 teams made the top 5 and nine females made the top 5.

Top 5 Women

• Judy Potts – 1^st
• Ofelia Martinez – 1^st
• Gina Petska – 2^nd
• Joanne Raymundo – 2^nd
• Lissa Tysall – 2^nd
• Rosemarie Munoz – 2^nd
• Xiaojun Wu – 3^rd
• Kristal Parce – 4^th
• Desiree Fuentes – 5^th

Top 5 Men

• Tim Caulder – 1^st
• Ronald Higley – 2^nd
• David Craig – 3^rd
• Rodney Bates – 4^th
• Blake Weisgarber – 5^th

Top 5 Teams

• Back2Back CHAMPS! – led by William Erese
• Catch me if you can! – led by Dulce Cahue
• Rock Stars – led by Michele Curley
• UP & ACTIVE – led by Arnel Encabo
• Walkaholics – led by Ann Rossi
• Yearning to Thrive – led by Cheri Nicolas
• HR Admin Shredders – led by Melissa Martinez
• Lazee Gals – led by Tina Duong
• The 5 Funky Monkeys – led by Samuel Montoya
• 3x as FAST, 3x as Fabulous – led by Clarissa Gonzalez
• Moving Forward – led by Nelia de Guzman

For more information, visit Thrive Across America or visit Wellness Program site.

Will You Survive a Major Earthquake?

As County Disaster Workers, do you know what to do to survive a major earthquake? Are you registered to take part in the upcoming statewide ShakeOut drill? You’re encouraged to participate in the drill at 10:16 a.m. on 10/16. But even if you aren’t participating at work, prepare your family by holding a drill at home with them anytime.

Review earthquake safety tips and practice what to do if the ground starts shaking. Walk through every room in the house and find the best places to take cover and maybe secure some of those items that could become hazards if they fall.

Here’s a five-question quiz to see how much you already know.

Wicked Workspace: Decorating Contest Starts Oct. 20

A 2013 winner of the workspace decorating contest.

It’s time to clear away the cobwebs on your Halloween decorations. Break out the bats, unpack the pumpkins and string up the skeletons. The Workspace Decorating Contest is coming soon!

Show your Halloween spirit by dressing up your office, cubicle or other workspace with festive fall décor. The display should be a treat for your co-workers.

Entering the contest is as easy as (pumpkin) pie. All you need to do is pick a category—funniest, scariest or most creative—and email photos of your awesome autumn workspace (no more than two, please!) between Oct. 20 and Oct. 24.

A Halloween committee will select five finalists. Then, employees will be able to vote for the winner via an InSite poll from Oct. 27 to Oct. 29.

Don’t be a mummy, read all the rules before submitting.

The Workspace Decorating Contest is just one of several frighteningly fun activities leading up to the big Haunted Plaza Halloween bash at the County Administration on Oct. 31. Check back on InSite for all the details in the weeks to come.