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VOLUME 5 I 5ISSUE 5 8 | VOLUME | ISSUE

TEACHERS OF THE YEAR DURING THE TIME OF A Mayor of Imperial Beach PANDEMIC PAGE 4

Serge Dedina

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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Stay Safe, San Diego

VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

The

IRON LADY of East County

Dianne Jacob is now the longest-serving member of the Board of Supervisors and has held elected office longer than anyone in San Diego County history.

By Marsha Sutton How does a painfully shy young girl grow up to become one of the most well-recognized and well-spoken public figures in San Diego County?

“In school, oh my gosh, when the teacher was calling on kids, I’d put my head down on the desk just hoping, hoping that the teacher didn’t call on me,” said District 2 County Supervisor Dianne Jacob, recalling how she was teased and called names when she was 5 years old because she needed to wear glasses. To overcome her shyness and reluctance to speak in public, she forced herself to take a speech class in high school.

“What I learned is, you need to prepare what you’re going to say and you need to have a message to deliver to people, something that you feel is important,” she said.

Her strategy worked, clearly.

Jacob, who turns 81 this year, is now the longest-serving member of the County Board of Supervisors and has held elected office longer than anyone in San Diego County history. When she is forced to retire next January, after being termed out, she will have served 28 years on the board.

Her trajectory, from her early dream of being a cowgirl to a position of authority, is a story of determination and perseverance.

A third-generation San Diegan, Jacob grew up in the Rolando area of East County, graduated from Helix High School and received a teaching credential from San Diego State University.

Jacob credits her parents for instilling in her the value of hard work and appreciation for the importance of family.

“I had a really good upbringing,” she said. “My family was not wealthy; my dad worked hard for every dime, every penny he got. The support of my mom and dad I think is really basic to where I am today.”

She learned from them that nothing is impossible if you think it’s important. After graduating from college, Jacob taught mostly sixth grade for six years. “I loved teaching,” she said.

She met Paul Jacob, a jet pilot in the Navy stationed at Miramar, at a bowling alley. They eventually married in 1961. A few years later she quit teaching after her son, Tom, was born.

The Jacobs moved to a ranch in the Jamul area where they raised Angus cattle.

“We did it all, including making the little bulls into steers, which was always an interesting time,” she said.

The Angus operation went on for more than 20 years. During that time Jacob grew an organic garden, harvesting an extensive variety of fruits and vegetables, and enjoyed riding her horse.

“I was on a horse when I was 3 years old and always have ridden horses,” she said. “My dream was to grow up and be a cowgirl on a ranch. That Local News > LocalUmbrellaNews.com

was as close as I got to it.”

Her goal was to learn how to live off the land.

“We would butcher our own beef and I made soap and we raised pigs and pickled pigs’ feet,” she said. “We did all kinds of things. It’s a lot of hard work but it is a very healthy and rewarding way of life.”

Making changes Jacob, who still lives on the same ranch in Jamul, said she was happy with her work there, “living the life, living the dream – with my horse and the cattle and the garden and all.”

At the same time she was also a volunteer at her son’s school in Jamul where she said the quality of education was “not good.”

“I remember going into one of the classrooms and seeing ‘I Love Lucy’ on the screen,” she said. “ That was what they called school. There were no curriculum standards or anything.”

Jacob was recruited to run for a seat on the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District school board in 1975. She ran and won, she said, “on a platform of change and to do what I could do to make our schools in Jamul the best that they could possibly be.”

“I rode into my first school board meeting like Joan of Arc on a white horse, ready to change the world,” she said. But she learned quickly that three votes are needed to make change. “It’s kind of a basic lesson,” she said, wryly.

Two years later at the next election they had a majority on the school board, and improvements were made.

Jacob served on the school board for 17 years, eventually becoming involved at the state level and serving as president of the California School Boards Association in 1987.

Her first exposure to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors came while she was still serving on the school board, when a friend alerted her to a land use problem at the historic Winnetka Ranch in Jamul.

“We weren’t against growth,” she said. “We just wanted it done right with respect for the resources and the land and the historic [value].” The group won that battle.

Her second encounter with the Board of Supervisors happened shortly thereafter, with the proposed development of the Honey Springs Ranch, located five miles southeast of Jamul.

“We went to the Board of Supervisors opposing it,” Jacob said. “It was a classic example of leapfrog development – miles and miles away from services. This was wrong. And so we fought it.”

The group lost at the Board of Supervisors meeting but didn’t give up. “I got the legal defense fund of the Sierra Club to work with us because we couldn’t afford a lawsuit,” she said.

Under the Williamson Act, the court reversed the Board of Supervisors decision. “It was a 10/LocalUmbrellaMedia

year court battle and we won,” Jacob said. “Honey Springs Ranch to this day is in open space and the public is enjoying it.”

Her experiences before the Board of Supervisors made an impact on Jacob. “ That really got me interested in those five people that sit there,” she said. “I watched people get up in front of the board. It was when Lou Conde was chair of the board. He treated people badly.”

She said she remembered one woman testifying before the board and “he just ripped her to shreds and she was crying.”

Even though she was involved in the supervisor elections in the late 1970s and was appointed to the County Planning Commission, she still wasn’t ready to run.

“I went about my school board business and ranching business,” she said. Then in 1990 she was recruited to run. “People said, ‘Dianne, you’ve got to do this.’ I said okay, I’ll give it a try. So the rest is pretty much history.”

She started running in 1990, was elected in November 1992 and took office in January 1993.

Achievements After serving 27 years representing District 2 on the Board of Supervisors, Jacob’s list of accomplishments is lengthy.

“My passion has always been kids,” she said. “ That goes back to my teaching days. As an elected official I learned on the school board that you can make a difference.”

“We probably built over 200 facilities of one kind or another,” she said, mentioning sports fields, gyms, pools, playgrounds, open space, nature trails and other parks and recreational facilities.

Giving kids the opportunity to play sports remains important to her, because “you learn life skills, you’re keeping kids out of trouble, and they’re getting good exercise,” she said.

The environment has also benefited from Jacob’s efforts. She co-authored the county’s Multiple Species Conservation Plan in 1998, helped open the Santa Ysabel Nature Center in 2019, and worked to improve public access along the San Diego River and in the San Dieguito River area.

Libraries too were a focus. “I think we built 13 libraries in my district and two more to go, hopefully,” she said. “At least I’ll get them started by the end of the year.”

Improving services for seniors has also been one of her top priorities. In 2014, she launched The Alzheimer’s Project to create a regional roadmap for addressing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

But perhaps her greatest impact has been her focus on fire protection.

Back in the early 1970s, the county contracted with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, now known as Cal Fire, for fire

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Stay Safe, San Diego protection for the entire unincorporated area. But in the mid 1970s, there was a proposal to terminate the contract, she said.

Before she was elected, Jacob objected publicly to terminating the contract, but the board did it anyway, saying it was too expensive. “ They basically told the unincorporated area people, ‘You’re on your own. You can either form a fire district, you can form a volunteer fire department, or you can do nothing.’ So when I came into office I felt that was really wrong.”

Jacob worked to get the county to pony up more money for fire protection. But nothing really happened until the 2003 Cedar fire. “ The Cedar fire,” she said, “was a moment in time that should be remembered because it was the very first time in San Diego County history that a fire that started in the back country ended up in the cities.”

Then at last all five supervisors “were on board to really engage and invest in the fire protection in our back country,” she said.

Before that, she said it felt like the board was telling her and then District 5 Supervisor Bill Horn, representing the two districts with most of the county’s back country, that they were on their own.

“And then of course after that was the 2007 fire, but we’d already started investing heavily,” she said, with more than $500 million spent on firefighting improvements such as new stations, aircraft, bigger and better-trained firefighting forces and other protections.

“We’ve got 1.5 million rural acres that now have fire protection and emergency medical services that are equal to any city fire department or fire agency,” she said. “And in the last ballot, the voters voted to put fire protection in the county charter.

“So the county will be in the fire business in perpetuity. It’s a good thing not just for the unincorporated area but for the region.”

But Jacob was quick to point out that none of these efforts could have happened without first focusing on the county’s finances.

When she first took office, “county government finances were upside down,” she said. “It was a broken county government at the time.”

She said cost-cutting measures to stabilize the budget, which in the mid-1990s was experiencing a $50 million shortfall, included selling off the trash system for $160 million, outsourcing the IT department and other government services, reforming the county pension benefits which she said saved taxpayers $2.2 billion over 20 years, paying cash for many projects which she said has saved taxpayers over the years more than $1 billion in interest payments, and other actions.

“A lot of attention went to fixing the finances of county government and that has enabled us to do a lot,” Jacob said. “ That’s what earned us the Triple A credit rating.”

Disappointments Alongside her accomplishments of increased fire protection, responsible land development, services for children and seniors, and helping to fix government finances, there have been disappointments.

“One has to do with the sexually violent predators,” she said. “ That’s been very frustrating to me because a sexually violent predator should be locked up for good and nowhere near our community.”

At hearings, decisions seem to favor the predator rather than the victim, she said.

The second disappointment concerns San Diego Gas & Electric.

“While we have no control over SDG&E, it’s a monopoly,” she said, saying the company has “gouged ratepayers over the years” and does “whatever the heck they want to do.”

She called it legal bribery “when you’re up Local News > LocalUmbrellaNews.com

“My passion has always been kids,” she said.

“That goes back to my teaching days. As an elected official I learned on the school board that you can make a difference.”

--DIANNE JACOB

against the big guys with the expensive suits and the money to lobby and put money into campaigns.”

SDG&E, she said, is able to get the public utility commission to raise the rates whenever the utility asks for it. “ There needs to be competition brought in to SDG&E,” she said.

When Jacob was elected to the board, she said she and then District 3 Supervisor Pam Slater-Price were the only two who wanted to make some changes. But they were not a majority.

In the mid-1990s, the board changed, Jacob said. “ Then it was a united board for fixing the finances and moving to make sure people felt safe in their neighborhoods,” she said. “ The public safety issue was a big priority.”

She said it was a stable board at that time.

“We had our disagreements but we were respectful of each other, and most of the disagreements frankly were on land use issues,” she said. “ There was a difference of opinion on development issues, [on] how to move forward with growth.

“It’s a good 20-plus years we had a board that worked well together. For all intents and purposes we were on the same page.”

Today that’s changed, Jacob said.

“We’ve had a few 3-2 votes and everybody’s entitled to their opinion. But boy, some of the discussions have been a bit heated and I think a bit personal,” she said, mentioning posts on social media that have been disrespectful.

Because Greg Cox is termed out, a new representative for District 1 will join the board. And Jacob predicts a change in District 3, the seat held by Kristin Gaspar, a Republican, which will /LocalUmbrellaMedia

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shift the makeup of the board.

“I work very well with Nathan Fletcher, and of course Greg and I have been on the board together for quite a number of years,” she said. “[With] the other two (Kristin Gaspar, Jim Desmond), it’s been a little bit difficult.”

Although Jacob is a lifelong Republican, she said, “Party has never really been a big issue to me. It’s all about the people; it’s not about the party. Yet party influence comes into play.”

Jacob said the coming changes are not necessarily negative, calling the times today very different than they were when she first took office.

“I think a change on the board will be good going forward,” she said.

“We’re in 2020, and we’re involved now with a major pandemic on top of this economic crisis,” she said. “And then the racial unrest exists today.”

And fire season is coming.

The next chapter Jacob has received dozens of awards over the years, for her work on land use, the environment, nature preservation, human trafficking and domestic violence prevention, senior care, business, schools and education, and more.

District 2 has more than 620,000 residents and encompasses a 2,000-square-mile region, the largest of the five districts in San Diego County.

Stretching east from the city of San Diego to the border of Imperial County, and south to the Mexican border, District 2 includes the cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Santee and Poway, as well as rural communities in the unincorporated areas that include Ramona, Alpine, Julian and Spring Valley.

“For the unincorporated area, the Board of Supervisors is like the mayor and city council of a city,” Jacob said. “We provide all of the municipal services that a city would provide.”

That includes law enforcement and land use issues, which is “how I cut my teeth on getting where I am today,” she said.

The annual operating budget for the county is about $6.25 billion.

Regionally, the Board of Supervisors oversees the Health and Human Services agency, the county’s biggest department and the focus for many during the pandemic. The budget allocation for HHS is about $4.26 million.

Other major programs are public safety ($2.06 million), finance and general government ($729 million) and land use and the environment ($652 million).

The county also oversees the criminal justice system, animal control, child and welfare support, public works, the district attorney’s office and behavioral health services which is a new priority.

“At some point in time in an individual’s life, county government is going to affect or touch each and every person in this region,” Jacob said.

For Jacob, the next chapter in her life consists of getting back “to the dirt and the earth.”

“I bought a tractor a few years ago so I’m really looking forward to doing more out at the ranch,” she said.

Improving her golf game (she shot her age a few weeks ago) is on her to-do list, along with involvement with The Alzheimer’s Project, serving on numerous boards and committees, and continuing to be involved in the issues that brought her to the board initially.

“I’m sure I’ll be called upon to continue to fight for our back country and trying to maintain the character of our communities in the unincorporated areas,” she said.

“And kids. That’s where I started. That’s where my heart is, with the kids. To coin an overused phrase, they are our future.”

From cowgirl to supervisor and back again -Dianne Jacob leaves behind a strong legacy. She may be termed out, but don’t expect her to ride off into the sunset. •

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Stay Safe, San Diego

VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

Imperial Beach Spotlight AN I NTERVI EW WI TH

Serge Dedina Mayor of Imperial Beach

IB Connection recently sat down with Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina. Mayor Dedina spoke to us about imrovements to the city and plans for the future. Here is his interview, in his own words.

Working with our community members, business owners, city staff and fellow city council members to improve the quality of life for all in Imperial Beach has been very rewarding, especially as we have helped to make Imperial Beach one of the safest beach cities in San Diego County. Over the past six years we have carried out street improvements, alley paving, installed street lights, cleaned up and transformed trash-filled empty lots and torn down forgotten, rusty and dangerous chain link fences. As we have improved our neighborhoods and cleaned up our city, as well as opened new businesses, our crime rate has dramatically dropped.

Over the past six years, we have attracted more investment and created more jobs with more new business openings than in any other period in Imperial Beach history. From the Brigantine and Mike Hess Brewing to the new Hampton Inn and Breakwater Plaza and the Bikeway Village project on our bayfront, we are helping create a new era of commercial development and job creation. But there

is much more to do, especially along the long-neglected Highway 75 that offers the greatest potential for commercial growth and the development of affordable and market-rate housing.

Obviously since we are in the greatest economic crisis in U.S. history, attracting new business investment is more challenging that ever. And without the past tools of a redevelopment agency that aided the Pier South Hotel project for example, it is harder than ever to get investors to take a look at Imperial Beach. We are lucky, however, that we still have a few projects that are moving forward. Despite opening during this crisis, the Hampton Inn at Breakwater Plaza is doing well, proving that Imperial Beach is a great place to build a business.

Pizza Port, a well respected business institution in North San Diego and Orange Counties has submitted plans for a venue on Old Palm Avenue (my family and I have enjoyed Pizza Port outings after surf trips up north).

Other projects such as the Blue Wave and the IB Resort project are currently moving through the pre-construction and or permitting process and I look forward to seeing these well-designed projects come to fruition and make a big positive difference in our community! It is also important that we continue to promote the importance of building af-

fordable and market-rate housing throughout Imperial Beach, which is needed more than ever.

We are fortunate to have had access to Cares Act funding to provide grants to local small businesses to help them with COVID-19 related operating expenses. Thanks to our city council and city staff we are streamlining the process of building and or opening a business in Imperial Beach and or reducing or eliminating fees that hindered economic development.

I am especially thankful to our Chamber of Commerce, the IB Business Roundtable and all the small business owners who have adapted and pivoted during this ongoing crisis to find ways to operate and stay in business. There is much more to do, but thanks to everyone who has created a strong business team for Imperial Beach and all of you who operate your businesses

partners in the planning for the $300 million allocated under the USMCA agreement by Congress and the White House, to build sewage diversion infrastructure in the U.S. within the Tijuana River Valley. That project, which should be built within the next two years, will have a major positive impact on keeping our beaches clean.

Additionally, federal officials from both sides of the border as well as state officials in Baja (who run Tijuana’s sewage treatment system) are looking for ways to make short-term improvement to Tijuana’s sewage collection and treatment system. Thanks to the installation of new pumps in Tijuana river flows have been reduced dramatically, and our beaches are now open.

I recently met virtually with high level officials from the U.S. EPA and IBWC, together with representatives from around the region including Chula Vista

Mayor Dedina and his morning coastal survey of the City of Imperial Beach.

here.

One of the biggest things that has hindered all aspects of promoting a high quality of life in Imperial Beach is the pollution that has marred our beaches.

That is why the City of Imperial Beach is working with the U.S. EPA and our state and local

Mayor Mary Salas, IB’s Port Commission Dan Malcolm and County Supervisor Greg Cox. We all affirmed the need to continue to fast-track the design and construction process for the USMCA funds so that we enjoy our gorgeous coastline without interruption far into the future.

Mayor Serge Dedina Serge is the Mayor of the City of Imperial Beach. He is also co-founder and Executive Director of WILDCOAST. Serge received the Surf Industry’s Environmental Award, San Diego Zoological Society’s Conservation Medal as well as the California Coastal Commission’s “Coastal Hero” Award in recognition of his conservation achievements. He was named a UCSD John Muir Fellow in 2013 and was honored as a 2016 Peter Benchley “Hero of the Sea.” Before co-founding WILDCOAST back in 2000, Serge was the founding Director of The Nature Conservancy’s Baja California - Sea of Cortez Program where he helped to initiate successful efforts to protect Loreto Bay National Park, Espiritu Santo Island Reserve and Cabo Pulmo National Park. He grew up in Imperial Beach, California, and spent his childhood helping to preserve the Tijuana Estuary as a National Wildlife Refuge and has worked on water quality issues in the San Diego - Tijuana region since 1980. Serge is an avid surfer, swimmer and former State of California Ocean Lifeguard. He is the author of Saving the Gray Whale, a book based on the three years he lived in the gray whale lagoons of Baja California; Wild Sea: Eco-Wars and Surf Stories from the Coast of the Californias; and, Surfing the Border. Serge has a Ph.D. Geography, University of Texas at Austin; M.S. Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison; B.A. Political Science, University of California, San Diego.

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VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

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San Diego Approves Region’s First Tiny Houses Law To Help Solve Housing Crisis

Courtesy David Garrick San Diego Union Tribune San Diego became the first city in the region Tuesday to allow homeowners to install movable “tiny houses” in their back yards.

City Council members said before unanimously approving a tiny houses ordinance that tiny houses will help solve the local housing crisis by creating another affordable option for low-income residents that doesn’t require a taxpayer subsidy.

Similar to granny flats, movable tiny houses can also help homeowners cover their mortgage payments by creating a new revenue stream for them.

“It’s a win-win-win all the way across the board,” Councilman Scott Sherman said. “It’s a small bite of a large elephant when it comes to solving some of our housing challenges in the city.”

San Diego is following Denver, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Fresno and San Jose in approving tiny houses, which are considered ideal for college students, senior citizens and medical caregivers.

“Innovation is key to addressing our housing crisis,” Councilwoman Barbara Bry said, noting that the new law would also boost the local economy because San Diego is home to some tiny home manufacturers.

Tiny houses are similar to granny flats, but smaller, cheaper and easier to add to a property.

Tiny houses are typically 150 to 400 square feet, while granny flats are typically larger than 400 square feet — sometimes much larger.

Granny flats often cost between $100,000 and $150,000, while tiny houses usually cost between $40,000 and $85,000.

Adding a tiny house is also quicker and easier, primarily because they are built in factories and placed on a chassis, while granny flats are built on-site and attached to a concrete foundation.

It usually takes six to 18 months to construct a granny flat, while a tiny house can be in place 30 to 45 days after placing an order, city officials said.

City officials estimate the aver-

San Diego passed a new law Tuesday allowing movable tiny houses in the city. (Ben Margot/AP)

age rent for a tiny house will be $900. That would allow a homeowner to recover their initial investment in about eight years.

Under the new city law, a homeowner can’t have both a granny flat and a tiny house — only one or the other. A tiny house can’t be rented out for fewer than 30 days at a time, so they won’t be used as short-term vacation rentals.

While movable tiny houses have wheels, they aren’t like a conventional trailer or recreational vehicle. Instead, they are built like a traditional home, with interior space geared for daily living, city officials said.

Because of wildfire concerns, tiny houses aren’t allowed on properties located in the city’s urban/wildland interface — neighborhoods that abut canyons or wilderness.

Despite the tiny houses being

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potential competition, the local development community supports the effort.

“A variety of housing options are essential to addressing the chronic housing shortage, and tiny homes adds to a long-term strategy of housing affordability in the city of San Diego,” said Angeli Calinog, a policy advisor for the local chapter of the Building Industry Association.

Several city residents also spoke in support of the new law.

“If tiny houses on wheels become legalized, I would be able to afford housing while my husband and I attend school,” said Emely Aguirre. “ This would allow me to take more time off work to devote to my studies and hopefully progress myself further in life and contribute to my community. This type of housing would be an amazing solution until I accomplish my degree and go on to buy my own home.”

Robert Myjak said the benefits of the new law include “lower cost homes, potential villages for lower income people to live, lower cost to house the impoverished, job creation and less destruction of land.”

Sam Lyons said tiny houses could become a rung on the housing ladder just above homelessness. “ There is a huge housing crisis in this city and tiny homes could keep many people off the streets,” he said.

Nationally, the tiny house movement began as an attempt to downsize and live more simply, often with a smaller environmental impact. Its growth was supported by TV shows like “ Tiny House Nation.”

Since then, the focus has shifted to using tiny houses as a solution for homelessness and the lack of affordable housing.

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VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

Stay Safe, San Diego

SENIORS and CANNABIS

Seniors who use cannabis are more physically active than non-cannabis users

By Michael Patterson NHA ,OTR/L, CEAS A study published in the July 2020 issue of American Journal of Health and Behavior found that persons over 60 years old who use cannabis exercise more and have a lower BMI than non-cannabis users. A link to the study can be found below: https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/png/ajhb/2020/00000044/00000004/ art00005 Adults, over ager 50 are the fastest growing population of cannabis users in the United States, with people over 65 demonstrating the largest increase in usage. The reasons for cannabis use are varied, but typically center around some of the common complaints associated with aging, including pain. The more data demonstrating the benefits of cannabis for seniors, the better physicians and health care practitioners can use cannabis to decrease the symptoms of aging and increase quality of life for their patients.

By age 75, approximately 33% of men and 50% of women are no longer physically active. This inactivity can decrease functional mobility and increase health problems related to being sedentary (muscle atrophy, increased falls, increased pain, decreased physical independence). The goal of the research was to understand if cannabis use impacted results of an intervention to increase physical activity in sedentary adults Local News > LocalUmbrellaNews.com

aged 60 and over.

The study was performed by the University of Colorado-Boulder Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. It consisted of a FORCE study (FORCE- Fitness, Older Adults, and Resting State Connectivity Enhancement) in which adults 60 and over would be randomly assigned to either a low or moderate-intensity in a 16-week supervised exercise program. A total of 164 participants were included in the study. Participants were recruited through multiple methods including advertisements in senior community centers, ads on social media, and publication bulletins in AARP magazine. Data from the study showed the body mass index (BMI) for cannabis users was significantly lower than non-cannabis users (p=.007). Also, Cannabis users reported .70 more days of exercise /LocalUmbrellaMedia

on the Stanford 7-Day Physical Activity Recall than non-users (p=.068).

Analysis The study clearly shows that the use of cannabis for Seniors does not inhibit but increases functional mobility, exercise, and overall physical activity. The study did not address the cannabis dosage per patient who used cannabis and the method of ingestion. Therefore, the standardization of a dose and method of ingestion of cannabis specific to each patient prior to exercise in unknown. However, from a physician standpoint, cannabis use continues to demonstrate positive outcomes and few side effects compared to traditional pharmaceutical medicines.

From my experience in over 26 years of healthcare management (SNFs, ALFs, Home Health, outpatient), the longer a patient remains functionally independent in their daily living skills, the better the overall physiological and psychological health is for the patient. With over 350,000 medical cannabis patients currently in Florida, and new patients increasing 3,000-5,000 per week, the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes is not going away. This study provides more clarity and proof that cannabis is a safe and effective “tool’” of Physicians to increase functional mobility and quality of life for their patients.

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San Diego Police Foundation Presents 10th Annual Women In Blue Luncheon The San Diego Police Foundation will gather San Diego business and community leaders to celebrate and honor female law enforcement leaders at the 10th annual Women in Blue luncheon on Aug. 27. Only this year they will be gathering virtually starting at 11:30 a.m.

This year’s 2020 honorees are: San Diego Police Department Lieutenant, Misty Cedrun; SDPD Sergeant, Esmeralda Tagaban; and SDPD Detective, Sarah Johnson. Considered trailblazers in nontraditional careers, the honorees will share insights and anecdotes from their paths to success with an anticipated crowd of over 300 at the tenth annual Women in Blue event.

Detective Sarah Johnsonhas been employed with the San Diego Police Department for over 20 years and is currently assigned to the Background Investigation Unit.

Detective Esmeralda Tagabanwas assigned to the VICE Unit and subsequently assigned to the Sex Crimes Unit in 2011 where she worked on several high-profile cases. As collateral duties, she was assigned to the Emergency Negotiations Team.

Honorees from left: Detective Sarah Johnson, Detective Esmeralda Tagaban, Lieutenant Misty Cedrun

Lieutenant Misty Cedrunbegan her career in 1994 as a patrol officer working in the MidCity area and has been with the San Diego Police Department for twenty-five years. She

Stephanie Cook Named The New Executive Director Of San Diego Women’s Foundation Stephanie Cook has been named the new executive director of the San Diego Women’s Foundation, rising from her previous role as manager of programs and member engagement for the foundation.

Cook has an educational background in intersectional feminism. She has a master’s degree from the University of Chicago and is an alumna of San Diego State University where she graduated with a B.A. in Women’s Studies. In addition to her involvement with SDWF, Cook is also a board member for Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of San Diego where she helps with programming.

In her new role, Cook will be responsible for upholding SDWF’s mission of connecting, educating, and inspiring women to come together in collective philanthropy.

“Over the past two years, I have watched SDWF members embrace philanthropic best practices, take on tough issues with

our grants, and work to understand and implement diversity, equity and inclusion strategies,” said Cook. “I am constantly inspired by our members’ eagerness to learn and grow, and I look forward to working with our incredible network of changemakers to improve lives in our community.”

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was promoted to the rank of detective and worked general investigations, specializing in child abuse investigations.

San Diego Women’s Week Leadership Conference Goes Global New virtual format with no boundaries features Daymond John, Linda Cureton, Ed Smart, Amy Trask San Diego Women’s Week, celebrating 11 years of inspiring, empowering and connecting women is now virtual with leadership events for all ages and professions. Attendees enjoy virtual networking, keynote speakers, panel discussions, and more, all wrapped around creative solutions to everyday issues affecting leaders in the workplace and in their daily lives.

WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 26 Friday, Aug. 28, 2020 WHO: Keynotes for 2020 Leadership conference include: * Daymond John from Shark

Tank: Powershift, Transform Any Situation, Close Any Deal, and Achieve Any Outcome. * Linda Cureton, Former CIO NASA: Managing and Leading in a Tough Environment. * Ed Smart, Father of Elizabeth Smart: Two Miracles, and Standing up for Yourself. * Amy Trask, Former NFL Team Executive - Los Angeles Raiders: Leadership Vulnerabilities.

WHERE: Wednesday - Virtual Women and Wine 6-7:30 p.m.

Friday - Virtual Leadership Conference 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

A complete list of speakers and additional details can be found here: https://sdwomensweek. com/

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Stay Safe, San Diego

VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

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

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11 Keynotes - 2 Panels - A Day of Leadership

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Join over 700 individuals for the virtual San Diego Women’s Week Leadership Conference. Strong connections are already being made between attendees. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with others from around San Diego.

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Go to https://sdwomensweek.com/tickets/ for ticket information ©2020 COPYRIGHT BY INSPIRED MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Local Umbrella Media Newspaper Publications are printed monthly and distributed freely throughout San Diego County. Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Local Umbrella Media is not responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented in the newspaper. Local Umbrella Media Newspaper Publications are produces and published by Local Umbrella Media, and no part of this

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VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

9

3 San Diego developers to bring transit-oriented housing development to Normal Heights

Three San Diego-based developers are combining their expertise and support from the Normal Heights community to develop housing at the new Bridgedeck residential development project just steps from the transit center at the Interstate-15 freeway and El Cajon Boulevard.

Native San Diegans’ David Iwashita and John O’Connor, co-founders of the development firm Naturally Affordable Housing, are partnering with The Hampstead Companies, a San Diego-based affordable housing real estate development and architectural firm, to develop the nearly 20,000-square-foot piece of land, which they purchased from the city of San Diego for $2.2 million in early July. The land is located on adjacent parcels at 3960 El Cajon Blvd. and 4302 40th St. The Hampstead Companies will be leveraging its affordable housing experience in markets around the U.S. to develop a final plan for the site with Naturally Affordable Housing. The development will not only provide residents access to nearby transit

Image courtesy of Scripps Research

options, but also provide education opportunities at newly renovated schools, including nearby Hoover High School, Wilson Middle School and 37ECB community school, which is another of Iwashita’s development proj-

ects. “ This project is a shining example of how great partnerships can yield impactful results that help strengthen and improve communities,” said Iwashita. “We are just as excited about our new

partnership with The Hampstead Companies as we are about community development.

We are truly looking forward to executing this vision.”

O’Connor and Iwashita have spent years either redeveloping or advocating for projects and improvements along El Cajon Boulevard and have built a reputation for beautifying and leading the revitalization efforts in the Mid-City neighborhoods.

The Hampstead Companies, whose projects span throughout California to the Eastern Seaboard, were drawn by the opportunity to partner on a project in the company’s hometown.

“While Hampstead has developed and preserved affordable housing for nearly 25 years in markets across the United States, this particular project struck a chord with us,” said Jeff Jallo, principal of The Hampstead Companies. “ To be able to leverage our development experience, while expanding our impact on affordable housing in the region we call home, truly makes this a passion project for our entire team.”

San Diego adds new nonstop route to Santa Barbara on Alaska Airlines be taking advantage of this intrastate route as both destinations have a lot to offer both the leisure and business traveler.”

The addition of service to Santa Barbara marks the fifth new market added by Alaska Airlines in 2020.

Tips to make your next flight easier.

San Diego International Airport will add once daily, nonstop service to Santa Barbara, via Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) on Alaska Airlines beginning Nov. 20, 2020. This is a new route and the 29th destination Alaska services from San Diego.

“We are happy that Alaska Airlines is adding another route to the list of new service offerings at San Diego International Airport this year,” said Kimberly Becker, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority President and CEO. “We know there are many Santa Barbara residents and San Diegans that will

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Go digital. Check in for your flight online.

Download and use the Alaska Airlines app to save time waiting in ticket counter lines.

Head to the airport early. In the days before your trip, plan to get to the airport at least 2 hours before your domestic flight departs, and 3 hours before your international flight.

Consider joining a trusted traveler program.

Membership in these programs allows you access to the faster security screening lanes at participating airports, where you don’t have to remove your shoes, belts, or light jackets, and your 3-1-1 liquids bag and laptop

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can stay in your carry-on.

Preprint bag tags and check your bags. You’ll likely make it through the security line even quicker by reducing your carry-on items.

Be smart about smart bags. Know your carry-on limits.

Prepare your carry-on liquids. The TSA liquids rule allows you to carry one quart-sized bag of liquids - aerosols, gels, creams and pastes that are 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item - through the security checkpoint. Know what items are a no-go.

Be prepared for the security line. Security checkpoint lines can be annoyingly long.

Before stepping into the security line, remove your jacket, belt, larger metal jewelry, and the contents of all your pockets, and place them into your bags to pass through the scanner.

Wear shoes that are easily removable, or untie or loosen your shoelaces if you can. Have your boarding pass and acceptable ID ready to hand to the screening agent.

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Stay Safe, San Diego

10 VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

BY BART MENDOZA © MUSICSCENESD // MUSICSCENESD.COM

AUGUST 2020

AMERICA’ S GOT TALENT

h p e t S n o s n Joh

Voices San Diego’s teph hoir, led by S C y it C r finals u O of the quar ter- ed of to it e d a m s ve Johnson, ha rica’s Got Talent. Compri rs, the e Am e mb e of NBC-T V ’s ered and communit y m in in May, via t elt h w s r n e u z , z d u B re e n lt e old s he u g us e coveted G on AGT in A th ir d o e h iv c e e c th re r choir peting in an w look fo o m n o c d n e a b , s to w g re n host Terr y C s . “It is an amazing feeli show for talent...and it is w o on h it tv on the live s r, nationally televised, h ring a pandemic,” Johns opula appening du was in store for Voices h ll a ex tremely p is it t a .” For urreal th y of this completely s ould have imagined an eriencing homelessness ive. rc ingly posit r people exp lm e said. “I neve fo h d rw te e a v o re c ose b e en a choir ned our purp erience has e p x th of Our Cit y, e g n e e th tr , s ir r, o the acle the ch s closer toge e to the world. It is a mir . u t Johnson and h g u ro b s e said nit y ha and lov ratitude,” sh g “ The oppor tu ur mission of inclusivit y h it w d e helm o o n, d I are overw and brought n a rs eping Johns e e b k m n e e m e b ir e o v h and the c ve. An allctivities ha o a L ’s In it o d S n , a m ir e c ho z z albu drummer , n As busy as th time to release a new ja e rs o h T b ssist Ro und she’s also fo band lineup features ba uitarist Anthony Wilson g e gs star aff air, th rs, pianist Josh Nelson, ums ten son lb a e th e ll e e il S h ce , w Richard of the Street” hris Lawren e C id r S te y e n p n m u u S the and tr se of You.” ergreen “On a v C e e “A th ’s e ll d e h lu c inc n of Joni Mit and a versio fo u rc it y.o rg o w w w.v o ic e s o n b a n d .c o m s n h jo h p te w w w.s

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VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

SAN DIEGO MUSIC SCENE

Van s e t a B

This Is A Show!

Live performances may be at a virtual standstill, but savvy local performers are taking their shows online.

One such San Diego artist taking things to the next level is Van Bates, aka SDMA nominated rapper/ hip-hop artist, Black Hesher. Look for his brainchild, “ This Is A SHOW!” to debut in September 2020 on the US Weed Channel.

“It’s an alternate reality talk show with sketch comedy, music performances and general absurdity,” says Bates. “After our first season debuts it will got out to Hulu, Apple tv/ Roku tv, Amazonfire tv etc. Probably drive-ins as well, because we’re magic,” Bates joked.

Half of the show is filmed inside and around the USWC TV studio in Costa Mesa, while the other half is shot around San Diego at different locations. “It depends on the sketches, they are filmed inside and outside.”

Bates notes the inspiration for the show is indeed our current situation. “ The show was born out of my love for absurd comedy, as well as not being able to perform live shows or tour as Black Hesher due to the current state of the world,” he said. “Co-host Sarah-Rachel Peterson and I we’re going on FB live at the beginning of the pandemic, and that natural comedy chemistry between us, lead to me pitching a show to USWC. From there it just rapidly evolved into what it is now.” As for how material is chosen to go on air, “the inspiration is whatever surrealistic humor comes out of our heads, that we find funny. Everyone on the show is inspired by each other as well. We’re people who aren’t afraid to appreciate the humor in the weirder parts of life.”

The shows core cast includes Bates and Peterson as well as Devon Doane, Kate Krysinski, Stephan Wild and Stevie Snow. “We all collectively write bits and sketches for the show or act in the sketches,” Bate explained. “Shane Doull is the combination channel owner, bossand possible extraterrestrial, while Michelle Palermo handles make up and costumes and Michael Fairchild of The Spice Pistols helps me score the show.”

What is the criteria for being on the show? “For guests we have a variety of comedians, musicians, authors, pet psychics and so on. Basically anyone we find interesting or cool, that we can work into to our weird wacky world, can be on.” Bates is mum on the shows first surprise guests. “We’ve had so many amazing performers so far, and we aren’t even done filming yet. I really don’t want to spoil it, but let’s just say there will be some local names people will recognize, some new names they will get to know, and some secret famous guest stars sprinkled in.”

What impression does Bates hope to leave his viewers with? “We just hope to make people laugh and give people a break from the madness in the world, even if it’s only for a few minutes. We hope viewers get inspired to make their owns shows that inspire other people to make their own.”

Though the first of the ten episodes comprising the first season has yet to air, Bates is already clear on his favorite things about “ This is a SHOW!” “My favorite thing is all the free snacks on set,” he quipped. “But also the creative freedom that we have is awesome.” www.uswc.tv

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11

Stay Safe, San Diego

12 VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

SAN DIEGO MUSIC SCENE

n i l o C e n y Cl

New Music and Film Debut Two-time SDMA “Best Singer-Songwriter” winner Colin Clyne has a new single out, “Where The Ships Go To Die.” “I’ve spent many years working on boats,” Clyne said of the songs inspiration. “ This song was born from such a trip, where I happened across scores of boats and vessels lying on beaches. Holes in their hulls, diesel spewing from their tanks, battered, broken and abandoned. These ships had no future, no hope, devoid of the safety, strength, buoyancy, independence and serenity we associate with ships.” Clyne saw a parallel. “Friendship, family and love are also a haven for the heart. If we don’t care for them, maintain them and respect them through the storms of fragility of these unprecedented times, they too may end up dead and abandoned on a beach like those ships.”

Currently based in Aberdeen, Clyne spent many years in San Diego and continues his local friendships and connections, including working with producer Alan Sanderson (Rolling Stones / Fleetwood Mac) of Pacific Beat Studios. “Where The Ships Go To Die” the single features a cover photo by award winning National Geographic photographer, Saiful Huq Omi To celebrate the release of ‘Where The Ships Go To Die’, while promotion includes a partnership with Reid’s Gold Brewery (https://www.reidsgold.com/) in Stonehaven, UK to produce a new beer, ‘Lost To The Sea’, available in affiliated distributors throughout Scotland. Also look for Clyne to make both a soundtrack and onscreen cameo in the upcoming Oliver Mitchell film, Plain Sight, premiering this month on various streaming platforms. www.colinclyne.com

Cover Me Contest Iconic songwriter / Encinitas resident Jack Tempchin is sponsoring a “Cover Me” contest, with a $1,000 prize for the winner. Artists are encouraged to record one of Tempchin’s tunes however, only newer songs from his popular podcast are eligible, with 18 to choose from. “Friends, family, and past co-writers of Jack Tempchin are not eligible to enter,” making this an incredible opportunity for up and coming talent. Tempchin remains as prolific as ever, with a new single, “Six Feet Apart,” out this month, complete with a lyric video by Gregory Page. Meanwhile, two of his classic songs recorded by the Eagles, “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Already Gone” will be included on that bands new live album out on October 16, Live from the Forum MMXVIII. Details on the contest and podcast can be found here: www.jacktempchin. com/covermecontest Local News > LocalUmbrellaNews.com

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Jack

Tempchi

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n

Stay Safe, San Diego

VOL. 5 ISSUE 8 13

Local Music News Lux Re cor ds has a new live album from the Char les Bur ton Blues Band out this month

Hocus has recorded two new songs, “ Damage w it h Car e” and “ Rid of You,” with videos for both imminent.

If the name of the band in the current movie, Might y Oak , sounds familiar, you’re not mistaken. No spoilers but the movie combo, “ Ar my of Love” is based on the San Diego band from the early 1980’s who scored a turntable hit with “ Exodus ” and opened for the likes of The K ink s .

Blais e Guld + Night Vibe r will release a new EP on August 14. “It’s electronic synth pop, with blended influences coming from different eras and features three original songs plus one cover of Bananarama’s “Cruel Summer,” Guld said.

Sandra Cas t illo has edited the new autobiography of graphic artist Ruby Mazur, Get Up And Move On. Mazur has received acclaim for his numerous of album and single covers, including Elton John’s Friends LP and The Rolling Stones “ Tumbling Dice” single.

The Black s Beach Boy s have a new self-titled album out on August 21, with the first two singles set to be, “ Pie hole” and “HGTV in HD” Bassist Ke n Dow has performed in shows such as Je r s ey Boy s , as well as with such legends as Pete Towns he nd, last month taking home a 2020 San Diego Music Award trophy for Best Pop band as part of the Jonny Tar r Quintet . This month he releases his first solo single, a cover of Australian combo Icehous e’s 1987 hit, “ Craz y.” Making the release extra special, the recording includes songwriter and original Icehouse member Andy Qunt a www.kennymd.com

the hit single, “ Finding Out Tr ue Love Is Blind,” would be pressed on 140g colored vinyl and come in deluxe packaging, with 10 non-LP bonus tracks.

Gar y Puck ett has a new album out, Love Songs . The ten tracks include his take on classics such as Jour ney ’s “ Ope n Ar ms ” and For e igne r s “ I Want to K now What Love Is .”

Legendary jazz saxophonist Char les McPhe r s on releases a new album in September, Jaz z Dance Suites . The album includes 15 new originals and guest appearances from singer Lor raine Cas tellanos and drummer Bill y Dr ummond.

As busy as the Voice of Our Cit y Choir and its activities have been keeping guitarist/ singer-songwriter Ste ph Johns on, she’s also found time to release a new jazz album, So In Love. An all-star affair, the band lineup features bassist Rob Thor s e n, drummer Richar d Selle r s , pianist Jos h Nels on, guitarist Ant hony Wils on and trumpeter Chr is Lawr e nce, while the albums ten songs include the evergreen “ On t he Sunny Side of t he St r e et ” and a version of Joni Mitchell’s “ A Cas e of You.” www.stephjohnsonband.com New videos include Joy k ill’s socially distanced indie rocker “ This Is Not The End (Half Way Home Session)” Louis X I V is up for the deluxe vinyl reissue of their 2005 album, The Bes t Litt le Se cr et s Ar e Ke pt . The proposed reissue from Run Out Gr oove Re cor ds would feature the original twelve tracks including

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Tom Br os s eau releases his 17th album, The Prair ie, on August 19. The album includes a cover of John Pr ine’s “ They Ought a Name A Dr ink Afte r You,” with the first single set to be, “ My Nor t h Dak ot a Home .”

Que e n Divas of t he Unive r s e featuring guitarist Roni Le e , bassist Shaar on Hancock -Schue mak e r and keyboardist Laur ie Lew is , will have their version of “ Har k The He rald Ange ls Sing” included on the third volume of the Powe r Chor ds Har monies and Mis t letoe series of holiday compilations due this fall from Spain’s SNAP! Records.

Guitarist Pat r ick Yandall has a new album out September 1, Rouge Rive r . While Yandall is a longtime Californian, he grew up in the Midwest. “ The theme of the album reflects my love for the state and the people of Michigan, where I grew up,” he said. The album’s first single will be “ Son Light ” Pacific Records has just released The Jos h Ros e nblum Band’s debut album, As The Wor ld Goes By . The first single is a tune called “ St r onge r.”

Cambr ian Shor es has new music out August 14, with the release of four song disc, The Coming Home EP, on Pacific Records.

Blues fans will want to hear the new self-titled album from Piatt Pund. The former MBHS student turns in seven new original originals, with influences from sweet soul with “ Hear t br eak Blues ” to funk in “ Blue Eye d Baby.”

The Spice Pis tols long awaited second album, Spice Train, is due this November. The album will consist largely of originals, but is set to include covers of The Sex Pis tols song “ Submis s ion” as well as The Rock y Hor r or Pic t ur e Show ’s “ Swe et Trans ves tite .”

Vista based duo This Debacle have released their debut album, Oxe n Cit y Limit s Live St r eam, on all streaming sites as well as Bandcamp. Baseball tee merch is on its way.

Tr ouble In The Wind’s third album, We ir d Liv ing, was released on August 7. Produced

by John Re is (Rock et Fr om t he Cr y pt ) and mixed by Be n Moor e at local Singing Serpent Studio, the album’s first single is “ We’ ll Mak e It Thr ough.”

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14 VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

Stay Safe, San Diego

newsbriefs

Inside California’s beleaguered unemployment department What’s it like working at California’s unemployment department, where nearly 1 million claims are likely to remain backlogged until September? Some overwhelmed, overworked and frustrated employees have quit, citing increased pressure, outdated technology, red tape and inadequate training, the Los Angeles Times reports.

One state worker, who was recently transferred to the Employment Development Department to help handle an unprecedented volume of claims, said she was given an 800-page instruction manual and left to figure things out for herself. Others said they weren’t given authority to handle certain claims, leaving them unable to help angry, crying customers

who had called the department hundreds of times.

Samuel Kihagi, a temporary EDD employee who recently quit: “When we have someone who hasn’t had their money for months and they are calling this line, and they get me and all I can do is tell them, ‘Your payment is pending and I can’t do anything for you,’ that to me is kind of pointless.”

Tracie Kimbrough, who’s worked at EDD for 10 years: “Many times we are not able to do what is needed to assist our claimants (because of ) outdated technology, limits on what we are allowed to do ... even if we have the skill set to do what is needed.”

Governor discloses plan to open California mask manufacturing plant Gov. Gavin Newsom disclosed recently that he’s in talks with Honeywell and other companies to open a California mask plant and create hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs.

Meanwhile, California has sent 17 million masks to Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Alaska despite an influx of hospitalizations in Southern California and Central Valley counties that workers say have strained resources.

“It would have been wrong for

me to sit on 100 million masks ... and not help American citizens in real need. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep well at night,” said Newsom.

Newsom unveiled a $316 million contract for 420 million masks with BYD, the Chinese manufacturer with whom the governor struck a controversial and highly publicized $1 billion deal in April. BYD missed several delivery deadlinesafter initially failing to earn mask certification from federal health officials.

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Truvian Sciences receives FDA emergency use authorization for COVID-19 test

Truvian Sciences, a San Diego health care company, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the company’s Easy Check COVID-19 IgM/ IgGTM antibody test. Truvian’s Easy Check test is being produced at mass scale at a U.S.based manufacturing facility and will be available to health care practitioners immediately.

The test, which has been tested and validated by leading health care professionals and scientific experts at University of California San Diego and the University of Chicago, exceeds the current EUA requirements for current COVID-19 antibody tests by delivering a sensitivity rate of 98.44 percent and a specificity of 98.9 percent.

Additionally, the cross-reactivity evaluation determined no cross-reactivity (0 percent) with HIV, Influenza A and B and several coronavirus strains.

SDG&E customers to receive $64 bill credit for August, September In August and September, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) residential customers will see their electricity bills reduced each month by $32.28 - or a total of about $64 - thanks to the California Climate Credit program designed to fight climate change.

The credit is from a state program that requires power plants, natural gas providers, and other large industries that emit greenhouse gases to buy carbon pollution permits. The credit on customers’ bills is their share of the payments from the state’s program. “ This bill credit provides some financial relief at a critical time when many people need it due to the COVID-19 economic crisis and summer weather driving up energy use,” said Scott Crider, SDG&E’s vice president of customer services.

Originally, the credit was

scheduled to appear on customer bills in April and October.

To help reduce bill spikes in the summer, when energy usage typically goes up along with the temperature, SDG&E successfully petitioned the California Public Utilities Commission to change the timing of the credit to August and September -- the months when air conditioning use typically peaks.

There is no action required to receive the credit. All residential customers, including community choice aggregation customers, will automatically receive this credit from SDG&E on their August and September billing cycles.

Residential customers with natural gas service received the natural gas portion of the California Climate Credit -- $21.11-in April. Next year, the electric and gas credit will follow the same schedule as this year.

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VOL. 5 ISSUE 8 15

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Caring for Aging Loved Ones During the Covid-19 Pandemic The Covid-19 pandemic has turned the way we have traditionally done business on its head. Looking for skilled nursing, assisted living, in-home care or memory care for an aging loved one during these uncertain times is no exception.

F

inding the appropriate care setting for a senior needing anything from acute rehabilitation to long-term placement is more important now than it ever has been. As Certified Senior Advisors, we have put together a list of common questions we continue to hear from seniors and their families during the pandemic – and the answers we believe to be the most accurate, up-to-date and safest for you and your loved ones.

How prevalent is COVID-19 in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF)?

A. California is home to 1,223 Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs); as of 8/4/2020, there have been 19,772 positive cases of Covid-19 in residents and 3,381 Covid-19 related resident deaths – a 17% death rate among those testing positive. https://www. cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/ DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/SNFsCOVID-19.aspx How prevalent is COVID-19 in Assisted Living (AL) and Memory Care (MC)?

A. While the prevalence of Covid-19 in assisted living and memory care is difficult to calcu-

Q

Q

late in granularity (due to the <11 number used to report incidence in Residential Care Facilites for the Elderly [RCFE], a requirement to protect one’s identity), a cumulative estimate is 6,305 residents and staff tested positive for Covid-19 with 689 resulting in death – a 11% death rate. These numbers are according to the California Department of Social Services as of 8/3/2020. Active cases of Covid-19 reported in California in Assisted Living and Memory Care as of 8/3/2020 is 2,475 residents and staff – in San Diego County, for example, 63 staff members have tested positive while 29 residents are positive for the virus in the AL/ MC setting. https://www.cdss. ca.gov/Portals/9/Additional-Resources/Research-and-Data/ DSSDS/RCFE-8-3.pdf Should I place my loved one in Assisted Living or Memory Care during COVID? A. That depends. There are many factors that go into this decision and each family’s situation is unique. Your Certified Senior Advisor should take a “one size fits one” approach to you and your loved one’s care needs, budgetary considerations, and geographic preferences.

Q

CarePatrol continues to keep strict tabs on which RCFEs have active cases of Covid-19, who is admitting new residents and their protocols for admission, and each RCFE’s care violation history with the state of California Social Services department.

What are these places doing to stop the spread of the virus?

A. Many of the RCFEs in California, both large and small, were not taking any new admissions during the height of the pandemic. As more and more RCFEs begin to open their doors again to new residents, they are doing so cautiously. Many are requiring negative Covid-19 tests from the hospital, SNF or the potential resident’s primary care physician (PCP) before they will allow a move-in. Some are requiring new residents to use provided furniture until such time that it is safe to bring in the resident’s own furniture (disinfected by the home or community much of the time). Residents are practicing social distancing and other precautions outlined by the state of California, the CDC and the WHO. Many regularly scheduled activities have taken on a virtual nature or have been put on hold

Q

for a future date when it has been deemed safe by the local, state and federal entities.

What are my options if I want to take mom/dad home?

Taking mom or dad home after a hospital or SNF stay may seem like the safest option at this time.

Again, each situation is different and the care needs of each senior unique. Does mom or dad have 24-hour care needs?

Can they take care of their own Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) such as showering, grooming, laundry, cooking, cleaning, and running errands? Does mom or dad have dementia and prone to wandering? If so, is the house/ property equipped to keep mom or dad safe (pool enclosures are fenced, ponds or water structures are fenced, doors and windows have wireless monitoring)?

How many stairs will they have to navigate at home? In-home care can be one possible option if home conditions are safe and manageable. In-home care is non-medical care that can help seniors with ADLs and is paid for privately (Medicare/Medicaid does not pay for this service).

Average cost for in-home care in San Diego is between $28 and

Q

$36 per hour with a two to four hour minimum typically.

The hospital wants to discharge my aging loved one to a SNF. Is that safe to do right now?

A. Again, that depends. SNFs, like many other healthcare entities, are subject to a rating system put in place by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS ratings, Yelp ratings, word of mouth and visiting various SNFs before placing a loved one there are just a few of the things you can do to find the best and safest setting for your loved one. If the SNF stay is covered by Medicare, you have a choice of the SNF you would like your loved one to be discharged to; this does not necessarily mean it will happen, however.

The SNF must have an available bed and the appropriate staffing ratios to admit your loved one.

If your chosen SNF is unable to accommodate your loved one, the hospital discharge planner will continue to look for a SNF that can admit your loved one.

Doing research into the SNFs that have had Covid-19 positive residents and staff - and to what

Q

degree - is highly recommended.

A Certified Senior Advisor can help with this search.

What is the diff erence between a SNF, a nursing home and assisted living?

A. There are many differences between the three.

A Skilled Nursing Facility or SNF is meant to be a short-term rehabilitation stop along the path of someone getting better and going home. An example of an appropriate SNF stay is someone who has suffered a broken bone, went to the hospital for a surgical procedure to repair it and has been discharged to a SNF for rehabilitation. This person will likely receive physical and occupational therapy until such time that the skilled staff feel the person is able to discharge home safely (able to maneuver everyday life in his/her home given the injury and rehabilitation progress).

Nursing homes are larger facilities that exist to house and care for elderly residents who can no longer live at home safely and often do not have the resources to pay for assisted living. Most residents in a nursing home are

Q

on Medicaid/Medi-Cal and the state of California along with the federal government is paying the monthly bill (a Medicaid enrollment specialist can answer questions and assist with eligibility). Many residents in a nursing home are very sick and in some stage of failing health and/or decline.

Assisted Living or AL is for people who no longer wish to remain at home or who can no longer safely stay at home and need some level of care and assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Assisted living can look like a residential home licensed by the state to care for up to six residents or a larger community licensed to assist many residents with varying levels of care needs (independent living, assisted living and memory care needs). As of 6/5/2020, according to the California Department of Social Services website, California is home to over 7,400 RCFEs which include assisted living and memory care homes and communities. These 7,400+ RCFEs translate to 35,403 beds or capacity for residents.

To find the appropriate setting

for your loved one, call a local Certified Senior Advisor.

What is a Certified Senior Advisor? And when should I be using one?

A. A Certified Senior Advisor or CSA is someone who has studied the aging process – from the physical, mental and emotional aspects to the various financial, spiritual and social needs of older adults. CSAs have engaged in a rigorous course of study and sat for a national examination accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

Continuing education is a keystone of The Society of Certified Senior Advisors, founded in 1997 by experts in the fields of physicians, attorneys, financial planners, accountants and gerontologists in order to create high standards, ethics and practices among those working with our aging population. You can find a local Certified Senior Advisor by going to https://www.csa.us/, scrolling down to “For Seniors & Families” and clicking on “Find a Professional”... or just call us.

Q

You Have Questions.

We Have Answers... and Choices.

■ Who pays for assisted living, memory care, inhome care and hospice? How does Medicare/ Medi-Cal fit in?

■ The hospital/skilled nursing facility (SNF) is going to discharge my loved one in two days - what do I do now?

■ Do I have a choice about which company I want ■ The hospital/SNF gave me a list of five places to check out - are those my only options? to work with for home health or hospice?

■ How can I know if my loved one needs a nursing home or if assisted living can take care of their needs?

■ My loved one has dementia, has started getting combative, tends to wander, sleeps all day and/ or stays up all night. What are my options?

■ How do I know if these homes and communities are any good?

■ What happens if I live across the country and my mother needs assisted living? Who will work with and advocate for her in my absence?

Let us put our experience and expertise to work for you today!

619-378-6895

We are a FREE community service.

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18 VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

Afira DeVries named CEO of Monarch School Project

The Monarch School Project announced that Afira DeVries has been named chief executive officer of the nonprofit after a nationwide search led by a team of current and former board members. She will assume the post on Aug. 17.

DeVries most recently served as the United States director of Spring Impact, a global nonprofit focused on scaling social impact solutions. Previous to that, she served as president and CEO for the United Way of the Roanoke Valley in Southwestern Virginia and chief development and innovations officer of United Way of Tampa, Fla. She succeeds Erin Spiewak, who held the post for eight years during which time the school successfully opened its current location at the Nat and Flora Bosa Campus.

Afira DeVries has enjoyed a two-decade career as a health and human services executive, successfully leading innovation and growth for six thriving nonprofit organiza-

tions. Having generated more than a quarter billion dollars in support of social innovation over the course of her career, her extensive development, leadership and programmatic design experience will contribute to the vision and strategic direction of the Monarch School Project.

At the same time, The Monarch School Project also announced the recent appointment of six new board members: Debra Molyneux, community volunteer and past Monarch School Project board chair Graeme Reid, assurance partner, Ernst & Young LLP Jennifer LeSar, president and founding CEO, LeSar Development Consultants Jill Skrezyna, community volunteer Ryan Alfred, president, Digital Assets Data Sam Attisha, senior vice president and region manager, Cox California

California could lose congressional seat under new Trump order California could lose at least one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives if a memo President Donald Trump signed recently goes into effect that wouldn’t take undocumented immigrants into account while determining congressional representation after the 2020 census, the Los Angeles Times reports.

An estimated 2 million undocumented immigrants live in California, and Trump’s order - almost certain to be challenged in court - drew immediate pushback from state leaders.

Gov. Gavin Newsom: “Counting every person in our country through the Census is a principle so foundational that it is written into our Constitution.

This latest action ... rooted in racism and xenophobia, is a blatant attack on our institutions and our neighbors.”

Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, a San Diego Democrat and chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus: “We fully expect the State of California not to comply with the memorandum announced today.”

California is likely to lose at least one congressional seat due to glacial population growth.

Experts are also concerned that the online-only census could lead to an undercount of the state’s hard-to-reach communities, risking not only power in Washington but also billions in federal funding.

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UC San Diego Alumna Selected For Nasa, Spacex’s 2nd Launch In 2021

NASA astronaut and UCSD alum Megan McArthur.

Before NASA’s first endeavor into space with a private rocket has even launched, the crew for its second joint NASA/SpaceX mission has been selected -- and it includes an astronaut with San Diego ties.

NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, a UC San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography alumna, will pilot SpaceX’s second Dragon flight to the International Space Station alongside astronaut Shane Kimbrough and two mission specialists from other countries.

The Crew-2 mission, with a targeted launch in spring 2021, will follow NASA and SpaceX’s Demo-2 flight mission and Crew-1 mission, which is sched-

uled for late September 2020.

If all goes according to plan, McArthur and Kimbrough will spend six months aboard the ISS conducting science experiments for NASA. The Crew-2 mission will be McArthur’s second trip to space since being selected as an astronaut in 2000, but it will be her first trip to the ISS. Her first mission in 2009, on space shuttle Atlantis, was the last mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. McArthur maneuvered the shuttle’s robotic arm, guiding her teammates and maneuvering the telescope as her teammates completed five spacewalks to upgrade its technology.

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VOL. 5 ISSUE 8 19

Scientists Identify A New Drug Target For Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration

No treatments currently exist for the common condition that causes progressive vision loss

Francesca Marassi used the structure of vitronectin—which is shaped like a sticky propeller—to prove that the top propeller tightly clasps calcium and hydroxyapatite, the same material that forms teeth and bones.

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have shown that the blood protein vitronectin is a promising drug target for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), also holds implications for Alzheimer’s and heart disease, which are linked to vitronectin.

“Our findings suggest that vitronectin, which is shaped like a sticky propeller, orchestrates the formation of the spherical deposits that accumulate and cause dry AMD,” says Francesca Marassi, Ph.D., director of the Cancer, Molecules and Structures Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys and senior author of the study. “With this information, we can look for drugs that prevent the deposits from forming and help people retain their sight for as long as possible.”

More than 11 million Americans have AMD; and this number is expected to double by 2050 as the U.S. population ages. Of the two types of macular degeneration—wet and dry—the dry form is the most common, making up approximately 80 to 90% of cases. While the progression of dry AMD can be slowed with lifestyle changes, such as taking vitamin supplements, eating healthy, and not smoking, no pharmaceutical treatment exists.

New insights into deposit formation Local News > LocalUmbrellaNews.com

Dry AMD is caused by the progressive accumulation of drusen, pebble-like deposits at the back of the eye, which results in blurry vision and, over time, vision loss. While scientists knew that these deposits contain cholesterol, fats (lipids), proteins such as vitronectin, and a mineralized form of calcium phosphate called hydroxyapatite—the same material that forms teeth and bone—how these deposits form was unknown. ​ In the study, Marassi and her team used the structure of vitronectin—which was solved

by Marassi last year—and various sophisticated biophysical tools to prove that the propeller top tightly clasps calcium and hydroxyapatite. These findings suggest a mechanism by which vitronectin drives the formation of the abnormal deposits—and reveal how this process might be interrupted.

“We know that these deposits have a cholesterol-rich lipid core that is surrounded by a shell of hydroxyapatite and a final topcoat of vitronectin,” says Marassi. “Our study suggests that vitronectin brings all these pieces together in one place to build up this complex assembly. With this information, we can start to figure out how to disrupt these interactions and break up this deposit.”

Forging ahead to drug development Marassi is already working with scientists at the Institute’s Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics to identify vitronec/LocalUmbrellaMedia

tin-targeting compounds that can stop drusen from forming. This drug candidate would hold promise as a treatment that slows the progression of dry AMD and potentially other plaque-related conditions.

Vitronectin is also a major component of the amyloid plaques linked to Alzheimer’s disease and the cholesterol-rich plaques that cause heart disease.

“For diseases such as dry AMD and Alzheimer’s that have no effective treatment, the need for innovative science is painfully clear,” says Diane Bovenkamp, Ph.D., vice president of Scientific Affairs at BrightFocus Foundation, a nonprofit that advances research on macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s and glaucoma. “We are hopeful that these findings on how disease-associated proteins bind together will help scientists to design better drugs that could lead to treatments for one or more of these diseases with unmet clinical needs.”

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (GM118186, P30CA030199) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The study’s DOI is 10.1073/ pnas.2007699117.

The first author of the study is Kyungsoo Shin of Sanford Burnham Prebys. Additional study authors include James E. Kent, Chandan Singh, Lynn M. Fujimoto, Jinghua Yu and Ye Tian of Sanford Burnham Prebys; and Wonpil Im of Lehigh University.

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Nature study identifies 21 existing drugs that could treat COVID-19 Sumit Chanda, Ph.D., director and professor of Sanford Burnham Prebys’ Immunity and Pathogenesis Program and senior author of the Nature study that identifies 21 potential near-term COVID-19 treatments.

Multiple drugs improve the activity of remdesivir, a current standard-of-care treatment for COVID-19 A Nature study authored by a global team of scientists and led by Sumit Chanda, Ph.D., professor at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, has identified 21 existing drugs that stop the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The scientists analyzed one of the world’s largest collections of known drugs for their ability to block the replication of SARSCoV-2, and reported 100 molecules with confirmed antiviral activity in laboratory tests. Of these, 21 drugs were determined to be effective at concentrations that could be safely achieved in patients. Notably, four of these compounds were found to work synergistically with remdesivir, a current standard-of-care treatment for COVID-19.

“Remdesivir has proven successful at shortening the recovery time for patients in the hospital, but the drug doesn’t work for everyone who receives it. That’s not good enough,” says Chanda, director of the Immunity and Pathogenesis Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys and senior author Local News > LocalUmbrellaNews.com

of the study. “As infection rates continue to rise in America and around the world, the urgency remains to find affordable, effective, and readily available drugs that can complement the use of remdesivir, as well as drugs that could be given prophylactically or at the first sign of infection on an outpatient basis.”

Extensive testing conducted In the study, the research team performed extensive testing and validation studies, including evaluating the drugs on human lung biopsies that were infected with the virus, evaluating the drugs for synergies with remdesivir, and establishing dose-response relationships between the drugs and antiviral activity.

Of the 21 drugs that were effective at blocking viral replication, the scientists found: 13 have previously entered clinical trials for other indications and are effective at concentrations, or doses, that could potentially be safely achieved in COVID-19 patients.

Two are already FDA approved: astemizole (allergies), clofazamine (leprosy), and rem/LocalUmbrellaMedia

desivir has received Emergency Use Authorization from the agency (COVID-19).

Four worked synergistically with remdesivir, including the chloroquine derivative hanfangchin A (tetrandrine), an antimalarial drug that has reached Phase 3 clinical trials. “ This study significantly expands the possible therapeutic options for COVID-19 patients, especially since many of the molecules already have clinical safety data in humans,” says Chanda. “ This report provides the scientific community with a larger arsenal of potential weapons that may help bring the ongoing global pandemic to heel.”

The researchers are currently testing all 21 compounds in small animal models and “mini lungs,” or lung organoids, that mimic human tissue. If these studies are favorable, the team will approach the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss a clinical trial(s) evaluating the drugs as treatments for COVID-19.

“Based on our current analysis, clofazimine, hanfangchin A, apilimod and ONO 5334

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VOL. 5 ISSUE 8 21

represent the best near-term options for an effective COVID-19 treatment,” says Chanda. “While some of these drugs are currently in clinical trials for COVID-19, we believe it’s important to pursue additional drug candidates so we have multiple therapeutic options if SARS-CoV-2 becomes drug resistant.”

Screening one of the world’s largest drug libraries The drugs were first identified by high-throughput screening of more than 12,000 drugs from the ReFRAME drug repurposing collection—the most comprehensive drug repurposing collection of compounds that have been approved by the FDA for other diseases or that have been tested extensively for human safety.

ReFRAME was created by Calibr, the drug discovery division of Scripps Research, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Arnab Chatterjee, Ph.D., vice president of medicinal chemistry at Calibr and co-author on the paper, says reframe was established to tackle areas of urgent unmet medical need, especially neglected tropical diseases. “We realized early in the COVID-19 pandemic that ReFRAME would be an invaluable resource for screening for drugs to repurpose against the novel coronavirus,” says Chatterjee.

About the ReFRAME library ReFRAME was created by Calibr, the drug discovery division of Scripps Research, under the leadership of President Peter Shultz, Ph.D., with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It has been distributed broadly to nonprofit collaborators and used to identify repurposing opportunities for a range of disease, including tuberculosis, a parasite called Cryptosporidium and fibrosis.

A global team

The first authors of the study are Laura Riva, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in the Chanda lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys; and Shuofeng Yuan at the University of Hong Kong, who contributed equally to the study. Additional study authors include Xin Yin, Laura Martin-Sancho, Naoko Matsunaga, Lars Pache, Paul De Jesus, Kristina Herbert, Peter Teriete, Yuan Pu, Courtney Nguyen and Andrey Rubanov of Sanford Burnham Prebys; Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Jianli Cao, Vincent Poon, Ko-Yung Sit and Kwok-Yung Yuen of the University of Hong Kong; Sebastian Burgstaller-Muehlbacher, Andrew Su, Mitchell V. Hull, Tu-Trinh Nguyen, Peter G. Schultz and Arnab K. Chatterjee of Scripps Research; Max Chang and Christopher Benner of UC San Diego School of Medicine; Luis Martinez-Sobrido, Wen-Chun Liu, Lisa Miorin, Kris M. White, Jeffrey R. Johnson, Randy Albrecht, Angela Choi, Raveen Rathnasinghe, Michael Schotsaert, Marion Dejosez, Thomas P. Zwaka and Adolfo Garcia-Sastre of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Ren Sun of UCLA; Kuoyuan Cheng of the National Cancer Institute and the University of Maryland; Eytan Ruppin of the National Cancer Institute; Mackenzie E.

Laura Riva, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in the Chanda lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys, tests for existing drugs that may treat COVID-19.

Chapman, Emma K. Lendy and Andrew D. Mesecar of Purdue University; and Richard J. Glynne of Inception Therapeutics.

Go inside the race to find a treatment for COVID-19 at Sumit Chanda’s lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys.

Research reported in this press release was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (U19AI118610, U19AI135972, HHSN272201700060C, GM132024, HHSN272201400008C, HR0011-19-2-0020, U19AI142733), the Department of Defense (DoD) (W81XWH-20-1-0270), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dinah Ruch, Susan and James Blair, Richard Yu and Carol Yu, the Shaw Foundation of Hong Kong, Michael Seak-Kan Tong, May Tam Mak Mei Yin, the Health and Medical Research Fund (COVID190121), the Food and Health Bu-

reau, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; the National Program on Key Research Project of China (2020YFA0707500, 2020YFA0707504), Research Grants Council (T11/707/15), the Huffington Foundation, the JPB Foundation, the Open Philanthropy Project (2020215611 [5384]) and anonymous donors.

The drug screen was completed as rapidly as possible due to Chanda’s partnership with the scientist who discovered the first SARS virus, Kwok-Yung Yuen, M.D., chair of Infectious Diseases at the University of Hong Kong; and Shuofeng Yuan, Ph.D., assistant research professor in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Hong Kong, who had access to the SARSCoV-2 virus in February 2020.

Sumit Chanda, Ph.D., a professor at Sanford Burnham Prebys, shows the experimental assays that test for compounds that may treat COVID-19.

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22 VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

Women of Influence 2020

Local Female Leaders were recognized in the August edition of SD Metro Magazine (www.SanDiegoMetro.com)

Erica M. Pinto

As chairwoman of the Jamul Indian Village of California, Erica Pinto is a poised and effective leader. Her efforts have resulted in more than $100 million in public benefits and safety improvements for the residents of San Diego County, and under her leadership nearly 1,000 permanent jobs have been created for members of the tribe and the surrounding region. She is co-founder of the Acorns to Oaks Tribal Program which organizes activities focused on culture, youth development, health and fitness and technology, all designed to help prevent drug and alcohol abuse and teen pregnancy and promote education. She services on the board of the Southern California Tribal Chairman’s Association and is the vice chair of the Southern Indian Health Council. The Jamul Indian Village of California (JIV) is one of 13 tribes of the Kumeyaay Nation who trace back 12,000 years in San Diego County. Pinto has been involved with the JIV Tribal Council since 1997, becoming a council member at the age of 22. She was appointed vice chair in 2008 and in 2015 was the first woman elected chairwoman of the Jamul Indian Village. She has led JIV through significant economic progress on its path to self-reliance. In April 2016 JIV signed an agreement with San Diego County which cleared the way for a world-class gaming facility on their reservation. Pinto has received the Women in Leadership Award from the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce.

Luda Safransky

Luda Safransky is the business development manager at Balfour Beatty Construction. With 15 years in the design and construction industry, a B.S. in business administration and a MBA completed at the age of 24, and registered LEED Green Associate, Safransky is a pioneer in leveraging relationships, information and resources to drive value for her company. At the onset of her career at Balfour Beatty she was a prominent contributor to the marketing department. In her tenure in the marketing department her efforts secured more than $250 million worth of work in Southern California. Working in Balfour Beatty’s California Division, she is the business development manager and her insight has played an important role in the team’s acquisition of over $1.5 billion worth of work. She personally landed three contracts worth more than $20 million. She secured two contracts with the County of San Diego, an office tenant improvement project and a renovation of a detention facility. She also won a major contract with UC San Diego worth $10 million. She has sat on the board for Balfour Beatty’s Connecting Women Employee Resource Group. Safransky’s community philanthropic activities include volunerring for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and supporting Junior Achievement through their annual bowl-a-thon. In the past 12 years, Balfour Beatty’s employees have raised over $130,000 for Junior Achievement. She was a 2018 winner of SD METRO Women of Influence and has won an Outstanding Women of Construction award. She is a graduate of San Diego State University.

Johanna Schiavoni

Johanna Schiavoni, the principal at California Appellate Law Group, is certified as a specialist in appellate law by the State Bar of California and has more than 17 years of appellate experience. She has argued over 30 cases in the state and federal appellate courts, and has been the principal brief writer in at least 70. She regularly represents large companies, closely-held corporations and small businesses and individuals in high-stakes appellate matters.

She has participated in cases on subjects ranging from business torts to health care law to employment, insurance, contract, and intellectual properties disputes. Schiavoni is a member of the board overseeing the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. As a member of the board, she routinely evaluates multi-million dollar contracts, oversees implementation of a multi-billion-dollar terminal renovation project. In March 2020, she was unanimously reconfirmed for another three-year term. She is also president of the San Diego County Bar Association, elected as only the 14th woman to lead the bar association in its 113-year history. She has also been president of the Lawyers Club of San Diego, a 1,300-member legal association to advance the status of women in the law and in society. One of Schiavoni’s proudest accomplishments is co-founding the San Diego Leadership Alliance, a 501.c.3 nonprofit focused on developing young professional leaders in San Diego. She has been named a Super Lawyer for Appellate Litigation for each of the past six years. She is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis.

Teresa Campbell

Teresa Campbell is the president and CEO of San Diego County Credit Union. SDCCU is an industry leader in San Diego and across the nation. Under her leadership, SDCCU has grown to $8.5 billion in assets and reached over 422,000 members. Membership has more than doubled (from 204,000 in 2010) in the nine years she has served as president and chief executive officer. SDCCU welcomed 44,000 new customers in 2019, representing an increase of 4.5 percent over the previous year. The net worth to assets ratio for 2019 was 16.54 percent, well above the seven percent minimum capital level for credit unions regarded as “well capitalized” by the National Credit Union Administration. Under its continued expansion drive, SDCCU now has 44 branches in San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties. Campbell has made a strong commitment to increasing customer safety as SDCCU continues to embrace strong security standards in the financial services industry. SDCCU is the title sponsor of the 14th annual OC Marathon and Half Marathon. It is the title sponsor of the BBB Ambassador Scholarship Program. SDCCU supports more than 75 nonprofits and participates in more than 5,009 community events in the three counties which it serves. It has been voted best credit union, best auto loan provider by several publications in San Diego County.

With Campbell at the helm, SDCCU has been recognized with a Raddon Financial Group, Crystal Performance Award for growth, income, efficiency and margin management. SDCCU is the presenting sponsor of A Salute to Teachers, the Broadway San Diego Awards and the Innovative Video in Education Festival. Campbell is an effective leader with a genuine passion for improving the lives of others by providing breakthrough banking products and sound financial services. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a master’s in financial management from Johns Hopkins University.

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VOL. 5 ISSUE 8 23

Beth Callender

Beth Callender is a principal at CallenderWorks. She has worked in marketing and advertising for more than 30 years in San Diego. She started her career with Stoorza Advertising where she served as vice president/account supervisor. In 1996, she co-founded Greenhaus, a nationally recognized marketing and advertising firm, with her partner Craig Fuller.

For the next 20 years they built the business from a staff of five to over 30 marketing and creative professionals. The firm specialized in the branding and marketing of physical places whether cities, resort properties, master planned communities or cultural institutions. Callender started Urban Interventions in 2018 with her husband, Pete Garcia.

The nonprofit, open-source initiative creates and funds public art and beautification projects to transform urban places using innovative, high impact, fast and low-cost design. They have completed a public art project in the East Village called Window Stories, a multi-media art installation on 13th Street between E and F. They also designed a program using art to replace all the missing trees in Downtown San Diego in collaboration with the Downtown San Diego Partnership, called Grow Urban — a Tree Planting Movement. So far the effort has raised $47,000 to plant 67 trees. Callender and her team have left an indelible mark on numerous institutions and communities across the western United States and Mexico. She is a graduate of San Diego State University.

Jolanta Campion

One of the most respected, leading commercial real estate market analysts in the Southwestern United States, Jolanta Campion serves as Cushman & Wakefield’s director of research for San Diego, Las Vegas, Reno and Salt Lake City. She manages the regional research departments stationed in each of theses markets. Her work covers a multitude of key industry topics which she stays in tune with, including office, life science, medical office, industrial, retail, multi-family, capital market trends, private client investments, innovative economy, tech markets, craft breweries, cross border and more. She produces and utilizes new trendier items such as infographics as well as multi-social media channels. She is regularly featured in many local and national media publications for her insight as a trusted industry expert. She has been a running coach for the Girls Heart & Sole 6th-8th Grade Program in Carmel Valley. She sits on her Coral Cove Condominium Board and currently serves as its HOA president. Campion migrated to the United States in 1999 from Latvia. She is a wonderful example of someone driven, goal-oriented, dedicated and passionate. She has completed 11 full marathons and 56 half-marathons. Her ultimate goal is to qualify and run in the Boston Marathon. She was recently selected to be profiled by Cushman & Wakefield in their celebration of Women’s History Month. She has a master’s degree in business administration from Bradley University.

Amy Bulgatz

Amy Bulgatz is president and chief executive officer of Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza. Prior to joining Sammy Ladeki, she was involved in operations of another food and beverage firm. She is highly engaged in the operations of the business first and foremost and applies her financial acumen to the money side of the business to be able to understand what truly can be done to make the business more profitable. She is always looking for ways for Sammy’s food presentation to be refreshed. She was instrumental in creating the new Toast and Toasted Gastrobrunch concepts which have helped the company flourish. Bulgatz has walked the Susan G Komen 3Day walk five times and has participated in just about every half marathon and 10K that take place in San Diego. She is also on the board of the California Restaurant Association, and is active in helping the community with outreach through Sammy’s, which donates thousands of dollars each month to different charities. 2019 was a noteworthy year for Bulgatz as she returned to school at the University of San Diego to finish her Master’s in Accountancy (a 4.0 GPA) and passed sections of the CPA exam all while working full time. Her work inspsires others around her to pursue things they didn’t think they could accomplish.

Sarah Buchanan, Amanda Nelson, Laura Nunn

Sarah Buchanan, Amanda Nelson and Lara Nunn are the three women of influence at the San Diego Housing Federation. Buchanan is director of events and marketing, Nelson is communications manager and Nunn is director of policy and programs.

Buchanan has helped elevate events through detailed planning and she continues to provide high-quality events on a nonprofit budget that feel inclusive, vibrant and in line with the San Diego Housing Federation. She is on the board of Christie’s Place and is involved with San Diego LGBT Center. Under her guidance the housing federation’s membership has grown to over 200. She is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma.

Nelson is communications director. In 2015, she started her own video production company and later founded a grassroots organization, Uptown Housing Advocates. She volunteers for San Diego Pride and San Diego Film Festival. She is a graduate of the University of San Diego. Nunn has spent nearly a decade advocating for affordable housing. She supports the Homeless Experienced Advocacy and Leadership Network. She continually provides inspiration for her team, the affordable housing sector and her two young daughters. She is a graduate of the University of San Diego.

Alison Alpert

Candace Carroll

Naomi Lohnes

Angela Soldner

Ilona Antonyan

Jacque Crockford

Nancy Maldonado

Jean Walcher

Best Best & Krieger LLP Antonyan Miranda LLP

Sarah Bacarra ELM Learning

Stephanie Barnier Clear Sky Wealth LLC

Elizabeth Barrie The Barrie Company

Sullivan Hill Ace Fitness

Jodie Grenier

Foundation for Women Warriors

Verna Griffin-Tabor

Center for Community Solutions

Amanda Harris

Soloman Ward Seidenwurm & Smith

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Johnson & Jennings Chicano Federation

Jen Nelson

Olivewood Gardens and Learning Ctr.

Heather Riley Allen Malkins

Rachel Shermirani

Coffman Specialties, Inc. J. Walcher Communications

Mayra Velazquez de Leon Organics Unlimited

Shannon Sweeney SullivanHill

Barons Market

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North Park resident and retired pilot, Robin “R. D.” Kardon’s debut novel Flygirl, soared onto the bestseller list last fall with her tale of Tris Miles, a female pilot trying to break the blue ceiling when she’s blocked by co-workers determined to see her fail. But those guys didn’t expect Tris’ fearless determination and grit.

Flygirl was recently named a finalist in two categories at The 2020 International Book Awards and has been lauded as a compelling and heartfelt tale of courage and redemption.

Now, Kardon is launching her latest, Angel Flight, which continues Tris’ journey. Although the novel is the second in a trilogy, readers can enjoy Angel Flight on its own – or before reading Flygirl.

Angel Flight takes off this month with a signing at Warwick’s Booksellers at 7812 Girard Avenue in La Jolla on Sunday September 27 from 2-4 PM. We had a chance to sit down with the author and hear about her upcoming adventure.

Q: Tell us a little about your upcoming novel Angel Flight A: The first time I heard the term “angel flight” was when I was co-pilot on a trip flying a child burn victim from Chicago to St. Jude Hospital for treatment.

As a corporate pilot, I flew a woman with a severe spinal cord injury to the Mayo Clinic for treatment in a private jet. My company donated the airplane and the services of the crew.

Her family couldn’t afford to hire their own plane, and if it weren’t for us, she’d have no way of getting the life-altering treatment she needed. That trip inspired Angel Flight.

I was a professional pilot for 12 years and flew all over the world.

I flew businesspeople and vacation travelers, sometimes into up to seven cities in a day. It was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time.

Q: When you were working as a pilot did you know you would write a book one day?

A: Flying provided me with many story ideas, yes. I’d wanted to be a novelist ever since I was a child. I didn’t know how or

when, but I knew I would publish someday. Every time people found out I was a pilot, they’d ask dozens of questions. Did the crew have affairs while on assignment? Is the Mile-High Club a real thing? And what the heck is turbulence caused by? I found that people were especially intrigued by stories of women working in aviation.

I kept a notebook with ideas for 25 years before I sat down to finish Flygirl. The overwhelmingly positive response to that book told me that readers are interested in the behind-the-scenes lives of pilots.

Q: Are the characters based on people you met while working as a pilot?

A: That’ll have to remain my secret, but I can say that after all those years of flying, I had a lot of material. I met many interesting people, pieces of whom found their way into certain characters. Flygirl was based on an actual job I had as a pilot, so all of the characters in that book are inspired by real people. You know the old saying: Watch out or you’ll wind up in my novel.

“I kept a notebook with ideas for 25 years before I sat down to finish Flygirl. The overwhelmingly positive response to that book told me that readers are interested in the behind-thescenes lives of pilots.”

--ROBIN “R. D.” KARDON

Perhaps some people weren’t as careful as they should have been.

Q: Your new novel Angel Flight features Tris Miles, the same protagonist as your debut novel Flygirl. Can people enjoy the second book with-

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out reading the first?

A: Yes, and I made sure that Angel Flight would be a standalone novel. I hope Angel Flight readers will want to know more about Tris and pick up a copy of Flygirl.

Q: What has the feedback been like on your novels?

I’ve been both amazed and humbled by reader reviews. I wanted to write something that touched on universal themes but was set in the unique world of professional aviation. I wanted to give people a peek into life in the cockpit that also addressed sexism and bigotry in any workplace. And I really enjoyed working on Tris’ complicated past.

One reviewer recently wrote, “Well written, informative, and enjoyable all at once. I learned so much about what it takes to be a pilot. Loved the book.”

Another shared that, “R. D. Kardon has an amazing grasp of the struggle most career women experience, in any profession She captures the inner thoughts of all professional women.”

And I was thrilled to read this review, which completely echoed

the sentiment I tried to impart; “A well-crafted love story- love in all its imperfections between a man and a woman, and the love of the job and intricacies of being a pilot.”

Q: What ’s next for Tris Miles?

A: Tris will face more career and personal challenges as she struggles to find and fit together the pieces of the life she wants, and hopefully leave her mark along the way. Look for the final book in the Trilogy in 2022.

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Stay Safe, San Diego

VOL. 5 ISSUE 8 25

SUPPORT FOR SDSU GROWS IN PAST YEAR Donations to SDSU top $127 million in fiscal year 2019-20.

By Tobin Vaughn “ There are many exciting things going on at the university that people want to be a part of.”

Gift commitments to San Diego State University totaled $127,255,503 in the 2019-20 fiscal year, an increase of nearly 10% from the previous year despite an economic downturn from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Figures for the year ending June 30 were announced by SDSU Vice President of University Relations and Development Adrienne Vargas July 27 and represent a second consecutive year of fundraising growth.

Topping the list of gift recipients were SDSU Athletics, which received $33.6 million from donors, and KPBS, with gifts totaling $30.85 million. Total donations to Academic Affairs, which encompasses the university’s programs across all colleges, the library and SDSU Imperial Valley, were almost $50.8 million.

The largest single donation to SDSU in the past year was from San Diego philanthropist Mrs. Dianne L. Bashor, who pledged $15 million toward construction of the new stadium that will be part of SDSU Mission Valley. In recognition of her generosity, SDSU will name the field at the new Aztec Stadium Bashor Field

versities.

Leaving a legacy

In recognition of Mrs. Dianne L. Bashor ’s generosity, SDSU will name the field at the new Aztec Stadium Bashor Field.

The state of the university

Vargas credited much of the latest fundraising success to the university’s goal of building a world-class university campus, research center, and multi-use stadium in Mission Valley to serve higher education, the public good, and the community’s goals and aspirations. She said excitement over the university’s impending Mission Valley expansion, the high-profile successes of its sports teams, and the high rankings of programs in many of the colleges all played a part in increasing support from alumni and the community.

“It’s the state of the university

right now with a lot of things coming together,” Vargas said.

“All of them have been ingredients for our success.”

Like much of the country, SDSU is heading into a period of constrained resources. The state recently announced a cut of $30 million from SDSU’s current budget, the largest amount of any school in the California State University system.

Vargas said SDSU alumni and other donors have come to understand the university’s importance as an economic driver for the San Diego region and California. They support the school’s ascendance to the ranks of top-tier public research uni-

One such donor, Terry Atkinson (’70), recently made a $1 million gift to SDSU which he said he hoped would help “take San Diego State to another level.”

Half of his donation creates the Terry Atkinson Endowed Professorship in Finance while the other $500,000 is earmarked for the new Aztec Stadium in Mission Valley. The gift to the Fowler College of Business is being matched by philanthropists Ron and Alexis Fowler. “ There are many exciting things going on at the university that people want to be a part of,” Vargas said. She recently announced the creation of a new philanthropy website, give.sdsu. edu, where visitors may explore the wide variety of possibilities to support SDSU. Vargas said a popular way for alumni and others to support the university is through planned giving, which can create lasting legacies with estate gifts.

Planned gifts were among the top choices of donors to SDSU over the past year.

Visit plannedgiving.sdsu.edu or contact Amy Walling at 619-5940286 or awalling@sdsu.edu to learn more about leaving your legacy at SDSU.

All Scripps Hospitals Again Recognized for Excellent Stroke Care AHA/ASA Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award given for meeting high treatment standards For the third consecutive year, all five Scripps Health hospital campuses – Scripps Mercy San Diego, Scripps Mercy Chula Vista, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas and Scripps Green Hospital – have earned the Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for ensuring that stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association announced recently.

The awards, which are part of the AHA/ ASA’s Get With The Guidelines stroke program, recognize hospitals across the United States that consistently comply with patient management quality measures that are embedded in the program.

“Once again, these awards confirm that Local News > LocalUmbrellaNews.com

patients going to any Scripps hospital will receive the best possible stroke care from a highly skilled and integrated team of physicians, nurses, technicians and staff members,” said Mary Kalafut, M.D., a Scripps Health stroke director and vascular neurologist. “ They also serve as an important reminder during the coronavirus pandemic that Scripps facilities remain open and safe for patients to seek care for all of their medical needs.”

To win the gold awards, each Scripps hospital consistently achieved a series of AHA/ ASA program performance measures for 24 or more consecutive months.

The measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-todate, evidence-based guidelines with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing /LocalUmbrellaMedia

death and disability for stroke patients.

Before discharge, patients also receive education on managing health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, as well as other care transition interventions.

Additionally, all four Scripps hospital campuses with emergency rooms – Scripps Memorial La Jolla, Scripps Memorial Encinitas, Scripps Mercy San Diego and Scripps Mercy Chula Vista -- were named to the AHA/ASA’s Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll, which recognizes hospitals that deliver thrombolytic therapy (a medication called intravenous tissue plasminogen activator) to eligible patients within one hour of hospital arrival at least 75 percent of the time.

Scripps has long been a leader in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients who suffer a stroke.

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26 VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

Stay Safe, San Diego GOVERNMENT

City Botched High-Rise Deal from Acquisition to Renovation, Investigation Finds One of three forensic investigations into the city’s disastrous acquisition and renovation of a downtown high-rise for city staff found the city’s real estate bureaucrats and contractors piled one mistake on top of another throughout the three-year debacle, leading to its evacuation in January for asbestos violations.

Jesse Marx and Lisa Halverstadt Voice of San Diego A review of San Diego’s handling of 101 Ash St., a downtown high-rise that was evacuated in January following asbestos violations, identifies a number of problems with the purchase of the property and hints at possible legal action against some of the environmental contractors involved in the disastrous remodel.

Written by a law firm that’s already advising the city on asbestos litigation, the 40-page document offers a glimpse into San Diego’s flawed handling of its real estate. Though not complete, the review was released Wednesday ahead of the Aug. 6 City Council meeting.

It is technically one of three reviews being conducted by outside legal experts who are looking not just into the acquisition of the property, but the financial liabilities now hanging over it and the role of the sellers.

From start to finish, 101 Ash St. went haywire under Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s watch. But in a statement, he told VOSD that he asked for the acquisition review “because City Hall has a very long and troubled history with managing its property and sweeping problems under the rug, and I didn’t want that culture to persist.”

Faulconer’s term ends at the end of the year and rather than pass the debacle along to the next administration, he considered it “my responsibility to share information with the public and propose corrective actions that get to the root of the problem,” he said.

Although the report doesn’t explicitly say so, it strongly suggests that the original sin at 101 Ash St. was Real Estate Assets Director Cybele Thompson’s failure to seek an independent appraisal and assessment of the building’s true condition upfront. No one from the city formally inspected the property before the City Council agreed to a 20-year lease-to-own deal totaling $127 million.

Doing so would have likely shown that the HVAC, plumbing, electrical, lighting and ceiling systems at the former Sempra Energy headquarters were all in need of major repair.

The city’s remodel would later explode in scope and helped shake loose the asbestos that triggered the attention of the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District.

Instead, Thompson and her supervisor, Ron Villa, who recently resigned over this scandal, Local News > LocalUmbrellaNews.com

relied on documentation provided by Cisterra Partners, which brokered the deal between the city and the property owner and which never occupied the building itself. The reports in the city’s due diligence files only touched the surface of the nearly 50-year-old building’s true condition.

One report, from 2014, warned that anyone wanting to do extensive renovations on site should develop an asbestos abatement plan in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules. Another stated that its findings shouldn’t be used to satisfy environmental regulations and other laws.

These were red flags.

But when Thompson pitched a lease-to-own agreement to the City Council in late 2016, she described the building’s condition as excellent and simply in need of a power wash.

The description came directly from one of the seller’s reports, which was based on a mere visual inspection of the site.

Once the city took possession of the building in early 2017, it hired design and architecture firm Gensler to figure out how exactly its 1,150 employees would fit inside the building. The firm, and by extension the city, learned in the process what they should have known from the onset — and what the building’s former /LocalUmbrellaMedia

tenant, Sempra Energy, had already told the public.

In November 2014, Sempra real estate chief James Seifert testified to the California Public Utilities Commission that part of the reason they’d left 101 Ash St. when the lease expired was because the property needed at least $3 million in capital repairs to keep it operational and upwards of $15 million in the event of an earthquake. He said the building was functionally obsolete and “to remove the existing asbestos and rebuild the impacted space was estimated to cost $16 to $25 million.”

The transcript of Seifert’s testimony, as NBC 7 reported in April, was available online through a Google search. Yet the review notes that the city learned of it when a media outlet reached out for comment earlier this year.

Seifert’s testimony is at odds with how the principal owner of the property portrayed the building as the deal was being brokered.

In his first written offer to the city, Sandy Shapery said he’d spent “approximately $40 million in maintenance, upgrades and improvements” since buying 101 Ash St. in 1993 and there was “no anticipated capital improvement work expected within the next 10

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Stay Safe, San Diego was theoretically accessible to city workers, the county issued a public nuisance order.

The city responded by voluntarily shutting down the building and evacuating employees who had already moved in.

Two environmental contractors, Argus and Enviro Applications, declined to comment for this story.

More than 20 people who worked on the remodel have filed legal claims in recent months alleging, among other things, they were exposed to harmful materials while at 101 Ash St. Some have claimed that city managers tried to rush through the construction because of pressure from elected officials and embarrassing headlines showing the city was paying almost $18,000 a day for an empty building downtown.

There was undoubtedly a sense of urgency around the completion of the project, but the review pushes back somewhat against this claim and others, arguing that no employee was moved onto a floor at 101 Ash St. until after it had been cleared for asbestos and the fire system was tested.

Hugo Parker is advising the city in a separate asbestos-related matter out of another building involving city employees and is also expected to represent the city in cases stemming from 101 Ash St. At times, the review strikes a defensive tone. It notes toward the beginning: “At no time was there any true health risk to workers, city employees, or the public during the renovation work or during the city’s brief occupancy of 101 Ash.” Indeed, when the law firm’s contract came up for discussion and expansion in April, City Councilwoman Vivian Moreno questioned whether Hugo Parker could independently evaluate the city’s handling of 101 Ash St. City auditors are also set to investigate why the project was such a shitshow and, potentially, the processes the city has followed with other troubled real estate deals.

The city’s acquisition review was released Wednesday alongside a new building condition assessment, completed more than three years after the city took possession of the property.

NBC 7 obtained copies of the two other reviews being conducted by outside law firms related to 101 Ash St., one of which examined the financial liabilities now facing the city.

Another addressed the sellers, taking issue with Cisterra’s participation and the lease the city ultimately struck, which shielded the developers from long term liability should

years.”

There’s no evidence in the review that Shapery — or anyone else — intentionally misled Thompson and others at City Hall. He has repeatedly told VOSD and other media outlets in recent months that he was honest about what he knew at the time and gave the city all the building condition reports in his possession, including details about past asbestos-abatement work by Sempra.

In 2018, after realizing the true scope of the renovations that were needed, Thompson and Villa went back to the City Council, hat in hand. They asked for another $30 million to complete the necessary repairs. Members of the City Council expressed disappointment in how the project was shaping up — it was already a year behind schedule — but agreed that an additional investment was the smartest move over the long haul.

What was sold as a move-in ready deal in 2016 had evolved into a full-blown remodel of all 19 floors.

Hugo Parker, the law firm that wrote the review, put the blame for the next phase of the project on what it described as the “consistent and disturbing pattern of questionable performance by the contractors.”

Specifically, the law firm said decades-old asbestos debris, primarily the fireproofing on beams installed above the ceiling tiles, was shaken loose during construction and not cleaned up.

After air pollution regulators found some of the debris during an inspection in August 2019, the city and its general contractor, according to the review, developed a new asbestos work plan, trained workers and shut down the site for more cleaning.

Despite those efforts, the Air Pollution Control District continued for months to file notices of violation against the city. Between August and December, APCD documented 16 asbestos-related violations in the building, even after the city began moving employees into the building toward the close of 2019.

A team of managers overseeing the renovation noted on an October 2019 meeting agenda that asbestos-related warning signs had been reinstalled due to “contractor negligence.”

At that point, APCD investigators had only found material in areas where city employees were unlikely to be exposed.

Then, in January 2020, after finding debris in a conference room on the seventh floor that

VOL. 5 ISSUE 8 27 problems arise. That review called the terms of that deal “disproportionately unfavorable to the city” for letting the sellers off the hook.

Neither of those two reports are public yet.

The 101 Ash St. debacle is also one of a handful of city real estate deals embroiled in controversy that emerged after the City Council gave city bureaucrats the go-ahead to proceed.

In 2018, for instance, the officials rushed to purchase a shuttered indoor skydiving center to convert into a homeless housing navigation center that didn’t open until almost two years later, a project now getting scrutiny from federal and state officials.

A separate site in Kearny Mesa , which the city began leasing in 2017 as a fire truck maintenance yard, has yet to service any actual fire trucks. Since acquiring the property, officials discovered the cost of needed renovations was nearly three times what they told the City Council. The city has since brought in a new architect and envisions using the facility for its originally planned purchase by early 2022.

In a February memo to the city’s Chief Operating Officer Kris Michell, Independent Budget Analyst Andrea Tevlin also noted the city’s acquisition of the Civic Center Plaza downtown, a building that could need up to $21 million in tenant improvements, the city has no plans to get done.

Tevlin urged Michell to have law firm Hugo Parker assess whether the city’s real estate acquisition processes match up with best practices as multiple transactions have “encountered significant problems that were not foreseen by staff or presented for consideration when the City Council was asked to approve the acquisitions.”

Hugo Parker’s review stuck to 101 Ash St. and is labeled preliminary. The firm noted its work has only begun.

Even before that effort is complete, Faulconer said he would be pursuing “all legal and financial options to recoup costs, hold accountable the contractors who worsened the building’s condition, and implement new levels of accountability throughout internal operations.”

He also said he’d directed “a complete overhaul of how city departments handle property because while the city does many things very well it’s clear that complicated real estate management is not always one of them.”

City’s Real Estate Assets Director Resigns Amid Scrutiny Over Ash Street Deal Lisa Halverstadt and Jesse Marx San Diego’s real estate assets director is resigning less than a week after the release of a devastating review of the city’s acquisition of a downtown high-rise that the county declared a public nuisance following a series of asbestos violations.

Cybele Thompson, who has served as the city’s real estate chief since 2014, submitted a brief resignation letter to Chief Operating Officer Kris Michell on Monday. Thompson’s resignation will be effective Wednesday.

Late last week, a preliminary report by a law firm investigating the debacle surrounding the 101 Ash St. acquisition indirectly implicated Thompson by emphasizing the city’s failure to seek an independent appraisal and assessment of the building’s true condition before the City Council voted to move forward with a 20-year lease-to-own deal totaling more than $127 million.

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28 VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

s e s i a R o g e i UC San D

r o F n o i l l i B 5 4 .

1 $ h c r a e s e R a c c e M e c n e i c S s A g n i d n a t S g n i h s i l o P ng o m a D S C U p e e k l il w

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have been scientists to also . aser said. “UCSD is Re s em ” in st s, sy re r su la es so r pr ou e r

By Gar y Robb the money went fo l R&D for the privat emic might reduce of ca t nd iti en cr pa rc s in ru pe ng vi gi 60 na ga ro rly en co ea e N Th cus dampened llment this fall. It ine, with a heavy fo at might have been th or ct se UC San Diego’s enro school ’s massive health and medic s ha ch ronavirus, whi the by profit pressures.” on defeating the co has already slowed where S. U e th in le op pe m. is sharply targeting ty si er iv un e Th killed nearly 150,000 construction progra n its standing as ey. in past , more than ai it is looking for mon And as was the case But UCSD will maint search universithe m fro e m ca e contributing to ey ar s on re er m t e research y an “M 60 percent of th s one of the 10 larges ce ur n by so unity, state and natio 9-relatrnment. Other large tions m ve m go l co r ra ou de fe ties in the country. it organiza d COVID-1 pulled in a record ickly pivoting towar ude private, non-prof qu cl in ’s The campus says it e th g Sandra Brown, UCSD arch durin d se ai re s . ” , r ry ts fo st n or du eff llio in bi d ed 5 an .4 $1 by the rech. d on June 30. That ’s chancellor for resear have a chalditional jobs created d services ad ce e vi Th fiscal year that ende d an o ersities goods an than a year ag “We and other univ search funding, and added another $100 million higher of the at th ar ye e iv ut ec cons result, ahead as the impact a ad as ro d g se in ha ng rc le pu al represents the 11th ral d the $1 billion mark. $1.23 billion to the region’s gross region lds. This is why fede se fo as un rp ic su em s nd ha pa SD C U targeted to suppor t st year, estimate funds pump alth lly pa , e ca ar th ifi ye g ec a rin sp er g du ov t in ed uc nd fu prod Averag cal right now.” economist at Point new research ever y universities is so criti re some of the ed Lynn Reaser, an rsity. most $4 million into whe ma Nazarene Unive nds beyond the Here is a sample of Lo it is day. t es rg -la nd came from and how ct ex te ’s seco pa ey ty im on un e m co tiv e ch si th ar po — se e re SD Th “ C U d dollars. e Navy — got grants te effects on jobs an ia ing used. ed m im employer behind th e th arch and devel- be ng from se hi re yt g er tin ev uc y nd ud st co to is UCSD and gifts ty virus to how to spot tivity for public safe nature of the corona and better enable opment (R&D) ac y wildfires more quickl

-19 Fighting CnaOl InVstID itutes of Health

Fu nd er : Natio t us disease specialis io ct fe in , A m ou nt : $700,000 ay ch Ca d or : Dr. Edwar zen new studies Pr in ci pa l In ve st ig at two hospitals, currently has about a do fight COVID-19. to es UCSD, which operat sed on developing drugs and vaccines cent plascu es fo al e nv ar co using of s es underway that en tiv ec eff d d to the virus. e safety an Cachay is testing th VID-19 after a person has been expose antibodies CO ma (CP) to prevent infusing patients with red from es lv vo “in y ap er th the essfully recove The university says nors who have succ do stems of d oo bl e th m t to their immune sy will os bo ex tracted fro ng lti su re e th hope that e.” Cachay COVID-19, with the severit y of the diseas ent COVID and e th ce du re d an th hylactic to prev will shor ten the leng to test CP as a prop t rit y. an gr e th of 00 ,0 ng the disease’s seve icole Steinuse $200 ci du re r fo t en m at a tre ers N $500,000 to test it as a variety of approaches. Nano-engine nce Foundation g ie in Sc l try na The university is 00,000 by the Natio $2 in n ve gi e er w ki vi rs corona rus vaccine a s er liv de ly met z and Jon Poko ss le in e patch that pa that infects leto work on a wearabl archers say they will use a plant virus se just one dose. The re to resemble the novel coronavirus. it er ne gumes and engi t COVI D-19 ma ca n pr ev en st in g wh et he r pl as te is ay ch Ca Ed .

Dr vir us . (USAF) su re to th e co ro na afte r a kn ow n ex po

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ent that wi ll enab le gr ad in g an inst ru m up is y ck pa no Ko psen/UC San Diego) Phys ici st Qu in n an d pl an et s (Erik Je s ar st r te in fa e se sc ientis ts to

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mons Fo Fu nd er : Heising-Si illion m A m ou nt : About $1 Konopacky, physicist nn ui Q : or at ig st ve In when it Pr in ci pa l Chile has few rivals in e op sc le Te h ut ace. It’s The Gemini So d planets in deep sp allows ze si rte pi Ju g in er device that comes to discov anet Imager (GPI), a Pl i in their em G e th ith w fitted er than simply infer th ra s et an pl e se ly ct the telescope to dire cky, who presence. ysicist Quinn Konopa ly to ph by ed op el ev -d ment, not on The GPI was co to upgrade the instru n the work is t or eff an g in ad le Whe is now t to hone in on stars. search for planets bu be able to see stars 20 times fainter than ill complete, the GPI w ly pick up, which will expand science’s nt rre cu the ones it can etar y systems. an understanding of pl

du rin g a in Ra nc ho Be rnar do e az bl a es ttl ba er ht A Sa n Di eg o fir ef ig Oc to be r 22 , 20 07. (K .C. Alfred / ) y, da on M on rm to fir es

res p on wildElfiec re, Getting aoujuntm tric, $6 million; Cal Fi s: Pacific Gas &

75 Fu nd er s, am as & Electric, $300,6 G go ie D n Sa ; on illi tist $5.2 m eal Driscoll, geoscien to be the N : or at ig st ve In l nsider Pr in ci pa begin what many co CounCalifornia is about to e season. San Diego fir ild w — ar ye e th hich scariest time of e 2003 Cedar fire, w th as s er st sa di ch 0 buildings. ty has suffered su yed more than 2,80 ro st de d an le op pe ALERTWildkilled 15 CSD co-developed U , ge ed an s er ht ig e network To give firef t-zoom cameras. Th n of til npa of k or tw ne the locatio fire, a growing er ything from confirm latest funding ev do s er ht ig ef fir s help The ganize evacuations. e a wildfire to better or its partners to add 300 cameras to th d an SD C U has allowed e total to more network, pushing th than 500.

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od uc e bio lum A pla nk to n blo od pr ego) Di (Erik Jepsen/UC San

VOL. 5 ISSUE 8 29

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Fu nd er : California graAm ou nt : $1,285,035 : Clarissa Anderson, biological oceano or Pr in ci pa l in ve st ig at the inescent light along pher um ol bi ed uc od pr at th But The big algae bloom tline this spring thrilled beach-goers. as co ty un Co o San Dieg ists. t that worries scient s that can it’s the kind of even od ms can pr uce toxin humans when oo bl in rta ce at th UCSD says e health of ntialmals and threaten th sicken marine mam In high enough doses, the toxin is pote d. sysoo ng af ni se ar in w consumed by creating an early ed instrung di on sp re is on rs at ly fatal. Ande ist of autom e blooms. It will cons l California tem for harmful alga oplankton in coasta yt ph ify ss cla d an t ments that coun

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Across

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1. Hostile to 5. Mountain nymph of Greek mythology 10. Slat 14. Shower 15. Shouldered 16. Popular cookie 17. Salt Lake City students 18. Piece of bacon 19. Contest, ethnicity 20. Got ripped 21. Musical clickers 23. Sun Devils' sch.

25. 100 square meters 26. Nonsense 31. Forbidden 35. Doc bloc 36. Back in 38. Poisonous 40. Torn clothing 42. Fear greatly 44. Granary 45. Snapshot 47. Bony prefix 49. Actress Sandra 50. Blood line 52. Person who tends sheep 54. Gerund maker 56. 1 or 66: Abbr.

57. Pertaining to a barber 62. Racetrack fence 66. Gaelic 67. Big name in vermouth 68. Scandinavian capital 69. Saudi king 70. More or less vertical 71. Electric fish 72. Body shops?

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SDRC MISSION VALLEY SDRC

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Crossword puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com (https://www.bestcrosswords.com). Used with permission.

30 VOL. 5 ISSUE 8

Stay Safe, San Diego

VOL. 5 ISSUE 8 31

G U E S T C O M M E N TA R Y

The Constitutional Right We Cannot Afford to Waste

By State Sen. Toni Atkins

Every decade, each person in the United States, young and old, regardless of citizenship, has the Constitutional right to be counted. The Census is the only way for us to determine the true definition of America whether you live in the largest metropolitan cities or miles down rural routes.

Think of it as a universal selfie.

Reminders about taking the 2020 Census are emblazoned on billboards, featured in television commercials, and sprinkled into social media news feeds. It makes sense, given that approximately $1.5 trillion dollars in federal funding is at stake.

Breaking that down, that means for every person left out of the Census count, California could lose $1,000 per person - per year - for the next 10 years.

That’s a loss of $10,000 per uncounted perToni G. Atkins is President pro Tempore of the Calison until the 2030 Census. fornia Senate.

If you have a family of five, your community could lose out on $50,000. continue to grow, and senior services must be properly accounted for. By filling the CenThe Census is like planning how much cake sus form out, you are declaring, “I am here. I to have at a birthday party based on the number of RSVPs. No one wants to miss out exist.” on cake because you thought it was OK to The Census Bureau on just show up unannounced.

The total pool of funding is distributed to Monday lopped a month communities based on population and head counts. This includes babies, children, teenoff the time people have to agers, seniors and non-citizens. respond to the 2020 count, The current COVID-19 health crisis also affords an all-too-realistic example of why you removing up the deadline need to be counted. We need to ensure that we get our fair share of funding and resourc for responding to Sept. 30 es in emergency situations. Funding for a community health clinic in your neighborhood is based on information only you can More importantly, your answers help fund provide. The data also funds programs and programs that serve your community and resources like senior services, child health programs, higher education, and job training. shape your future.

It is important to note that this is not a citiOur population is aging. The first Baby zenship survey. Despite the Supreme Court Boomers hit 65 in 2011. That population will

already having blocked the citizenship question from being included in the Census, the current administration continues to wrongfully attempt to circumvent the law and exclude immigrants in the 2020 Census.

Those efforts are unconscionable and unconstitutional.

Now, more than ever, we need everyone to participate in the 2020 Census so that we can ensure the law, not divisive politics, governs our land. We cannot let people be bullied or made to live in fear. The Constitution is clear - all people must count.

If this current public health and economic crisis has demonstrated anything, it is that vulnerable communities have suffered the most. In addition, COVID-19 has had a significant impact on our public schools and higher education, which means it is even more important to plan for the next 10 years in communities hard hit by this pandemic.

Census workers, called enumerators, will begin going door-to-door to collect Census data. They are not allowed to ask for your Social Security number, political preference, bank account information, or religious affiliation. It also illegal for the Census Bureau to share your information with law enforcement or any other government agency. And your information cannot be used against you in any way.

So please, consider this my “door-to-door” ask. Have you done a post on Facebook, sent a Tweet or uploaded a picture on Instagram? It’s just as easy to fill out your Census.

You can do it online, over the phone or on paper. In fact, you may also be receiving an email, making it even easier to complete.

The next 10 years of funding can be determined in just 10 minutes of your time. Make sure you are counted. It is your Constitutional right.

Online: 2020Census.gov

By Phone: 844-330-2020

North San Diego Business Chamber Opposes Prop 15 Property Tax Hike on November Ballot Are You Aware of the Prop 15 Property Tax Hike on November Ballot?

Prop 15, the $12.5 Billion-A-Year Property Tax Hike will be on the November Ballot Per the North San Diego Business Chamber of Commerce, Californians face some of the steepest taxes in the country with some of the highest income, state sales and gas taxes. And California’s cost of living is already among the nation’s highest.

Voters will see Prop 15 on their ballots this No-

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vember – a $12.5 billion-a-year property tax increase that will drive up the cost of living even higher—hurting businesses and families already struggling to get by. If you agree that San Diego County residents can’t afford another $12.5 billion in higher taxes during an unprecedented economic crisis, join the Coalition to OPPOSE Prop 15 here: https://noonprop15.org/join-the-coalition/

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FEATURED LISTINGS Talmadge It truly is amazing to live in the heart of an exciting big city! However, what’s even better is when you can escape home each day, into an oasis hideaway, perched high above a canyon. Welcome home to Talmadge, an eclectic mix of architectural styles & connected community feel. This home’s understated entrance opens into an open concept warm & inviting interior. Remodeled & refined, the colors are whimsical, and the space intelligently laid out. The backyard terraces invite you to lounge & relax.

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Offered for: $598,000

PENDING LISTINGS IN ESCROW! REPRESENTING THE BUYER

1135 Loma Ave., Coronado

4855 39th St., San Diego

3264 Boundary

3835 Madison, Unit 217

RECENTLY SOLD REPRESENTING THE BUYER

3553 Landis - Sold for $1,392,927 REPRESENTING THE BUYER

2019 B Street- Sold for $620,840 REPRESENTING THE BUYER

2455 Dulzura

10968 Deering

1275 River Vista REPRESENTING THE BUYER

3970 Boone St.

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

Ken Pecus Realtor®

Metro Mission Hills Resident

(619) 977-8419

ken@kenpecus.com DRE# 01056969

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Kevin Eads Realtor®

Kensington Resident and Homeowner

(619) 512-7700

kevin@kevineads.com

DRE# 01211241