San Diego Uptown News, May 15th, 2020

VOLUME 13 ISSUE 8 May 15 – June 4, 2020

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News briefs P. 8

Old Town • Mission Hills • Bankers Hill

Hillcrest • University Heights • Normal Heights • North Park • South Park • Golden Hill • Kensington • Talmadge

Glenner unveils remote care for seniors

➤➤ HISTORY P. 2

The engineer behind street names

By KENDRA SITTON | UPTOWN NEWS

➤➤ FEATURE P. 4

Kensington resident leads nonprofit

➤➤ NEWS P. 9

A classic car passes onlookers in front of San Diego Fire Station 10 during the Cars & Coffee Social Distancing Tour and Neighborhood Drive-By. (Photo by Brian Howarth)

Cruising cars in the era of COVID

By JEFF CLEMETSON | COLLEGE TIMES COURIER

Local nurses weigh in

On May 3, families along residential roads stretching from Rolando into Talmadge were treated to a little Sunday morning entertainment — a car show parade featuring a variety of classic, vintage and old-timey automobiles.

The car show was organized by Cars & Coffee, an informal group of car enthusiasts who met on the first Sunday every month in the parking lot of the Chase Bank at the corner of El Cajon Boulevard and College Avenue. However, for the last two months the group had not been able to hold any events, first due to rain in March and then

due to the coronavirus outbreak in April. Organizers thought May’s event would be cancelled too until late in April, a new plan was formed.

“A neighbor of mine had a drive-by surprise birthday party for her and that gave me an SEE CAR PARADE, Page 3

➤➤ ARTS P. 10

Gomez running as ‘true blue progressive’

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Decision Actors create ‘Socially Distanced’ series

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2020

By JEFF CLEMETSON | COLLEGE TIMES COURIER

The race for California’s 53rd Congressional District seat, vacated by retiring Rep. Susan Davis, has gained some national press attention for its similarities to other Democrat vs. Democrat races.

On one end there is Sara Jacobs, granddaughter to Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs SEE GOMEZ, Page 4

San Diego City Council President Georgette Gomez is a candidate for the CA53 congressional seat. (Courtesy Georgette Gomez for Congress)

For over a year, Glenner Centers in San Diego has been working on a program to make their assistance more accessible to family caregivers of people with dementia.

The organization founded by UCSD Alzheimer’s researcher Dr. George G. Glenner and his wife Joy Glenner has operated a day care center in Hillcrest and other parts of San Diego for decades.

Many family caregivers needed more support than just a few days of care per week so the organization began developing GLENNERCARE, a remote way for fulltime caregivers to access support.

Conveniently, the rollout of the new program coincided with the shuttering of the regular care centers due to COVID-19.

Clients enrolled in the program have access to a 24/7 care team that helps to prevent and mitigate crises. The focus is to provide proactive and innovative care.

“What we’re trying to do is use technology in a way that we can prevent ER visits or visits to urgent care,” explained Tanya Navarro, a social worker for Glenner.

Caregivers can call a social worker at any time if someone with dementia is agitated or having an issue. The social worker assesses the situation, can help de-escalate the situation or connect the client to other resources, including healthcare professionals. In addition, patients’ vitals are monitored constantly so nurses call SEE GLENNER CARE, Page 12

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HISTORY The engineer behind authors, gems, heroes and scientists San Diego street names: The first installment in the series

Many streets in San Diego originally had different names from what we know them by today, especially the subdivisions (“tracts”) mapped prior to 1900. In those early days, development was so sparse, it did not much matter that there were at least fifteen “First Streets” throughout the city. However, by the late 1890s,

urbanization was intensifying, and the potential for mass confusion with the existing street name patterns was obvious.

To eliminate duplication and achieve some continuity where street names changed from tract to tract, about 90 names were changed throughout the city by Ordinance No. 599 adopted by the Board of Aldermen on February 6, 1899, and more than 250 names were changed by Ordinance No. 755 adopted May 21, 1900.

Ordinance No. 755 brought

Retired physician William B. Hollington lived across the street from Louis J. Davids in this historically designated Victorian-era Queen Anne style home built in 1887. (Photo by Katherine Hon)

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authors to Point Loma and gems to Pacific Beach, among many other changes.

The source of alphabetical themes for street names changed

by Ordinance No. 755 was Louis Jackson Davids, the relatively new city engineer. He wrote the following memorandum to the Board of Public Works on February 1, 1900: “Gentlemen, I hand you herewith a list of streets in the City limits of San Diego, the names of which occur in other and more central parts of the City. The new names suggested are taken either from natural objects (trees, flowers etc.) or from men celebrated in Science, Literature, Statesmanship, War etc.; care being taken to maintain alphabetical order. It would seem advisable to have these names changed by ordinance and to take such action as will prevent further duplication in names of streets.”

The Board of Public Works acknowledged receipt of Davids’ memorandum and list at their February 8, 1900 meeting, noting, “The City Engineer suggests new names, with a recommendation that they be substituted for the old ones. Upon motion being duly seconded the same was referred to the Common Council with recommendation that the same be adopted.”

The San Diego Union’s February 9, 1900 issue reported, “Mr. Davids has proposed new names for most of the duplicates and the board has decided that it would be a good thing to make the change before any greater difficulty is likely to result from the change.

A communication will be sent to the council recommending the adoption of the suggestions made by the engineer.”

Ordinance No. 755, which provided for “changing the names and regulating the naming of certain streets in the city of San Diego,” was read and adopted at the aldermen’s meeting on May 21, 1900 and approved by the mayor the following day. The list of name changes was certified by the city clerk as being published in the San Diego Union’s May 24, 25, and 26, 1900 issues.

Davids’ list of new street names that are mostly still present include alphabetical authors from Addison to Zouch — later Zola — and Alcott through Dumas in Roseville, authors Elliott through Lytton in Loma Portal, historians Abbott through Guizot in Ocean Beach, gems Agate through Hornblend and statesmen Allison through Randall in Pacific Beach, naval heroes Bainbridge through Rogers in La Playa, cities Chicago through Nashville in Clairemont/ Bay Park, and scientists/engineers Cuvier through Herschel in La Jolla.

Who was this scholarly civil engineer?

Davids had been unanimously selected by the Board of Public Works to be city engineer from

This February 1, 1900 memo and accompanying list of recommended new street names from City Engineer Louis J. Davids initiated the name changes of more than 250 streets in San Diego. Ordinance No. 755 was approved on May 22, 1900 by Mayor Edwin Capps. (Courtesy of City Clerk Archives)

three candidates on April 27, 1899. He replaced Edwin Capps, city engineer since July 1893, who resigned because he had just been elected mayor.

Davids’ selection was favorably received. The San Diego Union’s April 28, 1899 issue reported, “Mr. Davids is by far the best man, so far as engineering ability is concerned, that the board of public works could have chosen… it is safe to say that the city’s interests will at all times be carefully guarded by him.”

Davids was born in New Rochelle, New York, in 1854 and obtained his civil engineering degree from Union College — a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York — in 1879. He began living in San Diego around 1886. An article about his wedding to Eda Skidmore in the San Diego Union’s April 27, 1894 issue noted, “Mr. Davids is well-known in this city as a gentleman of more than ordinary culture and enviable attainments as a civil engineer, in this state as well as in Mexico and South America, where he was engaged for a series of years in railroad construction.

He recently quit the services of the Santa Fe railroad company to look after his private interests in and about San Diego.” His “beautiful and accomplished bride” was described as a native Californian who had traveled extensively and had recently “been teaching in the public schools of this city.” Perhaps the couple came up with the “celebrated” names for streets together.

Davids was described in the 1894 Great Register of San Diego County as being 40 years old and 5 feet 10 inches tall, having a light complexion with blue eyes and brown hair, and living at 170 21st Street.

Davids’ home was on the southwest corner of 21st and L streets

in what is now the Sherman Heights Historic District. His house was built in 1892 and has been replaced with a newer structure. However, other nearby homes built in the late 1800s still grace the neighborhood. Davids’ across-the-street neighbor was William B. Hollington, a retired English physician who lived at 171 21st Street from about 1888 to his death in 1908. Hollington’s Victorian-era Queen Anne style house was built in 1887 and is a designated historic resource.

The Board of Public Works “dispensed with” the services of Davids at their October 25, 1900 meeting. The Evening Tribune’s October 25, 1900 issue related the conversation of the board members, who acknowledged he was “a competent engineer, but has a different opinion from this board as to the manner of running his office.” They replaced him with George d’Hemicourt — one of the other candidates in 1899 — at a special meeting on October 30, 1900.

Davids subsequently moved to Oakland with Eda and their son Cyril. He worked as a civil engineer there and in Los Angeles, where the family was living by 1920. He and his wife died within nine days of each other in October 1933 in Los Angeles.

Although he was San Diego’s city engineer for only a year and a half, Davids’ renaming of city streets in 1900 had a profound effect on the identity of many San Diego neighborhoods.

St ay t u ne d t o f ut u r e PastMatters columns for more about original street names and changes throughout the city.

—Katherine Hon is the secretary of the North Park Historical Society.

Reach her at info@northparkhistory.org or 619-294-8990.

NEWS

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May, 2020 | sdnews.com San Diego Community Newspaper Group

Car parade

3

CONTINUED FROM Page 1

idea,” said Cars & Coffee organizer Newell Booth. “I thought, ‘Wow, instead of having a car show for the neighbors to come look at, we’ll take it to them.”

Booth said he knew the event — dubbed the Cars & Coffee Social Distancing Tour and Neighborhood Drive-By — would have a captive audience with people staying at home in self isolation, even those who would normally be at church on Sunday morning. He also knew it would be easy to find cars and drivers for the parade.

“The car people are anxious to go somewhere because all our tours are cancelled,” he said.

“Everything is on hold for all of the car activities.”

In the two short weeks before the parade, Booth laid out the route, got the word out to car clubs throughout the region and advertised the event through social

El Cerrito residents enjoying the car parade (Photo by Jeff Clemetson)

A “health check” for drivers (Photo by Brian Howarth)

media sites like NextDoor and through neighborhood groups like the El Cerrito Community Council. He set up a website for the event and enlisted the help of a realtor friend who lent him signs to put up along the route, inviting residents to take part. Booth’s wife Gladene also pitched in with the planning and was “just as enthused” for the parade as he was,

showed ‘em they had a, you know, fake temperature.

Then we sent ‘em to a ‘pharmacist’ where we had a funny prescription and gave ‘em a bag of trail mix.”

The event also included a canned food drive for local Sports cars on parade (Photo by Jeff Clemetson) food banks.

On the day of the parade, Booth Cars & Coffee began several knew the event would bring a years ago as an informal gathgood turnout of cars so the meet ering at the Duet Coffee Shop on up for the event was changed from El Cajon Boulevard. In it’s early the Chase Bank to the College years, there would be only five or Area Baptist Church parking lot. six cars, one being Booth’s 1906 A whopping 76 cars showed up Buick. When the original orgafor the parade, making it Cars & nizer for the group announced he was moving away from San Coffee’s largest event to date.

“It went viral, pardon the pun, Diego, the future of the informal mainly because people were ready to get out,” Booth said.

SEE CAR PARADE, Page 14

even offering up some fun ideas for the participating drivers that brought some levity to the event in these troubled times.

“In the middle of the show, we had a health inspection,” Booth said. “We have a circle drive at our home so we drove [the cars] through our circle drive and we had a ‘doctor’ at one end that aimed a hair dryer at ‘em and

Lining up to leave at College Area Baptist Church (Photo

by Jeff Clemetson)

A vintage San Diego Police car (Photo by Jeff Clemetson)

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May, 2020 | sdnews.com San Diego Community Newspaper Group

Gomez

INFLUENTIAL CHILDHOOD

CONTINUED FROM Page 1

and a former policy wonk in the Obama Administration’s State Department. On the other end is San Diego City Council President Georgette Gomez, daughter of undocumented immigrants and a progressive with the endorsement of leftist presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders.

In the March 3 primary, Jacobs came out on top with 29.1% of the vote, compared to Gomez’ 20% — a result Gomez chalked up to the race’s crowded field of 14 candidates and being heavily outspent by the Jacobs campaign and a SuperPac that supports her.

“We always knew that Sara was going to come in first and us in second just because the nature of the spending,” Gomez said. Gomez added that she wasn’t disappointed with the primary results and that she expects to win in November because her “message is really stronger.”

That message includes a humble-beginnings backstory and policy positions that focus on income inequality, poverty and the environment.

“As a true blue progressive — and I mean that with sincerity in terms of that my life experience has guided me in everything that I do — it really is a motivator for me to transform government to address some of these serious issues that people are facing.”

Gomez is a San Diego native and first generation MexicanAmerican who was born in Barrio Logan and lived south of Interstate 8 her entire life.

“I grew up very humble but at the same time, my parents did everything they could to provide a better path for all three of their children,” she said.

Gomez’ parents were undocumented and worked multiple jobs that paid minimum wage.

“Jobs that took advantage of them because they were undocumented,” she said “They kept their heads down and did their work.”

Gomez said her family moved around the South Bay a lot while growing up. At one point, they didn’t have a home of their own and lived in the living room of another family’s house.

“So, you can imagine growing up in somebody else’s space.

That leaves a strong imprint on a child,” she said. “For me growing up, that was my experience: having housing insecurity, at times food insecurity. But I also felt that my parents worked to make it through and provide for their children.”

Gomez credits her parents’ sacrifices as a motivating factor for her to work hard in school. In middle school and high school, Gomez woke up every morning at 5 a.m. to take public transportation to San Carlos and then Tierrasanta because her mother knew that wealthier communities

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NEWS had better schools and “access to success.”

“That was really an eye-opener for me because growing up I knew that we were struggling but I just thought that was the reality for everybody,” she said. “I noticed how different my community was from the community where my school was. There were grocery stores and parks.”

EARLY ACTIVISM

In her senior year at Serra High School, Gomez said she became politically active.

“That was the year that Pete Wilson introduced Prop 187 targeting immigrant [communities],” she said, adding that her older brother brought her along to help with voter outreach to defeat the proposition. It passed but was later ruled unconstitutional by the courts.

Gomez continued her activism at SDSU where she studied urban planning with an “environmental and cultural lens.”

“Growing up in Barrio Logan, I knew there was no question that my community was treated completely different than other communities. You could taste it in the pollution in the air,” she said. “My intention of going to college was to try and understand how do you influence the development of communities and how do you do it in a way that is healthy and is reflective of the community members.”

At SDSU Gomez got involved with an environmental justice club where she was introduced to the Environmental Health Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy group that she went to work for after graduation. As a community organizer at EHC, Gomez lead a campaign to stop an old power plant from reopening; organized to shut down a peak power plant proposed for a location near an elementary school; influenced community developments in Barrio Logan and National City to create better jobs, affordable housing, and better mobility; and helped create the statewide California Environmental Justice Alliance to influence state policy.

The latter resulted in her working on the national Sustainable Communities Program started by the Obama Administration which worked to transform underserved neighborhoods by making them greener — she worked on the pilot program in National City.

Also during this time, Gomez worked on helping get fellow Democrats elected, which is what eventually lead her to run for the San Diego City Council District 9 seat.

A LOCAL OFFICIAL

“I thought, ‘Okay, I know how to do policy. I know how to bring people together. I’ve been involved in other people’s campaigns. I challenged myself to think of myself differently,” Gomez said.

“When I decided to run for local election, it wasn’t something that I felt comfortable with, so I really struggled with that because I thought that was something

Gomez cites her roots as a South Bay native as a reason she is best to serve the 53rd. (Courtesy Georgette Gomez for Congress)

that somebody else does. But because I was so committed, I just felt like, ‘okay I know that I can bring something to the table. I know that.’”

Gomez credits a strong grass roots campaign for her election to the District 9 seat — a race she was outspent by her opponent 3 to 1 and “wasn’t supposed to win.”

Since her election to the City Council, Gomez said she has maintained a strong agenda to help underserved communities — like the ones she grew up in.

Her decision to serve on the MTS board was influenced by her high school years riding the bus to school almost every day. Gomez eventually ran to be chair of MTS and was elected by her colleagues from 10 different cities in San Diego County.

“My goal was to highlight the importance of transit in our region,” she said. “If you look at the history of transit here in our region, it has never been a priority for electeds. But these last couple of years we’ve built a strong voice on the importance of it and we’re going to continue pushing.”

In addition to being elected by her colleagues to lead the MTS board, Gomez was elected twice by her fellow City Council members — unanimously by Democrats and Republicans — to be Council President. Gomez credits her transparency as the reason for gaining the trust of the Council members from both sides of the aisle.

A RUN FOR CONGRESS

As the elected representative of District 9, Gomez said she has always worked to be supportive of the district’s large immigrant community. When Rep. Susan Davis announced she would be stepping down from her CA-53 seat at the end of this year, Gomez decided to run for congress with the idea that she could be a voice for immigration reform in the U.S. “My values really are about justice, about making sure government is more inclusive about who we are and recognizes that,” she said. “Everything really stems from that. Everything that I’ve done as a community organizer, as public policy advocate has been to

really try and transform the system to be more reflective of who we are.”

Since launching her campaign, Gomez has racked up support from a wide range of groups and people, including labor unions, teachers, the Sierra Club, and politicians like presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders all the way to La Mesa Mayor Mark Aropostathis, who now considers himself an independent but originally ran as a Republican.

Although she expects to be outspent by the Jacobs campaign, Gomez sees her strong message, experience and local roots as key to winning in November — even as the COVID crisis has taken away door-to-door canvassing, one of the main tools of grassroots campaigns.

“The COVID just creates more creativity in how to reach out to voters. As a grassroots campaign you have to be creative. It’s not going to slow us down at all,” she said.

Like many other campaigns, Gomez said her team recently focused on phone banking wellness checks for seniors in CA-53 and also built a resource page to share with any constituents that might need it.

“It wasn’t about, ‘Can we count on your support?’ It was about an ‘Are you okay, do you need any support, how can we assist?’ type of message and just leave it at that,” she said.

Still, Gomez said she is ready to get back to campaigning on her message of support for policies like universal single-payer healthcare and a Green New Deal.

“If you look at my background as public policy advocate on addressing environmental racism, the Green New Deal gets to that, so that is something I’ll continue pushing,” she said.

With the COVID crisis pushing spending to its limits, Gomez said she is working on formulating some plans for addressing the deficit.

“I don’t think we’re maximizing taxation on the wealthy and we have created a system where we are taxing more on the middle SEE GOMEZ, Page 5

May, 2020 | sdnews.com NEWS San Diego Community Newspaper Group sdnews.com 5 Nonprofit CEO keeps developmentally disabled people connected

By KENDRA SITTON | UPTOWN NEWS

Ken Barnes became CEO of Options 4 All, a nonprofit serving developmentally disabled adults, on Feb. 3. Within weeks, he had shifted from meeting employees of the organization throughout the state to forming an internal coronavirus task force. In week six of his tenure, the stay-at-home order was issued – and he was prepared.

“Thursday, March 19, that afternoon we started rolling out [remote programming] and the governor issued the state order that night. The next day, we were ready because we’ve been planning for three weeks,” Barnes explained in a phone interview.

At this point, Barnes has spent more time working from home than he has spent working in the office. The organization’s 420 employees are also all working from home. While other nonprofits have struggled to keep their payroll, Options 4 All has actually hired seven people since the crisis began.

“The thing that I’m most excited about is that we’ve been able to keep our staff home. I didn’t want them to face the economic stress in the midst of it; there’s all kinds of stressors happening,” Barnes said.

To support staff, the organization has also set up an anonymous counseling program for employees. With staff members still employed, the organization has been able to keep serving the 1,400 disabled adults in its orbit.

The majority of the work Options 4 All does is community engagement. “We help them engage in society, so they can fully participate,” Barnes said. “This is a population that historically have been confined to their homes.”

By taking people with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other conditions on outings to the library, park, Starbucks and stores, Barnes said two things are accomplished. First, disabled adults are taught how to interact and second, other people unlearn stigma surrounding disabled people. “[Intellectually disabled] people are normal people just like them.

They just are just neurologically diverse,” Barnes said.

Another effort Options 4 All has is supportive employment. Many of their clients are employed at grocery stores and healthcare centers and other essential jobs where they receive some coaching and guidance from the nonprofit staff so they can be as independent as possible.

A small portion of their work is helping care for disabled people living independently without family or friend support. This can mean paying bills, managing their household, and grocery shopping.

The last portion of their work is a film and media studies program with Joey Travolta, the older brother of actor John Travolta.

People take classes and train to work in the film industry.

Participants create commercials for local companies and recently released their first feature film, “Carol of the Bells.”

Each of these programs have been made remote so participants can continue receiving support while sheltering at home. “We didn’t want them to lose all of their daily habits and their daily routine that they rely upon,” Barnes said. “We’re gonna do everything we can to meet them where they are and continue to provide services.”

Barnes first got involved with Options 4 All in 2014 when a friend invited him to a fundraiser because she knew that Barnes grew up with a twin brother with cerebral palsy, although his brother died many years ago. After the fundraiser, Barnes began volunteering and within a few years was on the board of directors.

Last year, the organization’s CEO of 27 years moved on. Barnes was living in Sacramento at the time after years of work in public affairs and management consulting.

“The board went out and did a search and I thought, gosh, it sounds crazy but I think I want to apply, but we will take a pay cut and have to move to a more expensive area in the state,” he said.

He was selected and moved to San Diego for the new role.

The work is especially significant during the pandemic because some states, including Washington and Alabama, have placed intellectually disabled adults as a lower priority for lifesaving treatments in their disaster preparedness plans. Advocates worry that some of the 7 million intellectually disabled Americans would be denied ventilators and other life-saving treatment if there was a shortage.

“Those emergency precautions are basically saying that someone who has Down syndrome or someone who’s on the autism spectrum is less valuable than someone who’s not on the autism spectrum. It goes beyond cruel. It’s inhumane,” Barnes said passionately.

The potential situation reminds Barnes of his brother. “’Twin A, he’s got cerebral palsy so let him die. Twin B, he’s more valuable, so let him live,’” Barnes imagines a healthcare worker deciding.

Ken Barnes (Courtesy photos)

Barnes does not believe triage should be based on someone’s interpretation of the value of someone’s life based on what they are capable of. Barnes is willing to advocate for clients if need be.

Already, a sickened person in the program faced the “double barrier” of English being their family’s second language and being disabled after being diagnosed with COVID-19. A staff member called the family and the healthcare center to ensure the person was receiving proper care.

“I don’t think there’s anything more important than protecting the most vulnerable people in our society,” Barnes concluded.

—Editor Kendra Sitton can be reached at kendra@sdnews.com.

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Gomez

CONTINUED FROM Page 4

class and people living in poverty than the 1%,” she said, adding that corporate taxation and reforming military spending would be in her plan to fund more domestic spending to put people to work — a necessity to create a more diverse economy in San Diego beyond serving the tourism industry which has been decimated by the COVID crisis.

“Being one of the leaders getting us through the COVID crisis has given me more energy to work hard and earn the votes of the residents of the 53rd and get to D.C.

and get to work for our region,” she said. “We need to get more resources to address our income inequality, to address our huge infrastructure deficits that we have here in San Diego region, to address our housing affordability crisis.

“I understand what we need as a region. I have that experience and I’m ready to lead and really fight hard to ensure we’re moving the country in a more inclusive, more equitable way to advance on these major issues that have not been a priority – and I’m going to do that when I get to D.C.” —Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at jeff@sdnews.com.

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OPINION Sheltering anxiety in its place

1621 Grand Ave., Suite C San Diego, CA 92109 (858) 270-3103 EDITORS

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OPINIONS/LETTERS: College Times Courier encourages letters to the editor and guest editorials. Please email submissions to jeff@sdnews.com and include your phone number and address for verification. We reserve the right to edit letters for brevity and accuracy. Letters and guest editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or staff.

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LA JOLLA

By JESSICA KEITH | UPTOWN NEWS

I had a newborn baby and a toddler and believed I was dying.

I choked on every breath assuming it would be my last. I couldn’t leave my home. I couldn’t drive to the beach or go to the grocery store. It wasn’t safe outside. This was in the year 2014. It wasn’t the government telling us to ‘shelter in place’ for safety. It was my mind. I was suffering postpartum anxiety and agoraphobia, the thoughts and fear that nowhere is safe.

I believed the pain would never end as relief was nowhere in sight. I couldn’t manage the unfamiliar barriers and restrictions my mind was putting on me. Recognizing the signs, my OBGYN directed me to get help.

Partnered with medication, I began cognitive behavioral therapy, practicing techniques to calm my mind, and to challenge my thoughts. But the mental illness had taken over my body, holding it hostage. I wondered if any of these tricks and tools would ever start to work.

Six years later, we are in the midst of a pandemic and similar to anxiety, the virus escalated quickly, giving people an overwhelming feeling that it will never end. Welcome to my world.

Currently, I’m teaching college students, now online, while schooling my three young children (ages 2, 5, and 8). Putting my children to sleep, I told a bedtime story, as we all lay down, under the covers, with our eyes closed. I made up an adventure going through the letters of the alphabet. “At the zoo an Alligator named Allie told me to go see a Bear named Barry. He told me to look for a Cougar named Carrie. She told me to look for a Dolphin named Daphne.” When I got to the letter M, my three children were asleep and I felt relaxed. Distracting my thoughts, focusing on a mental exercise, was one of the tools I learned in my treatment.

Scrolling through social media during this pandemic, I began recognizing a number of recommendations I realized I had

already integrated into my daily plan. Instead of overwhelming my thoughts with the depths of an unknown future, Monday through Friday, we are following a schedule. The toddler is our alarm clock at 6:30 a.m., cueing us all to wake up. We then get dressed and make beds before breakfast. A “school” day plan is on a dry erase board. Amid the chaos, I have been putting order in my day. In the evenings, when I can, I go for a walk outside and call a friend. Exercise is an excellent stress reliever and feeling the fresh air keeps me in the current moment. At the same time, the conversation keeps me connected to a support system.

All of these little steps, remind me that taking them day by day, will help keep me healthy.

Unlike years before, now, I am mentally prepared. I can’t see the end of this pandemic, but I know through dealing with my anxiety, it can’t last forever.

Challenging my mindset was one of the tools I learned in the treatment. I am not stuck at home like I was before. I am safe

at home, doing my part to keep others healthy.

To stay on top of my anxiety during this unprecedented time, I have to use coping tools in my toolbox. But I am also realistic.

I understand, today will not be the same for me as tomorrow. I should limit my caffeine. It increases your heart rate while stimulating nervous feelings.

While I have three children bouncing all around at all hours while I “school” them at home while I am teaching, I chose to focus on what I can do. While I navigate this pandemic with the tools I learned from a mental health practitioner, I will still have a cup of coffee in hand.

—Jessica Keith has spent the past three years teaching Cultural Adaptation at San Diego State University. She can be found lecturing in the classroom to an audience who listens or at home with her three children who are more interested in Legos than their mommy’s master’s degree in International Education. Jessica Keith is a resident of North Park.

Social isolation: Spotting the signs and opening minds of your senior loved ones

By SIMONA VALANCIUTE | SAN DIEGO OASIS

If you’re the caretaker of a parent or other elderly relative, it can be challenging to convince your loved one to try something new. However, what you may perceive as stubbornness could be a sign they are experiencing social isolation, which poses serious risks to their health and wellbeing. Social distancing, while important to containing the coronavirus, may exacerbate their loneliness by taking away normal routines and activities, as well as physical contact and hugs from family and friends.

It’s now more important than ever for caretakers to identify the signs of social isolation and help loved ones find ways to stay curious and engaged with the world virtually.

• Social isolation occurs when a person withdraws and becomes disconnected from friends, family and their community. Multiple studies have shown social isolation is as bad

for a person’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is even more harmful than obesity; it has also been linked to higher blood pressure, a lowered immune response and earlier onset of dementia.

• Here are just a few ways an older parent or relative may show negative effects of social isolation: • Lack of interest in staying connected to the outside world, their hobbies or social activities they once enjoyed • Poor personal hygiene • Signs of poor nutrition, such as rapid weight gain or loss, or lack of appetite • Significant disrepair, clutter or hoarding behavior in their home • Having trouble sleeping, or sleeping more than usual • Declines in memory or information processing If you’re thinking these sound a lot like the signs of depression, you’re correct: depression and social isolation often go

Members of the Oasis community on a laptop (Courtesy photos)

hand-in-hand. As with depression, the solution for social isolation will differ from person to person, but staying active, socializing with others and focusing one’s mind on something else are the keys to combating both.

It can be difficult, though, to convince an older loved one to get outside their comfort zone,

whether that’s embracing different ways of communicating through technology or trying new activities. There are a variety of reasons older adults may be reluctant to open their minds to new ways of doing things.

Change is hard for people of any age, and seniors especially may rely on rigid ways of thinking to navigate a constantly changing world and feel good about themselves.

One healthy way to give seniors that self-esteem: help them learn a new skill, or at least experience a familiar activity in a new, virtual way. Doing so may allow them to socialize with new people and develop confidence as they improve.

Here are some ideas: • Go back to school. Multiple community colleges in the San SEE SOCIAL ISOLATION, Page 12

sdnews.com

Calif. Senate adapts Notes from Toni

May, 2020 | sdnews.com POLITICS San Diego Community Newspaper Group 7 Protecting our children’s safety online

City Attorney News

By TONI G. ATKINS

By MARA W. ELLIOTT

This past month has seen some changes in the way we do things in the Senate, as all of us in California—and around the world—continue trying to get through this crisis together.

In April, I created the Special Senate Budget Subcommittee on COVID-19 Response to oversee how California has been funding our vital containment and response efforts. Governor Gavin Newsom has broad emergency spending authority, and when the Senate and the Assembly approved up to an additional $1 billion in emergency funding to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, we assured Californians there would be this appropriate legislative oversight over all of this spending.

At its first hearing on April 16, the Budget Subcommittee looked at areas where the emergency funding has gone thus far, including obtaining hospital beds and equipment, child care for essential workers along with protective equipment and cleaning supplies for child care providers, lowering the risk to our communities by getting more homeless people into motel rooms, and filling gaps in the federal loan program to help small business.

The hearing made a couple things extremely clear—dealing with COVID-19 continues to be extremely fluid and fast-moving with major decisions having to be made in the moment, and the pandemic will have major repercussions on the state budget.

The hearing showed there is still information we need to ensure California’s efforts are having the desired effects, and much preparation we need to do in a very short time to pass a budget.

Thankfully, we are more prepared than ever to enter a downturn. But the magnitude of the shutdown of the economy will reach beyond even our historic preparation. It will take major additional federal support for local governments and states throughout this country. It is imperative that California maximizes our efforts to gain the federal support our state needs to get through this crisis in as strong of shape as possible.

As families across San Diego shelter in place to protect against coronavirus, children are spending more time online – for school, for entertainment, and for social interactions with their friends.

To make this possible, parents have had to ease up on previous restrictions on internet access.

Yet the concerns that prompted those restrictions are no less real today. Protecting children from a pandemic should not compromise their protections against online threats.

As a mother of school-age children, I recognize the role of the internet in providing entertainment and interaction. As your city attorney, I want to protect all kids from the potential harm that can result from this unprecedented increase in online engagement.

Online predators are savvy.

They understand that children are home from school and parents may be nearby, but distracted with other responsibilities. They lie about their age and identity, earn victims’ trust, and try to obtain family information and photos. They may engage in sexual conversation, or suggest meeting in person. Predators can also be schoolmates, who

Sen. Toni Atkins in her office (Photos courtesy the Office of Sen. Toni Atkins)

This hearing was also the Senate’s first opportunity during this crisis to include remote participation as part of the proceedings. Ten thousand more people than is usual for a hearing tried to watch online, and while that caused some technical glitches at the outset, we ultimately were able to successfully connect and stream the hearing. Most of the committee participated electronically, and for the Senators, staff and others who took part in person, we adhered to strict social distancing protocols.

The decision to try something new with remote participation was easy, given that protecting the public health takes precedence right now. Parents, students, and teachers all across California are already utilizing remote strategies. We know we can do the same and provide transparent, accessible, and participatory opportunities to conduct the people’s business.

In addition to the work being done by the Budget subcommittee, I also recently created a Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response to look at California’s overall actions regarding the current crisis and to make findings and recommendations for steps we can take now to prepare for future pandemics.

Despite these changing times, one thing remains constant – my team and I always remain available to assist you in any way we can.

use the internet to cyberbully or pursue unhealthy romantic relationships.

Navigating all of this is hard for kids as well as their parents and guardians. Here are some helpful tips for protecting your children online: 1. Educate yourself. Online communication is constantly evolving, as are the specific ways your kids use the Internet to connect with others. Risks vary based on the type of usage. Parents should keep up on current technologies and know exactly how their kids are using the Internet.

2. Educate your children.

Make sure they understand the difference between a friend and a predator. Explain that people might fake who they are online, and stress the importance of not engaging with strangers. Advise against accepting follow or friend requests from people they don’t know and caution them not to include personal information on their profiles. Discuss relevant news stories about online predators around the dinner table.

3. Establish open communication. Internet safety can’t be a one-time conversation. It is easier to protect children who feel they can tell you what’s going on without getting into trouble. Encourage open and non-judgmental communication if they encounter a stranger who

makes inappropriate comments, a classmate who tries to humiliate them or a fellow student, or a boyfriend or girlfriend who is being threatening.

4. Set rules. Limit online time and platforms. Let your children know you put these rules in place because you love them and want them to be safe. Some families find it useful to create an internet usage contract that outlines family rules. When possible, put rules in place that are consistent with those implemented by the parents of their friends and acquaintances.

5. Discuss risky behavior and unhealthy relationships.

Talk about online flirting and how it can veer into uncomfortable territory. For instance, if your child is pressured to keep a relationship secret, contact should end immediately. Tell them it’s okay to stop communicating with anyone who asks questions that are too personal, uncomfortable, or sexually suggestive.

6. Talk about sexting and intimate photos. This may be awkward to discuss, but warn teens to never share pictures of themselves or messages that they wouldn’t want to be permanently available on the internet and visible to their family, classmates, teachers, or future employers. Urge them to tell you

•RECLAIM YOUR TRUE BEAUTY• At the Hornbrook Center for Dentistry, our goal is to always provide the highest level of dental care in an atmosphere that is comfortable, relaxing, and a very special experience for every one of our patients.

Uncompromising in both quality of care and customer service are the reasons we have had such a loyal community following the past 30 years in San Diego

—Toni G. Atkins represents District 39 in the California Senate. Follow her on Twitter @SenToniAtkins.

David S. Hornbrook HORNBROOK.COM | 619-463-7797 7777 Alvarado Rd #210 The new senate format keeps lawmakers apart from each other.

SEE KID SAFETY, Page 10

8

May, 2020 | sdnews.com San Diego Community Newspaper Group

NEWS

NEWS BRIEFS

NORTH PARK VONS SOLD TO LA INVESTOR CBRE announced the sale of a Vons grocery store in San Diego to a Los Angeles-based private investor for $27.7 million on Wednesday, May 6.

Located at 4145 30th Street in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego, the 44,000 square-foot building sits one half-mile west of I-805, a major freeway that connects the area to the rest of San Diego County. Vons is on a current lease that runs through June of 2039.

FEEDING SAN DIEGO PURCHASES UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF FOOD Feeding San Diego has purchased 125 truckloads of food since March 14 to meet a countywide surge in demand due to the COVID-19 crisis. The organization normally purchases approximately 24 truckloads in an entire year.

The increased reliance on purchased food is helping the organization to meet the needs of the nearly one out of every eight San Diegans struggling with hunger prior to the COVID-19 crisis, but also thousands of newly affected residents as San Diego’s unemployment rate reaches 25%. The increased demand comes at a time when Feeding San Diego has experienced a 30% decline in donations from local grocery stores due to high consumer demand.

“We are experiencing a tremendous surge in people facing hunger across San Diego County right now, with an estimated 40% facing food insecurity for the first time,” said Vince Hall, CEO of Feeding San Diego. “The wave of children, families and seniors in need isn't slowing down — and neither are we because no

San Diegan should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. We are grateful to the thousands of San Diegans who have generously donated to Feeding San Diego during this unprecedented crisis. Our donors from across this generous community make our work possible every day.”

Feeding San Diego offers notouch, drive-through food assistance at hundreds of sites throughout San Diego County.

The organization’s food finder map has become a valuable resource to the community and can be found at: feedingsandiego.org/ find-food.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES’ FALL TERM ONLINE Fall semester classes across the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) will be offered primarily through online and distance education. The decision was announced last week by SDCCD Chancellor Constance M. Carroll in an email to the district’s 5,000 employees. The district’s 100,000 students also are being informed.

Chancellor Carroll offered that the district, which includes San Diego City, Mesa, and Miramar colleges and San Diego Continuing Education, will make an effort to allow some exceptions for classes such as science, clinical and career-technical labs, classes for first responders, and others which are difficult to offer completely online. In those cases, however, social distancing and other health protocols would need to be closely followed.

Chancellor Carroll said it was important to make the decision about modality for the fall semester early enough to allow the faculty and the campuses to prepare. She also announced that the

district and the campuses would be providing additional professional development to ensure the highest quality of instruction and student support during this online phase.

The district has also begun discussions regarding a phased-in approach that would determine when employees might return to work. However, as with classes, the work environment would need to be safe for employees.

The SDCCD converted over 5,000 classes to all-online instruction on March 23. Since then, it has also announced that summer classes will be held online due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, and that commencement ceremonies will be conducted virtually in mid-July. Thousands of district students have been provided with laptops, wifi hubs, and other equipment to ensure they can continue their studies. In addition, hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships and emergency grants have been secured to assist students — many of whom have lost jobs.

The district estimates it has incurred approximately $4 million in unanticipated costs thus far due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BANKERS HILL RESIDENT NAMED VP OF FINANCE AND TREASURY AT MISSION FED Mission Federal Credit Union, San Diego’s largest member-owned, not-for-profit, full-service financial institution exclusively serving San Diego County, has appointed Eric Larson as its new Vice President – Finance and Treasury.

Larson most recently held roles as Chief Financial Officer of CalPrivate Bank and its holding company, Private Bancorp of America, Inc. from 2010 until 2019. Prior to his tenure at CalPrivate, Mr. Larson was employed at San Diego National Bank from 1985 until 2009, the last twelve years as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Larson graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance.

“Eric brings a very deep background in Finance & Treasury to Mission Fed, said Doug Wright, Chief Financial Officer at Mission Fed, “Both as CFO of San Diego National Bank and CFO for Cal Private Bank, Eric did an outstanding job of overseeing balance sheet management, interest rate risk, liquidity, and investment functions for the organization. We are honored to welcome him to the Mission Fed team.”

ORAL HYGIENE KITS BEING DONATED TO SENIORS With seniors ’sheltering in place” and potentially doing so for many more months to come, the Gary & Mary West Senior Dental Center is making sure vulnerable San Diego seniors have the items they need to keep up their health and oral hygiene during this time.

The organization is in the process of preparing and delivering 5,000 Home Care Oral Hygiene Kits for vulnerable seniors in San Diego County. Each kit contains much needed dental and health care items to help seniors maintain their oral and overall health during these challenging times.

Examples include reusable tote bag, toothpaste, toothbrush, mouth rinse, dental floss, soap, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, paper towels, and oral health educational materials for seniors.

The kits will be delivered via Serving Seniors home delivered meal service that reaches this vulnerable population on a daily basis throughout the county. The distribution has begun and will

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continue to as long as the kits are available.

They say "oral hygiene is the gateway to health,” and at this time especially we should be keeping our seniors' health top priority as they build a defense against a potential Covid-19 infection.

In fact, the stats are alarming: Nearly 1 in 5 seniors over the age of 65 have no teeth, 2 in 3 have gum disease, and 1 in 5 have untreated cavities.

The foundation is seeking donations to complete more kits and will match donations up to $10,000. $5 provides one kit for a senior. Visit seniordentalcenter. org to donate.

ONE-MONTH-OLD GIRAFFE CALF NAMED On Mother’s Day, a one-monthold giraffe calf at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park received her name after more than 18,000 fans cast their ballots in a weeklong online voting campaign.

Voters were asked to choose between two names—Zeena and Zahara—and by popular vote, the female youngster will now be called Zahara (pronounced za haa rah), which is derived from Arabic origins.

The calf was born April 4 to first-time mom Zawadi (pronounced zza whaa dee), and was introduced to the other members of the herd 2 weeks later. Visitors to the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park websites will now have the opportunity to watch Zahara on Giraffe Cam presented by Fiesta, as she explores her new home and interacts with the diverse wildlife that shares the habitat. Zahara is a healthy calf with terrific vitality and a highly relaxed demeanor, wildlife care specialists said.

“This calf is normally so very calm and collected,” said Matt Galvin, lead wildlife care specialist at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

“Not much bothers her. She is usually content to nap in the shade while the adults browse nearby, but we’ve noticed on occasion, she does get overly excited and zooms through the savanna.”

May, 2020 | sdnews.com NEWS San Diego Community Newspaper Group sdnews.com 9 Nurses discuss life on the frontlines; urge residents to wear masks DAVE SCHWAB | UPTOWN NEWS

Covid-19 is changing the way we live and work, including healthcare workers like nurses, who continue to engage patients individually in hospitals and out in the field.

Reporter Dave Schwab caught up with four of them for a Q&A discussing how the battle is going against the pandemic on the healthcare front lines.

The impact is far-ranging for nurses, from little or no impact to a great deal – and suddenly.

DS: How is working during the pandemic different than before?

“There are so many differences in the day-to-day, but the glaring ones are the availability of supplies/PPE, and the level of anxiety and fear that comes with the job,” said Tiffani Zalinski, a

critical care nurse in the PostAnesthesia Care Unit at UCSD Jacobs Medical Center in La Jolla.

“When Covid-19 broke out (March 14), I realized there was no PPE available on my unit, when our unit was previously stocked full of PPE, including N-95 masks, gowns, gloves, goggles, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizers. On March 14 when I came to work, all the PPE had been confiscated by the administration and locked away. We now had to obtain permission to get these supplies.”

Added Zalinski, “We go to work every day wondering things like, ‘How many people here are asymptomatic carriers that haven’t been tested? Am I one of them?

Are my coworkers infected? Are we going to get sick? Are our families going to get sick?’”

“For me personally, not that much is different as I have been doing telephone triage for a while

now,” said Mimi Kramer, RN, a triage nurse for Advantage Health Systems, Hospice Division, in San Diego, which handles patients countywide. “What is different is when I get a call about a patient who is running a fever or having difficulty breathing, I immediately think they may have Covid-19 and I need to assess what the ramifications of that would be.”

“Well it is a bit scary when you hear news of healthcare workers falling ill and dying from this virus,” said Angelito Tan, an RN in San Diego with the California Nurses Association. “We have had TB, HIV, Hepatitis, and MRSA (in hospitals), and a lot of healthcare workers have contracted such diseases during their careers. No one seems to question the hazardous conditions we as healthcare workers face every day, simply because it does not cause death in a matter of weeks. Now with coronavirus,

Shannon Cotton, a registered nurse in the Covid-19 designated ICU at UCSD-Hillcrest.

everyone is now talking about how hazardous our jobs are.”

“The pandemic has brought a whole new animal into healthcare,” said Shannon Cotton, a

registered nurse in the Covid-19 designated ICU at UCSD-Hillcrest.

“Covid 19 does not discriminate: SEE NURSES, Page 16

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ARTS / POLITICS San Diego actors develop web series in isolation a satirical way talk about some of the concepts and ideas that are goFor a group of San Diego actors, ing on right now with COVID-19,” the end of in-person classes, per- creator Jeff Willy said. formances and audiences does Each episode is written and not mean the end to perfecting produced by Willy and Kristen their craft. Since the shutdown Trammell and focuses on an ecbegan, these actors have started centric family in social isolation a web series to make light of the from each other. They enlist a foibles of Zoom hang-outs and cadre of local actors to play the buying toilet paper. A new epi- family, many of whom they knew In addition to the Zoom web series, some of the actors have starred in solo videos. In this one, actor Altin Axel sode of “Socially Distanced” is re- through the LA Acting Studio in The opening credits of the new web series (Screenshot gives satirical dating advice. (Screenshot from YouTube) from YouTube) leased on YouTube every Monday San Diego. The episodes are scriptnight. ed with each family member join“We came up with this idea of ing and leaving the video chat at little bit of improvisation within The actors have had to adapt to the LA Acting Studio Willy is a utilizing Zoom in creating this different cues. it,” Willy, who directs and acts in this new method of performance. part of. web series where we can safely “It’s a balance between being the episodes in addition to writing Internet lags and even just not Many of the actors in San scripted but then also having a Diego are non-union so do not practice20SDG16324_Pipeline social distancing and in and producing. being in the same physical space Safety Print Ad__SDCNN La Mesa__RUN: 03_27_20__1/2V 4C__TRIM: 6.1” x 10.96” makes reacting to other actors have the benefits of being in the more difficult. Some of those lags SAG-AFTRA union to weather and cuts have been kept in the out the pandemic. The creators episodes because they lend an air of “Socially Distanced” have yet of authenticity to what people are to find a way to monetize the seexperiencing. ries, so the focus of the endeavor is “We try to time it with cues and giving the actors a creative outlet we do some rehearsals, but a lot during a time of stress. of this is really just being flexi“It’s more about the art form, ble and trying to adapt to figure more than anything. It gives out how to interact with people people a medium to express themand act in any medium,” Willy selves creatively and just continexplained. ue to connect, even though we’re As coronavirus hit the U.S., act- not physically connecting,” Willy ing opportunities quickly dried said. up. As it has continued, some of Find the webisodes at bit. those have picked up again, ac- ly/2T0tNe8 or find them on the cording to Willy. There are many Fourth Wall Entertainment chanonline acting competitions like nel on YouTube. or find them on monologue challenges and cast- the Fourth Wall Entertainment ing calls. Auditions are being held channel on YouTube. over Skype. Certain San Diego studios have also brought their —Editor Kendra Sitton can be acting classes online, including reached at kendra@sdnews.com.

KENDRA SITTON | UPTOWN NEWS

WE MANAGE 14,000 MILES OF PIPELINES. BUT WE GO EVEN FURTHER TO KEEP YOU SAFE.

San Diego relies on a huge network of underground pipelines to provide the natural gas used for heating, hot water and cooking.

SDG&E® builds, inspects, upgrades and repairs thousands of miles of gas pipelines to ensure their safety. As a customer, its a good idea to work with a licensed contractor from time to time to make sure the gas lines serving your appliances are in good shape.

You can also stay safe by knowing the signs of a gas leak: See-Hear-Smell.

If you suspect a gas leak: immediately evacuate the area and call 1-800-411-7343 or 911 from a safe place. Your safety is our highest priority.

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© 2020 San Diego Gas & Electric Company. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Episode four of the series included a visit from a psychic. (Screenshot from

YouTube)

Kid safety CONTINUED FROM Page 7

immediately if anything inappropriate is requested or shared.

7. Monitor internet use and utilize parental controls.

Approve the apps your child uses and know their account passwords. Keep an eye on who they interact with. Look at your child’s browsing history, deleted history, and private searches. Most computers, cell phones, smart TVs, and gaming consoles have builtin “parental controls.” Learn how to use them.

8. Report online predators.

Start by taking a screenshot of the concerning messages. Report potential predators to the platform where the contact occurred, then block the offender and contact

police. Keep calm and don’t blame your child. Predators expect children to be too ashamed to tell. It’s important to be supportive.

As a working mom, I know how hard it is to juggle work and parenting, even in the best of times.

Together, we can get through these trying times, and keep our children safe.

—Mara W. Elliott was elected City Attorney of San Diego in 2016 after serving as the chief deputy attorney for the Office’s Public Services Section and legal adviser to the city’s Independent Audit Committee and Environment Committee. Elliott and the lawyers in her section held polluters accountable, reformed city contracting, cut administrative red tape, and strengthened the city’s Living Wage and Non-Discrimination in Contracting ordinances.

May, 2020 | sdnews.com FEATURE San Diego Community Newspaper Group 11 sdnews.com Circulate San Diego encourages residents to ride bicycles this May

By DAVE SCHWAB | UPTOWN NEWS

May is Bicycle Safety Month and regional nonprofit Circulate San Diego, which promotes mobility choices, is encouraging people to walk, drive, or ride their bikes while practicing social-distancing.

With shelter-in-place orders continuing, San Diegans still need to get to essential jobs, run errands, or go outside to exercise.

As a result, vehicular traffic has reduced significantly and alternative modes of travel have become increasingly popular. That is evidenced by several areas that have seen more than 1,000 pedestrian trips per day, and greater biking by families and people of all abilities.

That is why San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer recently unveiled his “Slow Streets” pilot program.

The program makes it safer for San Diegans to walk and bike by creating more space for physical distancing and reducing congested foot traffic at parks, beaches, and outdoor trails.

The City has closed select streets, such as Diamond Street in Pacific Beach from Mission

Jessica Beltra, Lucy and Charlie (dog), and Sylvie Froncek are ready for a ride.

(Photo courtesy Circulate San Diego)

Boulevard to Olney Street, to thru-traffic to implement Safe Streets. This prioritizes pedestrian and cyclist use as cost-effective transportation for essential workers during a time of economic strain and decreased transit service. Safe Streets include temporary barriers and signage allowing residents to move about their neighborhood while practicing safe social distancing.

Circulate’s executive director, Colin Parent, said the organization has published a report recently showing that many essential riders continue to rely on transit. “However, many may feel they should avoid transit if they can, and a bicycle is an affordable choice,” said Parent.

“Bicycle shops have been doing a lot of business lately, and there’s reason to think to ride a bicycle may become more popular

after our experience with the pandemic. Riding a bicycle allows people to get around while avoiding close quarters and recirculated air.”

Added Parent, “While there are still fewer cars on the road, many have observed that cars have been traveling faster than usual. That creates a new danger for cyclists, so we need to continue our efforts to educate all road users to operate safely.”

As part of Safe Streets, the City has reopened key bikeways as transportation corridors to connect essential workers to their jobs. Those include major commuter bikeways like the SR-56 Bikeway, the San Diego River Bikeway from Ocean Beach east to Mission Valley, Rose Creek Bikeway, Rose Canyon Bikeway, the SR-52 Bikeway and Murphy Canyon along I-15 and Lake Hodges Bridge.

Of Safe Streets, Andy Hanshaw, chair of the City’s Mobility board said: “Safe, outdoor spaces for residents to access their jobs and essential needs by biking and walking is critical during this time. These include the existing commuter bikeways that also

make these connections. We look forward to helping identify additional streets that build on this network.”

A bike month resource page online is at circulatesd.org. There is also a Bike Month Bingo game people can play that encourages more biking available at bit. ly/2Ln59Aq. —Dave Schwab can be reached at reporter@sdnews.com.

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May, 2020 | sdnews.com San Diego Community Newspaper Group

Glenner care CONTINUED FROM Page 1

to check in if there are any abnormalities like an increased heart rate.

This happened to Mary Gross recently, who is the caregiver of her husband Ted. “One day Ted’s pulse was very high. That was strange as I got a call from the nurse: ‘How is Ted feeling? what’s going on?’ And if there had been something wrong. They would have taken it to the next level and that would be calling our doctor,” Gross explained. “I feel like I’m covered...

Rather than calling my son at three in the morning, I’d rather call them.”

76-year-old Gross also feels like Ted is receiving more personalized and adaptable care than if they were part of a big company.

“I really heard Tanya the social worker, say ‘Mary, I am here for you.’ And I know she is.

I’m not just saying that. I can tell when somebody’s like ‘Yeah

Social isolation CONTINUED FROM Page 6

Diego area offer online classes for seniors, and many are free.

Organizations like San Diego Oasis, a national nonprofit that offers lifelong learning courses for seniors, offer dozens of free or low-cost courses in topics from art history,

NEWS / OPINION

we’re definitely here for you. Call 1-800-pep-you-up,’” Gross said with a laugh.

Gross said Navarro spent an hour interviewing her to find out about their lifestyle, children and grandchildren.

“It’s so important to have that personal approach with every individual. Not all dementia is created equal,” Navarro said.

Before moving to Glenner, Navarro worked extensively in remote care for dementia patients before, primarily in Mexico while studying for her Master’s degree.

“When I was invited to participate in this project, I was very excited because I was already doing stuff that I really enjoy: using the internet as a platform to deliver services, to deliver support to those that those that are homebound,” she explained. “It felt right.”

Since the program began in tandem with the pandemic, Navarro said many caregivers struggling with isolation at home have come to depend on her. She is providing

them with emotional support in a time when their contact with the outside world is limited.

Many caregivers have had their lives transformed to support another person. Gross and her husband used to travel on cruises regularly. Her husband Ted served in Vietnam before becoming a computer program developer who made jewelry. His eyesight faded enough so that he can no longer read.

“There was nothing he couldn’t do before. The Ted before and the Ted currently are two different people,” Gross said. “As a primary caregiver, it was, to say the least, a challenge for me because I didn’t know what to expect each day, in terms of his personality.”

In addition to enrolling in GLENNERCARE, they also hired an in-home caregiver to spend a few days per week with Ted, further relieving the stress Gross was under.

“It’s been a big change for me.

Having that and GLENNERCARE has made a huge difference in my life,” she said.

meditation, foreign language to telehealth and more. If your loved one speaks fondly of their college days, or has previously expressed curiosity about a certain subject, sign them up for an online class.

• Get moving in the living room. Virtual fitness classes are everywhere now. Yoga studios and gyms are offering live streamed online classes or video workouts,

but your loved one may feel that these are too “young” for them.

If that’s the case, check out Silver Sneakers’ selection of home workout videos designed especially for people aged 65 and older. If you’re their primary caretaker and can still visit them at home, try a workout with them—it might get you two laughing, which is also good for your health!

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In just a few words, describe your graduates accomplishments and send along with a photo.

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An enrollment specialist fielding calls at the socially distanced Glenner office (Courtesy photo)

The telehealth from GLENNERCARE is covered by Medicare so Gross accesses it for free, although there are private options.

“I feel like this is going to be a big help not only to me, but to other people,” Gross said. “I hope it goes

national because in the middle of the night, you don’t want to have to have 9-1-1 be the first call you have to make.”

—Kendra Sitton can be reached at kendra@sdnews.com.

• Participate in religious services online.

Seniors who regularly attend some kind of religious service or spiritual group can often live longer than their non-religious peers, particularly because it provides them with a strong social network. Encourage your loved one to attend services or meetings online, if possible, and help them get comfortable with the technology to do so. If your loved one misses a support group their faith community previously provided, encourage them to check out the free support groups available through San Diego Oasis.

• Demystify technology. Many of the same colleges and nonprofit Seniors stay connected using technology organizations offering (Courtesy photos) academic or lifelong learning courses for seniors also instructors, to help seniors master teach practical skills workshops video chats with Zoom, figure out that help them use new technol- their smartphone and more. ogy. San Diego Oasis offers mulYou’ve probably heard matiple virtual lessons, taught by ny people say, “we’re all in this our engaging, smart, and funny together.” For caretakers of seniors, this means not just looking out for your loved ones’ physical wellbeing, but also watching out for the signs of social isolation. Opening our minds to new experiences is the best way to stay mentally healthy and connected to community.

—Simona Valanciute is the president and CEO of San Diego Oasis, an award-winning nonprofit organization serving people age 50 and better, who pursue healthy aging through lifelong learning, active lifestyles, and community service. Learn more at sandiegooasis.org.

May, 2020 | sdnews.com REAL ESTATE San Diego Community Newspaper Group sdnews.com Buying, selling homes not that bad in pandemic

By SARAH WARD

Many buyers may find it laughable to even think about buying a home right now in the middle of this virus pandemic but I am going to put a few thoughts on the table as to why it might be an excellent time to purchase a San Diego property and if you are a seller, listing your property this summer might work out just fine.

Sometimes making a move in a market dip can be a smart idea.

San Diego is a world-class destination that will remain in high demand for years to come. A significant proportion of San Diego properties each year are purchased by international buyers seeking a beautiful safe-haven to live. Think about it. Los Angeles is crowded.

Northern California has much colder winters and Arizona and Palm Desert get extremely hot. Our small paradise will continue to be

in high demand for many years to come. Also, as you have seen driving up the 805 and 15 freeways, high-tech companies continue to populate San Diego and their wellpaid employees will continue to be purchasing homes for years in the future. When demand outstrips supply, prices rise and compared to Silicon Valley and parts of L.A., San Diego is still a bargain.

Why purchase a property now, in the middle of a pandemic? There are several reasons. First, interest rates are ridiculously low. Thirtyyear mortgage rates, which were 4.5% just a few months ago are now at 2.875% for well qualified buyers! There are two ways to look at this. A mortgage payment on a $600,000 property would drop from $3,040 a month down to $2,526, so that would save a buyer over $500 a month for a 30-year mortgage period. Another way to look at it is that keeping the

mortgage payment of $3,040 the same, a buyer could now afford a more expensive property for the same payment. So for that same mortgage payment, and additional $122,000 could be afforded, allowing the buyer to then purchase a $722,000 property (maybe a larger property with a view and pool).

Another reason to buy now is that there is less buyer demand. A few months ago when a quality, well-priced property came on the market, a large pile of offers would come in to the seller. But for the next few months, there will be less competition, giving a buyer a better shot at securing an excellent property. As far as prices, home prices are fairly steady with the thinking that this current state of the market is temporary but a buyer could maybe get a slight discount right now compared to the beginning of the year. We could soon be back to a strong

COLEMAN

normalized housing market in 2021 and beyond. Now might be just the perfect time to jump into the market and find an excellent property. Call me for a no obligation Zoom meeting to discuss your options and what you could afford.

As far as sellers go, listing a property this June or July might work fine. There are still strong buyers in the marketplace and there is less inventory now. I have been using online techniques to meet with clients and I have perfected online open houses using a live feed from directly inside the subject property for potential buyers to see and be able to answer their questions on the live feed. For interested buyers, we can then schedule an in-person appointment at the property using protective gear. So if you are looking to list in the next month or two, there are excellent techniques to assist in getting a property sold at a good price. Quality properties

13

are still selling fairly quickly. Call me at 858-431-6043.

92115 MARKET REPORT: As expected market activity has dropped in the past month. New single family listings have dropped 50% from last April and pending sales are down 68% but the median home price has stayed fairly steady down only 6% year over year. As an interesting note, I have a second office on Fay Avenue in La Jolla and in the last month the number of high priced properties coming on the market there has nearly doubled. If you have spare time, search the MLS on my website for the 92037 zip code, and properties at $4 million and above.

Fineandcoastal.com. You will see some absolutely stunning properties that have just come on the market in La Jolla.

—Sarah Ward is a realtor with College Area Realty.

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“We waited around and waited around and on the last time [he organized a show] he said, ‘I guess it’s going to fold,’ so I raised my hand because nobody was going to take it on,” Booth said.

Two months after taking over, Booth moved the show to the Chase Bank parking lot, also next to Ultreya Coffee and Tea. The group regularly meets 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on the first Sunday of the month.

With the new location, the Cars & Coffee shows began to steadily attract more members. Booth invited friends from the San Diego Police Museum and the Horseless Carriage Club he belongs to. He also brought in some special events like an annual electric car show.

“That’s a very popular one where we get the electrics out and the people that are interested in buying an electric car come talk to the owners and that gets the crowd out in the neighborhood,” Booth said. “We’ve had every kind of electric car, we have 10 or 15 when we do the electric one.”

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The group also recently started doing occasional tours around local neighborhoods. In August, Cars & Coffee invited the Horseless Carriage Club and the Police Museum on a tour through La Mesa and Lemon Grove, stopping at various points of interest along the way.

“We gave them an hour long tour of the area, but it was not a parade,” Booth said. “We saw people of course, but it was not for their entertainment it was for ours.”

At the group’s next regular meeting the first Sunday of June, Cars & Coffee is planning a short tour of Rolando, Allied Gardens and Del Cerro at the end of the car show.

However, Booth said there are no plans for another parade like the one on May 3.

“Not that kind,” he said. “It was too much work.”

—Reach editor Jeff Clemetson at jeff@sdnews.com.

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16

May, 2020 | sdnews.com San Diego Community Newspaper Group

NEWS San Diego to donate face shields to neighboring Tijuana’s public hospitals Proving the strength of the cross-border relationship between San Diego and Tijuana, on May 12 San Diego Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer was joined by Tijuana Mayor Arturo González Cruz to announce the donation of 1,000 3D-printed face shields from the City of San Diego to the City of Tijuana for use in public hospitals.

Faulconer also detailed a new regional bi-national working group that tracks and monitors the pandemic in San Diego and Baja California.

“Covid-19 knows no boundaries, so our border region is working together to monitor the situation in Baja and preparing for healthcare impacts in the San Diego region should they arise,” Faulconer said. “San Diego and Tijuana are in this together, so I’ve directed our libraries to 3-D print face shields to help protect Tijuana’s healthcare workers as they work to save lives.”

In April, the City of San Diego Public Library, in partnership with the San Diego Public Library Foundation, began producing protective face shields for local hospital workers using a dozen 3-D printers that were relocated to the San Diego Central Library’s IDEA Lab. Each face shield consists of a 3D-printed visor, a protective laminate sheet, a 3D-printed bottom anchor, and an elastic strap. The City can produce approximately 300 in a single week and over the past month has produced and donated more than 1,600 face shields.

“This donation strengthens the ties between the sister cities of Tijuana and San Diego, reasserting the solidarity of the families that make up our mega-region.

Today more than ever we must be united, working hand in hand to overcome this pandemic. I appreciate the goodwill of Mayor Faulconer and the support this

donation provides to Tijuana doctors,” Mayor González said.

The City of San Diego established in April a regional working group of more than a dozen agencies to monitor and respond to the impact that U.S. citizens crossing into the United States from Mexico seeking medical treatment related to Covid-19 or other illnesses may have on hospitals or emergency resources in San Diego County.

Projections show Mexico could hit its peak in the coming weeks, resulting in an increased demand on its healthcare systems. This group meets two times per week with daily data reports to prepare for potential scenarios and reduce the impact on San Diego County resources.

The San Diego Region Border Unified Command led by the City’s Emergency Operations Center consists of representatives from: • City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, San Diego Police

Mayor Faulconer highlights home caregivers, invites seniors to joint check-in program As the City of San Diego continues to take steps toward a safe reopening of parts of the community and economy, Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer outlined resources for seniors, who continue to be one of the groups most vulnerable to contracting COVID-19.

Faulconer highlighted inhome caregivers, represented by Domestic Workers Local 3930, and encouraged seniors to sign up for the City’s free Social Calls program.

“Seniors remain one of the groups most vulnerable to COVID-19, and resources are available to help,” Faulconer said. “Home caregivers and our free social calls program are lifelines to seniors in need.

Older San Diegans who can’t risk exposure but need help shopping for food, or are just looking for conversation, can rest easy knowing that people are here to help.”

In-home care workers are among those on the front lines of this crisis, protecting some of the most vulnerable populations from being exposed to the coronavirus.

Caregivers are a lifeline for many San Diegans, providing groceries and picking up prescriptions for people who cannot leave their home.

“I want to thank Mayor Faulconer for his strong leadership and highlighting critical care workers providing care in the most intimate, infection-susceptible settings,” said Doug Moore, executive director of the United Domestic Workers of America. “Caregivers are invisible heroes who have stepped up in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to protect some of the most vulnerable to this deadly virus.

And we must do whatever possible to provide them with the proper equipment to stay safe.”

For many older adults, a compassionate voice in their lives can make a big difference in a time of crisis. The City of San Diego’s Social Calls program offers comfort and conversation to those most in need during the pandemic.

The City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department

staff calls people who sign up Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 8-10 a.m. just to check-in, offer assistance or just say “hello.” The program is free of charge.

“The Social Calls program provides a valuable service to our senior residents who may be feeling more impacted and isolated than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Andy Field, director of the City’s Parks and Recreation Department. “The service offers seniors a friendly voice to help them feel better connected to their community, as well as information about potential resources they can utilize if they have concerns about health and wellness, nutrition or transportation.”

For updates on City of San Diego services, programs, links to helpful information related to preventing fraud and abuse, please visit sandiego.gov/coronavirus.

For information regarding COVID-19 cases and directives from County of San Diego public health officials, please visit coronavirus-sd. com. Text “COSD COVID19” to 468-311 for text alert updates.

A statewide “Stay-atHome” order is still in effect.

For more information on the order, including what’s closed, what’s open and which industries are exempted by the state, visit COVID19. ca.gov.

Department and Government Affairs Department • County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health Preparedness & Response Branch and Sheriff’s Department • California Department of Public Health, Office of Binational Border Health • U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IX (FEMA) • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) • California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) • City of Chula Vista Fire Department and Police Department • I mp er ia l C ou nt y Fi re Department and Off ice of Emergency Services • Calexico Fire • CALFIRE

Nurses CONTINUED FROM Page 9

it can infect anyone even if they don’t have any medical history. Patients are coming in, requiring only a small amount of oxygen, then, suddenly, they can’t catch their breath and they need a breathing tube down their throat and a mechanical ventilator. Also not having visitors in the hospital is a kind of eerie. The nurse and doctor are the only connections a patient in the ICU with Covid-19 has to their family.”

In addition, approximately five ventilators will be donated to the City of Tijuana by an organization identified by the border command.

CalDART, a group that uses general aviation aircraft for disaster airlifts, will manufacture and distribute the emergency ventilators.

San Diego and Tijuana have a long-standing relationship of cross-border collaboration going back several generations.

Faulconer and previous mayors in both cities have continued to build on the megaregion’s strong binational ties by advocating on behalf of American and Mexican residents and businesses in Washington, D.C., and Mexico City. Faulconer and González currently serve as co-chairs for the U.S.-Mexico Border Mayors Association and reaffirmed the mayors’ commitment to binational collaboration in January by signing a new Memorandum of Understanding.

plan and prepare to maintain profits, but cannot do the same to protect the safety of their staffs.”

“In the ICU, the stress level is palpable,” said Cotton. “Danger and disease is part of my job description, but with this new virus, and no cure, it can be very anxiety-provoking entering the room and knowing, ‘Hey, I could contract Covid-19.’ We know that over 60 nurses in the U.S. have died from Covid-19, and it’s probably more due to insufficient testing. But I would never change my job or not show up. I love my patients and my community.”

DS: Are nurses overworked or overstressed dealing with this crisis?

DS: How about a couple of pointers on what folks can do to help make nurse’s jobs a “We are certainly overstressed,” said little less difficult during these Zalinski. “But those with critical-care trying times? skills in San Diego may also feel somewhat overworked. We have been ordered to cross-train to ICU in the event of surges or critical needs. Our PACU staff has all undergone extensive “refresher” courses in ventilators and other aspects of Covid-19 patient care. The assumption is that if they need us, we will rise to the occasion.”

“This is a very stressful situation to be a healthcare worker during,” Kramer said. “If a nurse has to see a patient suspected or confirmed to have Covid-19 in person, that is very stressful.”

“Nurses have always been overworked, management always looks at trimming staff to boost profits,” said Tan. “Not saying that hospitals aren’t suffering financially during these times, but how often have we had a pandemic like this? Over the last decade hospitals across America have been making hundreds of millions if not billions in revenue yearly. We (nurses) do not benefit from that … Maybe if these hospitals would stop giving multi-million dollar bonuses to their chief executive officers and instead invest those dollars to hospital equipment/PPE, maybe we wouldn’t be facing a shortage. It seems management is able to

“Please stay home,” implored Zalinski. “Be our ally. Wash your hands. Maintain social distancing.

We recognize that it is hard to feel isolated and without our normal outlets.

But the more people who choose to ignore these warnings, the more stress and strain it puts on the healthcare system. If too many people get sick at once, more people will die. And what’s even scarier is that if more healthcare workers get sick, who will be there to take care of the laypeople?

“Wash your hands,” said Kramer.

“Be responsible, like wearing a mask, covering their faces/turning away when coughing, washing their hands frequently,” said Tan. “If they have any fever or any symptoms to get checked out, instead of hiding it and visiting loved ones in the hospital and exposing everybody. Patience. We are all in this together, we must protect the public – and ourselves – from this deadly virus.”

“The support from the community so far has been amazing – we have been getting donations of food, masks, cards from people saying ‘thank you,’” Cotton said.

—Dave Schwab can be reached at reporter@sdnews.com.