CSDFEA Celebrates Larry Itliong Day

Artistic rendition of Larry Itliong by Charmaine Encabo. Display courtesy of Herb Delute, son of a Delano Manong and guest speaker.

The County of San Diego's Filipino-American Employees Association (CSDFEA) celebrated the life and legacy of Larry Itliong, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015.  

Supervisor Greg Cox presented the CSDFEA with a County Proclamation; Herb Delute led the celebration presenting historical information of Filipino immigration to the U. S., leading up to Larry Itliong and the success of the grape farm workers labor movement; and Bea Barcelona, O'Farrell Charter Middle School 10th grader, was presented $500  for her award winning essay on Larry Itliong.   

Watch highlights from the event

Display and authentic grape farming tools used by Herb's father (Courtesy of Herb Delute).

Opening remarks with District 1 Supervisor Greg Cox.

County Proclamation acknowledging October 25 as Larry Itliong Day throughout the County.

Herb Delute preparing to discuss the Four Waves of Filipino Immigration to the U.S.

Bea Barcelona, O'Farrell Charter School 10th grader and winner of CSDFEA's Larry Itliong Essay Contest.

Get Pumped for SDSU Pep Rally

Calling all football fans! Don’t miss the SDSU pep rally at the County Operations Center on Wednesday. The Marching Aztecs, spirit squad and cheerleaders will drum up excitement for the upcoming special event for County employees—San Diego County Day. Look for the pep rally near the Commons from noon to 1 p.m.

San Diego County Day means discounted tickets and a free fair for County employees and their families at the Aztecs’ Nov. 14 game against the Wyoming Cowboys. This is also SDSU’s homecoming. Tickets are just $10 and can be purchased online with coupon code COUNTY. Parking will be $10.

The pregame activities at Qualcomm Stadium start at 5 p.m. in parking section C1/D1and include games and free rides. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

There will also be a free opportunity drawing at the pep rally for several sets of tickets to the game on Nov. 14. You must be present to win.

Read My Lips: Lip Sync Contestants Announced

via GIPHY

Several County Employees have gotten in sync for a creepily cool contest. Eight teams were selected to compete in a Lip Sync-Off at the Hollyweird Halloween party at the County Operations Center on Oct. 30.

The teams set to have a howling good time vying for the Best Performance “Oscare” are:

• Human Resources: Aaron Morgan, Miezelle Espinoza, Emily Fick

• Finance & General Government Group: Tracy Sandoval, Ebony Shelton, Joan Pan, Michelle Crichlow, Rachel Witt

• General Services: Angie Solom, Kimberly Martindale-Leal, Maria Smith, Khris Gimeno

• County of San Diego Filipino‐American Employees Association: Ardee Apostol, Mavette Sadile, Vanessa Cabiling, Rizza Rodriguez

• Registrar of Voters: Pamela Jordan, Laura Kelly, George Blessing, Shannon Bowman, Mireya Lara, Vicki Starke, Gabriela Gladswell, Monica Garcia

• Purchasing & Contracting: Shelly Castle, Vianney Aldana, Lucie Dela Cruz

The tournament will start at 12:15 p.m. near the Commons. Come out to cheer on your favorite group. Winners will be selected by audience applause.

The Lip Sync-Off is just one of the many Halloween activities planned for Oct. 30. See the spooktacular list of events here. And if you don’t have a costume planned out, here are tips for putting together a great look.

Battle of the Bands Acts Announced

Get ready to rock! Four bands and one solo act, each representing one County group, were selected to compete in the Battle of the Bands at the COC Nov. 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The live showdown is a benefit for the March of Dimes. Awards will be presented to the act that raises the most money for the non-profit organization and to the crowd favorite. It could be one and the same.

The battle pits the County’s groups against each other for a good time and a good cause. Represent your group and donate now! Or listen to the clips below and contribute to MOD based on your favorite performer. Fundraising continues through the day of the epic battle.

Without further ado, the performers are:

Community Services Group

Dona & the Servicemen are a guitar-driven classic rock band formed exclusively for the 2015 Battle of the Bands. All members are veteran musicians with years of stage experience and also happen to be current Community Services Group employees.

They are:

• Jerry Benson, bass (DGS – Administrative Secretary IV)

• Dona Debniak, lead vocals (DAS – Department Payroll Specialist)

• Eric Nedelman, guitar/vocals (DPC – Administrative Analyst II)

• Michael Hoag, drums (DGS – Building Maintenance Engineer)

• Brian Hagerty, guitar/vocals (CSG Executive Office – Group Finance Director)

Watch Dona & the Servicemen perform Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.”

Finance & General Government Group

Arnold De Guzman, Multimedia Designer for the County Communications Office, will be making his musical debut at this year’s Battle of the Bands. Arnold loves to play acoustic guitar and is a fan of different genres.  

Since the age of 8, he's fiddled around with the guitars left at his house by uncles. The past five years is when he's spent more time practicing guitar and has performed with his niece and BWAN (Band Without A Name) at family gatherings. His musical inspirations include Jason Mraz, John Mayer and Paramore.

Watch Arnold perform Lionel Richie’s “Stuck on You.”

Health & Human Services Agency

Posse Café is founded on the mutual love for music shared between County employees Ana Maria Echeverria and Rueben Rubio.

Ana Maria has been singing throughout HHSA for 10 years, from FRC to TKC (The Knowledge Center.) Her gift of music has always been a gift she’s loved to share.

When not lending his voice to the ACCESS call center, Rueben Rubio is the guitar-toting second half of Posse Café—providing rich rhythms and smooth harmonies to Ana Maria’s soulful sound.

Watch Posse Café perform Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” at the NAMI walk last year.

Land Use & Environment Group

For the past 14 years, Admin Analysts Jerry Schoen, from Parks and Recreation, has played drums and Phil Varela, from HHSA, bass in Steal Dawn—a rock & roll, dance band that has performed more than 750 shows.

The band, which has jammed at Park at the Park at Petco, Bahia Resort’s Harbor Cruise and the legendary Belly Up Tavern, prides itself on playing the “greatest Top 40 music from the last 40 years.” They perform everything from Aerosmith to ZZ Top, Bruno Mars to Usher, and Jason Aldean to Muse.

Watch Steal Dawn rock out to some of their favorite covers.

Public Safety Group

Three employees make up Unpaved Highway—a band said to play a “rock and road” style of folk grunge music. They draw on the sounds from John Mellencamp to Nirvana.

Eric Nedelman, an analyst with Purchasing and Contracting, played solo acoustic shows under the name Unpaved Highway for more than a year before connecting with Brent Livingston, an IT Engineer with the Sheriff Department, through a Craigslist ad for a bass player. Shortly after meeting they realized they both worked for the County. The band is now rounded out with Pablo Rodriquez, a senior IT engineer with the Sheriff’s Department, and a drummer.

Watch Unpaved Highway perform an original song.

5 Halloween Costume Tips and 1 Party Preview

The witching hour is almost upon us! Mark Oct. 30 on your calendar for thrilling and chilling festivities at the Hollyweird Halloween party and a creepy costume contest.

The best part – employees near and far can enter the contest, and we’ve got tips to help you put together your ghoulish garb. County employees can show off their costumes in person Oct. 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the COC. And you can enter the contest on the same day by emailing a photo of your cute, comical or creepy creation. (Details will be posted to InSite on the day of the big bash.) Employees will then vote for the “best in show” on Monday, Nov. 2.

With just one week to plan your outfit, where do you start? Luckily, one County employee has tips for creating wonderfully whimsical, startlingly scary or coolly clever costumes.

Roberta Hussey Nichols, office manager with the Multiple Conflicts Office, has an impressive resume as a costume creator. She’s a member of the San Diego Costume Guild and has donned her ornate outfits at events for the San Diego Symphony, San Diego History Center and the USS Midway. Some of her more memorable guises have been dressing as Cinderella at the San Diego Library and in a procession for Día de los Muertos in Old Town.

Roberta Hussey Nichols and her husband at a Día de los Muertos event in Old Town San Diego.

“It is fun to become that character. It is fun to come out of your own skin,” said Nichols, who claims Halloween is one of her favorite holidays.

Of course, the first step in fashioning a costume fit for a stunning superhero, marvelous mummy or wonderfully wicked witch is coming up with the idea. The creative process does not need to be a nightmarish feat. Nichols said employees can draw inspiration from anywhere – books, movies, comics, video games, historical figures, sports heroes and political figures are fair fodder.

Roberta dressed as Queen Regina from ABC's "Once Upon a Time."

The options for finding costume materials are also endless—from online to your local hardware store, swap meet and even your own closet. She said an idea can come from just one item, such as bell-bottom jeans to be a hippie or blue overalls to be a Minion.

Here are 5 tips so simple that they are almost spooky:

1. Start planning as early as you can. A week is plenty of time to make your costume fabulous.

2. Be comfortable. Wear comfy shoes if you can.

3. Try to act/be your character. What would they do or say? Do they have a certain walk or way of doing something? If it’s a character from a movie or TV, try to repeat something recognizable they said. Think of John Wayne’s walk, a zombie dragging one leg or Buzz Lightyear’s tag line, “To infinity and beyond!”

4. Props and accessories are key—what would Indiana Jones be without his hat? They also give you something to hold on to or pose with for photos.

5. Finally, have fun making and wearing your costume.

Now that you’ve picked the perfect costume, find out more about the other Halloween activities including a Lip Sync-Off, pumpkin bowling, scream-o-rama contest and other tricks and treats! Read more here. Don’t miss out on the fun – we’re dying to see you!

Going, Going, Gone! CECO Auction Is Success

The County Employees' Charitable Organization raised approximately $3,200 during its annual auction on Thursday. Employees took home original artwork, gift cards and sports memorabilia for a good cause. All of money raised benefits local non-profit agencies and employees in crisis.

You may have missed the auction, but there are still several ways to give. Read more.

Maintain, Don’t Gain

If you’re making a resolution to not overindulge this holiday season, one way to help keep it is by signing up for Maintain, Don’t Gain 2015. Register now through Oct. 23.

The annual Employee Wellness challenge helps participants keep their weight on target during the holiday season.

Maintain, Don’t Gain contestants will track their weight, calorie intake, water consumption and physical activity for eight weeks—Oct. 19 through Dec. 11.

Employee Wellness Coordinator William Erese said the best way to stay on top of your efforts is to log your food intake every day.

“These efforts will help ensure you meet your health goals, even during the holidays,” Erese said.

To receive any of the rewards, you must accrue points and log them on the Maintain Don’t Gain website.  You can earn up to 80 points a day.  Here's how:

• Log your weight each day: 20 points

• Log your water consumption each day: 20 points

• Log your steps each day: 15 points

• Meet the step goal (5000): 25 points.

• Plus there is a one-time bonus: Earn 40 points if you upload a photograph or image to your profile.

There are some great prizes for those who participate. Click for more program information.

Mouth Off in Lip Sync Contest

Get ready for an epic lip sync-off! A contest similar to Jimmy Fallon’s wildly popular segment on “The Tonight Show” is coming to the County and now’s the time to enter as a contestant. The sensational showdown will take place at the County’s Hollyweird festivities later this month.

Individuals and groups interested in vying for the Best Performance “Oscare” in the Lip Sync-Off can email jessie.bishop@sdcounty.ca.gov by 4 p.m., Oct. 22. The email should include your name and the song you plan to perform.  Short “audition” videos like CAO Staff Officer Royce Abalos’ rendition of “Old Time Rock n Roll” are encouraged. Costume and song choices for the day of the event must be appropriate for work.

From the submissions, 10 nominees will be selected to wow us their lip sync skills, style and performance.

The tournament will start at 12:15 p.m., Oct. 30 at the COC. Come out to cheer on your favorite contender. Winners will be selected by the audience. Look for the stage on the Commons lawn.

The Lip Sync-Off is just one of the many Halloween activities planned for Oct. 30. See the frighteningly full list of fall fun.

Supervisors Honor Mutual Aid Emergency Workers

The devastation of the Valley Fire in Lake County. Photo by José A. Álvarez.

Fierce wildfires have devastated parts of Northern California and the state of Washington in recent months, and five San Diego County employees deployed to assist with emergency operations in a couple of the hardest hit areas. All recently returned, and they were honored Tuesday with a Board of Supervisors proclamation recognizing their work.

The employees all brought experience from working during emergency incidents in San Diego County and provided help through what’s known as mutual aid: we assist other areas when they are overwhelmed with a disaster, and in turn can ask for help when we need it.

While firefighters often provide mutual aid assistance on the front lines, these five County employees all assisted in Emergency Operations Centers or fire incident command centers.

Three County employees traveled to Lake County last month to assist with the Valley Fire response: Bennett Cummings from the Office of Emergency Services, Sarah Gordon from the Public Safety Group Executive Office and José A. Álvarez from the Communications Office. The Valley Fire, which burned more than 76,000 acres across Lake, Napa and Sonoma Counties, is considered the third most destructive fire in the state to date this year. The fire destroyed nearly 2,000 structures, including nearly 1,300 homes. By comparison, the 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego County is considered the second most destructive wildfire -- and remains the largest wildfire -- in state history.

Cummings, a Senior Emergency Services Coordinator, worked in the Lake County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Lakeport as a liaison for the Local Assistance Center in the Middletown community. This center offered recovery resources for affected residents. Cummings said his job was primarily to assess and prioritize the Local Assistance Center’s operational requirements to help the community’s needs.

Later, he helped with the move of residents from emergency shelters into temporary housing in the community. Additionally, Cummings helped the EOC outline a transitional recovery plan to continue to provide certain community needs with County departments taking the lead responsibility.

Bennett Cummings from the County Office of Emergency Services works at the Lake County Emergency Operations Center. Photo by José A. Álvarez.

Bennett Cummings from the County Office of Emergency Services works at the Lake County Emergency Operations Center. Photo by José A. Álvarez.He also helped coordinate among several San Diego County departments, state emergency officials and Lake County staff to provide information on a variety of public health and recovery best practices San Diego identified in the aftermath of its major fires.

“This is the largest disaster I have been involved with,” said Cummings. “It was a very good experience. I’m already applying some lessons learned to my work.”

Meanwhile, Gordon, a Public Safety Group Staff Officer, and Álvarez, a Communications Specialist, deployed to the Valley Fire for five days to work in the public information unit in Lakeport. Both used social media, the Lake County’s news and recovery website, and traditional media to get information to affected residents. Their professionalism and leadership skills led to both being asked to stay an extra day to oversee operations of the communications unit. Furthermore, Álvarez was asked to manage the local Joint Information Center over one weekend to allow the local public information officers to rest.

“The 12-hour shifts were a bit long but very rewarding because the information we were sharing with fire survivors was connecting them to resources that helped them restore a bit of order as they began to rebuild their lives,” said Álvarez.

In Washington State, Stephen Rea, the assistant director of the County’s Office of Emergency Services, served three weeks on a San Diego Urban Incident Management Team for the North Star and Tunk Block wildfires, the largest in that state’s history. The San Diego team’s deployment was the first time an All-Hazard Incident Management Team had been ordered through the national ordering system through the U.S. Forest Service. The 15-member team also included fire department members from San Diego Fire-Rescue, Heartland Fire & Rescue, Coronado, and Carlsbad.

Rea said the team worked two assignments. Initially, they reported to the Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane where they grouped fire vehicles into task forces for structure protection in one of three big fires burning in Washington. Rea worked as a liaison officer in charge of relaying information between his team and the Air Force base.

The next week, the team shifted to respond to the Northstar Fire, a 2.5 hour drive to the town of Nespelem. In this assignment, Rea would drive around the fire’s perimeter every day talking with city Emergency Operations Center directors as well as tribal leaders and community officials who had concerns to share with the fire incident commanders.

“Coming from the emergency operations center side, I can now use what I learned when I’m on the other side of the fence and I have to interact with an emergency management team that has come to San Diego to help with a local disaster,” Rea said. RELATED: County Fire Mapper Brings Expertise to California Firefights

Supervisor Dianne Jacob presents County employees Matt Turner, Sarah Gordon, Stephen Rea, José A. Álvarez, and Bennett Cummings with a proclamation for their mutual aid emergency service to other counties.

San Diego County Fire Authority GIS Information Specialist Matt Turner deployed twice to work on wildfires in Northern California. He assisted with fire mapping for nearly two weeks last month at the Butte Fire in Amador and Calaveras counties. Previously in August, Turned served for two weeks on the Rocky and Jerusalem wildfires, both of which affected Lake, Yolo and Colusa counties. On both assignments, he created critical maps that showed specific situations such as the fire progression, perimeter and fire operations, among others.

Top Open Enrollment Questions (and Answers)

The best way to get something done is to begin. Don’t wait—start your 2016 benefits elections today. Elections can be made from a County computer through Oct. 29.

Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Open Enrollment are below. For complete plan information visit the Open Enrollment webpage. For additional questions, call (888) 550-2203.

FAQs:

When will I receive confirmation of receipt for the supporting documents I submitted through eBenefits?

Due to the volume of documents being processed, receipt of your document(s) may not be immediate, but you do not need to wait for it to be processed to continue with your enrollment. When a Benefits Representative processes your document(s) an email notification will be generated and sent to you. It is recommended you keep a copy of this email notification for your records.

How do I update my beneficiary?

Instructions on how to update your beneficiary can be found in the 2016 Open Enrollment eBenefits Instruction Guide, pages 17-20.

Why is my ex-spouse showing as a beneficiary?

eBenefits shows the history of your beneficiaries. Only those you designate as current will be your beneficiaries.

Why do I need to re-elect my waiver status?

You need to elect your waiver status in eBenefits because your election is not currently in eBenefits. Last year, waiver elections were made by submitting a paper form. This year, in addition to making your waiver status election in eBenefits, you will need to complete a waiver form showing proof of insurance. An instructional guide can help you complete the form.

Why can’t I see the total amount of excess Flex Credits in my Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)?    

Allocation of your excess Flex Credits into The Health Reimbursement Account is an automatic process and an option that cannot be elected. Therefore, due to the automatic enrollment you will not see an option for the HRA while making your Open Enrollment elections. The HRAs will be administered by the same vendor that administers our Flexible Spending Accounts. The HRAs have not yet been set up so please do not call and ask about the status of the account. The accounts will be set up by Jan. 1, 2016.

Which vendor will administer the HRA? Can I call them?

The HRAs will be administered by the same vendor that administers our Flexible Spending Accounts. We are currently setting up the HRAs for an effective date of Jan. 1, 2016. Calls to the vendor can be made beginning Dec. 14. 

Why can’t I increase my grandfathered life insurance amount?

The Grandfathered Life insurance level of coverage can’t be changed because the plan was integrated into MetLife, which is offered to all County employees. You have the option to elect out of the Grandfathered plan and enroll in MetLife Group Life Insurance/AD&D plan up to 3 times your salary, subject to a Medical History Statement.

Who is my Benefit Ambassador?

Open Enrollment questions can be directed to an ambassador from your group.