For many, the best part of the holiday season is the abundance delicious and decadent foods enjoyed with family and friends. But even after Santa visits all the good boys and girls in San Diego County, our fridges will be full—so start planning for leftovers now.
Send in your ideas and recipes on what to do with all those remaining cookies, rugelach and roast beast. There will be extra points for healthy recipes.
Time is running out to spend your flexible spending account dollars. County employees have until Dec. 31 to use their FSA on approved medical expenses, for things such as office visit and prescription copays, acupuncture chiropractic visits and much more.
Now is the time to buy that new pair of eyeglasses or finish up dental work. For a complete list of eligible purchases, refer to the information compiled by ASI Flex.
But here’s where “except” comes in: IRS guidelines allow employees to carry over up to $500 into 2015. So depending how much you have in your account, you may not need to scramble to meet that year-end deadline. This only applies to employees not enrolled in a high deductible health care plan next year.
Not sure how much you have left in your flex spending account? Employees can check their account balance through ASI Flex’s website. Or smartphone users can check in an app. To download the ASI Flex app, go to Google Play or the iPhone App Store and then search for ASI Flex.
Get plugged into what’s new at the Waterfront Park – electric vehicle charging stations are now open for business. Supervisors Ron Roberts and Dave Roberts celebrated the grand opening of the charging stations during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the underground parking garage Monday.
Members of the public and County employees can use the stations to charge their electric vehicles. Several stations are located along the southeast wall of the garage and an ADA station is located near the garage elevator. In a nod to the holidays, charging will be free through Dec. 26.
ChargePoint installed the stations and will operate them for five years. Drivers who use them will be charged per kilowatt hour rather than a flat hourly rate and they can pay with a major credit card or set up a free ChargePoint account. Once the vehicle is charged, ChargePoint will send a text massage to the driver.
Two types of charging stations are available. Level 2 chargers can be used on all electric vehicles. DC Fast is limited to electric vehicles equipped with the appropriate plug.
Charging stations will also be installed at ten other County parking facilities by December 2015. Which one is next? Watch for them at the County Operations Center sometime in February or March.
Staff at HHSA's Fallbrook Community Resource Center take a breather from unloading all the donated Toys for Tots they were distributing.
A new twist on a familiar holiday story tells the tale of this year’s HHSA Toys for Tots drive.
‘Twas the weeks before the holidays, when all through the County
Little “elves” were stirring, preparing a toy bounty;
The wish lists were made with great care,
In hopes generous people would open hearts and share;
The children were nestled in points near and far;
Waiting for the morning to head out in their car;
Mothers and fathers excited as can be,
Ready for their children’s beaming smiles to see,
They didn’t get a chance to see all the hustle and bustle,
County employees unloading toys and bikes with such muscle.
Off the families dashed making their way to an FRC,
That’s where the music was, the treats, the fun and the toy presents to be.
It’s hard to tell who was smiling more,
The kids getting presents, the parents or the employee helpers galore,
Piles of toys, rows of bikes and other goodies around,
Now holiday mornings would be filled with joyous sound.
Grateful families were everywhere, employees could be proud,
Their efforts with Toys for Tots received thanks aloud.
Hundreds of employees volunteered their time,
Helping more than 5,000 San Diego County children was truly sublime.
The roll call of toy pickup spots was impressive and wide,
From the East, North, South, West gifts were supplied:
There were more toys at Centre City, El Cajon and North Central,
North Inland, Ramona, Fallbrook, North East San Diego, Chula Vista as well.
It’s a project that brings both staff and recipients cheer.
Happy Holidays to all and a wonderful New Year!
They were all smiles at the Northeast Family Resource Center during the Toys for Tots distribution.
The El Cajon Family Resource Center was over-flowing with toys and bikes ready for distribution to children in need this holiday season.
Staff at the North Central Family Resource Center and their little "elf" helpers gathered for a photo after prepping for their Toys for Tots distribution day.
Five County employees made healthy dessert seem as easy as pie this month. Each of the amateur chefs prepared lower calorie treats in the Employee Wellness Program’s Healthy Holiday Dessert Recipe Contest, but only one was crowned the best baker.
From tarts and tortes to cheesecake and mousse, the finalists each submitted recipes and presented their confectionary concoctions in the bake-off contest at the County Operations Center last week. The contestants prepared, plated and presented their sweet treats for judges, who assessed the healthy holiday dishes on presentation and taste.
Grace Anggrainy, an administrative analyst with Public Health’s Maternal, Child and Family Health Services, won with her No Bake Greek Yogurt Cheesecake. Her dish incorporated reduced calorie ingredients.
Grace Anggrainy's No Bake Greek Yogurt Cheesecake“I love taking recipes and modifying them to be healthier,” said Anggrainy.
She said she found a “base” recipe on Pinterest and quickly went to work in the kitchen substituting sugar alternative, low-fat yogurt and fresh berries into the cheesecake.
“I don’t just work in Health Services, I also incorporate healthy choices into my own life,” Anggrainy said. “I try to eat healthier and exercise more.”
Anggrainy, who enjoys cooking and baking for family and friends, added that her No Bake Greek Yogurt Cheesecake is a piece of cake to make. See attached recipe.
The holidays can be challenging with so many holiday parties and family gatherings, but indulging in something sweet is OK—just as long as you don’t overindulge, said William Erese, the County’s wellness coordinator.
Everyone who entered a recipe into the annual contest received prizes, including a cookbook. The final contenders were:
Anggrainy’s recipe will be featured at the COC cafeteria as the Recipe of the Day sometime next month. Check back on InSite for an invite with a date and time.
Deborah Dyar's Cranberry Tart
Susan Yepiz' Strawberry Schaum Torte
Paula Phillip's Fruit Dip
Laura Bennett's Pumpkin Mousse Shooters
The five finalist with Wellness Coordinator William Erese
What is highly ethical and takes only 8 minutes of your time? The new Ethics 101 training rolled out by the Office of Ethics and Compliance in our Learning Management System (LMS).
The short video training is focused on understanding and maintaining our strong ethical standards, a characteristic Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer said is at the core of any successful government or business.
“We want to be proactive so we can continuously reinforce our ethical culture, avoid problems and maintain public trust,” Robbins-Meyer says in an introduction to the training.
Joe Cordero, Director of the County’s Office of Ethics and Compliance, said hundreds of County employees have already watched or been assigned to watch the Ethics 101 training and many more could benefit from the online training.
“The video covers so much material and is so impactful,” Cordero said.
Plus, working for an organization that values ethics usually means there is less turnover, greater job satisfaction and better morale, Cordero added.
The County of San Diego’s values or guiding principles to good ethics are simple: integrity, stewardship and commitment. In other words—do no harm, treat others appropriately and do the right thing. Learn more about ethics by taking Ethics 101. Visit the LMS site and search for “Ethics.”
Back in the ‘80s, bulky holiday sweaters were all the rage. The more bells and whistles on them (literally), the better! In the past decade, the gaudy sweaters have become holiday party essentials. It sounds pejorative, but “Ugly Christmas Sweater” parties are actually all about fun.
Employees who need to work with property documents will have some new options when the County’s Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk (ARCC) office rolls out its first new recording system in 20 years on Dec. 15. The upgrade is just the first step in updating the department to efficient, real-time electronic recording systems.
The department’s first phase focuses on modernizing its internal recording system and grantor/grantee index. This system records and stores real property documents pertaining to sales or changes in ownership associated with individual parcels. It’s used by various County departments, including the Treasurer-Tax Collector, Public Works and several other departments in the Land Use & Environmental Group.
The new recording system takes three systems—the recording, imaging and grantor/grantee index—and merges them into one for ease of use. In addition, it expands searches back through 1970. Currently, the index goes back to 1982.
Many of the changes are “behind the scenes” and will not be noticed by employees using the systems or outside customers, according to Val Wood, Chief Deputy Recorder/Clerk.
“The system is similar from the public’s perspective, but we’ll have more flexible searching capabilities and functionality to do electronic recording,” Wood said.
For internal users, the biggest change is that documents, such as recorded maps, will be viewable from a new link on Monday. A link will be added on InSite’s Departments tab under Internal Services. The documents can be accessed as images and reviewed or printed from this link.
For walk-in customers, the biggest change will be that documents will be scanned at the counter.
Phase two of upgrades in ARCC come early next year with the move towards e-recording official records and adding vital records, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, and clerk functions such as Fictitious Business Name filings.
Sometimes you see them, sometimes you don’t. But they are out there. Thousands of homeless men, women and children in San Diego County. Last January, a one-time count found 8,506 homeless people in the region.
You can help them, and all it takes is a few hours of your time. The Board of Supervisors is appealing to your spirit of volunteerism to step forward again for the Point-in-Time Count project with the WeALLCount campaign. For just one early morning, volunteers are being asked to systematically comb through the region’s neighborhoods to tally how many homeless people they see.
The Board agrees this is such a worthy cause that employees who come forward will be allowed to participate on paid County time. County volunteers are being asked only to count the homeless. Volunteers work in teams and make visual observations.
Why is the count important? It is used to apply for federal funding to help this at-risk population. Accuracy in numbers also helps County staff identify the scope of the problem and work on solutions.
The count takes place Friday, Jan. 23 from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. The Regional Task Force on the Homeless is leading the WeALLCount campaign but last year approximately one fourth of its volunteer force was made up of County employees. That means 371 County employees volunteered for the event and the Board hopes even more will come forward this year.
To sign up, employees need to get approval from their supervisor with a supervisor approval form, and then review the registration guidelines and FAQs (DA, Sheriff and SDCERA access from this folder). Once completed, they can register for the WeALLCount campaign on the Task Force’s website. A short training course on LMS is also required. County time is being allowed for the training as well as the count itself. For more information about the County’s volunteer effort, email WeAllCount@sdcounty.ca.gov.
What’s the coolest present you ever got for the holidays?
That new bicycle? Maybe that G.I. Joe or Easy Bake Oven. A Star Wars action figure? That awesome Transformer or My Little Pony toy. A Beanie Baby! A Playstation 2, or iPod. Maybe even an iPhone.
Whatever it was, there’s a good chance that what made it so special was directly related to the time period in which you grew up. It was a generational touchstone.
We’re pretty special too, generationally speaking. You may not even realize it, but our County team is made up of men and women from five different generations!
Think about that for a moment. There aren’t many organizations or companies that have five generations in their workforce.
If we were one big family — I think we are — we would not only have mom and dad on our team, but our grandparents, great-grandparents, grandkids and great-grandkids as well.
This represents challenges, but it also makes us strong because we represent so many different experiences and world-views — which, by the way, mirror those of our customers who also come from many generations.
We have employees from the Silent Generation; the Baby Boomers; the Gen Xers; Generation Y, also known as Millennials; and even some Generation Z folks!
As you might imagine, the biggest challenge created by our different experiences and world views revolves around communication.
How do we relate to each other? Especially when we come from such different backgrounds? Again, using family as a generational metaphor, it isn’t always easy to relate to mom and dad — or our grandparents, our sons and daughters or our grandkids!
We recently hosted a training event at the County Operations Center that talked about these issues. The training noted that it’s inevitable for friction points to come up among generations — unless we take time to understand how we’re different and use that understanding to improve how we communicate with one another.
Of course, the most fun part of the training was talking about each of our generations, what we’re like and what social phenomena helped shape us as groups. While sociologists don’t all agree on the exact years that each generation begins and ends, they do agree in general on these groups’ traits.
See if you recognize or identify with any of these generational groups:
The Silent Generation. They’re the folks who were born between the 1920s and the end of World War II. They’re also known as “traditionalists.” They include people like Warren Buffet, Sen. John McCain and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We talk a lot these days about technology, rightly so. For the Silent Generation, technology was the radio. They lived through a world war (think of an entire world at war) and the Great Depression where unemployment levels reached nearly 25 percent. They valued privacy (Whoa — social media!) and grew up in a world where you had to “pay your dues” to get ahead. They respect authority and play by the rules. Information was shared on a “need to know” basis. Sociologists use the word “loyalty,” to describe them. At our training, they used this description, “Grandma never throws anything away and grandpa can fix just about anything with a roll of duct tape.”
The Baby Boomers. They are probably the most talked about and written about generation of all. They include people like Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and President Barack Obama. Born between the mid-1940s and early-to-mid 1960s, their technology was the TV. In 1952 there were only about 4 million TV sets in America. By 1960 there were more than 60 million. And television changed everyone’s perspectives completely by making the world a much smaller place. Baby Boomers were a large group, more than 80 million of them. They were children of the 60s and endured the Vietnam War. They were into “touchy-feely” self-improvement. They wanted things now, had credit cards and sacrificed to get ahead. They helped introduce “casual Fridays” to the business world. Sociologists called them “optimists.”
Generation X! Born from the early-to-mid 1960s to the late 1970s, they include people like Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon, John Cusack and Kurt Cobain. With more moms in the workplace, higher divorce rates and more single parents, Gen Xers were latch-key kids with video games who became self-reliant. They grew up with Nixon and Watergate, the economic boom and busts of the dot-com 1990s, and they lost faith in institutions. They were MTV, grunge music, instant news and computers. Sociologists say their key word was skepticism.
The Millennials, or Generation Y. These are the folks who were born between about 1979 and the early-to-mid 1990s. Most are “digital natives,” meaning they’ve grown up in the computer age and are completely familiar with technology. They’re often the ones helping their parents deal with their own laptops and smartphones! They include people like Mark Zuckerberg, Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga. They’ve grown up in a much more diverse America than their parents and grandparents and are often considered more open-minded than their parents on controversial issues. They’re the generation of the Oklahoma City bombing and Columbine. They’re community minded. Sociologists say their key word is realism.
Finally, Generation Z. They’re the newest members of our workforce, people born after 1993. Some sociologists lump them in with the millennial group. But many others feel that even though they share many traits with millennials, there are still many things that set them apart and make them distinct in their own right. Generation Z include people like Justin Bieber and Malala Yousafzai. Gen Z folks are even more plugged in to technology than the millennial generation. Their world has always had the Internet, Google and cell phones. They’ve grown up with Facebook, Twitter and texting. They’ve also come of age in the wake of 9/11 and the Great Recession. They create and collaborate, but are self-directed. Their world is characterized by immediacy — the immediate availability of almost everything, including information and access — which can make them impatient.
So we are different. But we are also the same.
How? Well, we all want to nurture the same things, not only our bodies, but our minds and spirits — our whole person. We all want to be energized, to be happy and to love our work.
We have to learn from one another and embrace our generational differences because we are a team. Regardless of what generation you are from, we are one County team!
Oh, and if you were wondering what my favorite holiday gift was, it was a banana-seat bicycle.
But an iPhone would have been totally cool!
To all the generations who make our diverse workforce so interesting and exceptional, Happy Holidays!
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