Umbrella Local Connections – Coronado Edition FEB 2022

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CORONADO’S CONNECTION TO THE MAINLAND

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| VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 2

TEACHERS OF THE YEAR DURING THE TIME OF A PANDEMIC The San Diego Unified School District announced the selection of three teachers of the year – Kelly Ann Young, Paula Richardson, and Deirdre Fabian.

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Kelly Ann Young

SDUSD Teacher Of The Year

YOUR REAL ESTATE EXPERT IN CORONADO Ken Pecus Realtor®

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AGING IN PLACE

The Right Plan Can Make All the Difference While the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the majority of Americans “aging in place”, that’s not exactly what the term “aging in place” refers to. For this article, we will be talking about aging in place with regard to the older adult population – those 65 and older – and their desire to stay in their homes and surrounding communities as they age.

First some statistics. According to 2020 census data, the United States population sits at 331,449,281; of that, 54.1 million are aged 65 years or older with 30 million being women and 24.1 million being men. Of that 54.1 million age 65 or older, nearly 80% own their home; these homes, however, are typically older homes and may need substantial work for continued safety while aging in place.

So how can the aging population age in place and do so with safety as a top priority? There are some simple fixes, some in-depth modification, and in some cases, full remodels to accomplish the goal of aging in place.

Home Assessment A home assessment is a great place to start. These can be done by people that have the credential of Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS), a Senior Home Safety Specialist (SHSS) or by a Home Health physical or occupational therapist. Typically, Home Health will do a home assessment once a person has been discharged from the hospital or Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) after and accident or injury…exactly what we are trying to avoid.

The home assessment considers all indoor living spaces and outdoor areas that may need attention. The final report from a home assessment should point out areas of concern that need immediate attention, those areas that will need attention very soon, and some suggestions for additional things that can be done around the house to ensure safety and security of its occupants.

Simple Fixes Once the home assessment is completed, you may want to ease your way into some simple fixes that won’t cost too much money nor require a lot of manual labor. Here is a list of some of the simple fixes that can be done around your home: • Remove throw rugs • Use rubber-backed bathmats • Move laundry to 1st floor • Remove wheels on chairs • Put nonskid treads on stairs • Keep steps and stairs clear • Apply nonslip wax to floors • Repair loose carpeting • Remove small and low furniture • Clear electrical cords and clutter • Add hallway railing • Switch out standard doorknobs for lever handles • Install a raised toilet seat and grab bars • Remove locks from bedroom and bathroom doors – for quick entry in case of falls • Swap out a recliner for a chair lift • If wandering is a concern, install sensor alarms and monitoring devices

You don’t want to improve the lighting in the house only to create tripping hazards with lamp cords. If you must run a cord across a heavy traffic area of the home, use cord protectors to reduce the chances of tripping.

With all lighting options, choosing the right bulb is key. If you are an older adult reading this, we used to pick out bulbs based on wattage, the standard being the 60-watt bulb. With the push towards being energy efficient, watts have been replaced with lumens – both are ways of telling the consumer how bright the bulb will shine. Some people are sensitive to certain types of bulbs and the lighting they give off, so you’ll want to be conscientious of that as you browse the bulb aisle at your local hardware store. Full spectrum bulbs are very commonly purchased because they increase “contrast and clarity and reduces glare” according to AARP. Finally, on the topic of lighting, if you do not have night lights, please order some or go buy some today.

Night lights are a must-have as we grow older. With age, we have become wiser and realize the dark isn’t always our ally. A well-placed night light in the bedroom, bathroom, or hallway could be key to avoiding the “F” word….Falls.

Colors Another thing we may encounter as we get older is our ability to perceive certain colors. This is due to changes in the clear lenses in our eyes. They start clear but may begin to discolor with age, thus impairing our ability to perceive these colors and contrast of colors in general.

Take a closer look at the paint on your walls and ceilings along with the colors of your flooring and see if there are places where a higher contrast in color could help you or an aging loved one. I once lived in a home with hardwood floors, which was great except there was one step down into the living room. Without contrast on the step, I couldn’t distinguish one level from the other and jolted my back more than once. I didn’t do anything about until I watched my mother miss the step and almost fall

Lighting As we age, it takes increasing amounts of light to see things as clearly as we did when we were younger. According to AARP, “the chances of falling in dim lighting is two to four times greater” so let’s talk about some lighting fixes inside the home.

Table lamps are a good way to increase the lighting in most rooms. Be sure the lamp is large enough to put out decent light and that the lamp shade is not so dark that light won’t shine through. If you like to read in bed, work on the computer, or craft at the kitchen table, adjustable reading lamps or craft/task specific lamps are the way to go. These lamps have a flexible “neck” and can be adjusted to spotlight certain areas, so your eyes don’t have to do the extra work. Floor lamps are another option for additional lighting in a room. Some homes and apartment lack ceiling lights all together; floor lamps become the sole source of light in this case. I recently found a floor lamp with a flexible “neck” so I could point it upwards to light the room and adjust it downward when I want to read. With table, work, and floor lamps, be aware of where your outlets are located.

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• 71 percent said their home has inside and outside accessi bility issues.

• 61 percent said they would need an emergency response system.

• 48 percent said they would need smart-home devices, like a voice activated home assistant or a doorbell camera.

Home modifications may include widening of doorways and hallways to accommodate a wheelchair, modifications to the bathroom for accessibility and zero threshold entry ways to eliminate a tripping hazard.

Ramps can be added or built in and around the home for ease of access for those physically impaired and stair lifts installed to aid those with mobility challenges in going up and down stairs. Some home modifications may require a licensed contractor while others, such as ramps and changing bathroom hardware, may require a handyperson or some YouTube videos (for the do-it-yourself-ers). There are companies who specialize in home remodels and modifications for the aging adult, if you are looking to make some changes to your home.

Additional Considerations Successful aging in place requires some additional consideration. Things like transportation, physical fitness, proper nutrition, and the need for socialization should be part of the discussion when looking to age in place. If you no longer feel that driving is the safe way to go, is there reliable transportation you can access (this doesn’t include calling a neighbor or family member to drive you places)? Do you have a plan to start of maintain some level of physical fitness? Use it or lose it, right? How do you plan to get or maintain a healthy way of eating when you don’t feel like cooking (again, this doesn’t include family or neighbors supplying you regular meals)?

And last but certainly not least, how do you plan to maintain some level of social interaction? We have seen far too many aging adults suffer the mental and physical consequences of social isolation during the pandemic so having a plan is vital to your health and well-being.

Aging in place safely can be accomplished with the right people and planning. Create a plan, make a list, and engage the right people to help you put that plan into motion today. If you want help finding the right people to work with, please call us at Aging Well Partners. We only work with and refer to vetted and trusted businesses partners to ensure peace of mind for you.

Plan well to age well. You’ll be glad you did!

References https://www.simplyinsurance.com/average-us-lifeexpectancy-statistics/#section-3 https://www.aarp.org/home-family/your-home/info-2021/ home-and-community-preferences-survey.html https://blog.aarp.org/notebook/ rosemary-bakker-lighting-aging-eyes https://acl.gov/aging-and-disability-in-america/ data-and-research/profile-older-americans https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-health-for-life/ adult-vision-41-to-60-years-of-age?sso=y https://www.energystar.gov/products/ask-the-expert/ ask-the-expert%3A-how-to-choose-a-light-bulb Aging Well Partners empower aging adults in finding vetted and trusted resources and services that meet their specific needs.

forward into an unforgiving hardwood floor. I marched into the garage, got my painter’s tape, and taped that step to create contrast we could all see. Lesson learned.

Home Modifications & Remodels AARP conducted a survey in December 2021 of 2,826 adults (18+) regarding how and where people want to age. Here are some of their findings: A third of all poll participants said they would need to modify their current residence so they or a loved one could continue to live there if they had physical limitations.

• 79 percent said they would need to modify bathrooms with grab bars or no-step showers. /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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| VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 2

MAKING BETTY CROCKER PROUD Couple Transforms Historic Estate into San Diego Destination

By Marlise Kast-Myers Photography by Unscripted Photos

If you had told us 14 years ago that we would be living at the historic Betty Crocker Estate in Valley Center, we wouldn’t have believed you. When we started dating in 2008, we had a plan to work hard, play harder, and with whatever resources we had left, try to bless people through our love for hospitality.

That vow came while sitting on the patio at our Carlsbad house, a place that Benjamin remodeled and landed in several leading design blogs. At the time, he was working as a designer for an ad agency in the Carlsbad Village and habitually spent his lunch hour strolling local antique shops.

Between a small splurge here and there and endless hours of craigslist hunting, we built our collection of talk pieces — not those you find in a catalogue, but rather those that find you. They tell a story, hold a history, and make you feel like you’ve found something that was simply meant to be.

In the process, my vision changed for what a home should be. It was no longer a place to rest your head, but rather a place to rest your mind; a place where you could exhale at the end of a long day, and smile at what you had built with the person that inspires you to break the mold and do everything with purpose, intention, and thoughtfulness.

And so, six months after we were married in 2011, we did it again. This time we adopted a 1950’s farmhouse in Vista and promised to make her shine. As the story goes, the house was previously located in an area of San Diego slated for track housing. When the foreman spotted that sweet charmer, he halted the bulldozer and ordered the house to be moved to Vista. It was plopped on half an acre, backed by wetlands and dotted with orange, pepper, and loquat trees.

She had her 1950’s funkiness that we absolutely adored: The wall mounted ironing board, the pocket doors, the patio screens that slammed behind you, and above all, LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

the massive windows that f looded the house with light.

From the day we got the key, we pushed hard, starting with a massive landscaping project that Benjamin and my father tackled /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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together. Over 3,500 bricks later, they created a front yard nirvana that triggered hours of rocking-chair porch conversations with friends and family. Next came painting every wall and ceiling in the house, followed by the ADVERTISE | Press@LocalUmbrella.com

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exterior, going from yellow to white; Then a kitchen remodel where we spent most of our quality time.

Between our custom counters, vintage appliances, and the black and white tile floor, the only thing missing was Betty Crocker. Then came the office with Benjamin’s apple-crate wall, and then the greenhouse that he built out of recycled materials.

That little Vista farmhouse was beyond a labor of love. It was our happy project and the “thing” that we did for no one else but us. As a once restless traveler afraid to settle down, the only place I wanted to be was home.

We gardened and grew vegetables. Benjamin learned beekeeping and we harvested our own honey. We composted, captured rainwater, line-dried our clothes, and fertilized with worm tea. I made marmalades, loquat pies, and homemade ice creams from orange, rosemary, and honey. We fell asleep to the sound of bullfrogs and crickets and awoke to the sound of birds outside our window.

Hardly was there a day you wouldn’t find a baked good on the counter and flowers on the table, all of which were harvested from the grounds. In those seven years, we gave her our best, pouring our creativity and hearts into a place once destined for destruction.

As much as I want to say we saved that house, the truth is, she saved us. She comforted us during the most traumatic loss of our lives. She nursed us back to health on multiple occasions.

And she gave us joy in the promise of today and the hope of tomorrow.

In the midst of the farmhouse transformation, we met a lovely local who told us about an antique shop in Valley Center. Held at at an old dairy farm, it was open just one weekend a month. And so, each month we marked our calendars and drove out to Valley Center to see what pieces would find us. Many made their way back to our Vista farmhouse.

Other times we would simply window-shop, marvel at the magnificent barn. Each visit habitually ended with a stroll under a Peppertree to gaze from the mighty boulders and dream of what life could be.

We were not looking for a home, nor were we in any financial position to buy property, but for some reason, it was meant to be. Upon hearing the property was for sale, we contacted LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

the owners, first by email and then by phone, telling them of our love and commitment to the place that had helped us build our own.

That following week, Benjamin and I were invited for a tour of the Valley Center property, once belonging to baking legend Betty Crocker. In 1941, the original “Betty Crocker,” Agnes White, and her husband, William Tizard, occupied the home. During their 40 years on site, they added electricity, indoor plumbing, and a stainless steel demonstration kitchen where Agnes prepared recipes.

Under the Betty Crocker persona ascribed by General Mills, Agnes hosted a network radio show that gained national notoriety. We also learned that her husband, William Tizard, wrote a property deed in which he encouraged future owners to maintain the creek as an inspiration point for artists and writers — a statement remarkably fitting since Benjamin is an artist and I am a writer.

Our wheels starting spinning out of control, and as much as we’re both talkers, we were relatively quiet on the drive home; more in shock with the possibility of “what if this happens?”

The house was 140 years old and was showing its age, but we never shied away from hard work. Within 24 hours, we were preapproved for the loan, jumping headfirst into escrow and a whirlwind journey no one could have predicted.

Two weeks before our move, Better Homes & Gardens sent a scout to our Vista property and asked if they could do a photo shoot for their “best of ” 2019 edition. It was an honor, to say the least. The photo shoot, however, was scheduled for the week of our move, which meant we couldn’t pack our home.

That same week, Benjamin was in a motorcycle accident on his way home from work, totaling his bike and ending up with three broken ribs, a fractured elbow, and torn ligaments in his shoulder. This meant he couldn’t pack, lift, (or laugh), and that we were down to one car between us.

To add a little more excitement to the mix, we arranged with the sellers that all parties could save on closing costs if we only used a realtor to review the final contract. This meant that I ended up working as the liaison and the “agent” for all parties involved. All the while, /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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Benjamin and I both maintained our full-time jobs, and of course didn’t hire movers because, well, we are a DIY couple.

So, the schedule went as follows: Tuesday and Wednesday, Better Homes & Gardens photo shoot. Thursday pack the entire house. Friday move to Valley Center. Saturday clean the Vista house and hand over the keys to our renters.

After conquering that week from hell, you’d think life would get easier. But then, we turned the key. In the first 18 months, we were hit with floods, fires, fixes, and rat infestations. We cleared nearly 30 tons of trash and green waste, and embarked in endless projects, pushing toward a greater vision.

Now, in just three years, we have completed an extensive landscaping project, laid a sustainable infrastructure (with solar), and launched our antique business, Brick n Barn. Open to the public one weekend a month, the “shows” feature local crafts, food, antiques, workshops, music, and dog adoptions.

While our immediate plans are to continue to beautify the antique experience, we are striving toward one day creating a destination where you can stroll garden pathways, picnic by the babbling creek, cook in Betty Crocker’s kitchen, sip an espresso in the café, and build friendships in the midst of the Brick n Barn community.

Until then, we invite everyone to join us in this mighty step of faith, to embrace opportunity, live without regret, and love without excuses. In our 2022 venture, we vow to carry on the antique tradition by bringing new life to this enchanting property, and above all, make Betty Crocker proud.

The Myers’ journey is documented on their blog, “Channeling Betty” at www.bricknbarn. com. The Betty Crocker estate, now operated as Brick n Barn, is open once a month to the public.

Contact Info: • Address: 29200 Miller Rd. Valley Center, CA 92082 • Website: www.bricknbarn.com • Phone: 760-651-2635 • Email: info@bricknbarn.com • Instagram: instagram.com/bricknbarn • Facebook: facebook.com/bricknbarn • Other: (Blog: Channeling Betty) www. bricknbarn.com/blog ADVERTISE | Press@LocalUmbrella.com

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| VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 2

A WOMAN’S TOUCH

Window covering industry veteran Lizie Delgado takes the reigns at DRAPERY TRADITION Your Neighborhood Blind Shade Shutter & Drapery Shop Top-notch customer service AND products are the key to longevity in retail -- or any business, for that matter – during unprecedented times. Those factors, plus exceptional pricing, explain why Drapery Tradition, Inc. has been around for 30 years, and continues to flourish today.

Drapery Tradition describes itself as “Your neighborhood blind, shade, shutters and drapery shop.” It sells and services these products, as well as an increasingly large number of motorized window coverings in all four of these categories. It’s most definitely a neighborhood phenomenon, occupying the same storefront since 1982: 7424 Jackson Drive, in the community of San Carlos. Locally owned and operated, it serves San Diego and the surrounding areas.

The store is an elite Hunter Douglas showcased dealer. Of Drapery Tradition’s total offerings, approximately 90% are premium Hunter Douglas products. Items from Alta Window Fashions, part of the Hunter Douglas family of brands, are also offered at extremely competitive prices. Customers can always find a wide selection of options in all four merchandise categories.

The torch of this iconic window treatment center has just been passed on from its former owner, Mario Pappazi, to its new one, Lizie Delgado. The smooth transition just went into effect on January 20th. Management reorganization has brought to the table the combined strengths of Mario, with his 50 years of legendary star status, and Lizie, the now woman-owned business leader with feminine design sensibilities. Mario is continuing as Drapery Tradition’s Sales Consultant. Lizie is the Owner and President, as well as its Controller.

Mario started in the industry when he was just a 17 years old junior in high school. He installed draperies and blinds for his mother and father, who were also in the window treatment business. He branched off on his own in January 1982, opening up Drapery Tradition, and continues to live and work in this same community. That’s half a century of experience, during which time he carried forth his family’s tradition of deeply caring for customers. The humble and funny Pappazi says “I walk around San Carlos and I’m a dinosaur.

People just say ‘Oh my god, there’s that dinosaur again.’ ” And what a great thing that is, indeed, to have someone around who: knows what he’s doing, from past experience; recognizes and greets repeat customers; and values them enough to keep things going for them in the future, too.

Having survived in business for so many decades, including the economic downturns of 1984, 1992 and 2008 when others were financially ruined, Mario must have been doing things right. His explanation? “I would have to say that my service was number one, and the quality of my products were top…and affordable pricing, too! I knew what my competition charged and did not want to make anybody feel that I was overcharging them. So it’s quality, service and competitive pricing. It’s been important for me to keep all my clients happy for as long as they’ve owned their products, until they want to replace them. I get repeat customers after 20 years! When they’re ready to get new blinds, they come back.”

With mostly residential clients -- approximately 75–80% -- Drapery Tradition’s commercial accounts, such as large healthcare facilities, were also instrumental in keeping the shop not only afloat, but also bustling. Kaiser Hospital was one of the main ones, ordering from Pappazi all of their vertical blinds and shades for eight of their locations. To this LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

Lizie Delgado & Mario Pappazi celebrate

day, they continue to be an active client for these products. For the last decade, Drapery Tradition has also provided Kaiser with cubicle curtains and tracks. Mario has also made himself available to them for any installation or servicing matters that came up. How appropriate, then, that his nickname is “Window Doctor.”

Lizie knew Mario through their mutual friend and business associate, Bob Sole, owner of Express Blinds, Draperies, and Shutters.

Mario and Bob worked together in the industry for fifty years. Lizie served as Controller of Bob’s company. She brings that financial capability, as well as strong design acumen and a woman’s sensibilities, to the helm of her new acquisition.

Delgado says that she will continue to provide the same excellent service, products and pricing that Pappazi did. Those traditions are what she steadfastly intends to keep, even as the world around may change. In addition, she says that with herself as the new owner, customers will “benefit from a woman’s touch.

We are in window covering work, which has everything to do with design and fashion.”

She has had the privilege of seeing things that most people in her industry have not, specifically, behind-the-scene tours of factories where products are made. This is unheard of among her peers, but with her position as Controller to a large window treatment firm, as well as her being a woman, factory owners rolled out their red carpets for her. Those tours gave her special insights into such factors as how products are made, unique differences between them, and issues of durability.

She is able to use this knowledge daily as she helps customers arrive at the best solutions for their needs.

Going for ward, Lizie will continue with a combination of residential and industrial customers. She says that there is always a need for what Drapery Tradition offers off ices and businesses. In addition to continuing with Kaiser, she names the downtown federal courthouse, Krispy Kreme, and Point Loma’s Space and Naval War fare Systems Command, (SPAWAR) as other satisf ied corp orate accounts. “For them, as well as homeowners who want the b est in window coverings, I want to make sure the clients /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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Lizie Delgado

are happy…no matter what!” With that kind of attitude, there’s no doubt that she will.

AT-A-GLANCE Business: Drapery Tradition Founded: 1982 Location: 7424 Jackson Drive, Suite 5 Proprietor: Lizie Delgado Contact: https://www.drapery-tradition. com 619-697-8887 Notable: Woman and Veteran Owned Business. Owner Lizie Delgado has a long history in window coverings. Carrying on legacy of former owner Mario Pappazi.

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Sandy Moul, Jeff Wohler and Mark Stainbrook.

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Mark Stainbrook and Jeff Wohler receiving a check on the USS Midway during a concert.

THE SAN DIEGO HARBOR POLICE FOUNDATION: CHOOSING TO CARE, AND GETTING IT DONE!

What is the “it” that San Diego Harbor Police Foundation, Inc. is getting done? Pretty much everything that the organization has set its mind to in the three short years that it’s been in existence!

Just before the Covid pandemic hit, two powerful men joined forces for the greater good of San Diego. Jeffrey (Jeff) Wohler, the original founding member and current CEO and President of the San Diego Harbor Police Foundation, got together with Mark Stainbrook, previous Chief of the Port of San Diego Harbor Police and current foundation board member, with a common goal. They were both concerned about community outreach for the port law enforcement agency. The port is a nonprofit organization that is precluded from fundraising, and has neither the money nor time to take action beyond day-to-day law enforcement mandates.

Wohler had an extensive background in the non-profit world and was exceptionally well-suited to create and manage the resulting lofty-goaled SDHPF. With a law degree from Western State College of Law, a resume packed with prior CEO positions, unflinching fundraising skills, and drive galore, he dove right in. Despite the crushing weight of the pandemic, or maybe bolstered by the need to help people overcome it, he has already demonstrated remarkable success.

The foundation’s mission is “to improve public safety by providing critical resources to help fund community awareness, officer wellness, specialized training, and advanced technology.” Summarily, Wohler says “The objectives are philanthropic, wellness-oriented, and about creating awareness.” They are in sync with, but very different from, the law enforcement, crime-solving ones of the Officer Wellness, such as public safety, traditional crime, anti-terrorism, and drug trade.

In just a few short years, under Wohler’s leadership, the foundation has made great strides in three major initiatives: community engagement; officer wellbeing; and addressing human trafficking. Much has already been accomplished in this triad of challenges, but the foundation plans to dig deeper into these and additional ones.

K-8 with the purpose of mitigating a multitude of problems. This elementary school is in Barrio Logan, a highly-disadvantaged locale within the San Diego Unified School District. Among the prevalent difficulties of this high risk group are a 40% homeless population, food insecurity, and in-family high crime rates, as well as educational shortfallings like poor reading skills.

Like the world at large, educators and students have struggled with even greater challenges since the start of the pandemic. One of them is the issue of online versus in-person learning and its impact on reading comprehension. If children can’t read, they will generally fail in life. One of the major programs that the SDHPF instituted is “Teachers RUL,” an acronym for relationships, unity, and love. An impressive number of tutors – 53! – were brought in to help 2nd-4th graders online with reading.

But the obstacles for this population go beyond basic learning skills. The issues affecting the children, parents, teachers, and facilities have to be addressed holistically. “Food insecurity is a big one,” says Wohler. “If you’re hungry, you can’t learn. If you don’t learn, you won’t succeed.” So, a food pantry was installed at Perkins K-8, and the “Backpack Program” (filling kids’ backpacks with a weekend’s worth of food for their entire family) will be initiated this year. Additionally, student-officer relationships are supported through activities like “Fish with a Cop” and periodic on-campus visits.

And, upgraded, ergonomic furniture has been brought into all four special needs classrooms to make learning easier for students.

Through “Career Pathways,” 6th-8th graders will be taken onsite to local businesses every two weeks. The visits provide the youngsters with awareness of a variety of industries. The companies, in great need of skilled labor these days, get a chance to expose these visitors to future employment possibilities. This is a win-win situation. In 2023, the skills needed for these jobs will become part of their curriculum with the placement of a new modular classroom. In 2024, the foundation hopes to start building a charter school with the goal of augmenting the skills of these children in order to help them become fully employable.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

OFFICER WELLNESS

By Carol Holland Lifshitz

The organization adopted Perkins Lifting morale has been particularly LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com /LocalUmbrellaMedia

some issues. Wohler cites one example: “To help a couple who just got robbed, the watch commander was given the authority to use a credit card to pitch in for a hotel night’s stay.”

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Mark Stainbrook and Jeff Wohler

important in the last few years. Defunding has occurred. Cops have felt physically and emotionally threatened during this period of civil unrest. New crimes related to the pandemic, job loss, travel restrictions, and political beliefs have erupted, on top of the more typical ones with which they dealt before. And as humans, they face the same virus-related difficulties all citizens now face.

To offer support, the foundation has to date provided 5000 meals for cops.

Also, a warm, welcome, safe zone was created where emotionally and physically beat up patrolman could come to unwind. The “collision space,” as Wohler calls it, was previously non-existent. This communal footprint was completely renovated, complete with a high-level Vendibean coffee machine.

The opportunity to temporarily disengage from daily tasks and catch up with peers on everything from family to current events has been invaluable for employee morale, relationship-building, and engagement. To further lift spirits, “Officer of the Year” and “Dispatcher of the Year” honors were announced.

Canine resources were also updated, as dogs and their handlers are an integral part of law enforcement activities.

Some fresh initiatives were designed to help officers and the public alike.

The “Troubled Traveler Program” was started, just in time to address the new set of problems that directly and indirectly resulted from the pandemic.

The force had finite resources in facing their duties, but they were given tools that empowered them to better resolve @LocalUmbrellaMedia

San Diego is one of the largest cities in the United States facing this crisis, which is second only to drug trafficking. In San Diego County alone, it’s a billion dollar industry. Every year, thousands of children, ages thirteen and up, are trapped by this. According to Wohler, “It’s everywhere, but most people are unaware of it.” As such, he and Chief Stainbrook felt it needed to be addressed.

Efforts towards this tragic behavior are being made by the San Diego Harbor Police Foundation in collaboration with District Attorney Summer Stephan and her staff, the local Human Trafficking Task Force, and the San Diego Harbor Police Department.

Through the foundation, the two men have created programs to train people to recognize the signs that it is taking place, and then act upon what they have witnessed. Their mantra is “If you see something, say something.” That, however, is a twofold process.

To aid in the awareness that trafficking is occurring, the foundation has been reaching out to San Diego’s Tourism Authority, and to tourism industry personnel, such as hotel front desk clerks and those in housekeeping.

Other recipients of the no-cost training include airport workers, security guards, bar and restaurant workers, and convention center employees.

Wohler says that the training is “different from any other program in the nation and will become the national standard!” For more information, visit www.HelpStopHumanTrafficking.org.

Once victims or evidence of trafficking have been identified, the next step is to somehow mitigate it. With that in mind, thirteen Harbor Police Human Trafficking Liaison Officers are being trained to become subject matter experts.

The SDHPF is moving furiously to dive deep into these three current focal areas. And, as funding becomes available, they will attempt to tackle additional serious public safety and community concerns. To learn more, and to join the ever-growing list of private and corporate sponsors, visit: www.sdharborpolicefoundation.org

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TRISHA KHALEGHI TO LEAD 2022 AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION SAN DIEGO GO RED FOR WOMEN® MOVEMENT The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization devoted to a world of healthier lives for all, announces Trisha Khaleghi, Senior Vice President/Chief Executive Officer, Sharp HealthCare Specialty Hospitals, as Chair of the 2022 San Diego Go Red for Women movement. Go Red for Women is a worldwide initiative of the American Heart Association, designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women locally, nationally, and globally.

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States, claiming more lives each year than all forms of cancer combined. Cardiovascular disease is also the leading cause of maternal death in the U.S. – meaning heart disease is the No. 1 killer of new moms— and pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are rising at an alarming rate. The opportunity to reinforce heart health as vital to maternal health was a key factor in Khaleghi’s decision to lead the 2022 Go Red for Women movement; in her role at Sharp, Khaleghi leads Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns.

“Cardiovascular disease can pose a threat to women’s heart health during pregnancy and later in life, making it important that women understand how to care for themselves and their baby,” she says.

“Like all maternity hospitals, we’ve seen an increase in pregnancy complications due to heart conditions, like gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. It’s so important for women to know that heart disease can strike at any stage in life and to be familiar with the symptoms.” Khaleghi added that Sharp Mary Birch s welcomes more than 7,000 babies every year.

“As the largest maternity hospital in California, I see the importance of using this platform to amplify what the American Heart Association does, and how the two organizations collaborate, with an emphasis on women’s heart health and maternal heart health. I am excited to help make that happen.”

“I see remarkable stories of adversity and recovery every day,” Khaleghi added. “Seeing and knowing firsthand, both at work and at home, how the work of the American Heart Association affects us directly is inspirational. I know our message of self-care and prevention will make an impact.”

Trisha has a strong personal connection to the American Heart Association, as her youngest son had open-heart surgery at just seven days old. He is now a healthy, 21-year-old college student.

She has previously chaired the Go Red for Women Luncheon, served on the Go Red for Women Executive Leadership Team, and led Sharp as the San Diego Heart Walk’s #1 fundraising company!

“We are thrilled to have Trisha’s experience, conviction and passion help drive Go Red in San Diego,” said Jessica Newmyer, Executive Director, American Heart Association San Diego Division. “Together, we know that we will have a positive impact on the lives of women in our community and the families that depend on them.”

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As chair, Trisha will be leading the efforts of the American Heart Association San Diego Division 2022 San Diego Go Red for Women Campaign Executive Leadership Team, which includes: Carisa Azzi, Finance Executive Hospitality and Real Estate; Kristin Carroll, Rescue Agency; Karen Joyce Codington, ITA Group, Inc.; Andrea Hogan, Qualcomm; Arleen Kagan, Retired Education Executive; Mallory Randall, Interlaced.io; Juli Moran Thirtle, Deloitte; and Dr. Alessandra Wall, Noteworthy.

The Executive Leadership Team is the core of San Diego’s Go Red for Women movement. Their focus is to ensure that women’s heart health remains a priority during the pandemic. The leadership and commitment they bring to the movement is making an impact via awareness and funds raised.

The Go Red for Women movement will be celebrated on Friday, April 29, at the 2022 San Diego Go Red for Women Luncheon. This year’s luncheon is at San Diego’s U.S. Grant.

Local survivor, author, and impact catalyst Kristine Michie will share her amazing experience with attendees. Kristine’s story is one many women can relate to, and one attendees will not want to miss.

Michie is the founder of ImpactFull.

For more information and to get involved, visit SDGoRed.Heart.Org or call 858.410.3850.

Event: GO Red for Women Luncheon April 29 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM The US Grant Hotel, 326 West Broadway danielle.lane@heart.org

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CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH: SAN DIEGO OASIS HIGHLIGHTS ED GRIFFITH, INSTRUCTOR AT SAN DIEGO OASIS Ed Griff ith, our very own Soul Line Dancing instructor. He’s also a master Fan Popper, which of course enhances the Line Dancing demonstrations. Ed’s classes have b een full every semester since he b egan teaching at San Diego Oasis in April of 2017. It’s amazing that in such a short time, Soul Line Dancing classes have b ecome some of our most p opular classes.

As CEO of Verlosity, Ed teaches dance workshops for all ages all over the County of San Diego and beyond with dance music based in Jazz, Latin, R&B and Gospel music themes. He’s done showcase performances in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Baltimore, New Orleans, Cabo San Lucas, and lots of other cool places. He has created and choreographed his own dance routines, adding the unique tool of Fan Popping, using a fan to emphasize the music beat and add bling to the dancing, which has increased demand for his work.

Ed’s passion for dancing is his second career. As a native Californian, Ed served three years in the Navy, and 33 years working for the federal government as a Utilities Supervisor working with the military ship to shore hotel services, to make sure that our ships operated while in port here in San Diego. A friend suggested he take Country Line Dancing classes, which turned into part time teaching free of charge until he retired. Once Ed created his company Verlosity (in 2010), he launched his dancing career, starting at Eastlake Community Church in Chula Vista, and expanding to other community churches. He now teaches in churches, senior and community centers and of LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

course, for San Diego Oasis. Ed is recently married, has one daughter at Cal Baptist University Riverside and one-step son who works at Viejas. His new wife, Carolyn, has worked at Costco for 36 years, and still does!

Ed says his students tell him the dancing has helped them to relieve stress, increase balance and most important to meet new /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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friends. He loves teaching adults and seniors because “just watching the joy on their faces as they have fun is truly special”. His motto is dance, smile and be happy!

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CANNABIS ASSOCIATED WITH BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE OUTCOMES

By Michael Patterson

For many years cannabis opponents around the world portrayed cannabis use as being one of the worst things a person could do for their overall health. New research indicates it may actually improve quality of life.

There are still many parts of the world where the stigma surrounding the cannabis plant is as strong as ever. However, the list of places where that is the case is dwindling.

Every passing year results in more jurisdictions reforming their cannabis laws to some degree, especially in regards to medical cannabis.

Brazil is one of many countries ramping up cannabis research efforts and the results of a new study seem to indicate cannabis may boost consumers’ quality of life.

use with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes was not observed in the present study,” the study said.

“It is possible that these adverse outcomes, gen-

erally described in many other studies, may be due to publication bias or the fact that our survey data collection strategy predominantly targeted recreational cannabis users,” researchers said.

Comprehensive Study in Brazil Researchers in Brazil surveyed 7,491 self-identified cannabis consumers and 839 self-identified non-users. The group of study participants that self-identified as being cannabis consumers were further sub-categorized as being frequent or infrequent consumers.

The study involved all participants being asked questions regarding anxiety, depression, quality of life, and “subjective well-being.”

All answers were then scored using standardized scales. Infrequent cannabis consumers ranked the highest in the study, followed by frequent consumers. Both groups ranked higher on the scales compared to non-consumers.

“Even after controlling for possible confounders such as demographics and the use of other psychoactive drugs, occasional or habitual self-perception of cannabis use remained associated with better outcomes of quality of life and mental health,” researchers said.

Self-Identified Problematic Use One thing to note is that people that self-identified as having “problematic use” ranked the lowest on the standardized scales.

However, those participants did not represent all cannabis consumers. “[The] results obtained in this study are particularly relevant because they were obtained from a sample predominantly composed of habitual cannabis users from the general population, a group less frequently represented in other surveys,” the study said.

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DISCOVER 3 REASONS PLANT BASED MEDICINE IS NEEDED IN EVERY HOME Dave Eaton is an exper t on essential oils, f itness, and nutrition with over 10 years of experience helping people discover safer, more effective, and more affordable ways of taking care of their health. Dave works with people in over 50 countries and has inf luenced tens of thousands of lives by helping others discover the use of essential oils together with doTERRA, the global leader in the essential oil industr y. Below Dave has outlined the top 3 reasons ever yone needs essential oils in their homes to day.

The f irst reason; doTERRA essential oils are 100% natural and safe. There’s nothing added to the oil or taken away from the oil. They’re just simply pure essential oils with no side effects and no addictions. They’re safe for babies, children, adults and the elderly. Oils are extracts from plants that have amazing health b enef its. Just like humans, plants need protection from environmental threats and that is why they pro duce essential oils, similar to a human and our immune systems, plants need protection to o.

An essential oil is ab out 50-70 times more p ower ful than herbs. One drop of peppermint essential oil is equivalent to drinking 28 cups of peppermint tea. So they’re really p otent!

All of doTERRA’s essential oils are CPTG Cer tif ied. CPTG stands for Certif ied Pure Tested Grade. That means these oils are completely pure and p otent. Pure means there are no foreign contaminants or f illers. Potent means that each plant was grown in a par t of the world where that plant grows b est, resulting in the absolute b est chemistr y for that plant. When you have the ideal natural chemistr y, the essential oil extracted do es exactly what we want it to do for our health.

The Second reason ever yone needs essential oils in their home is b ecause they LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

are more effective than many mo dern approaches to health problems.

Before we continue, If you’re a medical professional what I’m going to share next is going to sound ver y elementar y to you. Most of us don’t have the medical training you do, so I’m going to really simplify things so that this makes sense and to give a simple example. Let’s go back to biolog y 101. Is that Okay? If not, great, I hope this makes sense.

Let’s say your f ist is a cell in your b o dy, and we know that cells have oily cell membranes. The cell membrane protects the cell, it keeps all the go o d things in and all the bad things out. Now two of the things that are harmful to our cells are Bacteria and viruses. Bacteria usually form on the outside of the cell and viruses replicate the DNA on the inside of the cell. All you have to rememb er is bacteria on the outside viruses on the inside.

Let’s say you went to the do ctor with a bacterial infection. What would he recommend for you? (Give you an antibiotic) And after taking the antibiotic for 7-10 days in most cases, it would probably clear up the infection - but it often comes with wreaking havo c on your gut, hormones, and immune system.

Now if you had a virus like the cold or f lu, what would he say? (Go home, drink a lot of water, rest and let it run its course) The reason why is b ecause most of the mo dern recommendations are water-based synthetic agents - and frequently come with side- effects and addictions. Water and oil don’t mix, so if the recommendation from your do ctor is water-based, it will have a really hard time penetrating through that oily cell membrane and stopping the duplication of a virus.

Lasty, the third reason ever yone needs essential oils in their home is that they are cheaper than traditional medical /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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care. Let me explain.....A lot of people have insurance and even those with go o d insurance still have a copay when they go to the hospital. Can you rememb er what your co-pay for visiting the do ctor? Some people have ver y low copays and some have zero copays, (that sounds cheap right?) And if your do ctor gave you a prescription for an antibiotic, how much would it cost to f ill the prescription? (Some cases that’s zero to o… that also sounds pretty cheap right?)

When someone in my family has an ear infection, we rub two drops of lavender and two drops of melaleuca around their ear, and put them to b ed. 12 hours later the ear infection cleared up. It costs us ab out 64¢. Now whether it costs you $20 for the copay and the prescription, or whether it costs $0 b ecause you live in a countr y with free medical care. Essential oils are still less expensive than the gas in the car you pay to go to the do ctor’s off ice. That’s not including the half day of work you probably had to take off for this emergency. We also haven’t taken into account the fact that antibiotics harm your gut, and that you might have to buy extra probiotics for two weeks to f ix the damage, which is even more money.

We save hundreds of dollars a year in medical costs b ecause of essential oils.

You cannot afford NOT to use natural solutions! THAT is why essential oils are cheaper than traditional medical care.

Those are 3 reasons ever yone needs essential oils in their homes at all times so when something happens they have a f irst line of defense and take care of themselves safely, effectively, and affordably.

If you would like to get a simple star ter kit in your home to day scan the co de b elow or contact Dave Eaton for additional information to day.

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NEWSBRIEFS SAN DIEGO BIKE COALITION LAUNCHES REAL-TIME CRASH TRACKER This week, the San Diego County Bike Coalition, in partnership with the Los Angeles mobility organization Streets for All, launched a program called the San Diego Crash Tracker that will automatically report the details of every pedestrian and bicyclist-involved crash in San Diego in real time. Crashes will be reported through an automated Twitter account operated by the Bike Coalition.

This program scrapes data from the Citizen App, an application that monitors police scanners and reports on incidents in real-time, to tweet out the rough details and locations of crashes as soon as they occur. This automated reporting will hugely increase the speed at which community members, advocates and local media learn about crashes. It also provides better data on the many crashes for which no injury is reported that are not recorded in government databases.

Safety advocates have long had data to show that San Diego’s roads are dangerous. From 2016 to 2020, an average of 242 people walking and 80 people riding bikes were killed or seriously injured on the streets of San Diego County.

LUXURY CAR MAKER FERRARI TAPS QUALCOMM FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

By Chris Jennewein | Times of San Diego

Italian carmaker Ferrari announced Tuesday it will partner with Qualcomm to use the San-Diego company’s premium Snapdragon processor technology to accelerate the luxury automaker’s digital transformation.

The deal will involve both Ferrari’s road cars and its Formula One racing team and the first common projects, including the so-called digital cockpit, have been already identified, the Italian group said in a statement.

Ferrari’s new CEO Benedetto Vigna — a technology industry veteran — said in November Ferrari would seek technology partnerships as it moves ahead with transition toward cleaner mobility and in order to pivot technologies that require high investments.

“Innovation requires market leaders working together. Thanks to this agreement with Qualcomm Technologies, we expand our knowledge in digital technologies and Web 3.0 areas with great potential for automotive and motorsport,” Vigna said in the statement.

The Snapdragon logo will make its debut on the F1-75 racing model, the Ferrari single-seater which will be unveiled at the company’s headquarters in Maranello on Feb. 17.

SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SEES 69 PERCENT INCREASE IN PASSENGER NUMBERS IN 2021 San Diego International Airport served 15.6 million passengers in 2021, a 69 percent increase over 2020’s passenger number of 9.2 million. The airport added 18 new routes to both domestic and international destinations and one new carrier.

Southwest Airlines continued to be the number one carrier in 2021 at 33 percent seat share. Southwest Airlines expanded its presence with service to three additional Hawaiian destinations and six new routes overall.

Alaska Airlines maintained the number two spot with 19 percent of total seats, growing five percent from their total seat share in 2019 and adding new service to five cities.

Allegiant Air had the greatest capacity growth out of all the carriers serving the airport. Allegiant Air grew by 77 percent, LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

adding five new routes to its summer seasonal service.

Swoop, a Canadian-based carrier, began service at SAN providing nonstop service to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

“The aviation industry continued to be impacted by COVID-19, but we saw improvement in passenger numbers once vaccines were available and people felt more comfortable traveling by air again,” said Kimberly Becker, President & CEO of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.

Despite the growth year over year, passenger traffic in 2021 was down 38 percent over 2019’s record-breaking year of 25.2 million total passengers. Detailed reports of SAN air traffic statistics are available at san.org/ News/Air-Traffic-Reports.

SCALE MODEL OF SOFI STADIUM TO BE BUILT AT LEGOLAND CALIFORNIA RESORT

COUNTY AUCTION IN MARCH COULD BRING IN OVER $9 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE Bidder registration is now open for San Diego County’s 2022 online property tax auction. A total of 461 properties are for sale.

Anyone around the world can bid during the online property tax auction from March 11-16. To participate, bidders must register before March 3 at the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s tax auction website, sdttc.mytaxsale. com. They must also submit a refundable $1,000 deposit and a non-refundable $35 processing fee (some parcels may require a larger deposit).

“We have 42 residential or commercial properties, 325 timeshares, and 94 parcels of land for sale,” said county Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister. “The county stands to bring in $9,343,100 in tax revenue if all the properties are sold for the minimum bid.”

“The properties for sale have been in tax default for five or more years, in accordance with the California Revenue & Taxation Code, it’s time to get the properties back on the tax roll generating revenue for public services,” said McAllister. “Our online system makes it simple to research and bid on a variety of properties across San Diego County.”

GENERAL ATOMICS RECEIVES APPROVAL FOR FOLLOW-ON SUPPORT FOR FRENCH MQ-RPA

A mo n th a f ter S up er Bo wl LV I i s h el d at S o Fi S ta d i um, a 1:50sca l e Lego mo d el i n sp i red b y th e f i r st i n d o o r - o utd o o r sta d i um to b e co n str uc ted wi l l ma ke i ts d eb ut i n M i n i l a n d U.S.A. at Lego l a n d Ca l i fo r n i a Reso r t i n Ca r l sb a d . T h e Lego sta d i um str uc ture wi l l j o i n o th er to p S o uth er n Ca l i fo r n i a attra c ti o n s featured i n Lego fo r m, i n c l ud i n g th e G r i ff i th Pa r k O b ser vato r y, Ho l l y wo o d Bo wl a n d G ra uma n’s Ch i n ese Th eatre.

At mo re th a n 30 feet l o n g, 15 feet wi d e a n d over 4 feet ta l l , th e n ew S o Fi S ta d i um i s ex p ec ted to b e th e l a rgest Lego sta d i um i n th e wo r l d . I t’s o n tra c k to b rea k th e G ui n n ess Wo r l d Reco rd fo r th e l a rgest Lego b r i c k sc ul p ture o f a sta d i um, wh i c h i s c ur ren tl y h el d b y Lego l a n d Deutsc h l a n d Reso r t fo r a rep l i ca o f M un i c h’s Al l i a n z Aren a . /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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The U.S. State Department has approved a $300 million sale to the Government of France for the continuation of MQ-9A Reaper Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) and related equipment. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI), developer of the MQ-9A Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft, is the principal contractor.

The follow-on support will enhance the French Air & Space Force fleet of MQ-9s and includes aircraft components, spares and accessories, training equipment and simulator software, as well as capability upgrades to the Predator Mission Aircrew Training System.

“The French Air & Space Force has been an outstanding customer for GA-ASI for many years,” said GA-ASI Senior Director of International FMS Programs Alan Peterson. “We’re pleased to deliver a new level of contractor support for the French MQ-9s.”

The CLS contract includes software and software support services, repair and return, U.S. government and contractor provided engineering, technical and logistical support services, and other related critical elements.

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NEWSBRIEFS EVA PLAJZER APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FOR SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY Eva Plajzer, a 30-year civil engineering and management professional, has been appointed Director of Operations and Maintenance for the San Diego County Water Authority. She fills the position vacated by the retirement of Jim Fisher, whose 32year career included nearly 10 years in a leadership role at the Water Authority.

Plajzer’s 30-year career spans private and public sectors where she took leadership roles in developing water resources and utility infrastructure for water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities.

Since 2016, Plajzer has served as assistant general manager at the Rancho California Water District in Riverside County. She led the Engineering and Operations Departments of Rancho California Water District with operating, non-operating, and capital budgets of more than $170 million.

Before working at Rancho California Water District, Plajzer was the assistant director of engineering at Moulton Niguel Water District in Laguna Hills for nearly six years, where she led the engineering functions for that district. Plajzer also served in technical capacities at the City of Carlsbad and County of Orange.

CRAIG KIMMEL NAMED DIRECTOR OF AGRONOMY AT SINGING HILLS GOLF RESORT AT SYCUAN Singing Hills Golf Resort at Sycuan has named Craig Kimmel as the new Director of Agronomy.

Kimmel comes to Singing Hills with more than 30 years of experience in the golf industry.

Previously, Kimmel was the superintendent at Redhill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga for more than two decades.

In his new role, Kimmel will oversee the daily maintenance and operation of the golf courses, facilities, resort-related landscape, staff and equipment.

His role will be an integral part in upcoming course renovation projects to include lake enhancements, new tee boxes and new state-of-the-art irrigation conversions to the golf courses.

“We are thrilled to welcome Craig to our growing leadership team at Singing Hills,” said Rob Cinelli, general manager at Singing Hills Golf Resort. “Craig’s vast knowledge and experience will be hugely important as we aggressively move forward with the many course improvements we have planned for 2022 and beyond.”

SUNEVA SURPASSES DISTRIBUTION OF 1 MILLION SYRINGES OF BELLAFILL AT CLOSE OF 2021 Suneva Medical Inc. a San Diego medical technology company, announced that it reached a milestone of distributing more than 1 million syringes of Bellafill at the close of 2021. Bellafill, which has been available for regenerative aesthetic use since 2007, is Suneva’s five-year, FDA-approved filler for the correction of nasolabial folds and moderate to severe, atrophic, distensible facial acne scars on people’s cheeks.

Bellafill is one of the most studied dermal fillers on the market, with more than 1,542 patients enrolled across multiple clinical studies, demonstrating its safety and efficacy. In a 14-year post-market surveillance study, data shows Bellafill had a consistently low adverse event rate (0.11%) comparable to other injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers.

ENERGÍA SIERRA JUÁREZ PHASE II WIND FARM BEGINS OPERATIONS Sempra Infrastructure, a subsidiary of Sempra, announced that Phase II of its Energía Sierra Juárez (ESJ) wind farm in Tecate, Baja California began operations. ESJ, the first cross-border renewable energy project between Mexico and the United States, now provides 263 megawatts of zero-carbon electricity to the California electricity market.

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The Phase II expansion of ESJ added 26 new wind turbines with a total incremental capacity of 108 MW. The increased production is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of over 180,000 homes and is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 170,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

The construction of the new facility created more than 1,700 direct and indirect jobs in Mexico. In addition, ESJ holds lease agreements with landowners who will continue receiving payments based on the company’s revenue from electricity sales, as well as other important social investment plans the company has in place as part of Sempra Infrastructure’s commitment to the communities where we operate.

U.S. FIGURE SKATING PARTNERS WITH ENGIVEN TO ENABLE CRYPTOCURRENCY DONATIONS U.S. Figure Skating announced that it will begin accepting donations and gifts of cryptocurrency via a web-based platform powered by San Diego-based Engiven, creating a new path for supporters to contribute to the organization. Crypto donations will help fund several organizational projects, including Destination Beijing, which bring athletes’ family and friends together in celebration of major international competitions when travel to the event is not possible.

U.S. Figure Skating is partnering with Engiven, a company that powers an enterprise-level donation platform that more easily enables nonprofits to add cryptocurrency donations to help fund their causes.

Engiven verifies donations on the blockchain, automatically exchanges the crypto for USD, and immediately transfers the funds to U.S. Figure Skating.

U.S. Figure Skating is the first national governing body in the United States that will accept gifts in multiple cryptocurrencies.

Donors will still be able to choose which fund their gift will support.

ELEMENT BIOSCIENCES CLOSES ACQUISITION OF LOOP GENOMICS Element Biosciences developer of a new and disruptive DNA sequencing platform, announced that the company has closed its acquisition of Loop Genomics, a long-read solutions company that enables short-read sequencers to obtain long range information. Loop Genomics’ chief executive officer and founder, Tuval Ben-Yehezkel will join Element Biosciences’ leadership team as senior irector, applications.

By combining Element’s highly accurate and cost-effective short-read platform with Loop’s easy and scalable long-read solutions, customers will be able to access both short- and long-read applications on the same platform with unprecedented performance, cost, and flexibility, according to the company.

Element’s inaugural virtual event on March 14, 2022, will provide more details on the Loop Genomics technology and its integration with the Element platform.

WILL MOBILE GAMING CONTINUE TO BOOM IN 2022?

draw rather than just a bonus feature among cellphone users. Recent reports have even shown that mobile gaming is now more popular than console or PC gaming, across the board. This is because of two primary reasons. First, unlike console or PC gaming, which require significant investments and are usually marketed for niche gamers, mobile gaming is equally accessible among older and casual gamers. As a matter of fact, mobile gamers aged 45 and older jumped by 17% over the past two years. This is credited to mobile gamers being easier to access, with less hardware and software investment.

Second, the diversity of mobile games has made them attractive to new and experienced gamers alike. Unlike before where mobile gaming was geared more towards the younger players and was often just for fun, newer mobile games target a much wider audience. Among the most popular games are ones that reintroduce classic titles with a modern twist. As shown on Gala Bingo, the classic bingo game is getting a new lease of life via mobile gaming as players can enjoy themed versions. This ranges from plays on the classic 75-ball game to bingo titles dedicated to popular TV shows like Friends.

What’s more, a growing percent of the current 2.2 billion mobile gaming population is being drawn to these games where they can win real-life prizes. Another example of mobile gaming reinvigorating older games can be seen in Pokémon Go. Unlike console and PC versions, the mobile Pokémon game is more interactive.

This had made it immensely popular as it earns more than $100 million monthly. All in all, mobile gaming’s ease of access and diverse game offerings have made it the most appealing and accessible.

What 2022 Has in Store Critics of mobile gaming have doubted its longevity given that its success was largely hinged on people staying home. Since the fall of 2021, stay-at-home orders have been totally lifted and more local businesses have resumed operations.

This includes many recreational concepts, including gaming halls which may attract back patrons who temporarily turned to mobile games. Aside from this, mobile gaming is also facing some decent competition in the form of old-school game boards. Since 2020, the board games market has grown by 13% as more people also look for offline entertainment options. This includes many local and homegrown brands, including The Broken Token. Since it was first established in 2015, the Vista-based company now makes $3.5 million in annual sales.

That said, the recent surge in infections may be a silver lining for mobile gaming. With the Omicron variant causing many establishments to rethink their re-opening plans, mobile gamers will likely continue to turn to their phones for fun. Plus, because smartphone penetration is expected to swell to over 300 million this year, those with access to mobile games are growing rapidly. Considering all these factors, 2022 will most likely end up being another winning year for mobile gaming.

For more news, lifestyle articles, and business reports, please visit the blog at San Diego Metro.

Mobile gaming has become a recreational pastime that has become a goto for millions worldwide. In 2021, mobile gaming continued to increase in popularity and profitability. In fact, Tech Crunch reported that mobile spending related hit record highs of almost $2 billion in the year’s first quarter. This represents a 40% difference from pre-pandemic numbers.

However, as more establishments and activities begin to resume operations in 2022, is it game over for mobile gaming?

How Mobile Gaming Made it Big A far cry from its first iterations (namely Nokia’s Snake and Bounce), mobile gaming has become the main /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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| VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 2

The Surfaris / Bird’s Surf Shed The Surfaris / Bird’s Surf Shed Bird’s Surf Shed

BY BART MENDOZA © MUSICSCENESD // MUSICSCENESD.COM

NOVEMBER 2021

Signing Eric Bird Huffman & Bob Berryhill

A lot of music has been released since rock n roll first appeared on the airwaves, but despite the passage of all that time, there are few songs as instantly recognizable as The Surfaris 1963 classic “Wipe Out.” They scored further hits; “Surfer Joe” (#62 US) and “Point Panic” (#49 US), but’s it’s the 2:47 of “Wipe Out” that has cemented the legend. The surf tune is so popular that it charted three times (#2 1963, #16 1966, #110 1970 / US), long since becoming a standard, covered by garage bands and megastars alike.

The Surfaris still perform regularly, now led by founding member Bob Berryhill (rhythm guitar), backed by his wife Gene Berryhill (bass) and sons, Deven Berryhill (lead guitar) and Joel Berryhill (drums).

On January 2, surf shop / museum Bird’s Surf Shed, held a special event, adding a Surfaris display, with the band in attendance. One of Bob Berryhill’s guitars and his surfboard, as well as vintage album covers are now a permanent part of the shop.

“I thought it would be nice to contribute a piece of history at a surf museum,” he remarked.

“Since I’ve surfed from Hawaii to San Diego, I thought Bird’s Surf Shed would be a perfect location,” Berryhill said. He first picked up a surfboard as a teenager. “My first LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

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Bart Mendoza Bob Berryhill

by Eileen Tisch

time was at the age of thirteen on Waikiki Beach Hawaii in 1960 and I continued to surf until 2012.

I still love being a “water man” and now live on the Cumberland River near Nashville. We boat, go tubing, kayaking, fish, and swim— anything you can do in the water.”

In addition to Berryhill, the original lineup of The Surfaris also included Ron Wilson (drums), Jim Fuller (lead guitar) and Pat Connolly (bass). Today it’s very much a family affair. “The process was slow but eventually my wife, Gene, became my bass player in 1990,” Berryhill recalled. “She was a concert violinist and started playing at the age of eight,” he continued. “Before the year 2000 Gene and I used several sidemen to play along on our gigs. That year both Deven and Joel wanted to be part of The Surfaris so we began rehearsing and doing gigs to see how it would work.” It’s clearly been an unqualified success.

“We play from 10 to 20 gigs a year depending on the demand,” Berryhill said.

Additionally, while many classic bands are happy to rest on their laurels, The Surfari’s have continued to release new music.

Wipe Out (2005) and The Hurley Sessions (2015) have been a hit with both critics and longtime fans. According to Berryhill, a new album is in the works. “We are writing new songs for an album @LocalUmbrellaMedia

but need to get the band in one place to work out the details,” he said.

Is Berryhill surprised by surf music’s longevity and specifically how revered his songs have become? “It surprises me every time I get an email or phone call to use “Wipe Out” or “Surfer Joe” in a new production or commercial,” he remarked. “However, “Wipe Out” from the day we recorded it, was a hit in my eyes. We recorded it in December 1962 and by June of 1963 it was on radio stations around the world.” Wipe Out has become an icon of the surf era and has passed the test of time. ”Songs like “Wipeout,” “Pipeline,” “Misirlou,” “Hawaii Five-0” are examples of songs that make people think of the beach,” he said.

Berryhill cites the “Surf’s Up” movie with “Wipe Out” used for the cave ice sledding scene as his favorite film use of the song, As for the strangest? “A guy called and wanted to use it for a commercial for a savings and loan bank. I thought “what you want, to wipe out your savings?” he said good naturedly.

After nearly six decades, how does Berryhill feel about having been part of The Surfaris? “Looking back on our contributions to the rock and roll music scene, I feel like we were very fortunate to have provided something lasting and over time, influential,” he remarked. “I have guitar teachers and drum teachers tell me the song Wipe Out is a great way to introduce melody and cadence to students. I am grateful that The Surfaris songs and style will always be remembered as creating an iconic part of musical history.” In the meantime, Berryhill is happy to continue making music. “I hope we can continue to play for audiences all over the world and keep the legacy of authentic surf music alive,” he said. www.thesurfaris.com

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VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 2 |

Sluka / Figure It Out Though he doesn’t perform often locally, there is no doubt that guitarist Sluka (aka Christopher Sluka) has been making an impact on the worldwide level. A pilot by day, he’s spent the last several decades amassing a significant catalog of tunes. His latest album, Figure It Out, is his fourteenth release overall since 1989, and has picked up major interest. A festival tour of Europe and the U.S. is set for this summer, including an appearance at Togfest 2022, a UK event just north of London, on Saturday, June 25th.

In advance of the tour Sluka has released a string of videos from the album, most recently for the song, “What Else.” He’s received considerable airplay, but it’s through videos where his music has had the biggest impact, with the title track at over 1.2 million views and numerous others with half a million views and climbing. How important does he feel his videos have been to spreading the word about his music? “Lately, during the pandemic, they’ve been very important,” he acknowledged.

“Especially since our last scheduled tour for 2020 was cancelled as the worldwide lockdown began. They’ve allowed us to connect visually with everyone who follows us.” He prefers a scripted video to online zoom concerts, etc. “Zoom shows just don’t have that magic vibe of an in-person

concert,” he said. “So, if we can’t do concerts, we can at least try to make interesting videos.” Pragmatically, his latest videos are all his own productions. “Anna Eppink (bassist) and I got a camera, some equipment, and editing software,” he recalled.

“We buckled down and learned to do what we could in order to meet the deadlines for all the promoters and industry people. While they probably could always be better, I think they visually convey the essence of the songs.”

Sluka’s music is hard to pigeonhole. It’s certainly rock, but there are many influences that filter through each tune. How would he describe his music? “It fits into the Progressive Alt Rock genre,” he said. “The music that I release are songs that I think may resonate with others and perhaps help them reflect on their own lives. But all my songs just pop into my head, kind of like a song you hear on the radio and then you can’t stop singing it. That’s what happens to me, only it is an original song. And the only way for me to move on

is to understand the arrangement, learn the instrument parts, and then record it.”

What’s Sluka’s favorite thing about being a musician? “It’s the happy accidents that occur, especially in the studio working with talented musicians, like Anna, who comes up with completely unexpected bass parts and sounds,” he said.

“And working with Alan Sanderson as producer/engineer for the past two albums has been incredibly rewarding given my past unpleasant experiences with producers who were not on the same plane as

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I (pun intended). But being a musician is simply part of my identity.” He considers music to be an essential part of his life. “Growing up, although my parents were supportive of anything educational, just about everyone in my life felt I had almost zero chance of making a living and that it was more likely I’d wind up destitute. And they were right! It was more likely,” he recalled.

“But it’s who I am, and I felt I had no choice. I couldn’t stop being a musician any more than I could stop being human.” www.sluka.com

Jeff Berkley / Satellite Recording Jeff Berkley has opened a new studio, Satellite! in Kearny Mesa. He has been trying to find his studio a permanent home for several years, most recently temporarily located at Jason Mraz’s Mranch in Fallbrook. “The studio was homeless for awhile,” Berkley said. “We were so lucky to have a friend like Mraz who opened up his beautiful space for us to continue to work till the new digs were done.

We ended up at his place for 3.5 years, made two Mraz records and a little under 40 other records up there. I honestly don’t know where we’d be without his kindness.”

What sets Satellite apart from earlier rooms Berkley has worked in? “It’s incredibly outfitted with a Neve Console, an outrageous, world class and versatile mic and outboard collection as well as a priceless instrument and amp collection,” he said. “There’s an immediate vibe when you walk in the place. It’s been designed from the ground up to create a space for artists to be inspired and create magic. The live room sounds amazing, there’s tons of isolation but great sight lines, so the musicians can groove with each other and there’s nothing standing in the way of collaborating. It’s the best studio I’ve ever worked in. We’ve got the place set up to be able to walk in and be recording in just LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

a short time. It’s a place where artistic dreams can come true. I’m so excited to help folks make their music here.” The first recording artist to avail himself of the facilities is keyboardist Josh Weinstein.

Beyond studio work, Berkley’s two main musical projects, Berkley Hart, as well as his solo band, Jeff Berkley & The Banned, will soon have new albums out. How does he juggle so many projects?

“Well, it’s not always easy,” Berkley said. “It’s a fulltime job to schedule my full-time job but I manage. Google calendar is my constant companion.

I’m not always successful at it but it seems to work out ok. I’m very lucky to be busy.” Which does he prefer – performer or producer? “I need them both in my life,” he said. “I can’t imagine life without one or the other.

Berkley has worked in numerous studios around the country. What is he happiest about with Satellite? “The way it feels to be there and make music.

The gear and the construction and all of that are huge sources of pride for all of us. However, all of it was done with one thing in mind. To make it a place where timeless, magical art are effortlessly created with an abundance of joy in our hearts.

So far, that’s just what is happening there! I’m so blessed and thankful!” he said. /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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| VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 2

Hemisphere / Unity

H e m is p here is h eading int o th e s t udio to b eg in work o n th e ir next a lbu m, t it led, U n i ty, w ith Peter Spragu e p ro duc ing. The Hemisph ere l i n e - u p inc lude s Rob Shinno o n vo ca ls /guita r, Don Bowm a n o n vo ca ls / s ax, Mike McQ ui l ken o n dr ums, Max Zape o n key s, a nd Nat han Brown o n b a s s.

Set to be released on June 1 via Tinderbox Music, “We have a bevy of fantastic guest artists on Unity, and we will announce them shortly,” Shinno said. “We have the track list done, and it’s a great bunch of songs for the album that sits in the middle of the American Dreams trilogy of three albums: 1) American Dreams 2) Unity 3) Power to

the People.” Shinno notes there will be additional musicians augmenting the songs. “We are recording the album with a live string quartet with arrangements by Peter Sprague,” he said. Mastering on Unity will be handled by legendary engineer Bernie Grundman (Steely Dan, Michael Jackson, Bowie...). In the meantime, the group has released a live video single, “Dance Club.”

Hemisphere has major plans for a special post album release event, ART + DANCE, more info TBA. “Don’t miss this show because we are rollin’ the dice, and it will be over the top, both sonically and visually!” Shinno said. www.hemisphereband.com

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San Diego Music News • The San Diego Music Awards will unveil the 2022 nominees on February 15, with details on the show, performers and more, set to take place via Livestream. You can find info at www. sandiegomusicawards.com.

the first single from the band’s forthcoming album, Shotgun, due on 5/26.

• A documentary about Justin Pearson, veteran of a string of combos such as Planet B, Dead Cross, Retox, The Locust, All Leather, Holy Molar, Head Wound City and Some Girls is in production, set to be titled, Don’t Fall in Love With Yourself.

• The 19th San Diego Beatles Fair, taking place on March 26 at Queen Bee’s in North Park, has added a Beatles Jazz Session (3 p.m.) starring the students of Gilbert Castellanos Young Lions

Conservatory. Headlined by 1960’s rocker Chris Montez (“Let’s Dance”), the event also recently added: The Revolution Band from Tjjuana and The 63eatles featuring former Baja Bugs drummer Nico Peters, as well as an outdoor vintage market and an acoustic campfire sing-a-long area

• Hector Penalosa (The Zeros / Flying Color) will soon be releasing his third solo album, My Beautiful Tragedy, via Sioux City, IA based label, Sioux Records

“Are You Sorry,” is out now, complete with a video directed by Emma Thomas. They’ll be at the Che Cafe on February 26.

• Just out is a vintage digital album from 1980’s favorites, Laws of Motion. Adventures with Paradise (Live on 91X FM) was recorded by

• Blues singer Whitney Shay’s song “Just When I Thought I’d Seen It All” is featured in the new Hulu show, Pam & Tommy. The song is from her debut album, Soul Tonic.

• Dance fans won’t want to miss an evening of Cumbia music at the Quartyard on February 26.

Noche de Cumbia will feature Latin rhythms from Los Sleepwalkers, La Diabla, Cumbia Machin & DJ Viejo Lowbo for a night of dance, arts, crafts and culture, outdoors under the stars.

• Elvin Bishop’s hit Southern blues rock classic 1977 album, Raisin Hell, has been reissued in Japan as a limited-edition CD, complete with obi-strip. Recorded partially at downtown’s Civic Theatre on May 14, 1976, the album features lead guitar from North County’s Johnny Vernazza • Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus is amongst the guests on Avril Lavigne’s upcoming album, Love Sux • Psychedelic rockers, El Perro have a new single out, “Breaking Free,” out in advance of their forthcoming album, Hair of El Perro. The band is on a West Coast tour through February 20 • Congrats to iconic garage rockers, The Flamin’ Groovies, whose song “End of the World” was featured on Showtime’s program, Billions on February 6. The track features local drummer Victor Penalosa, who can be found during offstage hours behind the counter at Vinyl Junkies in South Park and has performed with a string of legendary bands including Los Dug Dugs, The Magic Christian and The Zeros • The Greyboy Allstars release their latest album, Get a Job: Music from the Original Broadcast Series Soul Dream, on April 1. The ten-track collection, recorded live in the studio, features a wide range of covers including songs by Gil Scott-Heron, The Beatles and Burt Bacharach, with the first single and video being a cover of Mary Jane Hooper’s “I’ve Got Reasons.” The band, featuring Karl Denson (saxophone, flute), Elgin Park (guitars), Aaron Redfield (drums), Chris Stillwell (bass) and Robert Walter (keys), is set for a 21-date tour, beginning March 9 in North Carolina and closing April 30 in New Orleans. No West Coast dates for this road trip.

• The Inflorescence have signed to noted indie label, Kill Rock Stars. Their debut single, LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

• Guitarist and 2017 SDMA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Wayne Riker is about to start work on his 15th solo album. “I’ll be at Studio West the first week of March,” he said. The album is set to be titled, “Alphabetical Blues Blast (Volume One)” by The Wayne Riker Gathering, and it will feature “classic blues covers alphabetically from A to M (13 tracks) with the band in the trio format of guitar, bass and drums (trio). There will be nine vocal tracks and four instrumentals, with an impressive list of singers taking part, including Shelle Blue, Laura Leigh Martin, Billy Watson, Janet Hammer, Deanna Haala, Debora Galan, Ron Houston, Chinyere Liz and Michele Lundeen

• Congratulations to Ocean Beach based Slightly Stoopid, whose 2005 single “Closer to

the band at 91X-FM’s then studio in Tijuana, Mexico on March 25, 1984, for the Adventures With Paradise program, hosted by Sal Paradise (Paul Sansone) and The Reverend (James Call of The Penetrators). The band featured Steve Dampier (vocals), Brian Williams (guitar), Scott Himelstein (guitar, keyboards), Matthew T Pray (bass), Robert Montoya (percussion, drums) and Marcos Fernandes (drums, percussion)

the Sun” was certified Gold on January 26. The award is given for sales of 500,000 copies • On March 17 The Sully Band will celebrate the release of their new album, Let’s Straighten

• Lexington Field co-founder Beau Gray has teamed up with illustrator Morgan Wagner to turn the band’s song, “The Lumberjack,” into a children’s book. Originally included on Lexington Field’s 2018 album, Dreamers, the band has recorded a new acoustic version to coincide with the upcoming book release.

• South Bay trio Los Saints release their new single “Fouund You Somewhere,” on February 18. The misspelling is intentional. Look for a new EP soon, Welcome To Confusion.

• Pacific Records has a number of new releases on its Spring 2022 roster. First up is Josh Rosenblum’s latest single “Just Right” (2/28).

Two weeks later, Michael James Wheeler releases his Pacific debut on March 11. Additionally, look for Falling Doves to release “Skylark 69” on March 31. It’s /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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It Out!, with a special show at The Belly Up Tavern. The album, including a limited-edition purple vinyl edition, features performances from frontman / singer / guitarist Robert “Sully” Sullivan, singer Rebecca Jade, bassist James East, horn player Tripp Sprague and guitarist Anthony Cullins • A Swing Kids collection is on the way, Anthology, set to be pressed on pink vinyl. The album compiles all of the band’s releases on the Three One G label ADVERTISE | Press@LocalUmbrella.com

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| VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 2

CALIFORNIA WILL REWARD VOLUNTEERING COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH AID — BUT SPEND HALF THE MONEY ON OVERHEAD

By Mikhail Zinshteyn Courtesy of cal matters

A new California program to financially reward college students for volunteering has drawn national attention — but less than half of its budgeted money is going to actual student aid.

The California Volunteers College Corps program, backed by $159 million in mostly state money, promises to award up to $10,000 to 6,668 low-income students who volunteer in K-12 education, on climate action or to reduce food insecurity.

That only works out to $66.7 million for students, though. So where is the other $92 million going?

Mostly it’s going to hiring and administrative costs despite no guarantee the program will continue past 2024. Some experts think that money split makes sense because students could benefit from training and there’s a chance the program would get additional funding in the future. Other experts think the money should go directly to students, so fewer of them will have to work on top of their other responsibilities.

“I think this is a classic question of is it better to give a person a fish or teach them how to fish,” said Nora Silver, a professor who studies nonprofits at UC Berkeley’s business school and herself led a volunteer program.

To her, the program does both: It gives students money directly and includes a lot of programming to train students and connect what they learned as volunteers to the job market.

Nor does she find the total costs of the program out of whack. The budget details to build out the network of colleges and nonprofits — including career, academic and financial aid advising for student volunteers — are “necessary to offer a well-functioning program,” said Silver.

The flipside of that argument is to just give out the fish — or cash — directly to students. That’s what Robert Shireman would have preferred.

He’s a higher-education director at the nonprofit Century Foundation and had a senior position overseeing higher-education policy in the Obama administration.

“I would have plowed the money directly into financial aid based on need and not a new temporary service program,” said Shireman, who noted that many low-income students already work to afford college.

The program is set to last two years, though Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested at a Jan. 18 press event that he’d ask the Legislature to expand the program “if this thing works.” Part of the money will go toward an external evaluation of the program.

Silver thinks the goal is expansion. The program reminds her of the early days of AmeriCorps, the federal volunteer service created in the 1990s. “I don’t think anybody’s going into this saying this is a two-year program,” she said.

Where does the majority of the money go?

Almost all of that $92 million that’s not going directly to students is meant for program costs, according to a budget CalMatters received from California Volunteers, the state office running the program. Forty-five colleges and universities — nearly all public — will share the money.

Of that, $77 million is for a whole array of operations work to build up the volunteer program.

That includes money for the colleges whose students will be in this program to develop their local programs and partner with the nonprofits where students will work. Costs include: • hiring consultants and staff, acquiring extra office space and IT equipment; • recruiting the actual student volunteers and funding the nonprofits where they’ll do their volunteer work; • providing students career and academic advice plus training events; LOCAL NEWS | LocalUmbrellaNews.com

Students on campus at the University of California, Davis in Davis on Feb. 2, 2022. Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

• and an external evaluator, who’ll be hired at a later date, to assess the volunteer program.

Another $15 million is reserved for California Volunteers personnel.

Not only is the program a way for students to give back to their community but it’s also an opportunity that allows students to be “learning about a career and also earning while learning that career,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley.

But a state program for connecting students to careers already exists. Last year’s state budget injected $200 million into a new work-study program for college students, with $300 million more planned for this year.

How will students get money – and when?

Student participants will begin volunteering through the program fall of 2022. Upon completing 450 hours during the academic year, each will get $10,000.

The money is split up into two buckets — $7,000 paid out regularly and a final lump sum of $3,000 after a year of service. As students fulfill their hours, they’ll be paid as if they’re campus employees through their college or university’s payroll system.

Even if students don’t volunteer the full 450 hours, they’ll receive a prorated amount of the initial $7,000.

But to receive the final $3,000, students will need to complete the full 450 hours of service.

Unlike the federal AmeriCorps, undocumented students may participate in the California volunteer program. State officials want 20% of the volunteers to be undocumented students who receive state financial aid. They’re eligible for the same $10,000 available to other students, but their pot will come from state dollars only, while federal funds will cover a portion of $3,000 other students will be awarded.

State officials want 20% of the volunteers to be undocumented students who receive state financial aid. Their pot will come from state dollars only.

But all that extra money may create a headache for some volunteers. The $7,000 volunteers work toward counts as income, which may “impact a student’s financial aid,” reads a program FAQ. Campuses are urged to work with their financial aid offices to “mitigate any impact” for students. Also, the $7,000 is taxable income, meaning taxes will be deducted each paycheck.

Only full-time students will be eligible for the service program.

The College Corps state volunteer program builds on a smaller effort California launched in 2020, about six months into the COVID-19 pandemic. /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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Though that smaller effort had the goal of attracting 250 students, ultimately 199 participated, according to performance review data that Julie Goggins, a California Volunteers spokesperson, shared with CalMatters. And some — 7% — didn’t complete their full hours of service and so weren’t awarded the full amount for which they were eligible. Most students — 90% — also acquired professional development skills, according to performance review assessments.

Some colleges from the pilot round are also participating in College Corps.

A bigger big picture The budget for the volunteer program makes sense, but the devil’s in the details, said Alexandra Graddy-Reed, a professor who studies nonprofits at the University of Southern California. She likes that students who volunteer will receive various layers of advising.

It’s another way for the colleges and the state to expose those low-income students to opportunities wealthier students often already receive through their families’ connections, Graddy-Reed said.

All those services require more personnel and hiring people is expensive, which helps explain the program costs, she said. The mix of volunteerism and various advising “sounds good to me” as a way to spend tax dollars, Graddy-Reed added. Still, she’ll want to see the specific hiring decisions colleges will make at the local level and whether most of the operational funding will be for College Corps or for general campus operations.

Campus-level contract amounts won’t be available until the summer, according to Goggins.

Some campuses have begun advertising their programs. UC Davis and three other Sacramento-area colleges will share up to $16 million for about 1,000 student volunteers. Fresno State and Fresno City College will bring on about 120 students over two years.

Shireman, who preferred to have the money instead go directly to some of the poorest college students. pointed out that Newsom vetoed a bill last year that would have given cash awards or fully covered tuition to more than 100,000 additional college students.

Newsom and lawmakers have dramatically expanded the state financial aid program in other ways that give students aid directly, like cash and grants to fully cover tuition. But those are all ongoing programs, while the money for the volunteer program is just two years. From a publicity standpoint, it’s probably better to create a temporary program, such as College Corps, than to briefly expand access to ongoing grants only to have them disappear soon after, Shireman mused.

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Rob Kracht, Bill Parry, and new optimists Cheyne Parket and Aaron Marton!

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Jesse Smith and Asante Sefa- Boakye

OPTIMIST DAY: EVERY FEBRUARY 3RD!

SAN DIEGO SCENE

What is Optimist Day:

Optimist Day so that their communities can look to the future with hope, and on Optimist Day, they can celebrate the volunteers who share their enthusiasm, skills, and talent to make that tomorrow a vibrant and peaceful one.

back to your community. Jesse had many kind things to say about how the Optimists make Optimist Day is celebrated throughout the such a positive impact, especially in the youth world annually on the First Thursday of Februsports. He felt one of the best benefits for our ary by Members of Optimist International. This youth being involved in sports is learning is a day where Optimist Clubs and Members are and having a coach to work with. recognized and celebrated for all they do yearHow can you honor and celebrate Opti- teamwork The City of Coronado made February 2nd round to promote efforts in bringing out the mist Day? Jesse Smith Day, and to honor him fellow best in youth, our communities, and ourselves. polo wonder, was joined by Asante SeAnyone can celebrate Optimist Day by vol|water

By Albert KcKeon Each year the Members of Optimist Internafa-Boakye at the meeting. He talked about his unteering in the community, teaming up with tional celebrate Optimist Day to promote their efforts to create water polo training and teams their local Optimist Club, or spreading optimisefforts in helping and recognizing the people for his home country, Ghana. He is excited tic messages to friends and loved ones on Optithat make a difference in their communities. about this venture.

If you will wouldencounter like to helpin mist Day. Locally, our district is conditions encouraging all the that specialized equipment It might seem like a tall order to conduct zero-gravity (G) testing They do this by wearing something with the Asante or find out to be an Optimist in your Optimists to share the cards with our creed to on space technology here events on Earth — where there’s a lot of gravity. weightless space.

Optimist logo and/or hosting to celebrate area, please contact below. community minded people! https://www.optithe annual day. This celebration canand extend forforms of ground support All kinds of space technologies are–analyzed by these mechanical But using weights, pulleys other FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ mist.org/ the week or entire month. has perhaps tested their knowledge and equipment (not to mention a deep understanding of physics), engineers, but no project The Coronado Optimists did a wonder- Coronado-Optimist-Club-180855908646542/ INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/ How Communities Celebrate Optimist more than NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Webb is Northrop Grumman engineers can mimic, as ful much as possible, the fortitude program on February 3, 7am. optimistclubofcoronado/ Day: a marvel engineering TWITTER itself and– has unique characteristics and weightlessness of zero G. Their ability to unburden flighttwo hardware https://twitter.com/NadoOptimists We added new members!

Ourofguest In addition to our Clubs and Members celecomponents that prompted the mechanical engineers to rely on a from the bonds of gravity during Earthboundspeaker testing was approximates WEBSITE – www.optimistclubofcoronado.org Olympian Water Polo Player, brating Optimist Day, many local governments https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ghaJesse Smith.

What an inspiration!

He said the routinely issue Proclamations in honor of na-water-polo most Optimistic activity you can do is to give

Creating zero G on a planet weighed down by gravity

Continued on pg. 23

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ONE OF THE FINEST MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PARCELS ON THE CROWN ISLE JUST LISTED

LOCATION IS THE DEFINITION OF PERFECTION!

737 & 741-745 Orange Ave., Coronado, CA 92118 | $7,950,000 R-4 Zoning | 10,500 SF | 2 Contiguous Lots | Currently 5 units with the potential for 9 Introducing a stunning opportunity to own, restore or redevelop one of the finest multi-family residential parcels on the Crown Isle.

Situated perfectly at the crossroads of every sought-after amenity of living in the Village, this compound spanning 10,500 sf is gleaming with promise. Its proximity has no peer. From the Main street commercial district on one side to the elegance and concerts of Spreckels Park on the other, the location is the definition of perfection. Family stories of the past are ready to be rewritten with exciting new chapters of the future, all interwoven into what we all know that makes Coronado such a special place to call home.

The possibilities are endless! Offering includes two parcels totaling 10,500sf of R4-zoned land - with one unit per 1,090sf of land - for a total of 9 potential future homes. There are ONLY 10 blocks in ALL of Coronado Village with R4-zoning. Now think about this… THIS is the CLOSEST R4 block to The Beach, Uptown and The Hotel Del. Current configuration has a 2 bed, 1 bath single-family house and 2-car garage on the smaller lot. The larger parcel has a two structure 5-unit, 4-car garage set up. With 75 feet of prime frontage and rear alley, the flexibility of the lot is incredible. There is a stately duplex in the front, right corner which would be an amazing anchor for a new development surrounding a courtyard. Future uses could include developing multi-unit rentals, for-sale condos, or keep the existing infrastructure, rehab, restore and just own one of the most valuable trophy parcels in all of Coronado. Property has excellent tenant history and is under professional property management.

NOW AVAILABLE:

Need help in marketing and selecting qualified tenants for your luxury home? Let the Ken Pecus Group help you maximize the rental income and choose qualified tenents.

W E H AV E CLIENTS LOOK ING FOR SHORT & LONG T ER M R EN TALS!

A turn-key service you can rely on from a trusted Coronado Real Estate Team!

If you are considering renting your property, please call us today at:

PROFESSIONAL MARKETING | SKILLFULL NEGOTIATIONS RESEARCHED TENANT SELECTION

619-675-0123

LU XURY LEASE-UP S E RV I C E S *

*We can refer you to qualified property management.

If you would like to learn more about different San Diego neighborhoods, listings or our team, check out our website www.KenPecusGroup.com

Ken Pecus Realtor®

(619) 977-8419

ken@kenpecus.com

1019 Isabella Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118 KenPecus.com DRE# 01056969 CHS Grad 1983 and Sacred Heart School Grad 1979

Your Coronado Real Estate Expert!