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February 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

TEACHERS Local TV reporter OF THE YEAR Jenny Milkowski DURING THE TIME OF A PANDEMIC

Loves The Spotlight

The San Diego Unified School District announced the selection of three teachers of the year – Kelly Ann Young, Paula Richardson, and Deirdre Fabian.

TV personality Jenny Milkowski embodies a delightful mix of on-air reporter, comedienne and over-achiever.

Kelly Ann Young PAGE SDUSD TeacherSEE Of The Year26

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Your Neighborhood Real Estate Expert C. Christie Craig

310.781.0007

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COVID-19 2020

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February, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

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VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2 | February, 2021

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I’M LOCAL! with KIM BOYKIN OWNER OF DESERT DIAMOND BAR

Profiles of Local People by Local Umbrella Media Tell us what are Desert Diamonds?

Dotting the deserts in the Arabian Peninsula are quartz stones which glitter like diamonds.

These stones, referred to as Desert Diamonds or Al Quysumah diamonds, have become popular as they have a similar appearance to real diamonds.

How did this all start?

My family was first introduced to Desert Diamonds in 1980 when we were stationed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. For fun, we would go Desert Diamond hunting in the desert outside of Riyadh. We would see these quartz-based stones sparkle on the dunes at dawn and again at dusk. My dad hired a jeweler in Thailand to cut these stones and set them in gold or silver settings. Thirty years ago, Desert Diamonds were cut straight from the quartz stone, but over time our jeweler has perfected the “look” of these stones by crushing the quartz into powder form and heat treating them. The end result is a high-quality diamond simulant, equal to a D color and VS1 grade. These stones are impossible to distinguish from carbon diamonds. They are 8.5 on the MOHS scale of hardness and a CARBON diamond is 10. Desert Diamonds will not discolor, crack or become brittle with age.

Our jeweler hand cuts each stone with the same carbon powder used in cutting real diamonds.

They are also cut with the same faceting technique as a diamond. The result has a fire, luster and brilliance of a real diamond without the HIGH cost of a real diamond.

Tell us about your customers.

I took over my dad’s Desert Diamond business in 2004. The most rewarding part of my business is helping my customers create their dream piece of jewelry for a fraction of the cost that they would pay at a high-end jewelry store. Custom creations are so fun because we are creating something that is one of a kind and often comes with a personal story. One customer, a US Naval Officer, came to me to make pendants for his wife and two daughters. He was set to retire and wanted to honor his family at his retirement ceremony with personal gifts. We went straight to work on ideas for his wife. We agreed on a design that would incorporate the “nautical knot” signifying his career in the Navy and we added the birthstones of his two daughters to the pendant. For his two daughters we designed anchors adorned with desert diamonds. It is not

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just the serviceman who serves, it is the entire family and he wanted to express his gratitude with a “Nod to the Navy.”

Why is jewelry so important?

Jewelry is often sentimental because it comes with a meaning or a story especially if it was given to you by a loved one. A newly engaged bride to be came to me and asked me to design a pendant she could gift her mom on the morning of her wedding. This customer described her mom as a powerful force. She was a single mom, the breadwinner and the two of them did life together. Her mom did everything she could to make sure she had a full and happy childhood.

We decided to incorporate two Desert Diamonds side by side, signifying their bond. The linear elements are their two lives together and even though she was entering a new chapter of her life, their bond would continue side by side and never be broken.

How has your collection changed over the years?

My Desert Diamond Collection has grown and evolved over the years, but the bread and butter of my business has always been the classic Desert Diamond stud. Diamond studs are not only timeless but can be dressed up or dressed down and are great for everyday wear. They are subtle enough to match any occasion but elegant enough to offer your style a refined touch.

Our consistent top sellers have been the Brilliant Cut, Asscher Cut, Cushion Cut, Princess Cut and the Bezel Set. You are a mom, a Navy wife and an entrepreneur. How do you balance it all?

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It all started in 2003 when I had my first daughter. She was born premature at 3lbs 2oz and I was forced to quit my job and stay home to take care of her. I loved being a stay-at-home mom, but I felt something was lacking in my life. I love being productive and have always wanted to branch off on my own and start something that I could take with me wherever the Navy sent us. The opportunity to take over my dad’s jewelry business was a perfect fit. I remember visiting our jeweler in Thailand when I was a child and I have always been my dad’s “go to” when it came to jewelry design. It was a lot of work in the beginning, a lot of sweat and tears as I started my “word of mouth” business before social media was even on the internet.

Step by step I have grown quite a following and my customers are what drive me to provide the absolute best service. This business is mobile as it is all online, I can work it at any hour and it fits into my busy schedule with two active teenagers in the house.

In time, after doing countless trade shows and presentations, I eventually got the attention of some retailers and was able to get my line in retail stores in both Honolulu and San Diego. The turning point for my business was in 2016 when I partnered with Joyus. Joyus is an online store that specializes in apparel, beauty and lifestyle.

This partnership capitulated Desert Diamond Bar into mainstream as they have over a million followers. In the end it has been the connections I have made with my customers that has made this journey so incredibly special to me.

Being a Navy spouse, I have had to become creative when it comes to work. We move every few years and doing something online has been a godsend. In 2014 I became a Rodan + Fields Skincare consultant, I fell in love with their skincare and it seemed like a fun side business to add to my Desert Diamond business. Both businesses are done entirely online and not only do they provide two streams of income, but they keep me inspired and motivated. I love helping women connect with products that make them sparkle and glow.

How can people contact you?

If you ever need help with creating that special gift for someone or if you just want to splurge and have something made just for YOU, please feel free to contact me via my website: www.desertdiamondbar.com ■

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February, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

By Mia Bertelsen

LOCAL DOCTOR WINS FITNESS COMPETITIONS IN LAS VEGAS

Today I sat down with Dr. Melinda Silva at her medical practice in Chula Vista, California. Dr. Silva is a bioidentical hormone specialist who is highly trained and uses her medical knowledge in both holistic and traditional medicine to come up with a personalized health plan for her patients with a goal of feeling sexier, looking younger, leaner and stronger. Her vast medical experience includes being a specialized Board Certified physician with more than 23+ years of clinical experience and fellowship training in Integrative and Functional Medicine. Get ready for an amazing look at her personal journey that started with the death of her father and the deep sadness she felt. She took herself from this very low point in her life and turned it around to create personal growth.

Dr. Silva is not intimidated by challenges and is always pushing herself to reach the next goal.

“When I was going through hormonal changes, I didn’t want to take synthetic hormones that have been proven to cause cancer,” she explained. “So ten years ago I left my very comfortable job at Kaiser and took a chance to offer this life changing treatment to other people. It was a risk and a challenge, but my father helped me to realize that there is no greater risk you should take than the investment in yourself.”

Her big risk to change jobs has paid off and her patients are so grateful to have her on their team. “Sometimes it is the simple steps and choices we can make that can make a big difference,” Dr. Silva explained. “I am a medical doctor who helps people to lose weight. I don’t have a weight loss clinic. It is very, very different. When I talk to someone about weight loss I want to know their goals. The weight scale is a guidance for us, but we shouldn’t be so occupied about the number. Most women will tell you to the pound where they feel the most comfortable. It could be any number and it doesn’t really matter. They know it and that is what I trust. Where do you feel your ideal weight is?

The solution to weight loss is very multifactorial and there are a lot of moving pieces. Simple changes can get you in the right direction. If somebody wants to lose weight, I can make one change in their diet that can help them to lose five pounds in a month. It could be so simple like avoiding potato chips this month. If I can get them to commit to one simple change, then they can see that other changes they can make are cumulative.

“For me, this journey started because my heart was in despair,” she shared. “I had lost my father on February 27, 2020 right before the COVID shutdown hit and I wasn’t expecting it. He was doing so much better after suffering three strokes in a week two years prior. He was getting stronger, he was talking, laughing and smiling. He was such a good provider as a grandfather, father and as a husband. He was just one of my greatest heroes. For him to leave so abruptly, it was hard. I still remember the last time I saw him was a Tuesday morning and I would have breakfast with him every Tuesday.

He looked at me straight in the eye and said, ‘I am good.’ And right before I left he added, ‘I love you and thank you.’ Little did I know, those would be his last words to me. It is a sweet memory and the best parting gift to know that he was at peace when he passed. It was just like my dad to not have my last memory of him to be negative.

“He also encouraged my mom to go out that night to celebrate a friend’s birthday. His last words to her were, ‘enjoy yourself, have fun and I love you.’ And so my mom left and when she came home, he had passed. So she never saw him suffer. It was the greatest gift that he could have given to her. I felt that somehow he had done that on purpose. I don’t know how he did that, but my dad would do things for us and take care of us, even at the very end of his life.

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Dr. Melinda Silva looks stunning in her red swimsuit.

“So I was in despair and through that sadness, of course, you don’t take care of yourself.

And then COVID hit and I gained the “COVID 10” then the “Quarantine 15” and in my despair, I let myself go. All four of my kids were home and I wanted to bake and cook comfort foods.

One of my favorite memories of my father is cooking with him. In my culture, we celebrate life with food!

“A friend of mine, Brett Davis, asked me while I was doing a podcast, ‘what is wrong with you?

You don’t have your joy that you usually have, your spark.’ I told him that I am just sad. I didn’t practice self-care. I didn’t know how to come out of it. I used up all my energy for work and my family. He said, ‘let’s change that and do some physical training and some exercise so you can focus on something positive.’

“During this journey when I focused on my physical strength, it tremendously helped my emotional strength. You can’t divorce the two.

It is the strength of my spirit and of my soul. It was hard for me to exercise just to exercise. I am very results-oriented and when he told me about a fitness competition in four weeks, I thought to myself there is no way that I could be ready in that short amount of time. He said, ‘yes you can.’ So I convinced myself that I could do it. Even though I knew I wasn’t going to be perfect in four weeks, I knew I was going to be better than I was at this moment and that’s what was important. I accepted the challenge and committed to succeeding. /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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“A lot of people are afraid to take a new journey because they might fail. The journey is not the destination, it is the process of getting to the destination. One of the first things that I needed to change was my diet. If I was going to be in fitness shape, I wasn’t going to eat sugar which was really tough for me. Some studies show that sugar addiction is stronger than heroin. My fear of walking in public in a bikini was greater than my desire to eat that cookie! I figured out what I needed to do and it was very multifactorial, not one thing that helped, but a lot of changes that helped me to get to my goals.

Fitness is not just the physical strength, but the emotional strength. Harder than pumping the physical iron, was the motivation and discipline to not eat poorly.”

Her diet was mainly plant based, and consisted of whole foods like vegetables, low glycemic fruits as her natural sugar, healthy fats and lean meats. She increased her consumption of water greatly. “When I took care of my body physically, I was really nourishing my soul too,” Dr. Silva reflected.

Her training schedule was every day before work and weekends. “I had to get up before 6 am to train for at least 45 minutes with a very focused workout,” she said. “I had done weights before, but I didn’t have a trainer. Having two personal trainers made all the difference for me, especially because I have injuries and physical limitations from previous car accidents.” She worked out with her personal trainers in a ADVERTISE | Press@LocalUmbrella.com

VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2 | February, 2021

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Dr. Silva is the Runway Model Champion and the Sports Model Champion.

private garage gym and outside at Imperial Beach Fitness. She credits the support from her two trainers as key. Brett Davis, an amateur champion bodybuilder, kept her accountable for daily training and was a great emotional support. Jewelyn Merrill, professional champion bodybuilder, helped her with a personalized nutrition plan, posing and training specific body parts.

Cardio was really important for Dr. Silva to shed fat. She rode her Peloton indoor exercise bike for 30 minutes at night. “I would think about what I was putting in my mouth and how much time I would have to spend on my Peloton bike to burn it off,” she laughed. “Thinking about weight loss is calories in and calories out.

It is not rocket science. If you use up more calories than what you take in, you are going to lose weight. It is better for it to not be empty calories. Some mornings when I was not motivated to exercise I could feel my dad’s spirit poking me and tell me, ‘Come on baby get up. You can do this!’ Even in his death, he was still my greatest motivator. I knew that this fitness journey was not just for me. It was also for the spirit of my father. It helped me to heal my despair. People could see the physical transformation, but the emotional transformation was more important to me. Especially during this time of COVID, there is so much despair, anxiety, depression and higher suicide rates. It is just horrible. I am grateful that my training proved to be a healthy outlet and helped me to cope better through this difficult time.”

At 57 years old, Dr. Silva was ready for her first fitness competition ever. She was able to reduce her body fat by 19% in two months! “I was skinny-fat,” Dr. Silva laughed. She explained she was skinny on the outside and fat on the inside.

Eliminating sugar and processed food had the greatest impact on reducing the fat around her visceral organs and reduced the inflammation and bloating in her abdomen. This also helped with reducing blood pressure and diabetes risk.

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The first competition was on October 3rd, 2020 in Las Vegas and she won the title of “Miss World’’ from AAU (Amateur Athletic Union).

It is an amateur bodybuilding fitness competition. She was the Masters Overall Champion in the age category of 55-59 years.

“When you are presenting yourself, confidence does matter,” she shared. “If you are feeling like a winner, you are more likely going to be a winner. If that is what you want, you have to really feel it.”

The second competition included AAU and ICN (I Compete Natural) and was in Las Vegas a month later on December 7th. ICN is based out of Australia but hosts international competitions. There were about 40 women competing that day, including competitors from Australia and the UK. Dr. Silva competed in 6 different categories and won all 6 of them! She was awarded Masters Overall Champion 2020 for Bikini, Classic Swimwear, Runway Model and Sports Model. She also won USA and Universe titles.

“There were girls in the overall bikini category 15 years younger than me and I was surprised to win,” she explained. Dr. Silva took home a lot of huge plaques and medals to mark the happy occasion. She wasn’t expecting to win all 6 categories that she competed in. “It was just my day,” she shared. “All the girls there were gorgeous and strong, but I could tell that some of them were not as confident. So I made it a point to change the energy of the room by sincerely complementing the girls. I could find beauty in each of them and I shared my feelings with them. Everybody who was there, deserved to be there. I felt so blessed that I was able to be there too.”

More than anything she was in competition with herself. “I think that helped me a lot,” Dr. Silva said. “I had so much confidence because I earned my spot to be there and I knew the sacrifices I made to be there.”

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again and having a goal of doing this once a year to keep herself in shape. She is in maintenance right now and has gained about four pounds.

Over the winter holidays she ate what she wanted to (in moderation) and is ok with the few pounds she gained. She also took a break from going to the gym and working out with a trainer each morning. She rides her Peloton bike daily for at least 15 minutes. She doesn’t neglect keeping her arms strong and loves a Peloton ride that incorporates upper arm exercise in between bouts of cycling. “I think it is very sexy for women to have strong arms,” she said. “And that was the one thing I didn’t have before the fitness competition.”

“I used all the tools that I have in my office to get the best body that I could have,” she explained. “I took natural supplements, I followed my own weight loss program that I recommend to my patients, I used the machines that I have to burn off pockets of fat with CoolSculpting, a non-surgical fat burning device. I built muscles with EmSculpt, a non-surgical muscle toning device. But, the very best tools I had were diet modification and regular exercise. The struggle is real and it is a lot of work to get the body that you want. My kids were so surprised how disciplined I was during my two-month training period. I ate zero sugar. I was not hungry, because my food was enough. I also helped a woman to start up a wine company, Sasy Wines, and I had no wine, not even a sip, during this time. If you want something bad enough, you find a way to get there.”

And Dr. Melinda Silva did find a way to get there. Congratulations! We hope that by learning about her personal journey, you can find your own inspiration for personal health and wellness. If you would like to contact Dr. Silva her office is located at Village Arts Medical 890 Eastlake Pkwy Ste 103, Chula Vista, CA 91914, (619) 761-1574. Learn more about weight loss, hormones and cosmetics at DrMelindaSilva. com. ■ ADVERTISE | Press@LocalUmbrella.com

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February, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

Local TV reporter Jenny Milkowski

e h T s e v o L t h g i l t o Sp

By Jeanne Rawdin

TV personality Jenny Milkowski embodies a delightful mix of on-air reporter, comedienne and over-achiever. She epitomizes the role of multi-tasker in the local TV news arena as the morning show host, social media anchor, features reporter and traffic anchor at KFMB TV, San Diego’s CBS affiliate, and CW. Along with dozens of other videos on her personal website and social media, she also prominently displays her blooper reel. It’s obvious that, despite her talents, she doesn’t take herself too seriously. For an on-air type, she’s pretty good at poking fun at herself.

A two-time Emmy Award winner, she’s currently considered the “social content leader” at KFMB/CW and was voted “Best TV Personality” in San Diego in the Union Tribune 2019 Readers’ Poll. Born and raised in Chicago by Polish immigrants, Polish was Jenny’s first language growing up, and she embraces her Polish heritage on air. She started her TV career in Chicago, where she was ranked the number-one digital talent in the Chicago market. She’s also had several roles as an actress.

Local Umbrella Media recently caught up with her to find out more about her past, her present, and where she sees herself headed.

Both of your parents were born in Poland, and Polish is the first language you learned as a kid. What was that like?

My mom came to the United States when she was 21 years old. Meanwhile, my father came to Chicago when he was about 7 years old. I was first generation born in America, specifically on Chicago’s Northwest Side (which by the way, has a huge Polish population). My parents wanted to be sure to keep my Polish heritage alive and spoke the Polish language at home. I even went to Polish school on Saturday mornings in addition to regular school during the week. I didn’t learn English until I went to preschool and was surrounded by English-speaking children. I had to learn fast! I was fluent in English by the time I enrolled in first grade.

You’ve talked about Polish foods on the air, including the correct pronunciation of certain dishes. What’s your favorite dish?

It’s really hard to pick my favorite Polish food. But I would have to say kielbasa, also known as Polish sausage, is most definitely up there. That, and pasztet, which I used to eat a lot as a kid. In case you don’t know, pasztet is usually made from cooked liver, beef, pork or venison and served in slices on top of bread.

Can you share a favorite memory from your childhood?

Wow, a favorite memory from my childhood? Man, I can barely remember last week, let alone when I was a kid. I’m kidding. Sort of. My childhood was great--I grew up with a younger sister and parents who made sure we always went on travels and were able to partake in extracurricular activities. As a kid, I was a gymnast, dancer, actress--you name it! My fondest memories including traveling with my cousins and laughing with my little sister.

When did you figure out you wanted to be in front of the camera?

I was recently at home helping clean out my parent’s basement when I came across boxes of my childhood items from school. I found a book I wrote when I was just barely a teenager, outlining what I wanted to be in life. For some reason, it was just always in me to entertain and inform.

I started reading books and writing stories and poems at an extremely young age. I remember cutting out Polaroids of myself and sending them to modeling agencies when I was 12 years old. There are home videos of my cousins and me playing -- except they were playing and I was pretending to interview them using a hairbrush as a microphone. I guess I never had to think too much about it. I always knew I wanted to be on television and tell stories. Plus, I love making people laugh.

When did you get your first job in TV news?

My first job in broadcast journalism was straight out of college. I’ve LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

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always worked in TV news. I went to the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana and graduated with a degree in broadcasting. I studied radio, documentary, writing and even studied abroad in Peru conducting interviews and investigations in Spanish.

Almost my entire broadcasting and acting career has been in Chicago.

After graduating from college, I worked in Northern Wisconsin working as a reporter and weather anchor for one year. After that, I came back to Chicago and worked at many of Chicago’s top TV stations as a writer and producer.

At that time, I studied the art of improvisation and acting at the prestigious The Second City Chicago, as well as other acting studios. While in Chicago, I filmed several commercials, worked as a digital TV host -- hosting shows ranging from food to technology -- and was on Chicago’s top radio stations delivering traffic reports. For many years, I worked as a traffic anchor and TV host at Fox Chicago--until I left to host my own radio show called “Jenny Milk and Jay” on WSHE 100.3. It was then that I was offered a dream job in California, hosting and doing my own daily feature segments. I report on everything from surfing to restaurants and put my own comedic spin on my reports. I love being out in the community and bringing a smile to people’s faces!

I know you’re a big animal advocate. You were involved in Paws Chicago, an animal shelter in the city of Chicago. What organizations are you involved with here in San Diego?

Here in San Diego, I created my own fundraiser to raise money for local shelters. I thought of the #StayPawsitive campaign while working from home and fostering shelter animals. I got together with a local shirt company, and we designed a shirt and started selling it, with profits going to help The Cat Lounge in La Jolla (a cat shelter), and Second Chance Dog Shelter.

How has the pandemic affected you -- good and bad?

Honestly, I am very lucky. I am healthy, I am employed. I am happy.

The pandemic has been a time for me to reflect and talk more with my family. And let’s face it, I’m saving more money because I’m not shopping or eating out. But that being said, I am using my time at work to highlight small businesses that need our support during this time. My entire family is comprised of small business owners, so helping local and small has a huge spot in my heart.

Name three things you are most passionate about.

I am passionate about animals, working out, making people laugh and exploring the community I live in -- and the world.

What gets you angry?

I get angry when people don’t strive to be better and are complacent. I also get angry when people abuse animals.

What are your hobbies?

My hobbies include dancing, working out, hiking, reading, writing and making social media videos!

How do you hope to change the world?

I hope to change the world by making people smile and showing people that it’s good to be authentic. I also want to further help animals by promoting animal adoption.

Where would you like to be in ten years?

In ten years, I would like to be hosting my own travel show. I want to showcase cultures and food and activities around the world in a fun, quirky and humorous way.

To see more on Jenny Milkowski, go to Jennymilkowski.com or Jenny Milkowski TV, or follow her on social media: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. ■ @LocalUmbrellaMedia

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Jenny Milkowski on the day she adopted her cat from The Cat Lounge in La Jolla. Her name is Pickle.

Jenny says, “Despite the look on my face, I like when people tell me I’m good at stuff and things.”

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“Quarantine is hard for me. I need structure, pants, and social interaction,” Jenny said recently.

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February, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

Photos Courtesy of San Diego Humane Society

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VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2 | February, 2021

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Happy Birthday to Benji the Black Bear!

Please join San Diego Humane Society in wishing a beary happy birthday to Benji, a black bear animal ambassador at the Ramona Wildlife Center! Benji turned 3 years old on February 2nd, 2021 and his caretakers celebrated him with a cake made of apples, bananas, grapes and assorted berries, with mashed potato ears and date eyes! His cake was completely vegan, made with love by one of the San Diego Humane Society’s volunteers.

Along with some stuffed animals and “box friends,” there was also a birthday song, card and presents for Benji to enjoy.

Local Umbrella Media spoke with Nina Thompson, the San Diego Humane Society’s Director of Public Relations to learn more about this adorable bear.

How long has Benji been living with you?

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Where did he come from?

Benji arrived July 3, 2019 from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CADFW) as a yearling. He had a neurological health concern and a history of approaching people at the Northstar California Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe. For both those reasons, he could not be released back into the wild.

What are some interesting facts about him?

Benji serves as an ambassador of his species at San Diego Humane Society so we can teach people about our native black bear, how to cohabitate safely and why it is important to not habituate these animals to humans — for our safety and theirs.

Are you open to the public? Could you tell us some details about being open with

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COVID-19?

San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center is not open to the public. However, our campuses in El Cajon, Escondido, Oceanside and San Diego are – with modified operations during the pandemic. For everyone’s safety, all of our services are by appointment only.

Our adoption consultations are virtual as well.

You can make an appointment and learn more about our COVID-19 modified operations at sdhumane.org How can the public support your mission?

San Diego Humane Society relies on support from the community in order to care for nearly 50,000 animals each year, including companion animals, livestock and wildlife. To support our mission, you can make a lifesaving donation at sdhumane.org/donate. ■

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February, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

MEET ANA DETOMMASO: DOG RESCUER HERO

By Mia Bertelsen

Neighborhood Publications Reaching Over 125,000 San Diego Area Mailboxes Every Month!

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On most days you will find Ana busy rescuing her next dog. Ana is a resident of Imperial Beach and is constantly on the move. So much so, that she laughs that her car has taken such a beating with all the miles she has driven it and the dogs, food and supplies she has skillfully packed into it! She works in Baja California, mostly in the Tecate region, and organizes all of the details to save canine lives. She can’t say no to a dog in distress. People from Mexico alert her of a dog needing help and she takes them to the vet in Mexico, finds them a foster family to help them heal and then places them for adoption in the U.S. She does all of this with private donations, her own generosity and working with rescue groups here. In our next issue we will have a full-length story detailing more on her amazing work.

Browse all editions online at www.LocalUmbrellaNews.com HYPER-LOCAL COMMUNITY PUBLICATIONS Local Umbrella Media publishes hyperlocal, positive, upbeat, community publications, focusing on supporting local businesses, lifestyle articles, upcoming events, talents and contributions of the locals who live and work in our communities. i ADVERTISING INQUIRIES BRAD WEBER | 619-375-2889 brad@localumbrella.com i GRAPHICS & DESIGN Provided by MAINE ST. MEDIA www.mainestmedia.com info@mainestmedia.com i EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS brad@localumbrella.com

Brad Weber, Group Publisher MEDIA CONSULTANT C. CHRISTIE CRAIG TOM SHESS CONTRIBUTORS MIA BERTELSEN BART MENDOZA JEN COBURN MANNY CRUZ JENNY WERTH VERONICA TALIA MERILEE KERN KINSEE MORLAN AMANDA PETERSON FARIMA TABRIZI MARLISE KAST-MYERS RON DONOHO PHOTOGRAPHY JIM CHILDERS FARIMA TABRIZI DAWN SEBAUGH NICKY INCANDELA

Maggie is at the vet getting life-saving treatment.

Ana shared with me her excitement because a local pet store, IB Pet, has just generously donated 400-500 pounds of food for dogs, dog treats, a big doggie bed and a huge wire crate. “Everything goes to Baja and it helps so many dogs,” she explained. “I have a lot of puppies and some of them have mange and the salmon protein helps them to heal. IB Pet is so amazing to give me a huge donation. I know a lot of people who need these donations desperately.” Lots of people in Baja have contacted her right away to ask for the food.

“I give the majority of it to people who have 30 plus dogs,” Ana said.

I spoke to Teresa Rubio, IB Pet Marketing and Merchandising Manager. Teresa learned about Ana’s rescue work through Facebook and mutual friends who also have their own rescue. “IB Pet wants to encourage the community to adopt so we can get more pets out of the shelter and off the streets into a forever home,” she explained. “IB Pet loves supporting local rescues with food donations. The more support that local rescue workers have means the more animals they can save.”

“IB Pet is a family and veteran-owned pet store. We

have three locations in Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, and Rancho San Diego,” Rubio explained. “We take pride in providing the best customer service. Our staff is constantly learning new things about pet food and making sure that we make knowledgeable based recommendations rather than just trying to sell customers on anything. We get to build relationships with the community by offering free microchipping events, donating food to local rescues, and in general getting to know our customer and their fur babies.”

In today’s business climate the message to shop local is strong and so important. “We hope that more people continue to shop local to help small businesses in need,” Rubio emphasized. “Rather than eating at a fast food restaurant, support a local restaurant. Need an anniversary gift? Find a local gift shop and shop small! Amazon and Chewy may be convenient but our customer service is invaluable” Meet Maggie: She was found on the streets of Tecate by a very kind lady. She reached out to me and of course I couldn’t say no to a dying dog. She was so anemic and her tick disease was very advanced. So we gave her an emergency blood transfusion. (See the picture of her at the vet.) Maggie is getting better every day. She can walk around and play now when before she couldn’t do any of this. Maggie also has extremely dry eyes causing her a great deal of pain. Maggie is about 3 or 4 years old and is 12 pounds. She is extremely sweet with humans and is good with smaller dogs. She is available for adoption. Maggie is a very lucky pup. She could have been dead by now if not for the compassion of others to help her. (Compiled from Ana DeTommaso’s Facebook page) Ana is always looking for foster families, adoptive families and donations to keep their work going. If you would like to help, please contact her on Facebook or you can email her at: ana.anet@gmail.com

©2021 COPYRIGHT BY INSPIRED MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Local Umbrella Media Newspaper Publications are printed monthly and distributed freely throughout San Diego County. Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Local Umbrella Media is not responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented in the newspaper. Local Umbrella Media Newspaper Publications are produces and published by Local Umbrella Media, and no part of this publication bay be reproduced or transmitted without permission of the publisher.

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Maggie is healthy, happy and ready for adoption.

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VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2 | February, 2021

Local Umbrella Team Covers Super Bowl LV!

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Local Umbrella in conjunction with Dr. Richard Ambrozic was proud to launch Regenerative Medicine Magazine Featuring Super Bowl Champion Rob Gronkowski

The Gronks hosted incredible VIP parties & pre-Super Bowl activities & events Sponsored by Vue Drink www.vuedrink.com c4leadmachine.com localumbrella.com RegenCare.life

Gordie Gronkowski & Dr. Rick Ambrozic Rob Gronkowski signed Jersey “#1 Doc”

Coach Harry Shaughnessy & C. Christie Craig

Gordie Gronkowski Volleyball Group

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Mark Politi & Dr. Rick Ambrozic

Dr. Rick Ambrozic, Gordon Gronkowski Sr. (Papa Gronk), C. Christie Craig & Gordie Gronkowski © 2021 NFL Enterprises LLC. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League. The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. NFL footage © NFL Productions LLC. @2021 GRONKNATION. All RIGHTS RESERVED. GRONKNATION Images and likeness used with permission from GRONKNATION. Photographic images in this publication are copyrighted and owned by C4 Lead Machine and Local Umbrella Media. Copyright 2021. All RIGHTS RESERVED.

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February, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

Comicon Museum Accepts $100,000 Donation The Roddenberry Foundation donated the funds

The Comic-Con Museum accepted a $100,000 donation from the Roddenberry Foundation that will go toward supporting the 2021 opening of the museum’s physical space in San Diego’s Balboa Park.

The foundation’s namesake Gene Roddenberry was the creator of “Star Trek,” and the non-profit foundation supports his legacy through initiatives that encourage innovative approaches to create a more inclusive, progressive, and harmonious society. The donation also coincides with the year of the late Gene Roddenberry’s centennial, or 100th birthday.

“We are incredibly honored to have received this commitment from The Roddenberry Foundation as it affirms our direction in creating innovative spaces that foster and celebrate creativity through comics and popular art forms,” said Melissa Peterman, VP of development for the Comic-Con Museum. “One of the exciting things about comics and popular arts is their ability to reflect and recognize many voices of our diverse society and that is something that was so important to Gene Roddenberry. We are thrilled that this funding allows us to honor Gene’s vision which aligns so well

with our own mission.”

The main lobby of the museum will be named after the Roddenberry Foundation in recognition of it donation. The donation is the latest of a series of contributions the Comic-Con Museum is attracting from those who see the development of the Museum as a much-needed participatory and experiential space

OUR MISSION

The SAN DIEGO COMIC CONVENTION (Comic-Con International) is a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation organized for charitable purposes and dedicated to creating the general public’s awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms, including participation in and support of public presentations, conventions, exhibits, museums and other public outreach activities which celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture.

OUR VISION

The vision of the Comic-Con Museum is to: Thrive as a world-class attraction and gateway to popular art, culture, and life-long learning for San Diego residents and visiting tourists.

Serve as a pop culture focal point, enhancing the ways San Diego celebrates its unique place in the popular culture landscape.

Enhance the economic strength of the community.

Become a sustainable model for equitable and environmentally-sound community service through our practices and offerings.

OUR VALUES

These values are the core beliefs of ComLOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

that connects people to comics and popular art forms.

The Foundation has planned a year filled with initiatives celebrating Gene Roddenberry’s legacy and supporting a permanent museum that celebrates pop culture and the creative nature of the human spirit is seen as a fitting way to honor the legacy of Gene Roddenberry and all

ic-Con and the Museum. They will be shared by the institution, its stakeholders, staff and volunteers alike. They will also be evident to visitors in each and every offering put forth by the Museum.

Access. The Museum is a place where everything is made to be accessible. Intentionally placed within reach—physically, intellectually, and financially.

Equity. The Museum will treat its diverse audiences fairly. Equity is being equivalent without sameness. Everyone will have an opportunity to get what they need based on where they are and where they want to go, taking into account their physical, intellectual, and financial abilities.

Inclusion. The Museum embraces diversity of all types and is a place where the audience has a voice and a sense of authorship. The Museum will actively seek to provide opportunities for engagement to all people.

OUR HISTORY

Comic-Con began in 1970 when a small group of comics, movie and science fiction fans from San Diego put on an event attended by just 300 people. Since then, Comic-Con has grown into a global phenomenon and is widely recognized as the premier pop culture convention in the world. Annually, the organization is focused on: /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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those who #ThinkTrek in 2021.

“The Roddenberry Foundation is very pleased to support the development of the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego. The Comic-Con Museum’s commitment to offering innovative programs that encourage access and inclusivity through the work of remarkable artists and creators aligns strongly with that of the vision of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and the Roddenberry Foundation,” Rod Roddenberry said.

The Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park will offer programming day and night as well as rotating exhibits and venues to celebrate and promote various forms of popular art.

The museum is moving forward with a multi-year renovation project and renovations will begin with the creation of the Education Center with learning-focused labs, classes and seminars.

The museum will feature 25,000 square feet of space for rotating exhibits, including a 4K video theater and presentation space; a year-round schedule of programs and experiences such as panels; creator meet-andgreets, experiential cinema, watch parties, eSports, cosplay shows, concerts and more.

Educational Programming. Core to Comic-Con’s work is using the educational power of popular culture to engage learners of all ages. We accomplish this through panels, and seminars as well as graphic novel clubs, conferences for teachers and librarians, how-to classes, and other activities.

World Class Events. Each year, we put on two large-scale events that blend education and entertainment in San Diego (Comic-Con) and Anaheim (WonderCon). In 2019, we celebrated our 50th convention with nearly 2,000 programs and panels, including hands-on workshops, presentations, costuming competitions, art shows, and more.

Arts Promotion. Comic-Con celebrates the popular arts by raising their visibility and public awareness in an effort to fuel creativity, imagination, and innovation. Examples include, the annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Comic-Con Independent Film Festival, Artists’ Alley (showcasing original works by artists at the convention) and Artist Portfolio Reviews (where up-and-coming artists are paired with experts to gain career guidance).

Community Collaboration. Giving back is of the upmost importance to Comic- Con. We work with key stakeholders to strengthen our community through blood drives, charitable donations, and training more than 6,000 event volunteers annually.

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VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2 | February, 2021

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BABY BOOMERS USE CANNABIS FOR MEDICAL REASONS TWICE AS MUCH AS MILLENNIALS

By Michael Patterson NHA, OTR/L, CEAS

A recent survey by cannabis company Verilife found that baby boomers (age 56-76 years old) use cannabis medically at twice the rates of millennials (22-38 years old).

Fifty percent of the baby boomers surveyed said they consumed cannabis primarily for medical reasons, with 28% saying they use cannabis solely for recreational reasons, and 22% using cannabis for both. The figures are completely opposite for millennials with 49% said they use cannabis recreationally, 22% saying they use for medical reasons, and 29% using cannabis for both medical and recreational reasons.

One area in which both age groups agreed was on the medical benefit of cannabis, with 92% of millennials and 89% of baby boomers agreeing that cannabis has medical benefits. Also, if they are given the option, 68% of millennials and 61% of baby boomers would choose using cannabis for a medical condition rather than a prescription drug to relieve pain.

The medical conditions millennials use cannabis for were chronic pain (27%), migraines (13%), nausea (11%), arthritis (8%), weight loss (8%), autism (8%), and irritable bowel syndrome (4 %). For boomers the most common medical conditions were arthritis (15%), chronic pain (13%), cancer (11 percent), migraines (8%), weight loss (8%), and autism (7%).

In regards to using cannabis recreationally, millennials said the reason for use was relaxation (34%), social reasons (23%), anxiety (22%), sleep (9%), and enhancing physical activity (9%). For boomers, relaxation was the primary reason for

recreational use (42%), followed by anxiety (17%), socialization (17%), and physical activity enhancement (17%).

The most common method of cannabis use for both age groups is smoking (50% millennials, 39% boomers). However, boomers prefer edibles, capsules, vaping, and

tinctures more than millennials (23% Boomers, 10% millennials).

Neither age group preferred dabs or topicals for a use method for cannabis (2%).

The survey was conducted from May 29 to June 5, 2020 and included 1,000 current cannabis consumers from each generation.

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For millennials, the average age was 31. Of this group, 63 percent were employed full-time and 80 percent completed some type of post-secondary education. For baby boomers, the average was 59, 66% were employed full-time and 79% completed some type of post-secondary education.

Analysis Cannabis is becoming more mainstream and trusted as an option for use to treat medical conditions. For the medical community, a shocking statistic is 61% of boomers would use cannabis to relieve pain rather than a prescription drug. This shows that the public trusts cannabis as a medicine more than a prescription drug. If your medical practice is not addressing cannabis as a medicine for your patients, eventually your patients will either seek other medical advice to use cannabis or will use cannabis and not tell you. If patients cannot trust their physician enough to verbalize they are using cannabis, then eventually the patient will find another physician.

Cannabis use with seniors and boomers will continue to increase.

With cannabis being legal for medical purposes in Florida (with over 350,000 medical cannabis patients and growing 5,000 patients per week), we are seeing an average patient age of 52 years old. I have been educating medical professionals and the public for years that cannabis is an accepted form of treatment for many medical ailments. Traditional healthcare must understand that patients now have a choice of which healthcare practitioner they use and patients are driving the trend to acceptance of cannabis as a medicine (regardless of how the mainstream medical community thinks).

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February, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

ADDING

Four Little Paws

DURING THE PANDEMIC Coco is model-perfect!

By Sharon Sardina

So, you’re telling me we are supposed to stay home all day, every day, and finally get organized, and tackle all those honey do lists? No way! I mean yes, those things are all great, but this would be the best time to get yourself a brand-new puppy to add to the family.

I bet you know at least one person who welcomed a puppy during the pandemic, am I right? What better timing when sports have been halted, school is now online, our lives have become a complete bore, then to add four little paws to the family.

I always swore to myself we would never own a dog. I mean NEVER!! I would say over and over again to my boys how we didn’t have time for a dog because we were never home since we had two boys in continuous sports, and really who would walk the dog, feed the dog and pick up the poops if my kids weren’t home?? Ha! Here we were in the middle of a pandemic in May 2020, and all my friends were posting pics on Facebook or Instagram of these cute Sharon’s family is complete with Coco. new dogs they welcomed to their the Goldendoodle, their little faces family. So, I started doing some are so cute, but I loved how they major research on dogs, joined had low shedding and were hypo every dog group Facebook had to offer and started asking around. My allergenic dogs. I have one son with allergies so this was a MUST! main question was, “Will I survive We found a local breeder close puppy stage?” Our top pick was LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

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by and instantly fell in love with mom and dad. We went through a vigorous questionnaire and interview and we were chosen! While going through this process we kept it a secret from our kids. We want@LocalUmbrellaMedia

ed them to be surprised because remember mom always said NO DOGS!! Pandemics make you do silly things, don’t they?!

Our puppy was born April 10, 2020 and we were able to bring her home June 2020 and named her Coco. You can follow her at cocogirl_the doodle on Instagram.

She has been one of the best things to happen to our family. She is so loveable and at a time where my kids weren’t sure they could make it on one more walk with mom or forced bike rides, she brought so much joy to their lives.

The best time to bring a puppy home, was no doubt during a pandemic. We didn’t have sports to worry about, we had all the time on our hands, we were home 24-7, which meant the kids were home to help (ha! still working on this part) and she has turned our frowns into happy smiles. Thank you, Coco, for completing our family.

On a side note, our family supports adopting shelter dogs too. We just were unable to find the breed we wanted at the shelter. The website from the ASPCA (American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is a great place to start your search: https://www.aspca.org/ adopt-pet/adoptable-dogs-your-local-shelter ■

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VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2 | February, 2021

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Dr. Mason Harrell and his daughter, Eleanor, need your help. Photo: Jackie Lynn Photography/jackielynnphoto.com

By Jackie Gutierrez

Paging Jeff Bezos

Standing in his neighbor’s yard, Harvard-educated, double board-certified M.D., Mason Harrell, wept. His neighbors cried too.

“It was the best Christmas morning ever,” Mason recalls. “We went outside for a walk, and Eleanor fell in the yard. Usually, she’d cry until you help her stand up or scoot herself to an object to pull herself up - not that time.”

Mason is a veteran who’s been called upon by elite organizations, including the World Health Organization and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He’ll tell you that Christmas morning was one of the most amazing moments of his life.

“For the first time, Eleanor, my 2-year-old daughter, pushed herself off of the ground - on her own,” he beams. “It was a wish come true.”

Eleanor has Kleefstra Syndrome (KS), a rare genetic disorder that negatively impacts physical and intellectual abilities. Her EHMT1 gene is compromised. It regulates many genes, affecting all organ systems, especially the brain.

“A genetic cause of delays is not something LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

that gets better,” Mason explains, “My biggest fear is that she’ll regress during puberty, to the extent that she’ll become catatonic. That’s a possible effect of KS.” Her diagnosis sent Mason into a pretty bad depression. He couldn’t do the things he needed to, like learning about KS. He couldn’t read through his tears. His best friends helped him review the literature. Once he pulled himself together, he started networking.

“I knew it was time for me to do something,” Mason said. “We went to Europe to speak with Dr. Kleefstra. I needed to talk to the expert and ask what I could do to help.”

Dr. Kleefstra directed Mason to Geoff Rhyne, another father to whom she’d recently spoken.

One LinkedIn message connected the two. They joined forces with a Ph.D. biomedical scientist at Illumina and three other fathers to create the nonprofit IDefine, committed to identifying life-changing treatments and cures for those with rare genetic disorders.

“We want our children to define their own futures; that’s why we named it IDefine,” Mason clarifies. “If we can restore their intellectual dis/LocalUmbrellaMedia

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ability to what it should be – that can happen.”

Within the first months, they raised almost $200,000. Still, millions more are needed to find a cure for intellectual disability and autism.

“We’re using KS as a model syndrome to solve intellectual disability, to correct the code,” details Mason. “Partnering with the world’s top experts, including Harvard-affiliated Boston Children’s Hospital, we believe it’s possible within our lifetime.”

To accelerate the process, Mason and Geoff sent an email to Jeff Bezos to get Amazon to offer a round-up purchase option on Rare Disease Day, Feb. 28. The co-founding fathers posted on social media asking for help in getting Jeff to read the email, counting on the degrees of separation.

“It’s like writing an email to Santa Claus,” Mason grinned. “We know it will take helpers to get Jeff’s attention. We know it sounds crazy, but we believe if we all work together, we can change the world.”

Visit IDefine.org for more information and to learn how you can help. ■

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February, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

THE BEST VALENTINE’S DAY GIFTS ARE

Hot Chocolate Bombs

By Mia Bertelsen

These delightful chocolate bombs of sweetness are exploding all over social media. Your special valentine is sure to love getting a gift of this chocolate heaven in their mug. It is a sphere of decadent chocolate that can be filled with lots of ingredients inside. It can have cocoa mix, marshmallows, instant coffee mix, candies and more. You just drop them in a glass of hot milk or water and watch them burst open. These hot chocolate bombs are a perfect treat for the cold weather.

Creative chefs who make them have tons of how to videos on YouTube and Tik -Tok that claim that they are easy to make, but don’t be fooled. It takes an experienced hand to make them perfectly. The final touch is to add colorful toppings of sprinkles, white chocolate or candies to decorate them before they are drenched in your drink.

If you do a search for these delightful treats online, you will find so many creative chefs who are selling them.

I spoke to Magda San Martin, from San Diego. She is a mother and a grandmother who spent her life in the kitchen and loves baking. “I’m a wife of 30 years and a mom of six and grandmother of two,” she explained. “So baking cookies, pies and cakes was something I taught myself. In 2020 due to the starting of the pandemic several of my adult kids were laid off and furloughed. So to be able to help my family a little, I increased my client base by advertising Maggie’s Homemade on Facebook and Instagram. I tend to have a steady stream of cake and pie orders throughout the holiday seasons, but business really took off with the hot chocolate bomb craze last October. From my understanding hot chocolate bombs have been around for a few years now. Maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t know of them until this past year.”

Magda explained that it takes a delicate hand to create the crafted chocolate shell filled with hot cocoa and marshmallows.

“You gently place it in a mug and slowly pour hot milk over it,” she said. “As it starts to melt, you will see it burst open and mini marshmallows in all their deliciousness appear. They are really fun for kids and adults.”

She is very creative and offers so many flavors to tempt you.

“I also make a French vanilla cappuccino bomb that has instant coffee in it and hot tea bombs which are a beautiful honey sugar shell filled with loose leaf tea and pieces of dried fruit and lemon. They smell amazing! My tea bombs are $6 and hot chocolate bombs prices range from $3-$6 and can be made in a variety of flavors such as Mexican Abuelita chocolate, French vanilla cappuccino, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, salted caramel, peppermint candy cane and strawberry.

“Like all my desserts, my hot chocolate bombs are made to order (always fresh) and last one month in their package. They come in sizes small and large. All come decorated in holiday colors with sprinkles and chocolate drizzle. I also make snowman bombs, Grinch bombs, unicorn bombs and my very popular concha bomb, which is made to look like Mexican sweet bread.”

When I asked her if it is easy to make them, she shared. “It took me a few tries to get comfortable making hot chocolate bombs, due to the delicate chocolate shells that can break and it can take time to perfect the technique.”

Magda proudly shared that in December 2020 her hot chocolate bombs were sold at Holy Paleta in both their locations in Little Italy and Bonita. Holy Paleta sells handmade popsicles (paletas in Spanish). The best way to reach her is at Maggie’s Homemade on Facebook or Instagram.

I hope you get to try one of these treats soon. I apologize to those of you who are trying to resist all this temptation. Eating one won’t hurt! ■

LEFT: These hot chocolate bombs look like the classic Mexican bread of conchitas. MIDDLE: The Mexican hot chocolate with cinnamon make these bombs so good. RIGHT: These hearts bombs are sure to delight anyone.

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VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2 | February, 2021

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February, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

While I think the concept, care and attention given to Valentine’s Day should be the standard for every day shared in an intimate relationship (and Valentine’s Day simply an excuse to double-down), I thought it appropriate to compose a column for both those seeking an intimate partner, and those already gifted to be sharing one.

Some years back, I set some big intentions for all my relationship (family, friends or an intimate partner): I wanted to get free of the old patterns that had plagued me in past relationships, such as criticism, blame and secret-keeping. I wanted to create a relationship that ran on positive energy instead of up-and-down fluctuations of negative and positive.

I found it taxing and tedious in earlier relationships to go through repetitive cycles of get-close-getinto-conflict-get-close-get-into-conflict. It took me quite a few years of diligent practice to make those intentions real, but gradually everything fell into place. To live in a space where little or no critical word is spoken is an incredible thing indeed. It not only contributes to peace and harmony, but it also facilitates creativity.

If that kind of relationship magic appeals to you, here are the operating instructions, as clearly and simply as I can state them. I have taught these principles and practices to people in Soul Expansion sessions and workshops, as well as casually sharing with family and friends. If you take the time to practice as well as understand the principles, you can make remarkable gains in the amount of Love and intimacy you enjoy.

Ready? Let the journey begin: THE FIRST PRINCIPLE Relationships thrive when each partner commits to total union with the other person and total creative expression as an individual.

THE FIRST PRACTICE Make a heartfelt commitment to your yourself that you’re willing to go beyond all your ego-defenses to full unity. At the same time, make a commitment to going all the way with your own individual creative expression. Then, observe the emergence of your defensive barriers every day.

Communicate about them honestly, but don’t take them seriously. In fact, ego-defenses disappear quickly when you turn them into play.

Tip: Need some guidance with learning how to subdue your ego and live more from your soul? Visit www.SoulExpansion.com or call (619) 832-2750 to enjoy the gift of a Complimentary Discovery Session.

THE SECOND PRINCIPLE Relationships thrive when each partner learns from every relationship interaction - especially the stressful ones - instead of running programmed defensive moves (what I refer to as “drifting”). Some popular defensive moves: criticizing, lying, leaving/ quitting, sulking in silence, making noisy uproars, numbing out with food, drinking, smoking, TV and

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other habit-forming behaviors.

THE SECOND PRACTICE Make a heartfelt commitment to learning something new from every relationship interaction.

Notice your defensive moves as they emerge, and gradually transplant wondering and truth-speaking in place of defensiveness.

THE THIRD PRINCIPLE Relationships thrive in a climate of absolute honesty -- no hidden feelings or withheld truths.

All feelings -- anger, sadness, joyfulness, fear, sexual attraction -- are okay to discuss with the other person, and each person is able to listen, free of listening-filters, such as listening-to-find-fault and listening-to-fix.

THE THIRD PRACTICE Notice your feelings and thoughts and speak about them to your partner. If there are things you’ve done or feelings you’re afraid to talk about, make sure to speak about those to your partner.

Get familiar with your habitual listening-filters, and practice summarizing what the other person is saying, with no distortion, then distilling and acknowledging the feelings embedded in communication.

Tip: Need some guidance with discovering how to accurately identify and feel your feelings to completion? Visit www.SoulExpansion.com or call (619) 832-2750 to enjoy the gift of a Complimentary Discovery Session.

THE FOURTH PRINCIPLE Relationships thrive when people keep their agreements impeccably. It doesn’t matter whether an agreement seems trivial (“Sorry, honey, but I forgot to take the trash out”) or significant (“Sorry, but I slept with somebody on my business trip when I was drunk”). There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity.

THE FOURTH PRACTICE Monitor each agreement you make very carefully, making sure you want to make it in the first place.

Once you make an agreement, fulfill it impeccably or change it consciously by communicating with the relevant person.

THE FIFTH PRINCIPLE People thrive in a climate of 100% accountability, where nobody blames or claims victim status.

One-hundred percent accountability is the shift from “I was wronged” to “I accept full responsibility for events occurring the way they did.” From this empowered position, problems can be solved quickly, because time and energy are not squandered in a fruitless attempt to find fault.

THE FIFTH PRACTICE In any situation, claim responsibility for having created it the way it occurred. Wonder about how and why you might have wanted it to occur that way. Speak in empowered language rather than

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victim language (“I choose to go to the dentist” rather than “I have to go to the dentist.” Or, “I accept responsibility for eating so that I have a healthy body,” rather than “Why did you buy that huge bucket of buttered popcorn? You know I can’t resist it.”)

Tip: Need some guidance with identifying your unconscious commitments and beliefs so you can move beyond them? Visit www.SoulExpansion. com or call (619) 832-2750 to enjoy the gift of a Complimentary Discovery Session.

THE SIXTH PRINCIPLE Relationships flourish when partners appreciate each other liberally. People grow more beautiful through our appreciation of them. Relationships take a quantum leap when each partner practices appreciation of the other person as a daily art form.

THE SIXTH PRACTICE Invent new ways to appreciate the other person every day, and express appreciations frequently.

Live inside questions such as, “What is my partner’s true essence and how can I invite it forward?” And “What could I appreciate about my partner at this moment?” Even in seemingly difficult moments (such as conflict), this is a powerful skill to shift energy.

THE SEVENTH PRINCIPLE Everything can be resolved with willingness and Love. Love is the ultimate healer and liberator because only Love is vast enough to embrace its opposite. In other words, you can Love yourself even when you dislike yourself, and the dislike will melt in the larger presence of Love. Whatever emerges in a close relationship is the next thing that needs to be Loved.

THE SEVENTH PRACTICE Love as much as you can from wherever you are.

The last practice is a major key, because sometimes in the heat of human relationships, you come to places in yourself or your partner that seem so hard to Love that you have the urge to give up. That is the moment when Love and only Love can heal. In those moments, you simply Love yourself and your partner as much as you can from wherever you are, and the miracles come flowing back in.

You are cordially invited to the rest of your life!

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Learn how this innovative practice bypasses common bottlenecks faster than traditional therapy to celebrate your purpose with clarity, awareness, and personal strength!

Daniel Allen is a writer, speaker, and spiritual & emotional counselor on the subject of relationships (including the one we hold with ourselves), and an advocate for Love and raising consciousness. For more information or article suggestions please visit www.SoulExpansion.com, email info@SoulExpansion.com or call (619) 832-2750.

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February, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

Gathering of Art Exhibit Creativity during COVID-19 has been on the rise as many local artists find themselves with lot of time to create art. Local artist Jody Abssy shared with us her latest project.

“Not far from my precovid life as a Docent at the Mingei International Museum I hunkered down in my detached studio,” Abssy explained. “Instead of feeling the loss of my students and colleagues, I turned my energies towards bringing contemporary goddesses into focus for all to see. These women are celebrated in cultures around the globe. For the first time in my life I had uninterrupted painting time and I painted with a passion. I had just completed a painting which depicted 50 ancient goddesses. I decided to honor each of these contemporary goddesses with individual paintings.”

Why Goddesses?

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“A goddess embodies a quality that all women have, but that quality is amplified in her,” she said. “Whether it is merciful kindness, erotic power, a relation to earth energies or seeking justice, whatever attribute the goddess has, it comes into full focus when honoring her.”

What is the art like?

“Each goddess is depicted close to life-size,” she added. “The paintings are in acrylic 24 x 36”.The face of most goddesses is the face of a contemporary woman from that culture. This gives us a better sense of who reveres that goddess today.”

The Exhibition called “Gather ye Goddesses” is at Gallery 21 in Spanish Village in Balboa Park. It will house all that female energy from March 1 – 21, 2021.

COVID-19 precautions will be in place in the gallery. Each viewer will get a catalogue listing the paintings by number and name and a brief story behind the painting.

The paintings are for sale. Prints of the goddesses will be forthcoming.

Abssy has an aspirational number of 40 pieces to paint. She is still painting and currently working on #32. They will all be on exhibit. ■

Gallery 21

Normal business hours are 10am – 4pm daily.

See: www.jodyabssy.com for a preview of the painting under the heading ‘Inspired by the Goddess’.

Contact Jody at jodyabssy@gmail.com

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February, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

Ask The Dentist ABOUT I M P L A N T S

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are titanium posts that are placed into the jaw bone to provide a strong foundation for the permanent replacement of teeth. They are strategically placed in the area where the tooth/teeth are missing. A crown then attaches to the implant post by way of an abutment that screws into the post directly.

Are there different types of implants?

Yes, there are different lengths and widths based on the location of the placement in the mouth and/or the amount of bone in the placement area. This is strategically planned ahead of time using advanced digital software before the implant placement process begins. Depending on individual needs, implants can replace a single tooth or multiple teeth.

How long does the implant process take?

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The entire process from start to finish is approximately ten to sixteen weeks.

Once the implant post has been placed, it will need time to fuse to the jawbone.

After it has successfully integrated to the bone, the crown is ready to be designed, made and placed.

How does the dental implant process work?

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Our office uses a very advanced and precise technique to ensure that the placement of the implant is exactly where it needs to be in the jaw bone. This ensures the implant’s optimal success. We use digitally CAD/CAM scans and overlay it on the CT scan so we can digitally design a custom fit surgical guide.

The surgical guide directs the drill in the exact optimal location to avoid any dangerous anatomical structures such as nerves or sinuses when placing the implant post. All of the planning leads to very efficient placement of the implant.

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Placement of the implant is a very quick procedure once the surgical guide has been designed and fabricated in-office. The placement of a single implant usually takes less than 20 minutes under optimal conditions and no incisions are required.

This results in a lot less discomfort post-placement. Either a cover screw or a healing cap is screwed into the newly placed implant at this appointment which keeps the gums from filling into the implant and promotes quicker healing.

A one-week follow-up appointment is the next step to make sure there is no swelling and to make sure the healing abutment is still tightly sealing the implant.

Nine to ten weeks later an X-ray and evaluation of the implant take place. If the implant has properly integrated, the healing abutment comes off and we place a scan post into the implant so we can take digital impressions of the area. This is when the crown is designed. The healing abutment goes back into the implant until the crown delivery appointment. The crown and abutment are fitted and screwed into the implant. We use a “screw-retained” technique which means that there is no cementing inside the mouth. We do this for several reasons: a) most implant failures are due to bacteria collecting around excess cement so, with this method, we have taken this risk out of the equation, and b) we can easily access the implant and remove the crown if there is ever a problem with the crown due to fracturing, etc. This completes the implant process.

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Will my implant look like a real tooth?

Absolutely! We have had great success and satisfaction with matching to the perfect shade and shape of the existing teeth. We pride ourselves on being able to restore implants so they look and feel natural.

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What are the benefits of an implant versus a bridge?

We preserve healthy tooth structure on neighboring teeth with conventional restoration which results in reduced bone loss. Additionally, implants last longer, are economically sound, and are more aesthetically pleasing, especially in the front of the mouth. Lastly, oral hygiene is seamless since it acts and feels like a normal tooth.

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MAYOR GLORIA APPOINTS CITY’S FIRST CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER

Mayor Todd Gloria has appointed San Diego native Kirby Brady to be the City’s first chief innovation officer. As a Black woman, Brady is one of the few women or people of color to be named CIO of a major American city.

“I couldn’t be prouder to have Kirby Brady as San Diego’s first chief innovation officer,” Gloria said. “Kirby’s unique experiences coupled with her creativity, drive, and passion for civic innovation are going to help our City harness the data and technology we need to stretch taxpayer dollars while providing world-class service for people in every neighborhood.”

Brady has been the director of the City’s Performance and Analytics Department for the past year and will continue to lead the department in her new role. Her experience has provided her with a deep understanding of the City’s robust datasets and a strong relationship with department leadership across the City to help them work more efficiently and effectively.

“I’m thrilled to help usher in a new era that puts data and equity at the forefront of decision making at City Hall,” Brady said. “Over the past year, I’ve seen firsthand the innovative spirit of so many of our City employees and welcome the opportunity to serve them so they can better serve the public.”

Mayor Gloria shifted the Performance and Analytics Department to report directly to the Mayor’s office and created the CIO role to support his efforts to use data to solve complex problems and develop innovative solutions that promote equity, advances economic prosperity, achieves justice, and builds a stronger, more resilient San Diego.

Brady and her team in the Performance and Analytics Department support the City’s ongoing efforts to use data to drive decisions, develop a more efficient financial practice and offer more online services, such as the City’s popular “Get It Done” application.

In her new role, Brady will also be responsible for creating and promoting a culture of innovation among the City workforce. She and her team will foster a workplace where employees are empowered

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to take smart risks, think outside the box, and become change agents for their departments and the City as a whole.

Prior to joining the City of San Diego, Brady spent four years working for the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation where she oversaw the research efforts of the organization. Her team’s work focused on analyzing local economic trends, including quantifying the economic activity of regional industries and evaluating policy impacts. Brady spent seven years working for the San Diego Association of Governments where she managed the long-range population and housing forecast program for the region.

Brady holds a bachelor’s in regional development from the University of Arizona and a master’s in urban planning from the University of Southern California.

REGISTRATION OPENS FOR COUNTY ONLINE AUCTION FEATURING 695 PROPERTIES

San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister announced bidder registration is now open for the 2021 online property tax auction. A total of 695 properties will be up for sale.

Anyone around the world can bid during the online property tax auction from March 12-17. To participate, bidders must register before March 4 at the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s tax auction website, sdttc.mytaxsale.com. They must also submit a refundable $1,000 deposit and a nonrefundable $35 processing fee (some parcels may require a larger deposit).

“We have 53 residential or commercial properties, 558 timeshares, and 84 parcels of land for sale. If all properties are sold for the minimum bid, the county would bring in $15,512,100,” McAllister said.

“Prospective bidders should sign up for e-notifications for our property tax auction at sdttc.com to receive email reminders before important deadlines.”

Owners of the auctioned properties can still avoid going to sale; they have until 5 p.m. on March 11 to redeem their parcel and pay all

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taxes and fees owed.

SAN DIEGO CONTINUING EDUCATION ADDS ‘COLLEGE’ TO ITS NAME: SAN DIEGO COLLEGE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION

The largest adult noncredit educational institution of its kind in the nation, San Diego Continuing Education (SDCE), has added the word college to its name. The new name, San Diego College of Continuing Education (SDCCE), better reflects the organization's status and mission to transition adult students to credit college and careers.

SDCCE is the adult education division of the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) and serves 40,000 students annually at seven campuses in San Diego spanning from the Miramar community in the north to Barrio Logan in the south. The institution has been serving adult students in San Diego since 1914.

The legacy of the organization’s first century of teaching is deeply rooted in serving immigrant populations with basic skills such as learning English and also serving unemployed populations by preparing adults for the workforce.

Adding the word college to the name provides a foundation for SDCCE’s second century of serving adults, with a continued focus on helping students transition to college and careers.

The decision to change the name was years in the making and required a thorough process that started with insight from faculty and classified professionals who have been serving students for decades.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES HONORED FOR OUTREACH EFFORTS

The San Diego County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for its outreach efforts in 2020 to be inclusive to all members of the diverse San Diego community.

Federal officials recognized the child Support department by @LocalUmbrellaMedia

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highlighting their email flyer outreach program in the December/ January edition of Child Support Report, the official publication of the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement.

DCSS is using a new way to communicate directly with parents who receive Child Support services and also identify Spanish as their primary language to improve engagement and access to child support information.

Jennifer Hellerud, Deputy Director of DCSS, said the office created outreach materials in both English and Spanish to highlight events, general information, and specific services and delivered the information using Peachjar, a company that specializes in sending digital flyers to the parents of K-12 students.

Children of the Immaculate Heart opens new youth facility following litigation A San Diego organization that helps women and girls overcome the devasting effects of sex trafficking is celebrating the purchase of a new location, a dedicated shortterm residential treatment facility for minors.

Litigation over licensing of Children of the Immaculate Heart’s planned expansion has been resolved, their property has now been purchased, and the group has opened its new youth facility, The Refuge, after successful representation by the Thomas More Society and its special counsel attorneys of LiMandri and Jonna LLP. Children of the Immaculate Heart offers a housing and rehabilitation program for adult women and their children and sought to expand their services to include a short-term residential therapeutic program for sex-trafficked youth.

When the ministry ran into licensing issues due to religious discrimination at the California Department of Social Services, the national not-for-profit public interest attorneys initiated legal action.

SALK SCIENTISTS AWARDED $1.2 MILLION TO STUDY BRAIN AGING AND DEMENTIA A collaborative team of Salk scientists led by Professor John Reynolds will receive $1.2 million over four years as part of a

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Network Grant from the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation to examine aging across the life span, including age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

The research will advance our understanding of aging mechanisms at the cognitive, genomic and cellular levels with potentially direct translatability to humans.

For this newly funded project, the Salk team will examine the link between metabolism of the aging brain and cognitive decline.

Neurons use nearly 10 times the amount of energy as any other cell type, making them especially susceptible to metabolic dysfunction. The main energy source for neurons are the cells’ powerhouses, the mitochondria, which experience significant deterioration as the brain ages. The scientists will test whether mitochondrial impairment is driving the cognitive decline observed in neurodegenerative diseases.

PADRES PROMOTE ERIK GREUPNER TO CEO, AND A.J. PRELLER TO PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER

The San Diego Padres announced the promotions of Erik Greupner to chief executive officer and A.J. Preller to president of baseball operations and general manager. The two Padres executives have each signed contract extensions through the 2026 season.

Greupner originally joined the Padres in December 2010, making this his 11th season in San Diego.

He oversees the Padres’ business operations and leads the growth and development of the Padres’ business and culture.

Prior to assuming the role of CEO, Greupner served as president of business operations from December 2018 through December 2020 and chief operating officer from November 2016 to November 2018.

Before joining the Padres, Greupner worked as a corporate and transactional attorney with the international law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Preller originally joined the Padres as executive vice president/ general manager in August 2014.

Under his leadership, the Padres

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ended a 14-year postseason drought in 2020 with a 37-23 (.616) regular season record, their best winning percentage in club history. He previously served as assistant general manager of the Texas Rangers, overseeing the player development and scouting departments and serving as a key advisor on all player acquisitions.

NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT COURSES TRAIN OFFICERS ON COMMUNITY POLICING AND ORGANIZATIONAL WELLNESS

National University has received two grants totaling $700,000 from the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training to develop courses that will train law enforcement personnel on the importance of community policing and organizational wellness.

Faculty experts at National University in collaboration with law enforcement and The Institute for Violence, Abuse, and Trauma developed the course curriculum.

Shelley Zimmerman, a chancellor appointee at National University and former San Diego police chief, endorsed the programs. “This past year has been an undeniably challenging time in the history of policing across our country, but with every challenge comes an opportunity,” said Zimmerman.

Zimmerman teaches and guest lectures on a variety of public safety and leadership topics.

GIRL SCOUTS LAUNCH SOCIALLY DISTANCED COOKIE PROGRAM

With our county in the purple risk level, San Diego’s young entrepreneurs are foregoing doorto-door and booth marketing this cookie season. Instead, they’re using both time-honored and innovative techniques in a socially distanced manner to provide a contactless cookie experience.

Customers have two new options to purchase Girl Scout Cookies this year, including a partnership that allows customers to order and

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pay for cookies through Grubhub’s websiteor app. “Girls are involved, gaining hands-on e-commerce experience by using Grubhub’s backend technology to track orders and manage inventory,” said Carol M. Dedrich, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts San Diego.

Through the new E2B (Entrepreneur-to-Business) initiative, corporations, departments, book clubs, service clubs, and other groups welcome a Girl Scout to one of their virtual meetings. She delivers a five-minute marketing pitch and provides a secure and personalized “Digital Cookie” website where the group can order and pay for cookies, and arrange for contact-free delivery or donation to deployed U.S. military troops. Girls hone their presentations and develop valuable skills such as goal setting, decision making, money management, and business ethics. To schedule a presentation, email cookies@ sdgirlscouts.org with “E2B” in the subject line.

Cookie fans who know a Girl Scout may ask her about her Digital Cookie site. Others seeking cookies may visit sdgirlscouts.org/ cookies.

Paul United Methodist Church, San Diego, announced they have jointly awarded $52,500 in Racial Justice Grant funding to 10 local nonprofits that either engage in anti-racist policy advocacy, or provide direct services to People of Color in San Diego County.

The grants are part of a long-term commitment by the churches to anti-racist work throughout San Diego, which led to the establishment of their newly created Racial Justice Endowment.

The Endowment will announce their next grant cycle focus and open applications for it on April 1, 2021.

Grantees: • Pillars of the Community • San Diego Young Artists Music Academy • DETOUR (Depositing Empowerment through Outreadh and Urban Development) • The Blue Heart Foundation • San Diego chapter of the National Council of Negro Women’s Workshop • National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa Inc., Delta Upsilon Chapter, San Diego’s Y.E.S. Program • Man Up Club at Wilson Middle School • Neighborhood House Association’s Project in-Reach • Mustard Seed Wood Inc. • SD Urban Warriors

USS GABRIELLE GIFFORDS RETURNS TO NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO

Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords returned to its homeport of Naval Base San Diego on Sunday following a 17-month rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet and U.S. 4th Fleet areas of operation.

“I am incredibly proud of the Gabrielle Giffords team and all they have accomplished,” said Cmdr.

Rion Martin, the commanding officer of Gabrielle Giffords. “From Executive Officer to Culinary Specialist Seaman Norfleet, we have all led and followed one another.”

For more information on Gabrielle Giffords, visit https://www. public.navy.mil/surfor/lcs10/Pages/ default.aspx.

SAN DIEGO METHODIST CHURCHES AWARD $50,000 GRANTS TO NONPROFITS ADVANCING RACIAL JUSTICE

First United Methodist Church of San Diego, in partnership with St. @LocalUmbrellaMedia

REPORT FINDS $12 MILLION IMPACT OF LOCAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY

Legal taxation on cannabis yielded a combined total of more than $12 million to the cities of San Diego, La Mesa and Vista in 2019, according to an economic impact report on the San Diego cannabis industry by Cal State San Marcos’ College of Business Administration.

The report was developed by the CSUSM Office of Business Research and Analysis (OBRA) in partnership with Blue Water Government Affairs. The cannabis consulting group worked with OBRA, an office that unites faculty expertise with student researchers to produce business analyses, to collect data on the San Diego cannabis industry. The student team used public records from the three San Diego County cities that allow legal sales of recreational and medical cannabis to examine how it influences community finances, police enforcement and public health.

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■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ The report includes research on the diversity of the cannabis industry in the county, revealing that 68 percent of cannabis business license holders are white and 87 percent are male.

The report also explores recent studies conducted by the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) that show cannabis storefronts are not positively associated with increased crimal activity, as well as national research on the reduction of opioid overdose deaths in states with legalized medicinal cannabis.

CITY OF SAN DIEGO OFFERS LOW-INTEREST RATE LOANS TO HELP BUSINESSES ADAPT DURING PANDEMIC

In order to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of San Diego is providing access to financial assistance to cover expenses such as furniture, safety equipment, website development and digital marketing. The financial assistance, in the form of low-interest rate loans, is aimed at helping businesses adapt by moving their operations outdoors or expanding services online.

The city’s Economic Development Department (EDD) will be issuing business loans ranging from $25,000 to $95,000 to qualified businesses as part of the CARES Act Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) with funding provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration.

The non-forgivable, term loans are intended to help entrepreneurs adapt their business models to operating under pandemic restrictions while retaining or creating jobs. The City may only make RLF loans that are reasonably expected to be repaid in full.

“We hope many of the business that qualify will take advantage of this unique opportunity,” said Christina Bibler, director of the Economic Development Department. “We recognize many businesses are struggling with payrolls, overhead and other expenses as they try to adapt to changes in this new environment. As a City we want to stand by them to help them modify their businesses as they weather this economic storm in the hopes that brighter days are ahead.”

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The RLF loans come with a 3 percent fixed annual interest rate and a general term of 54 to 78 months, depending on the size and use of the loan. No payments or interest are accrued for the first six months and the range of loans available is between $25,000 to $95,000.

SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ONE OF THE FASTEST RECOVERING AIRPORTS NATIONWIDE

San Diego International airport ranked 13 on the top 15 list of airports recovering the fastest from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new travel survey by FinanceBuzz based on U.S. Bureau of Transportation data.

“We are a year-long leisure destination. People want to come here because of our weather and beaches,” said Sabrina Lopiccolo, public information officer for the airport.

In the survey, April shows close to 40,000 departing passengers from the airport. Then in June, that number jumped to 200,000.

“In April, we were down like many other airports -- down 95 percent,” said Lopiccolo. “Month to date in October, we are down 68 percent.”

Lopiccolo added that as states have been lifting restrictions and more businesses have opened, air travel has increased.

LENNY LESZCZYNSKI NAMED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF SAN DIEGO AUTOMOTIVE MUSEM

San Diego native Lenny Leszczynski, who joined the San Diego Automotive Museum as the executive director in January 2020, has been booted up to chief execu-

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tive officer. Leszczynski brings more than 25 years of nonprofit professional experience to the Automotive Museum. His experience also includes more than 15 years of developing, managing, and reporting budgets for community programs and over 10 years of fundraising experience.

Leszczynski prides himself on having advanced skills in organizational leadership, program development, fiscal management, fundraising, and forging community collaborations. He has a degree in Child and Adolescent Development from California State University Northridge and has a Master’s degree in Business Management and Leadership from WGU.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES HONORED FOR OUTREACH EFFORTS

The San Diego County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for its outreach efforts in 2020 to be inclusive to all members of the diverse San Diego community.

Federal officials recognized the child Support department by highlighting their email flyer outreach program in the December/ January edition of Child Support Report, the official publication of the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement.

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR CHANCELLOR OF SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT The search for the San Diego Community College District’s (SDCCD) next chancellor has been narrowed to four candidates with strong credentials in community college leadership.

Barbara Kavalier, president of St. Charles Community College in St. Charles, Mo., previously served as district president of Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas.

Lee Lambert, chancellor of Pima Community College in Tucson, Ariz., previously served as president of Shoreline Community College in Shoreline, Wash.

Pamela Luster, president of San Diego Mesa College, previously served as interim vice president of academic services/permanent vice president of Student Services at Las Positas College in Livermore, Calif.

Carlos O. Turner Cortez, president of the San Diego College of Continuing Education, previously served as vice president of instruction at Berkeley City College in Berkeley. @LocalUmbrellaMedia

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The board is aiming to make a final selection and announce the new chancellor in late March with the goal of having the new chancellor start July 1.

FORMER PROSECUTOR TO REVEAL ‘ONLINE ROMANCE SCAMS’ San Diego County Credit Union will host “Online Romance Scams,” a complimentary educational webinar presented by former San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The online webinar format allows the community to attend from the comfort of their home and is part of SDCCU Financial Wellness Wednesdays, launched in partnership with the San Diego County Library System in support of Live Well San Diego.

Online dating has become increasingly popular among single men and women searching for love, but unfortunately, this popularity has also piqued the interest of scam artists. During the webinar, Greenwood will cover current scams, romance scams and strategies to protect yourself while online. Virtual seats are limited and registration is required. To register, visit sdccu.com/webinar.

BALLAST POINT BREWING CO. LAUNCHES ‘BREWING FOR DIVERSITY’ SCHOLARSHIP

Ballast Point announced the launch of the inaugural Brewing for Diversity annual scholarship initiative in partnership with the UC San Diego Extension Brewing Program. Ballast Point’s Brewing for Diversity scholarship seeks to advance diversity and inclusion across all aspects of the brewing community by providing avenues for education and opportunities for future professional employment.

The scholarship will grant underrepresented students the funds and tools they need to participate successfully in UC San Diego Extension’s Brewing Certificate Program.

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply online between now and May 15 at extension.ucsd.edu/ brewing.

To learn more about the Ballast Point’s Brewing for Diversity Scholarship and how to apply, please visit, extension.ucsd.edu/brewing.

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:

Janet F. Williams’ latest romance novel is a dose of fun Staff Report

Close the cover on those old bodice rippers and make room on your nightstand for a growing genre: lesbian romances. Same-sex storylines are attractive to straight and LGBT readers alike, part of a billion-dollar business with dedicated imprints. San Diego County author, Janet F. Williams, whose novels are written under the pen name Zoe Amos, will release her latest book TALK TO ME (Sapphire Publishing) on March 1, 2021.

We had a chance to sit down with the author and discuss lesbian romance novels, coming out in midlife, and the wild world of radio talk shows. Find out how much of her upcoming novel is pure fiction and how much is drawn from Williams’ real life.

Tell us a little bit about your book, Talk to Me. Talk to Me is a lesbian romance that explores what it means to come out in midlife. The story starts when Claire applies for work at a fictional San Diego AM radio station to start a new life.

You might say Claire is “newly” gay; she’s already out and separated from her husband. She lands a job as a call screener and has no idea what’s she’s getting into with Marly, the lesbian hostess of the radio show, Gayline. At first, everything seems normal, but when Marly launches into outrageous dialogues, Claire realizes Marly is a shock jock! This is a huge departure from Claire’s former life as a housewife and mother of two older teens. She stays at her job because she can’t deny the attraction she feels to Marly, even while she struggles to settle her upended family relationships. Without saying too much, it’s an over-the-top comedy drama, and definitely follows the romance genre.

Why was it important to tell the story of a woman who comes out later in life?

I felt this should be talked about because it happens all the time and it’s a topic often side-stepped in the lesbian romances I’ve read.

People come out at all ages, sometimes well into their senior years. In Talk to Me, Claire is in her LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

mid-40s, her children are mostly grown, and at her midlife stage, it’s not uncommon to take a look at who you are and reevaluate the direction of your life.

You were a radio co-host and have had relationships with men and women. How much of your own life did you draw on to develop your story and characters?

The radio aspect is closely tied to my own life.

Back in the mid-90s, I unexpectedly ended up learning board operations and then co-hosting a jazz program at KBNN for two years. Let me tell you, it was scary being on the air, but I figured it out and grew to like it a lot.

As for relationships, I always knew I was gay, but when I was young, I dated men because that’s what you did, and I liked men. I also had no idea how to find gay women. In adulthood I experienced a pronounced shift toward women, and on that gray scale we call sexuality, I’ve moved to a place where I’ve been exclusively interested in women for twenty-some years.

What do you hope readers will take away from Talk to Me? My primary objective is entertainment—I write stories I want to read. As an author, I know you have to rewrite and edit, rewrite and edit—it never stops, so you better like your story. Romances are often dominated by the same tropes. Instead, I had an idea for a lively original story where the protagonist had to resolve a strong family conflict in addition to her finding her way to the woman she desires. This story has elements anyone can relate to, no matter their sexuality, or even if they weren’t interested in romances. I think a lot of us could use a dose of fun right now and some extra love. I hope readers finish with a smile, a few warm fuzzies, and a better understanding that people often share the same emotions over life’s ups and downs.

Is this your first novel or do you have others?

I self-published a futuristic novella, Superior: Adventure Romance, that takes place in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The romantic element is /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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affected by what I imagined could be a realistic, yet dysfunctional society by including the kinds of social division we’re seeing today, tied in with the effects of climate change. I’ve had short stories published in lesbian anthologies under Zoe Amos, my pen name, and others self-published.

They’re all available online.

I published You Don’t Ask, You Don’t Get under my given name, Janet F. Williams. The book is about how to ask for what you want and increase your chances for getting it. Kirkus awarded it Best Specialized Instruction Book of the year. It won three awards and is popular because it’s still relevant today.

It’s not easy to get your book traditionally published. How did you do it?

I did a lot of research and Sapphire was my publisher of choice because they cater to the lesbian romance market. They put me under contract before assigning the book to their editor, another plus. It doesn’t always happen that way.

If you were casting the movie version of your book, who would play the leads and why?

For Claire, I’d say Sarah Paulson. She has this prim side, but can break out of it for her excitable moments. And for Marly, it’s gotta be Kate McKinnon with her crazy energy. Both of them have the comedic timing and versatility needed for the roles, for ad-libbing, and for when it gets serious. They’re the right age, both gay, which for the sex scenes, um, okay, I’ll just stop there.

What are you working on currently?

There’s the romance at the car dealership, the romance with corporate subterfuge, a road trip adventure, short stories, a non-fiction book on giving and a memoir. I’ve considered writing a prequel to Superior, which supposedly takes place after the Second Civil War. Yow! Maybe that was too prescient.

Where can readers find Talk to Me? It’s available for Kindle pre-order on Amazon and at sapphirebooks.com for a March 1st release, and will soon be available in paperback. ■ ADVERTISE | Press@LocalUmbrella.com

VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2 | February, 2021

D N A Z JAZ E T A E R C T E L BAL N I N O I T A V O N IN H G U O R H T C I MUS E C N A D San Diego is famous for its mild weather and beautiful beaches, but the local jazz and ballet communities do not draw as much attention.

However, that is changing with a synergistic collaboration between the San Diego Ballet (SDB) and our local jazz music community.

Under the direction of artistic director Javier Velasco, SDB has created new programs and commissioned original music for the enjoyment of local audiences. Most prominent among the works are two suites for dance, composed and performed by the legendary saxophonist Charles McPherson. An innovative recording of these original compositions is now available on a CD entitled Jazz Dance Suites.

Charles McPherson began his musical career under the tutelage of jazz pianist Barry Harris, and achieved fame playing alto saxophone with bassist Charles Mingus for 12 years. Charles then embarked on a successful solo career that continues to the present day. Charles has toured throughout the world and appeared on over 70 LP and CD recordings. In 1978 Charles moved to San Diego and lives here with his wife Lynn Sundfor-McPherson (a classical pianist and teacher), and their daughter Camille McPherson, a professional ballerina in her 9th season as a soloist with San Diego Ballet.

Charles’ collaboration with SDB began 5 years ago through their Jazz/Latin Series initially supported by San Diego Foundations Creative Catalyst grant. The end result, Jazz Dance Suites, is dedicated to and inspired by Camille.

Ballet is a traditional dance form from Europe that is usually associated with romantic era music such as Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake or LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

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an Diego oloist with S S n o rs e h cP hnson Camille M Credit: Tariq Jo Ballet. Photo

The Nutcracker, and the dance and music tothe founder Rudy Van Gelder who was the gether often tell a story. Jazz is an American art recording engineer for many of the legendary form that evolved from blues, folk and other Blue Note jazz records in the late 1950s and popular music forms, and is often an abstract early 1960s. The recording is free from any form rather than attempting to tell a specific technical defects and the mix has perfect balstory. At first glance the combination of ballet ance of the instruments with the close presence and jazz may appear to be an odd couple, but that makes you feel like you are in the room the result that we hear (and seen in the live with the musicians. Any music or dance lovdance performances) is a complimentary relaer who seeks a high quality recording will be tionship that advances the boundaries of both pleased with the sound of this recording. dance and music.

Personnel: The British journalist and historian James Charles McPherson – alto sax Burke stated that new ideas and advancements Terrell Stafford – trumpet in human arts and sciences are the result of the Lorraine Theresa – voice interaction of ideas from separate and distinct Jeb Patton & Randy Porter – piano realms that combine to produce a new idea Billy Drummond – drums through their synthesis. Jazz Dance Suites sucDavid Wong – bass ceeds in this synthesis: it tells a story through Yotam Silberstein – guitar sound and dance, and is also thoroughly enjoyJazz Dance Suites has received a number able as abstract musical art that stands on its of awards including a Top Jazz Recording for own independent of the story.

2020 from DownBeat magazine, a Top 20 Jazz Jazz Dance Suites includes a variety of muRecordings of 2020 from Glide Magazine, one sical styles: Bebop jazz (that Charles is usually of the 10 Albums You Need To Know from associated with), beautiful ballads, Latin and JAZZIZ, and more: https://charlesmcpherson.

African influences, big band and a taste of com/reviews/ Middle Eastern scales and textures. It contains Wynton Marsalis, a longtime admirer said, a mix of composed melodies and improvised “Charles is the very definition of excellence in solos, with a variety of voice and instrumental our music. He’s the definitive master on his combinations. The compositions are new and instrument. He plays with exceptional harimaginative while respecting the jazz traditions monic accuracy and sophistication. He perof the past. Charles has brought together some forms free-flowing, melodic and thematically of the top jazz talent from both the East and developed solos with unbelievable fire and an West coasts to perform on the recording. unparalleled depth of soul.”

The audio quality of the recording is outFor more information on Jazz Dance Suites standing. Most of the tracks were recorded at and to order a CD or download digital files, the renowned Van Gelder Studio, named after please visit https://charlesmcpherson.com/store. /LocalUmbrellaMedia @LocalUmbrellaMedia ADVERTISE | Press@LocalUmbrella.com

February, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

SOMETIMES JULIE

FEBRUARY 2021

BY BART MENDOZA © MUSICSCENESD // MUSICSCENESD.COM

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? u o Y e r Where A Recording and releasing a new album can be a difficult proposition at the best of times, but the past year has seen even more challenges for musicians. Indie rockers Sometimes Julie, have just released their fourth album, Where Are You? with a video due soon for key track, “Own Kind of Savior,” but as with much of the world at the moment, it’s anything but business as usual.

“We are planning to get all of Sometimes Julie back together to rehearse as soon as we all feel safe, probably once we’ve all been vaccinated,” said singer Monica Sorenson. “The whole band hasn’t been together since March 2020, and I really miss my band family.” She notes the group, which features Sorenson (vocals) and songwriting partner Rick Walker (guitar) with Bruce Paul Allen (bassist), Anthony Sarain (keyboards, sax, flute), Alberto Moreno (lead guitar), and Dave Fuller (drums), has kept in touch with venues “so that we are ready to hit the ground running as soon as things open up again for live band performances,” she said. “Not being able to perform live has certainly been hard on us mentally and emotionally, but it is a small problem for us in comparison to what many other people are going through during the pandemic.”

The band has used recent downtime to

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work on Where Are You?, with a bit of luck early in the project. “We laid the foundation for the album in the months right before the first stay-at-home order,” Sorenson said. Sessions were held at Pacific Beat Recording Studio with Grammy winning producer Alan Sanderson (Rolling Stones / Fleetwood Mac) engineering.

“We are very fortunate to have been able to lay down the initial tracks then, because we have not been in the same room with everyone in the band since then,” she said. Completing the remaining overdubs, such as percussion, guitar solos, saxophone, etc., was accomplished with social distancing and isolation, or recorded remotely at band members’ home studios.

The mixing and mastering process was also affected by social distancing. “Andy Machin of Bigrock Studios did both remotely, with input from Rick and me on video conference calls. The process was unique, to say the least, but we couldn’t be happier with the results. The passion, and overall quality, really shines through,” Sorenson said.

Where Are You? is not named for a song, instead its title is taken from the second tune on the album, “Knew it All Along”, with lyrics written by Sorenson and Allen.

“This song, like so many of our songs, is a conversation,” she said. “In the moment

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VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2 | February, 2021

of the song, it is about two people trying to connect in a romantic way.

But the idea of the album is bigger than romance. With what is happening in the world right now, we can all be lost in our own minds, preoccupied or even willfully distracted.

The question “where are you?” re-

flects a hope for connection amid all of the noise.”

ing part,” she said. She notes that Walker handles the business side of things for the band. “Don’t get me Sorenson considers the music biz wrong - I want Sometimes Julie to to be difficult but ultimately rebe successful from a business standwarding. “I know there is a business point - but to me, true success is in side to music, but I really just stay creating something beautiful and focused on the creating and connect- meaningful, that people relate to and connect with. If we do that, then the rest will fall into place,” Sorenson said. “Every opportunity to create, record, and perform is a gift.” www.sometimesjulie.com

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s d or c e R ! g n a Ta February, 2021 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2

San Diego has quite a few homegrown record labels, but one of the best known, Taang!, is actually a transplant.

Headquartered at their retail location, 3834 Fifth Avenue in Hillcrest, the label, which has 222 releases to date was founded by Curtis Casella in Boston, circa 1984, moving to San Diego in 1992. At least initially due to a local band.

“I originally came to sign (punk band) Battalion of Saints,” Casella said. At the time he had stores in Boston and Los Angeles. “They were open for seven years. I was tired of going back and forth, so I moved to L.A. where I had a DJ gig at the first online radio station, Spike Radio.”

stock of collectables and new bands as well as San Diego music from Buck O Nine to Frankie Laine.” The shop is indeed a treasure trove a collector could get lost in for days.

Does Taang! Have a particular sound?

“No,” said Casella. “We’ve put out a lot of different sounds over time; powerpop, glam, hardcore, shoe gaze, punk, ska, ambient and so on.”

The label has been largely focused on reissues in recent years, in fact one of their next releases is a Negative Approach demos collection, with upcoming Record Store Day releases set to include The Lemonheads, The Bruisers and Negative Approach. But they are still working with new talent. “We recently signed a band from Pittsburgh, While in San Diego to sign the band, Casella “found an abandoned building, Killer of Sheep,” Casella noted. with 706 as the address. 706 is the magic number for rock n roll,” he said. 706 When it comes to formats, Casella considers vinyl to be king. “It’s 85% vinyl Pismo Court in Mission Beach soon became legendary to music fans. “I was in the U.S. 10% CD and 5% cassette,” he pointed out. “It varies a little from drawn to it,” Casella said. “The area at country to country, but it’s in that the time was the wild west.” Casella range. That said, in Poland and Malaylived above the store. “I’ve got some sia cassettes are the favorites, believe it great memories in Mission Beach,”” or not,” he remarked good naturedly. he said. “Motorhead played a private party there. Sublime played our shop The next year sees Taang! busier than when we first opened.” ever. “Right now I’m pressing twelve Many of the labels touring bands were titles that have gone out of print in the past nine months ,” Casella said. “And regulars at defunct venue, Cane’s, including The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, then theres another twenty five that need to be pressed.” Indeed, the label Dropkick Murphy’s and Stiff Little has been so busy, some rumored plans Fingers. have been abandoned, but due to a Now located in Hillcrest, how import- good cause. “As far as the store goes, we were going to do a cafe in the back, ant is the store to the Taang! empire?

“The store sells all the titles of course, but at this point we have to expand the store,” Casella said as well as band merchandise,” Casella said. “But the store also has a large www.taang.com

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VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 2 | February, 2021

Beloved North Park venue, Queen Bee Art & Cultural Center needs our help! A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help keep the doors open, with a pair of fundraising events in the works, Charlie Arbelaez & Friends February 10 and a Valentine’s Vintage Sale on February 13. www. gofundme.com/f/savequeen-bees-for-the-loveof-the-arts

Music Notes

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the February issue of iconic British Magazine, Mojo (#327).

the same night. Rare Bird includes contributions from fiddler Bobby Furgo (Leonard Cohen, Nancy Sinatra) and guitarist Mike Butler (Billy Bob Thorton’s Boxmasters) with production from the late Grammy-winning producer David Bianco (Tom Petty, Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan) and 1960’s rockers Iron Butter- co-producer/engineer Ben fly’s In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida Moore. The first single is album has been reissued “The Misfits.” as the latest in the MoBlues favorites Black Ratt frontman Stephen bile Fidelity Sound Lab Market III will be feaPearcy will be filming tured on the Broadstairs Original Master Recordpart of his new docuseing Series Ultra Analog Blues Festival live stream ries, Backstage Past, in from Broadstairs, U.K. the LP 180g Series San Diego this month. weekend of Feb. 19-21.

L.A. Edwards song “Trou- Airing on ASY TV, the show will include a look ble” was featured on the Deathgrind band Cattle back at his days as a loCW series, Walker. The Decapitation have recal rocker with Mickey network also made a leased a new video, for custom music video with Ratt. Pearcy also recently the song “Finish Them”. released a video cover of clips from the show. A The track is from their Duran Duran’s “Girls on new album is scheduled latest album, Death AtFilm.” for March. las and features footage of the groups 2019 tour Kenny Loggins has writof Australia. During the ten an exclusive tune, trek Cattle Decapita“The Great Advention raised more than ture,” for the San Diego $25,000AUD for the CoZoo Kids TV channel. bargo Wildlife Sanctuary, The non-commercial, to help with extensive closed-circuit TV netdamage done by bushwork will also be using fires that year. his “Danny’s Song,” “I’m Alright” and “Go Fish” for upcoming videos.

Scott Samuels is releasing a new album, Sunshine and Starlight, in March.

The first single is a cover of Bay City Rollers classic “Rock and Roll Love Letter,” written by Tim Moore.

Andra Day portrays jazz On March 12 Pacific Resinger Billie Holiday in cords is releasing Grapethe new film, The United fruit Moon: The Songs of States vs Billie Holiday. Out Country rock singer Sara Tom Waits (remastered) via Hulu on February 26 featuring legendary rock/ Petite releases a new alblues singer Southside Hot Snakes song “I Need bum, Rare Bird, on February 26, complete with a Johnny and LaBamba’s A Doctor” is the lead Big Band, led by tromvirtual release party live track on the free cover mount CD included with from The Belly Up Tavern bonist Richie Rosenberg.

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The album includes a live bonus track, “Straight to the Top.” New albums include: Chuck Charles – Hi Ya, The Slashes - Embalmers Blush, jazz guitarist Patrick Yandall - Someday Somewhere, David Yuter – Volume 1 New Singles include: The Dreamcoats “Love Game” & “Chill With You,” StainGlass “Step Inside,” alt rockers Sky Walker “Orange and Gray,” Robert Rankin Walker with a cover of 80’s classic “Nowhere Girl,” originally by the British new wave band B-Movie

New Videos include: Almost Monday – Live Forever, Hip Hop / rapper Benjiboy Dom – “Filthy”, indie combo Cambrian Shores – “So Fine” recorded live at Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego, Thea The Band – “The Worm,” Warish - “Say To Please”

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