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TEACHERS OF THE YEAR DURING THE TIMEFORTY OF A UNDER Class of PANDEMIC
2020
The San Diego Unified School District announced the selection of three teachers of the year – SD Ann METRO Magazine Kelly Young, Paula Richardson, and Deirdre Fabian. releases its 21st
Annual 40 Under 40 Nominees
Read Story On Page 4
Kelly Ann Young Stephanie Kanaski, the director of Ashley Roig SDUSD Teacher Of The Year Institutional Planning at The Academy of Our Lady of Peace, is a 40 under 40 honoree. Read more on page 4.
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Pop-up Picnics Stay Safe, San Diego
By Mia Bertelsen The rules have changed in these Covid-19 times on how we socialize and have gatherings with our friends and families. The new normal is to meet up outdoors and in smaller numbers for our safety and piece of mind. Many Coronado residents are curious about these pop-up picnics that they are seeing all over the island. They look so beautiful and inviting. What is happening? San Diego residents are drawn to the beauty of the island to celebrate so many special events and the pop-up picnic is the latest trend to make an event extra-special. On the weekends in the Ferry Landing or on the Coronado Beach you can see the beautiful scenes created by these artists. There are many companies that offer pop-up picnics in San Diego county and this article features two that have been popular in Coronado. What they all have in common is that they create a magical experience that you might not have the time (or the talents) to create for yourself and your guests. They take care of all the details starting with finding the perfect location, setting it up and then packing it all up when it is over. Coronado is not the only place where these events are popular. Parks, backyards or other scenic spots in San Diego are busy as well. They bring in everything you need to create the most perfect picnic you could imagine. They do all the work including the set up, bring tables, plates, cups, pillows for seating, food, drinks, fresh flowers, umbrellas or a teepee, blankets and stylish decorations to complete the look. When it is over, they come and pack it all up for you. You just show up and they do all the work. The only thing you need to do, besides pay for it, is plan your picture-perfect outfit to complement the ambiance and record the memories. The boho picnic is the most popular style currently. Boho comes from bohemian and it is an open-minded approach to design. It embraces an eclectic and informal mix of patterns, textures, accessories and colors. Guests are encouraged to wear comfortable, loose clothing, so they can fully enjoy the experience that can last up to 3 hours. Most pop-up picnic packages start at $150$200 for two people. As you add guests and extras to the experience, the price rises. Karen Buttgenbach and Lili Casillas started their business called K and L Events in January of 2020. Besides setting up picnics in Coronado, they work in La Jolla, Chula Vista and Del Mar. Their very first picnic set-up in Coronado was their favorite because it celebrated friendship. «When the sun was setting for the party on the beach, it created a priceless memory for everyone,» exclaimed Buttgenbach. «Our guests couldn›t stop talking about how perfect everything was.» They can make it extra special by adding a speaker for music, gourmet cakes, cheese plates, authentic
Mexican food from Chilaquiles Restaurant located at the Otay Ranch Mall and a professional photo session. They offer packets for 2 people up to 20 people. «We began our business with events like baptisms, anniversaries, birthday parties that had bigger tables to decorate,» explained Buttgenbach. «But then the pandemic came a few months later and it occurred to us to create events for smaller groups.» Casillas added, «we are inspired to create a design and experience that fits the budget of clients of all ages. Even if you have a lower budget, it will turn out perfect.» Out of the social-distancing restrictions they found new ways to gather people together and they are having so much fun doing this. Julie Smith, Chula Vista resident, decided to celebrate her 50th birthday party with a pop-up picnic by Bee Picnic. Carolina Lizarraga is the inventor of Bee Picnic and she has been doing these events for a month so far. The idea came to her because she wanted to plan a special dinner for her first wedding anniversary with her husband in June 2020. She decided to have her popup picnic in Harbor Island. When she put her pictures up on her Facebook page, all her friends were so impressed and encouraged her to pursue this idea and offer it to others as a business. Her most popular set-up place is the Coronado Ferry Landing. Smith›s picnic pictures were a huge hit and many people have asked to have a similar look with the pink colors and decorations she used. Smith agrees and commented that, «it truly felt like a special occasion to indulge in a beautifully set area in a very gorgeous place of my choice and have everything taken care of. I just showed up and enjoyed!» Lizarraga offers many extras
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to the clients such as a charcuterie plates, gourmet cakes, cold drinks and more to celebrate. She can accommodate groups of 2 to 12 people. If you think this might be a great idea for your next special celebration, see their contacts on Facebook below. With the warm weather in San Diego here to stay for a while, I am sure you will see many more of these pop-up picnics an their happy guests enjoying more special sunsets in Coronado. You just might want to join one too! Search for: Kl-events-sd and Bee Picnic on Facebook and instagram.
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UNDER FORTY Class of 2020
SD METRO Magazine releases its 21st Annual 40 Under 40 Nominees
Stephanie Kanaski Stephanie Kanaski is a member of the Academy of Our Lady of Peace executive leadership team as the director of Institutional Advancement. She is playing an important role in the school’s transitions in response to COVID-19. In addition to working in a 48-hour transition to a distance learning platform, Kanaski and her team were on the front lines of supporting student needs. A number of families were economically impacted by the effects of COVID-19 and, under her guidance, a campaign was launched to raise over $40,000 in support of these students. Her volunteerism and community activism have been longstanding cornerstones of her life, focused heavily on work with San Diego youth. In recent years, she created art exhibitions to showcase the art of at-risk youth in San Diego. Art was auctioned to benefit critical community programs. She has worked with San Diego students on a program called Project Smiles, which benefits children of families staying at the Ronald McDonald House. Kanaski also is in the process of writing her first book, a memoir of a wellknown cancer survivor turned into Iron-Man athlete. Her leadership has helped launch AOLP’s first ever capital campaign to renovate two historic buildings on the campus and to create a new state-of- the-art library and performing arts complex.
Alex Brizolis Procopio
Amanda Nelson San Diego Housing Federation
Haney Hong San Diego County Taxpayers Associaton
Lutfi Kharuf Best Best & Krieger
Ashkey Johnson Southwest Strategies
Brian Malloy RJS Law
Jillian F. Hayes CaseyGerry
Chanel Georges Host Health Care
Daniella Velazquez De Leon Organics Unlimited
Read About All of the 2020 Honorees Here
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Dylan M. Aste Assistant US Attorney
Eric Hepfer Hines
Francine Maigue Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzoles
Ian Clampett Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Jamie Buggy CGS3
Jenna Brossman NVS
Jessica Mier U.S. Rep Susan Davis
Jessica Williams Gomez Trial Attorneys
Hilary Nemchik Office of San Diego City Attorney
Jorge Enrique Diaz De La Fuente De La Fuente Construction
Kaitlin Chell UC San Diego
Kareem Salem Assistant U.S. Attorney
Kyle Overs Hahn Loeser & Parks L.L.P.
Laura Nicholas Buchalter Law
Laura Nunn San Diego Housing Federation
Manny Hernandez Queclink Wireless
Michaela Fortunato Sunrise Management
Zachary Myers Wilson Sonsini
Sarah Buchanan San Diego Housing Federation
Scot Chisholm Classy
Chad Iafrate Cushman Wakefield
Conor Boyle Colliers Colliers
Suzanne Brose Gagul J Public Relations
Shibani Patnaik Applied Data Finance
Kyle Felton Pacific Building Group
Dusan Selezan Balfour Beatty
Sheena Peoples San Diego County Credit Union
Quin La Capra 2-1-1 San Diego
Angela Ryan Ware Macomb
Craig Carbonniere Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International
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San Diego Breast Cancer Charity Announces New Gift Card Program Shades of Pink Foundation California Now Offering Gift Cards of Up to $500 to San Diego Women in Breast Cancer Treatment Shades of Pink Foundation California (SOPFCA) recently announced the rollout of the Gift Card Program, adding a new element to its financial support for women in active breast cancer treatment. The new program provides gift cards of up to $300 for single women and $500 to married women or women with dependent children. The gift cards apply to well-known grocery stores, gas stations, or big-box retailers. In order to qualify for a gift card, a woman must submit a shorter application than she would for the Basic Living Expense for Support and Survival (BLESS) grant of up to $2,000. “Breast cancer doesn’t go away just because we are facing a pandemic and an uptick in economic uncertainty,” said Vembra Holnagel, the Grant Committee Chairperson for SOPFCA. “In fact, the need for financial relief is greater now than ever for women fighting breast cancer. Our gift card program is meant to be a fast, easy, and efficient way of getting money into the hands of women who need it the most.” For seven years, SOPFCA has provided BLESS grants to women in active breast cancer treatment, but the nonprofit organization decided to develop the gift card pilot program after several referral partners, the medical professionals who work with breast cancer patients, mentioned that not every woman could qualify for a BLESS grant. According to Holnagel, the initial gift card pilot program was a big success, with SOPFCA giving out 28 gift card grants and using all of the program’s designated funds. That result was sufficient for SOPFCA to adopt the program permanently, which was officially launched in early September of 2020. Holnagel stated that she would love to be able to increase the program to cover two consecutive months to provide even more support for women in the most need of financial help, but that future growth of the Gift Card Pro-
gram will depend on meeting fundraising goals and receiving donations. SOPFCA was forced to cancel its largest fundraising event, Purse Bingo, in March due to pandemic-related concerns. The organization is actively seeking funds for gift cards so they can assist as many local
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breast cancer patients as possible. To learn more about SOPFCA, read profiles of women who have received support from the organization, or to donate, visit www.shadesofpinkfoundationca. org Shades of Pink Foundation California is a nonprofit organi-
zation that provides temporary monetary assistance to women who live in San Diego and who are experiencing financial distress as a result of a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. SOPFCA was founded in 2013. The organization’s website is shadesofpinkfoundationca.org.
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Converging on Entrepreneurship
7
Students use incubator program to build business When Bolarin Lawrence first came to UC San Diego, he had planned to minor in entrepreneurship. His demanding academic workload made that impossible, but his interest in entrepreneurship never faded. Lawrence, now a third-year nanoengineering major, heard about the Converge Summer Incubator Program and realized it was a great opportunity to learn new business skills and also invest time in a venture project he’d long been interested in: supporting first-generation students in STEM careers. Students in the Converge program such as Lawrence spend each week of the program focused on a new aspect of entrepreneurship including design thinking, creating a vision for their company, building business models, and understanding the financial and legal aspects of running a startup. Blackstone LaunchPad also hosted a series of virtual fireside chats with startup founders who shared their own entrepreneurial experiences. “When we launched the Converge Summer Incubator Program in 2018, we realized the summer months gave students the perfect opportunity to work on developing their ideas, build business skills and learn what it means to be an entrepreneur,” said Gloria Negrete, executive director of The Basement. Supported by the Office of Innovation and Commercialization, The Basement is a student incubator and the home of the Blackstone LaunchPad program. Converge is also part of UC San Diego’s Summer Research Program. Lawrence’s venture is called Project Fruition. An interactive online career technical education program for students in Grades 6–12, it is focused on helping future first-generation college students specialize in careers through STEM-centered pathways. As a first-gen STEM student himself, Lawrence knows the value of finding guidance, inspiration and a sense of belonging. Project Fruition utilizes different learning styles and key cultural and social characteristics to create a personalized experience that will guide students through their STEM studies. Lawrence said he was surprised at how useful their session on creativity and communication proved. “It never occurred to me that theatre could help build my entrepreneurship and critical thinking skills, but through their exercises I was able to create a story for Project Fruition and connect to my audience,” he said. This year, classes were led by The Basement’s Director of Student Entrepreneurship Jacques Chirazi and Assistant Director of Operations Christine Liou. They often brought in guest speakers from the business world including Amazon Web Services, US Ignite, SCALE San Diego, Techstars, Intelink Law Group, and a more unlikely partner—La Jolla Playhouse. “UC San Diego celebrates student innovation. The Converge Summer Program allows our students to develop entrepreneurial
abilities that will serve them well in the future, wherever their paths lead them,” said Executive Vice Chancellor Elizabeth H. Simmons. “UC San Diego is committed to providing critical experiential learning opportunities for students that cultivate tangible skills, complementary to those acquired through formal academic learning.” Building a resilient San Diego A unique aspect of this year’s Converge program is the focus on civic challenges. Working with several public and private entities around San Diego, students were presented with a series of issues affecting San Diego that can impact the region’s long-term resiliency. Challenges included finding sustainable, non-toxic alternate building materials; finding the best way to identify municipal microgrid locations; studying the impacts of COVID- 19 on public transit ridership; and uncovering methods to help passengers with restricted mobility navigate the airport, made even more difficult with physical distancing requirements during the pandemic. “ This program helps students develop valuable entrepreneurship skills and learn what it takes to identify and solve real-world challenges in partnership with local civic organizations,” Chirazi said. “Students also had an opportunity to develop and test their own venture ideas and acquire the skills and mindset of successful entrepreneurs.” For the civic challenges, students broke out into teams, formed venture groups and used what they learned in their Converge classes to find unique ways of tackling these issues. One venture named Flybility included Neve Foresti, a cognitive science major; Neha Sahota, human biology; and Dennis Juanito, computer Science. Together, they took on the San Diego International Airport’s challenge of inclusivity regarding passengers with restricted mobility (PRMs). PRMs represent one of the fastest-growing demographics in aviation and the airport
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wanted creative solutions to help with a perpetual challenge: how to safely and efficiently help people with varying levels of mobility get from the curb where they are dropped off to the gate where their plane is located. Through a series of interviews, observations, surveys and research the team was able to gain an understanding of the scope of the problem and the numerous stakeholders involved—the passengers, their family, airport staff and airline staff. They found that the root cause was communication between airports, airlines and PRMs. The team provided a report to the airport that outlined a number of solutions, including improved worker trainings, an app that would allow users to request wheelchair assistance, and an Equitable Access Committee that would bring together relevant stakeholders from around the airport to discuss and improve accessibility. Rick Belliotti, director of Innovation and Customer Experience Design for the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority said the project was a positive experience for the airport. “San Diego International Airport was pleased to be able to participate in the Converge Summer Incubator Program. It was an amazing opportunity to have a fresh look at challenges facing our industry, and the students delivered some very insightful and unique ideas that we look forward to developing further,” he said. “Research Affairs is committed to providing students with experiential learning opportunities to help them develop the skills they need to be successful in the job market and to become the leaders of tomorrow,” said Vice Chancellor for Research Sandra Brown. “We are also committed to civic engagement and community outreach. As the name implies, Converge brings all of these things together in a unique, exciting way.” Michelle Franklin is a student at UC San Diego.
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San Diego’s Karen refugees, an ethnic minority of Burma, are used to uncertainty
By Roxana Popescu They were persecuted, their villages burned. They fled through jungles, not knowing if they would meet life or death. The survivors waited for decades in refugee camps for permission to start over somewhere new. That’s why for the Karen people and for other refugees and asylum seekers from around the world who have resettled in San Diego, COVID-19 has been one more blow, said Nao Kabashima, executive director of the nonprofit Karen Organization of San Diego. The pandemic has left them unemployed, reluctant to seek medical care and at risk for eviction. The children of these refugees, like many others, aren’t adjusting well to online education, but their parents are less equipped than others to guide them. Some of these challenges will be long lasting, Kabashima fears. Why this matters The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people unevenly, with some emerging relatively unscathed and others suffering losses that go far beyond health. For San Diego County’s refugees, who were already less likely to be able to afford basic needs, the pandemic’s economic impact has been
broad and risks being long lasting. “I am afraid that it would take a long time for many refugees to get jobs again,” she said. “I think about that every day.” Until recently, many of these concerns were anecdotal. But a first of its kind survey, released Thursday by the San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition, concretely details how deeply the pandemic has impacted immigrants and refugees from across the region — from healthcare to education to imperiled basic needs such as housing, food and physical safety. Amina Sheik Mohamed, the director of the Refugee Health Unit with the University of California San Diego’s Center for Community Health, and one of the survey’s facilitators, said it was carried out in a unique way. “ This is different,” Sheik Mohamed said. “It’s very much engaged with the community. … It was not like a typical researcher coming and doing research to the community, but it was really co-designed. The community leaders are conducting it.” The communities tapped their own members to conduct extensive phone and in-person interviews in 12 languages about the pandemic’s impact on 306 families, granting the researchers unprecedented
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access to people who might otherwise not have been listened to. Because of that, Sheik Mohamed said, the findings reach across communities to learn about problems and gaps in services that have affected thousands of immigrants from different backgrounds. Meshate Mengistu, the community health coordinator at United Women of East Africa, is shown on Oct. 1, 2020, at the organization’s offices in the College-Rolando area. She helped to survey refugees to understand how COVID-19 has impacted them. (Zoë Meyers/inewsource) The survey found that during the pandemic: Almost a third of families canceled or missed health appointments. In more than 40% of families, at least one member lost a job or was laid off. 60% of families couldn’t pay all of their rent. Over a third of families said they are afraid they’ll be evicted. More recent immigrants and families with bigger households are at greater risk. The family members interviewed were from countries including Afghanistan, Burma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan and Syria. Because
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Stay Safe, San Diego the survey asked about their entire households, researchers learned about the situations of more than 1,400 people. Some problems were acute. “I was paying rent up until now, but now I can’t since the rental assistance program is over, I do not know what I can do,” one person told an interviewer. Another said, “I need help with rent. PLEASE.” A concern underlying the survey’s findings is refugees will have a hard time bouncing back after the pandemic. “Families with school-age children are concerned about the impact that school closures and changes to how education is delivered will have a long-term impact on learning,” the report said. “Community leaders are concerned that inequities that existed pre COVID-19 will be exacerbated.” The report also identified areas where needs are being met within the communities themselves or by public programs and nonprofits. But it also found gaps between the support and resources being offered and what is needed and proposed solutions. Kabashima, who coordinated the survey and outreach for Karen and other refugees from Burma, said the results were concerning but not surprising, revealing how widespread problems are. The survey, she said, confirmed that all of the region’s refugee communities are suffering and struggling with the same issues as the Karen people. “It was also shocking to know how many families actually are struggling from unemployment,” she added. A grassroots survey One reason the survey is unusual is that it was designed and carried out by a grassroots group of ethnic community based organizations that make up the San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition. This survey is the first time that these discrete refugee ethnic organizations and nonprofits have come together to examine from the grassroots the circumstances and concerns around the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their communities. Valerie Nash, a consultant who helped develop the survey’s report, said that in the past City Heights, a diverse mid-city neighborhood where many of San Diego’s refugees live, has been studied and examined extensively but typically by outside entities. She said the grassroots nature of this survey, with people interviewing members of their own communities, meant refugees could identify and investigate the issues they deemed important. Rebecca Fielding-Miller, an assistant professor of infectious disease and global public health at UCSD, said this kind of research helps ensure that the response to the pandemic protects society’s more vulnerable members, which in turn helps everybody. “None of us are safe until the people at the highest risk are safe. It’s an airborne infectious disease. To me, as a public health social scientist, the thing that we always need to be building for is ensuring that the people at the margins are taken care of,”
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Fielding-Miller said. “Because when they’re taken care of, everybody is taken care of.” Research, she added, can also shape policy. “Policy responds to data, right?” Fielding-Miller said. In this case, she said, being able to “translate a known, lived experience amongst a marginalized community” to something that can be demonstrated and measured is key because it helps create policy and direct where money should go to help these refugees. The report states its goal is to understand
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with the Karen nonprofit. Among those who answered questions about income and employment, about a quarter said they worked fewer hours, more than 40% lost jobs or were laid off and others were expecting to lose a job. Twelve people said their families had to close businesses because of the pandemic. These findings, compared with the high unemployment figures for areas of the county where refugees and immigrants tend to live, are another window into how low-income and immigrant communities have disproportionately borne the brunt of
Barriers To Healthcare This graphic shows survey results from San Diego County refugees asked to weigh barriers to healthcare during the pandemic. A major barrier stops someone from accessing healthcare. A minor barrier delays but doesnʼt prevent accessing healthcare. Minor
Major
Concern of being exposed to CO…
20.7%
Medical system in confusing
68%
32.3%
Language
28.6%
28.5%
No translator
29.2%
24.7%
Had a negative experience
28%
31.7%
18.5%
Don't know where to go
27.8%
19.8%
Concerns about privacy
29.4%
15.6%
Transportation
23.2%
Lack of childcare
13.5%
Insurace but co-pay Insurance Lack of elder care
18.4% 16.5%
14%
13.3%
15.8%
9.9%
10.5% 0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Percent Surveyed Source: San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition. Graphic by Jill Castellano | inewsource
the pandemic’s impact on refugees, inform solutions and “mobilize action.” It concludes with dozens of recommendations for addressing those needs and gaps in services. For education, improving parents’ digital literacy and providing more tech support to families would help children better adjust to online schooling. For healthcare, one of the long-term recommendations is investment in “culturally responsive services and treatment,” while under housing, a short-term solution the report identified is to extend rental relief programs past October, the report said. Deep economic pain Meshate Mengistu, the community health coordinator at United Women of East Africa, one of 11 San Diego refugee groups that helped conduct the survey, said the families she spoke with in August and September were struggling to afford basic needs. “Do they feed their children (or) decide whether they buy diapers for their young children,” she said. The pandemic has exacerbated the financial difficulties of refugees, who already were more likely to struggle to meet basic needs, the survey noted. “Our community members were working in the very industries which were hard hit by this: the restaurant industry, hotel industry and tourism industry,” said Kabashima
the pandemic’s economic devastation. Some of the families surveyed estimated their income shortly before and during the pandemic — in January and July. Almost three-quarters of them lost income, with an average decrease of 29%, or $846 a month. The survey also found that 23% of all the families interviewed were “extremely concerned” about being able to afford food, and almost all received some kind of assistance, including an economic stimulus check, Pandemic EBT — one-time funding to cover children’s meals — or unemployment. Education and health gaps For refugees new to the U.S. who are trying to figure out unfamiliar school and health systems, the pandemic has made adjusting hardRead The Entire Story er. About San Diego Access to Refugees Here healthcare is complex, with more than half of the people surveyed saying they prefer in-person medical visits over video and phone consultations.
inewsource is a nonprofit, independently fundednewsroom that produces impactful investigative and accountability journalism in San Diego County. Learn more at inewsource.org.
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11
The Language of Appreciation
By Daniel Allen As we begin to head into the final stretch of the year, I think we can all reflect and likely agree on one sentiment: it’s been a lot for a lot! It seems that the past ten months has been a procession of a period of challenge followed swiftly by another. From the pandemic and protests to fires and hurricanes, it’s a lot for individuals – and our community – to accept and adjust. Patience and gratitude are virtues that when cultivated and combined allow us to value ourselves and others with greater capacity: they offer artful and higher form of appreciation. With all we’ve encountered through this year, it’s even more relevant and vital to consider taking a few moments to master this language that will instantly enhance all your relationships – and certainly with your loved ones. Have you noticed how in long-term relationships partners can generally list all of the other’s worst qualities? (I actually used to think this was my job as a “good partner,” to help my partner “improve.” What happened instead was that we both seemed to seem defeated and unhappy.) A key to bringing passion and aliveness to (or back into) any relationships that have been characterized by struggle and negativity is to refocus on what are the very best, most essential qualities about each person. That doesn’t mean that the “neg-
ative” qualities are swept under the rug; rather it’s about returning the focus and the balance to what we most appreciate about each other and ourselves. The most powerful skill in this refocusing is that of giving appreciations. Here’s how it works. First, take a moment to make another commitment; You can either withhold or generate appreciation. Which one of these do you choose to commit to? Many of us have learned that we shouldn’t hand out positive comments freely, that somehow it would give the other person “a swelled head.” Taking in other people’s admiration can be even more troublesome — we don’t want to brag, right? What this reluctance to generate and receive does is interrupt the flow of big, expanded feelings. Like any flow of energy, creating an ongoing current of wonderful feelings depends on both channels being open — giving and receiving. Ready to try this yourself ? Look around you and find something, anything to appreciate. (Over time, I’ve appreciated a long list of unusual things, including subtle gestures, cloud formations, and all manners of music.) You might find it much easier to stay in narrow focus and notice what is wrong. Appreciation requires more breadth, a wider view. It’s a focus on the positive, with a sensitive awareness of previously unnoticed qualities. Here’s another radical action that will
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enhance your life: appreciating yourself. You can do this silently or out loud. It takes care of an issue I often hear in my office: “I don’t mind doing all of this for (my partner/ family/job), I just wish someone would appreciate me for it!” I actually do this myself and experience the shift from resentment to flow. It could sound something like this: “Wow, look at what a great job I did cleaning this kitchen! Everything is sparkling!” Here’s your chance to try it out. Appreciating is a tool that can change your life. You don’t have to feel it to do it; appreciation is the action that leads to gratitude. You’ve probably known people who are natural appreciators (you might want to appreciate them right now). Aren’t they so much easier to be around than those who are complainers? Who do you want to be? Choosing this action is a powerful step to creating a quick shift out of negativity and into expansiveness. Giving and receiving appreciation is a habit that is well worth developing. I recommend a daily diet of giving and receiving appreciations, to yourself, to your loved ones, and even persons you just met. Daniel Allen is a spiritual/emotional counselor, writer and speaker on the subject of relationships (including the one we hold with ourselves), and an advocate for Love and raising consciousness. For more information or article suggestions please visit www.SoulExpansion, email info@SoulExpansion.com or call (619) 832-2750.
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12 VOL. 5 ISSUE 10
Your Coverage. Your Choice. By Kie Copenhaver MA, RHIA, CSA, RCFE, SHSS
If you’ve read any of the articles I have written over the past couple of years – either featured here in our Local Umbrella Media newspaper or somewhere else – you know that one of my passions is advocating for choice with our aging clients. Everyone appreciates having a choice. When it comes to our aging population, they have earned the right to choose and to be given the information necessary to make informed choices about their health and wellbeing. Open enrollment for Medicare is fast approaching - when the leaves start changing colors and you are inundated with all things pumpkin spice, you know it is almost time for open enrollment. Talk with your Medicare Enrollment Specialist to ensure the Medicare plan you currently have is working for you. If you are unhappy with the plan you have, open enrollment is the time to change it. Your Enrollment Specialist can help you find the plan that is right for you, your healthcare needs, and your budget. We have a couple of folks who are cracker jacks at this kind of stuff so if you need a referral, let us know. And while we are on the topic of Medicare and choice, let’s talk about some often overlooked choices Medicare participants are entitled to under their policies.
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) You, as a Medicare participant, have a choice of which SNF you are discharged to if you find yourself in the hospital and needing additional care and rehabilitation before going home. Medicare has a “Nursing Home Compare” website where anyone can look at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) star rating system for all participating SNFs. Here is a screen shot of a search I did using the zip code 92115. When you get to this website, you can search the various skilled nursing facilities by zip, city, state or by specific name. You can use the arrows under each heading to sort the list from most to least stars or vice versa. As you can see from the screen shot, you can sort from five different categories: Overall Rating, Health Inspections, Staffing, Quality Measures and Distance. If you hold your mouse over the “2” in SNF B’s rating on Staffing, you see that a box appears telling you there was insufficient data to compile a rating – this may be a red flag if a SNF is not able to report necessary data to CMS. https://www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/search.html
SNF A
SNF B
Home Health Services Part A and/or Part B of your Medicare plan covers home health benefits. You will want to read your “Medicare & You 2021” booklet for more specifics on this coverage. Much like SNF’s, you can go onto the Medicare.gov website to compare the various CMS participating home health agencies. You have your choice of Home Health agencies to work with – this can happen after a hospital or SNF stay or if your Primary Care Physician writes you an order for some sort of therapy to help you maintain your health status/condition (i.e., PT, OT, ST, RT). Ask your PCP or discharge planner about your options for Home Health services and agencies. https://www.medicare.gov/homehealthcompare/search.html
H.H. A
H.H. B
And finally, Hospice As a Medicare participant, you or your loved ones have a choice of which hospice agency to work with when/if the time comes. To qualify for hospice care, one must be terminally ill and have a life expectancy of 6 months or less to live. Hospice care and palliative care are not the same thing; palliative care is also known as comfort care and the goal is to keep someone comfortable and out of pain (often palliative care is done in conjunction with hospice services). There are many other aspects of hospice – clinical services, medications for pain management, durable medical equipment, spiritual and grief counseling, and music therapy. You or a family member may visit https://www.medicare.gov/hospiceCompare/ to look more closely at hospice companies that have been recommended or referred to you. This CMS database is not set up in the same fashion as the other two comparison sites. If you want additional information on a hospice company and their CMS scores (compared to a national average), give us a call.
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Stay Safe, San Diego Not all SNFs, Home Health agencies and Hospice companies are created equal. As a healthcare recipient and more specifically, a Medicare recipient, it is up to you to do your research to ensure you are working with the best and highest rated companies and organizations out there. Let us help you delve into the research, crunch the numbers, and find the service provider(s) that works for you! You have CHOICE. We are here to ensure that our expertise and advocacy is helping you navigate your health and wellbeing path and the choices you have in healthcare providers.
VOL. 5 ISSUE 10 13
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14 VOL. 5 ISSUE 10
UC San Diego Study Indicates That Women’s Incomes Improve When Democrats Hold Public Office In an increasingly polarized political system, Democratic control has a meaningful impact on narrowing the gender gap New research from the University of Cal-
to gains or declines in gender inequality,
and the same pattern emerged. Over the
ifornia San Diego reveals that Democratic control of state houses leads to substantial improvement in women’s incomes, wages and unemployment relative to men. The study, to be published in Legislative Studies Quarterly, finds that especially in the recent period of pronounced partisan polarization, Democratic house control helps close the gender inequality gap. Across all states, women’s wages averaged only 70 percent of men’s wages in 2018, but just a few years after Democrats are elected in a state, that gap typically declines by 3.6 percentage points. Additionally, the researchers estimate that a slim Democratic majority in the house—as opposed to a slim Republican majority—leads to a 2.6 percent point reduction in the overall income gap between men and women. Zoltan Hajnal, a professor of political science and a scholar on U.S. politics and policy. His research focuses on how disadvantaged populations are represented in American politics and what can be done to ensure better representation of these groups. “No voting bloc is more important in American elections than women,” said first author Zoltan Hajnal, a professor of political scientist at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy. “ With women accounting for more than half of all votes, small shifts in the female vote can and likely will determine who wins in November.” Hajnal and co-author John Seungmin Kuk of the University of Oklahoma also assessed whether Democratic or Republican control of the White House could be linked Local News > LocalUmbrellaNews.com
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Stay Safe, San Diego last half century, women’s incomes grew almost twice as fast under Democratic administrations than they did when Republicans held the Oval Office. The average gain in income for women was $443 per year under Democrats but only $284 per year under Republicans. And, poverty as well as unemployment rates also fell among females under Democratic administrations. To test whether Democratic or Republican control of state houses impacts gender inequality, the authors tracked male and female wages, income, poverty, and employment in each state annually for the last five decades. Specifically, they looked to see if women were catching up to men faster when Democrats controlled the levers of state power then when Republicans did. Their assessment was made by comparing changes in gender equality in states where Democrats barely won a majority in the House to states where Republicans barely won a majority. Further comparisons revealed that that Democratic control of the state House leads to significant improvement in female income (relative to male income), significant declines in female unemployment (relative to male unemployment), and near significant declines in the wage and poverty gaps. “Just one year of Democratic control leads to a one percentage point increase in the female-male income ratio, a 0.7 percentage point decline in the wage gap, a 0.4 percent decline in the female-male employment gap, and a .28 percent decline in
the male-female poverty gap,” the authors wrote. A gender gap that is no longer narrowing These trends could be critical in closing the gender wage gap. The study points to ample evidence that women who work in the same job with the same level of experience still get paid considerably less than men. For example, National Women’s Law Center recently estimated that women typically have to work 50 years to make what a man earns in 40 years. Moreover, there is evidence that after declining for many decades, the gap is no longer narrowing. Several factors contribute to pronounced inequity, such as the fact that women are much more likely than men to be family caregivers means that the gender gap widens after women become mothers. However, 38 percent of the gender wage gap cannot be explained by factors that are easily measured such as occupation, educational attainment, or years of experience. The differences of the economic outcomes for women under Democratic-led state houses are large enough that several decades of Democratic control could conceivably eliminate much of the gender gap that we see today. So, what do Democrats do differently to help close the gender the gap? While the researchers could not definitively answer this question, they find two factors are associated with the gains for women under Democrats. “ The first is gender policy,” they write.
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VOL. 5 ISSUE 10 15 “Democratic control of the state houses leads to significantly more liberal policies on gender discrimination and access to family planning. The other factor is female representation. We find that having more women in office also leads to more liberal gender policy and likely contributes to improvement on basic economic indicators for women.” However, just having more women hold office isn’t necessarily the answer, according to the data. “Any impact of female legislators is entirely contingent on having Democrats control the house majority,” they write. “Having women in office greatly matters for gender policy, but only when Democrats control the agenda.” While Democratic vs. Republican control has meaningful effects for gender equality in some cases, it does not in others. Partisan control of the governor’s office appears to have no clear impact on gender equality, and the same could be inferred regarding state senates. Data limitations prevented the authors from directly assessing the effect of Democratic control of the state senate, but their exploratory analysis revealed no clear effects. Yet, they conclude that parties appear to have more meaning now as polarization has increased, relative to how a less-divided political system operated for much of the 20th Century.
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16 VOL. 5 ISSUE 10
Tuesday - Friday • October 20 - 23 San Diego Oasis invites you to its 8th annual
GET CONNECTED: TECHNOLOGY FAIR FOR ADULTS 50+
DON'T MISS OPENING DAY! Irwin Jacobs, Founding Chairman and CEO Emeritus of Qualcomm, will kick off the event on Tuesday, October 20 More days mean more opportunities to participate in the sessions you want to attend. Enjoy themed Tech Talk sessions each day, presented by knowledgeable speakers addressing a wide variety of technology-related topics in the areas of every day tech, health tech, financial tech, and fun tech.
IRWIN JACOBS
Tech Talk descriptions and Speaker announcements coming soon.
Invite your friends and family to join you for this power-packed week of practical, helpful and fun technology-related topics.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Visit SanDiegoOasis.org for more details
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Thank You to our Sponsors
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VOL. 5 ISSUE 10
How Technology Affects Society
By Daniel Allen I’d like to address one of the most divisive topics about technology, and if possible, place empowerment back where it belongs: with you! How does technology affect society? Is it evil? Are the Illuminati disseminating and using it for illusive purposes? Is a microwave oven really nuclear? Okay, that last question was just to see if you’re still with me, but to clear it up, no; it uses microwaves (a type of radio wave) that causes water molecules within food to vibrate extremely fast creating friction, the by-product of which is heat. Let’s move on. Four years ago my mother passed. There was a three-week period of adjustment to the logistics, emotions, and supporting family. Until this time, I considered myself a light Facebook user; I didn’t sit for hours posting or reading every day, I just glanced in those brief instances throughout. Once the rhythm of daily life resumed, I realized I hadn’t posted anything during this period. I decided to challenge myself: I removed the Facebook app from my mobile phone to discover whether this had any effect. What I learned was slightly jarring. I awoke the next morning, yawned, took in a breath- and reached for my phone to view Facebook. Not yet fully alert, as I went to open and couldn’t locate the icon, I was puzzled; it took a second to recall I deleted it. Instantly I was shocked at how subtly the
task had become as second nature for me as breathing. Still lying in bed, in the wake of this realization (wondering if in a past life I was Pavlov’s dog), I began reflecting and accounting how much time I spend on the platform. A few minutes each morning (5-10 min.), at red lights (30 sec – 1 min.), in line at the bank, grocery store, gas station, etc. (30 sec. – 5 min.); anytime I share lunch or dinner with someone and they go to the restroom (1 – 5 min.). Then there’s the time I consciously spent on Facebook using the computer. I calculated I about 1-2 hours daily! This may seem excessive, but I encourage you to hone on two words I used above: conservative and conscious. I considered myself a light user and my awareness was only of the times I consciously chose to sit and be with it for sustained period. Still, this was more of a realization than revelation. The thought that followed is what made the impact: at even one-hour per day, that’s about thirty hours per month – nearly an entire work week! I discovered that I could be doing so much more for others and myself by reclaiming my time. Rather than being predominately passive and observational, I could improve the lives of others and myself by truly being engaged and social. I’m not suggesting that Facebook – or any social media platform – is negative or bad. They are a medium. They are inanimate. How we utilize, participate and perceive them
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17
is ultimately revealing of something within ourselves. For me, the momentary gift of curiosity led to epiphany - for myself. So, this is where the empowerment returns. Once you’re clear, you get to make the choice yourself. The bigger theme to be aware of is the purpose and impact of technology – both individually and collectively. The intention of technology to ease and improve our lives. From the wheel and ballpoint pen to mobile phones and Internet, the question should be considered; is technology adapting to improve our lives, or are we adapting to technology? I don’t hold a dystopian view. I don’t expect to see the Terminator running through the alleyways of Kensington any time soon. What I am intending to offer is a moment of pause. An invitation of honest reflection and balance. If you’re curious, these days you can easily download free apps that will monitor and display your results online – even by specific programs or social media. In fact, the most recent iOS and Android operating systems include this feature. Daniel Allen is the owner of Ken-Tal Tech. The local company that specializes in creating websites and related services (newsletter design, SEO optimization and more) for local businesses. For more information or article suggestions please visit www.KenTalTech. com, email articles@KenTalTech.com or call (619) 780-6240.
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18 VOL. 5 ISSUE 10
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Get Away from It All at Quiet Mind Mountain Lodge and Retreat in Julian By Jeanne Rawdin Nestled on the Julian hillside overlooking Lake Cuyamaca, you’ll find a place that looks – at first glance -- like a red farmhouse. But looks can be deceiving. As you approach the site, you’ll notice golden Buddha heads shining in the sun, placed strategically in front of the building, welcoming you in. You’ve arrived at Quiet Mind Mountain Lodge and Retreat, a rustically magical place that offers solitude and sanctuary in the Buddhist tradition. It’s unlike any other lodging you’ll find in Julian, hands down.
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Stay Safe, San Diego The place opened in March but had to shut down just ten days later because of COVID-19 restrictions. Now it’s re-opened, keeping stringent precautions in place to protect against the pandemic. The lodge offers a relaxing setting for those just looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It also offers formal retreats for the spiritually minded – all in an environment that encourages introspection and honors the exquisite beauty of silence – something Julian has in unlimited quantity. You’ll find rooms ornately decorated in bright Buddhist reds and golds, with tapestries on the walls depicting gods and goddesses. You’ll find a library full of uplifting books and games to play in a warm and inviting setting, with huge windows offering a panoramic view. There’s an outdoor jacuzzi that sits under a sprawling tree with a lake view, and even a billiard room and gym. There’s no restaurant here, and no Julian apple pie. Quiet Mind Mountain Lodge and Retreat offers gourmet vegan meals prepared in advance and placed in your room’s fridge ready for the microwave (one in every room) whenever you choose. The meals are created by an Italian gourmet chef and are Italian-inspired. And just in case you’re wondering, cell phones are not allowed in any of the community areas. This place was designed to unplug, while you recharge your inner battery. The retreat/hotel has rooms available with a lake view on one side and a mountain view on the other. The lakeview rooms have high ceilings with a strategically placed dormer window to let in the sunlight, and sliding glass doors that allow maximum viewing of Lake Cuyamaca, which is within short walking distance. Each lakeview room has its own balcony with two chaise lounges for meditating, relaxing or just watching nature unfold around you. You can also book a massage or a session in the infrared sauna at the small but well-appointed Tara Temple Spa. Quiet Mind Mountain Lodge and Retreat is owned by husband and wife, Michael Gregory and Davita Moodley. Davita, a mindfulness-based hypnotherapist who grew up in South Africa, says, “We are more than a retreat center, we offer a beginning
to a new and mindful way of living. We recognize the stresses of modern living to become more, to consume more, and to constantly be connected to technology. This state of busy-ness often leads to emotional and physical imbalances. And we understand that quietude, meditation and nature bring the mind and body to a state of clarity, peace and well-being.” So why choose Julian as the place for a Buddhist retreat and lodge? For one thing, it reminded Michael of the terrain on the
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VOL. 5 ISSUE 10 19 Tibetan border in India, where he lived as a monk for many years. Also, he and his wife Davida had been hosting retreats in San Diego and Los Angeles and felt this was close enough for those followers to come. Through a determined real estate agent, the couple discovered the property which was identified then as an assisted living center. The owners were ripe to sell, so Michael and Davita bought the property and started imagining what the space could look like. The foundation of the hotel/retreat center is based on Buddhist principles of inner wisdom and compassion, so you’ll find spaces throughout the place to tap into that inner harmony and peace of mind. On the west side of the building, walk through a pair of thick, ornately carved doors and you’ll find yourself in a huge meditation room, resplendent with large Buddhist statues, detailed tapestries of Buddhist deities on the walls, and photos of the Dalai Lama (whom Michael studied with) and other masters lining a Buddhist altar. You’ll also find photos of Michael himself as a Buddhist monk. He studied under some of the most well-known Buddhist lamas for several years in Tibet, Nepal and India. Then he was asked to come back to the modern world to teach others. He is now a mindfulness and retreat teacher, mentor, author and director of Mindfulness Meditation Centers. Michael and Davita built Quiet Mind Mountain Lodge and Retreat to impart that wisdom to anyone who enters its doors. You can stay at the hotel to just relax or partake in meditation sessions, or you can join several formal retreats that take place on the grounds every year. COVID restrictions are in effect right now, so contact the retreat/ lodge beforehand. Michael also conducts several retreats and meditation classes online if you’re interested in a virtual experience. Quiet Mind Mountain Lodge and Retreat is located at 34540 Engineers Road in Julian and is about an hour’s drive from San Diego. For more information, go to www.Quietmindretreat.com. You can book a room, sign up for conscious living tips or learn about their mindful meditation programs.
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20 VOL. 5 ISSUE 10
Medical Cannabis Provides Relief from PTSD-related symptoms Michael Patterson NHA ,OTR/L, CEAS, CEO 321-960-9699 mpatterson@uscprd.com In the recently released September 2020 issue of Journal of Affective Disorders, a study done by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, and Washington State University, Department of Psychology demonstrated that cannabis provides temporary relief from PTSD-related symptoms. However, it may not be an effective long-term remedy or cure. The link to the study is below. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S0165032720306364 Lifetime prevalence of PTSD is known to affect approximately 8% of the US population (over 26 million people). PTSD among women is almost 3 times more prevalent than men. The effects of PTSD can be debilitating and even life threatening via suicides and attempted suicides. With the continued legalization of medical cannabis at the state level in the USA, there are more citizens that can access medical cannabis. Also, with almost every legal medical cannabis state approving PTSD as a qualifying diagnosis, the options for approved medicine have never been greater. In order to study the effectiveness of cannabis with PTSD, researchers at University of Pennsylvania and Washington State used archival data from Strainprint, a medical cannabis technology platform with a journaling app which allows users to track changes in symptom severity as a function of their cannabis use. Data was collected 20 minutes after patients self-administered cannabis for PTSD through an inhalation method (smoking, vaping, concentrate, dab). Ingestion method for cannabis was not used due to the delayed and unpredictable uptake within the body in which some users show
symptom relief in 30 minutes, while others could take 3-4 hours to experience symptom relief. The final sample of participants totaled 404 patients (220 women, 179 Men, 8 “other�). The participants imputed data into the Strainprint app 11,797 times over a span of 31 months (March 2017-October 2019). The symptoms the participants were asked to track were intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, irritability, and/or anxiety. The results from the study found dramatic decrease in symptoms for almost all participants. Symptom reductions for intrusive thoughts (98% reduction), flashbacks (92% reduction), irritability (97% reduction), and anxiety (93% reduction). The data further suggested that concentrations of THC, CBD and interactions between THC and CBD appeared to have no influence on changes of any of the four symptoms assessed. Further data analysis revealed the following: Higher doses of cannabis (i.e. more puffs/inhalation) predicted greater symptom relief for anxiety and intrusive thoughts than lower doses. Also,
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the longer the study went on, participants used more cannabis per session. This may indicate an increased tolerance to canna-
bis over time. The conclusion of the study indicates that cannabis provides transient relief from PTSD symptoms, but long-term cannabis use may not improve the severity of PTSD. In other words, cannabis is helping decrease major PTSD symptoms, but cannabis is not a cure for PTSD. Analysis This study is important for what it says, but just as important for what it does not say. No participant was found to have increased PTSD symptoms or negative side effects from taking cannabis. As a physician considering to prescribe (recommend) cannabis as a symptom treatment for PTSD, this is a very important factor to consider. This study validates that cannabis is a safe medical treatment for PTSD symptoms and should be considered as a safe alternative to heavier FDA approved medications with profound side effects and addictive tendencies.
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VOL. 5 ISSUE 10 21
Bankers Hill Author Explores Living Artfully in New Memoir Outdoor signing at Warwick’s Saturday Nov 15 • 2-4 PM
Wine, art, and passion central in a couple’s love affair with their Pauma Valley paradise We all have moments where we consider leaving the hustle and bustle of our daily routine and starting an entirely new life. Maybe it’s selling seashells on the beach in Hawaii. Perhaps it’s taking up painting in Provence. For San Diego author, Marilyn Woods and her husband Jack, it meant leaving behind careers in radio broadcasting, and restoring an old house nestled in an orange grove and creating a vineyard in Pauma Valley. A lush and expansive exploration of vibrant and creative living, Woods’ memoir, The Orange Woods (ISBN: 978-1-94796631-4) has been likened to Frances Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun in its honest human portraitures and richness of natural detail. “In writing this book, I wanted to preserve a romantic recounting of a couple’s adventurous and no fear-farming endeavor, full of laughter, family, friends and often most welcome solitude,” Woods says. “I wanted to share in a compelling story the love of harvests, art, sunsets, music, laughter, heartbreak and most importantly tales of the guy who inspired it all, Jack, the master storyteller.” Woods captures the California lifestyle with the pitch-perfect story of Jack’s lifelong fascination with the Golden State. The author, originally a Texas girl, agrees to move to California, equally smitten with the golden state after her first visit. On the brink of retirement, the couple saw a lone realtor working on New Year’s Day and, on a lark, turned the steering wheel of their car to his office. He only had to show them one property because they immediately fell in love with the artistic beauty of a place they christened The Orange Woods. “I hope readers will understand that art is everywhere,” says Woods. “And see a little more clearly how a love and appreciation of art, whether street art or fine art, can inspire like it did our time in the country, tell fascinating stories of other times and cultures, comfort in loss, and with just a glimpse remind one of extraordinary memories. It does all of that and more for me even more so now that my book is written.” The memoir examines an enduring love story not only between Marilyn and Jack, but the people and they land they surround themselves with. Magical and intoxicating, this memoir is not to be missed. Synopsis On the brink of middle age, Marilyn and Jack did a one-eighty, leaving their world of big city radio and broadcasting to take on a new adventure with the purchase of a Southern California farm. As they stum-
ble and succeed over the two decades that follow, they experience losses, failures, and stunning successes as they craft a life among orange groves, lavender fields, and vineyards in San Diego County. When the devastating, unexpected death of her husband leaves Marilyn alone with a shattered dream, she must reclaim the inspiration and courage that led them to their country life in order to find a new way forward. This story is a portrait of the grief, joy, courage, and hope of a life lived boldly, and an ode to the solace that can be found in nature and art. It is a story that will inspire readers to embark on quiet adventures of their own. The Orangewoods: A Memoir Often, as she sat on the damp soil, inhaling the scent of fresh turned earth and soaking up the warmth of the setting sun, Marilyn marveled at the turn her life had taken. No longer living in the big cities of their past—New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Dallas—in middle age, she was living an unexpected country life on magical acreage in Southern California. On celebratory trip to Paris she and her husband, Jack, a radio personality, found themselves in the Musee d’Orsay. They were captivated by a Henri Matisse masterpiece, which sparked their imaginative vision for a small piece of farmland back home. Luxe, Calme et Volupté, not only a vibrant painting by Matisse, but also a poem of the same name by influential French poet Charles Baudelaire, came to be the inspiration behind the couple’s every move as they cultivated their newly acquired countryside
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plot. With childlike enthusiasm and hardearned knowledge (in the early years before the internet), Marilyn and Jack considered the land their canvas. They researched and planned; demolished and developed; planted and harvested. Over the twenty years that followed, the pair cast aside their wristwatches and day timers and learned to live “under the Southern California sun” as their seasons became defined by budding, blossoms and fruition. When the dream of The Orange Woods is ended by Jack’s unexpected death, Marilyn’s memories of both Matisse and Baudelaire’s incantations help her to realize that the legacy of what she and Jack created could never been taken from her. This memoir is a love story between two people and a Southern California farm. In addition to harvests and wine making, coyotes and critters, oranges and lavender fields, the story is peppered with tales of their radio days, travels, Steamer their big black dog, grandchildren being born and loved ones dying. Romance, art, music and spirituality are woven throughout this passionate portrait of life’s second act. About the Author Marilyn Woods is an artist, teacher, and matriarch of a family of fifteen. She holds degrees in journalism and psychology. Marilyn began her career as a broadcast journalist. After earning her BA in Journalism from Texas Technological University, she and her husband became pioneers in radio syndication, which lead them to live in major cities around the country, including Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC, and Dallas. Her life changed when the pair gave up big city life to purchase a small farm in Pauma Valley, California, population 980. There, she and her husband planted a Provence lavender field, built a bocce ball court and a labyrinth of white stones, installed a vineyard, built a boutique winery, and learned to be vintners and farmers. As though this wasn’t enough to keep her busy, Marilyn also became a docent at The San Diego Museum of Art through their rigorous two-year training program. Her life changed again with the unforeseen loss of her husband, which prompted Marilyn to return to city life to live alone for the very first time. This led her to a new chapter in her life, in which she focuses on art and writing in her wise and street-smart, contemporary and emotional voice. Her love of California, nature, family, art and a big black dog named Steamer, populate her humorous, sometimes heart wrenching, portraits of an extraordinary life. marilynwoodswriters.com
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Unique ways to celebrate Halloween, even if it’s not in-person Halloween celebrations will be different in 2020. A global pandemic has made activities like trick-or-treating risky, and many parents figure to keep kids home this Halloween. It may be hard to envision a Halloween without kids getting together as they go from house to house in search of candy. But celebrants should know that there’s still fun to be had this Halloween, even if that fun is not in-person with fellow vampires, witches and pirates. This Halloween can be as unique as celebrants are willing to make it. The following are some fun ways to celebrate a Halloween that may feature little in-person interactions with other costumed ghouls and goblins. • Get dressed up for video chats. While social distancing measures may discourage large gatherings, such measures aren’t discouraging people from wearing costumes this Halloween. Parents can organize a group Zoom call with their children’s classmates, encouraging everyone on the call, including other moms and dads, to wear their costumes. • Create a Halloween candy hunt. Take a cue from Easter celebrations and organize a Halloween candy hunt in the backyard. Kids can get dressed up and search the property for all the usual spoils of Halloween. Parents of school-aged children can
even add a twist by making the Halloween candy search a scavenger hunt, complete with clues and candies hidden in decorative
scarecrows and jack-o’-lanterns. • Throw a hospital hero-themed Halloween party. Traditional Halloween masks don’t typically cover up noses or mouths, which renders them ineffective protection against COVID-19. A party that both honors local hospital workers while celebrating the work they do can make for a fun way to get together this Halloween. Organizers can encourage participants to dress up as doctors, nurses, orderlies, and other hospital workers, making sure each attendee wears a mask that covers their nose and mouth and fits snugly onto their face. Each attendee also can provide a small donation that can go toward purchasing meals for local hospital workers. • Bake your own Halloween treats. If kids won’t be going door-to-door this Halloween, parents can organize holiday-themed baking sessions to whip up some homemade treats for youngsters. Encourage participants to decorate baked goods with Halloween colors and imagery, and then drop off the finished products at each other’s homes. Treats can then be opened and enjoyed over a Zoom call that includes all participants. Halloween celebrations may be different this year, but they can still be fun for everyone.
Building Resilience and Adapting to Change Sharp HealthCare is pleased to announce that a new video will be released Monday, October 26, as part of the series of free virtual workshops for San Diego residents presented by Sharp, the Official Health and Wellness Partner of the City of San Diego. Workshops were previously held at libraries and recreation centers in each of the nine City of San Diego districts and were moved online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each video will offer closed captions in English and Spanish. Past webinars include Advanced Care Planning, Prediabetes and Back Pain Management, which are also available for on-demand viewing. The newest webinar in the series, Building Resilience and Adapting to Change, can
be accessed via Sharp.com/ healthclasses beginning Monday, October 26. The description of
the workshop is as follows: Free Virtual Workshop: Building Resilience and Adapting to
To learn more about the workshop regarding stress management, scan the code below:
To learn more about stress management and building resiliance, scan the code below:
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Change Available Monday, October 26, 2020 Psychologists define resilience as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress – such as family and relationship problems, serious health issues, financial stressors and even the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn how to build resilience, adapt to change and cope with life’s many challenges during this free online workshop, presented by Sharp HealthCare, the Official Health and Wellness Partner of the City of San Diego. Watch anytime, beginning Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, (closed captions in English and Spanish are available) via Sharp.com/ healthclasses.
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I’M LOCAL! with SYDNEY WILLIAMS Profiles of Local People by Local Umbrella Media
November is Diabetes Awareness Month by Bradley Weber When former collegiate athlete and competitive skydiver, Sydney Williams, unexpectedly found herself on the receiving end of a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, while grappling with unresolved trauma from a decades-old sexual assault, she set out on a mission: turn her pain into power. Two hikes across Catalina Island and 80 miles later, she founded Hiking My Feelings® to help others tap into the mind-body connection and healing power of nature that helped kick her self-limiting beliefs and disease into remission. Having more than 12 years of marketing experience with Fortune
Q
: What is Hiking My Feelings? A: Hiking My Feelings is a non-profit organization based in San Diego, CA. We’re on a mission to improve community health by creating opportunities for people to experience the healing power of nature. We work toward this mission via education, events, and advocacy, and we focus on three key areas impacting community health in the US: supporting survivors of sexual violence, Type 2 Diabetes prevention and management, and exploring the mindbody connection. Since we started in 2018, we’ve hosted more than 200 events around the US to encourage folks to get off the couch and onto the trail. : What is the “Take a Hike, Diabetes” campaign all about? A: We are kicking off our Take a Hike, Diabetes campaign with a free 30-day program for Diabetes Awareness Month in November. We’ve gathered an incredible team of experts–a registered dietician, wilderness therapist, mindset coach, and diabetes advocates–who are committed to helping you live your best life with diabetes. This program introduces you to mindfulness techniques, gets your body moving via hiking + walking, and teaches you how to eat intuitively. If you have a history of diabetes in your family and haven’t been diagnosed yet, these techniques can help you keep diabetes at bay. Adding these practices to a diabetes management plan makes it possible to not only survive with this disease, but truly thrive. To help folks stay active heading into the holidays, we’ve partnered with Kilter Rewards to track mileage, pledge donations, and offer a virtual component for this initiative so regardless of where you live, you can join us! In light of the uncertainty with COVID, this offers a safe way for folks to participate on their own time, in their own neighborhood. : What was the inspiration for this program? A: it all started when I was diagnosed with
Q
Q
500 companies and emerging brands, Sydney serves up her “truth juice” style of storytelling to break wide open tough conversations with practical, powerful content and experiences. Over the years, she’s been featured on the SXSW stage, as well as in Health Magazine, Diabetic Living Magazine, San Diego Union-Tribune, Huffington Post, Psychology Today, US News & World Report, and numerous other publications. Today, she is the author of Hiking My Feelings: Stepping Into the Healing Power of Nature and travels across the country empowering others to summit their personal mountains on their way to becoming Well Beings.
Type 2 Diabetes in 2017. In the three years since I was diagnosed, I’ve quit two jobs, walked away from a six-figure salary and health benefits provided by my former employer, sold everything I owned to move into a van old enough to buy beer, established firm boundaries with friends and family members who were detrimental to my healing journey, and walked away from the American Dream I was chasing. I burned down my life as I knew it. What on Earth was I thinking? Since then, I’ve also recovered from some serious trauma, lost 70+ pounds, hiked 2,000+ miles, founded this non-profit, hosted 200+ events around the US, started a nationwide movement to connect folks with the healing power of nature, wrote a book, haven’t had a panic attack in more than two years, and have met some of the most compassionate humans I’ve ever had the pleasure of being in community with. I also reversed my Type 2 Diabetes in the process. None of this would be possible if I wasn’t diagnosed. I knew something was wrong for weeks, and it wasn’t until I was in the most excruciating pain of my life that I went to the hospital to get to the root of it. When the doctor called with my test results and told me “ You have Type 2 Di-
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abetes” it was a pivotal moment in my life, a catalyst for change unlike anything I had experienced before. I’ve been living my life out loud and online since 2003 and it would be ridiculous to keep the knowledge I’ve gained on my healing journey to myself. : Do you have any advice for folks who haven’t hiked before? A: At the end of the day, hiking is just walking, and it doesn’t have to be a big outdoor adventure to be beneficial to your health. I started with a 30-minute walk every morning around our neighborhood, and when that was no longer challenging, I graduated to hiking local trails around San Diego. All you really need to get started is a good pair of shoes, plenty of water, and a map. I recommend downloading the AllTrails app (or visiting alltrails.com) to explore local trails–you’d be surprised how many are right here in your backyard!
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Sydney Williams
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newsbriefs
Susan Volpe and Dustin Pfluger join CWDL accounting and consulting firm CWDL, an accounting and consulting firm specializing in mortgage banking and educational industries, has added two strategic hires to support the firm’s exponential growth and help drive future market development. Susan Volpe and Dustin Pfluger have been appointed as the director of accounting and consulting and partner of the Mortgage Banking Division, respectively. In their new roles, Volpe will lead an accounting team that has grown 100 percent in the past year, and Pfluger will help lead the mortgage practice by providing additional expertise across CWDL’s growing nationwide client base. Volpe joins CWDL after pre-
viously running her own accounting services business and serving as the CFO for an in-
dependent mortgage company. With an accounting and human resources background that
spans over 25 years, Volpe lends invaluable professional acumen to guide both staff and clientele. Pfluger brings 16 years of public accounting experience to CWDL, 11 of which have been exclusively dedicated to the mortgage industry. A certified public accountant, Pfluger adds keen insight through his past work at accounting firms like PricewaterhouseCoopers and Richey May. Volpe and Pfluger will play major roles in guiding CWDL’s day-to-day operations as the company continues to expand its existing roster. They will be based in the Boston, Massachusetts area and Austin, Texas, respectively. CWDL is headquartered in San Diego.
Cassandra Crowe-Jackson named chief experience officer a Sharp HealthCare
Multi-tenant industrial property in National City sold for $123.5 million A multi-teant industrial property at 131 W. 33rd St. in National City has been sold for $123.5 million to Unilev Capital, a Los Angeles-based real estate investment firm. The seller was an undisclosed institutional investor. The single-story building was 96 percent leased at the time of sale. The multi-tenant property features 3,943 square feet of office space along with industrial
space that is divided into two types of uses: typical warehouse industrial use and industrial storage. CBRE’s Matt Pourcho, Anthony DeLorenzo, Gary Stache and Erik Parker represented the seller. Unilev Capital, was represented by Unilev’s investment team comprised of Raymond Levy, Ian Konowitch and Peter Berges.
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Cassandra Crowe-Jackson has joined Sharp HealthCare as chief experience officer. Crowe-Jackson has more than 20 years of leadership experience with the last 15 being in patient experience and service excellence. She has served as vice president, patient experience for University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, a community-based, not-for-profit health care organization located in Harford County, Md. Previously, Crowe-Jackson was the senior director, Office of Patient Experience and Service Excellence at University of Colorado Health, a not-for-profit health care system headquartered in Aurora, Colo. A Certified Patient Experience Professional, Crowe-Jackson holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Pfeiffer University in Charlotte, N.C. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Management from University of Phoenix. “Casandra is creative problem
solver, and hands-on leader, trainer, and agent of change,” said Chris Howard, president and CEO of Sharp HealthCare
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newsbriefs
Northrop Grumman wins $690M task order to build DIA data system Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $690 million task order contract by the General Services Administration’s Federal Systems Integration and Management Center to develop a suite of data systems for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the company announced. “Northrop Grumman will continue its longtime partnership with DIA, the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community in the delivery of this critical national security capability,” said Ginger Wierzbanowski, vice president, intelligence solutions, Northrop Grumman.
Under the task order, Northrop Grumman will deliver the Transforming All-Source Analysis with Location-Based Object Services (TALOS) program. The TALOS program focuses on the build of big data systems for DIA, such as the Machine-Assisted Rapid-Repository System (MARS). Northrop Grumman will serve as the enterprise module integrator for MARS. MARS will create a military intelligence environment that will be accessed for up-to-date information by the Intelligence Community (IC) and warfighters.
UC San Diego reports a safe start to in-person activities
UC San Diego’s in-person activities are off to a safe start under the campus’ Return to Learn program, according to university officials. With the beginning of the fall quarter on Sept. 28, 5,730 undergraduate students moved on campus over a 10-day period beginning Sept. 19. The university mapped out a staggered move-in process to allow for physical distancing as well as mandatory testing, all in an effort to provide a worldclass education to students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of student movein, the UC San Diego Center for Advanced Laboratory Medicine (CALM) averaged 1,500 tests daily for two weeks straight, far more than any other UC campus. Most test results were
returned the next day, with an average turnaround of 15 hours. Thousands of tests were administered to students over the 10 days, of which only 10 students tested positive and more than 5,700 tested negative. These students were found to be asymptomatically shedding the virus, equating to a positivity rate of 0.17 percent out of the nearly 6,000 undergraduates who moved on campus. These students received clinical guidance and were promptly moved to isolation housing (the university currently has more than 600 beds to accommodate such needs). They will move back into their general campus housing as soon as they are no longer potentially infectious to others.
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More than 1 million property tax bills are coming in the mail
San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector Dan McAllister announced his office started mailing more than 1 million 2020-2021 secured property tax bills. “ These property tax bills are expected to generate $7.27 billion - money on which our local cities and the county depend,” said McAllister. “Public health, voting administration, schools, and many more essential services are funded by property tax dollars, so we encourage you to pay your taxes as early as possible.” All 1,004,808 tax bills are available now at sdttc.com to view and pay. Property owners can pay online for free using an
e-check (electronic check). Taxpayers will also get an immediate, emailed receipt for payment confirmation if they use the online payment system at sdttc. com. The first property tax installment is due on Nov. 1, 2020, and becomes delinquent after Dec. 10, 2020. The second installment is due Feb. 1, 2021, and becomes delinquent after April 12, 2021. The total amount owed by property taxpayers is $370 million more than last year’s total of $6.9 billion. Rising home prices and new residential units are contributing to the increase. For additional information, call the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office toll free at 877-829-4732.
Michael O’Donohue appointed GM of Fairmont Grand Del Mar Michael O’Donohue has been appointed general manager at Fairmont Grand Del Mar, one of only 14 Forbes triple five-star resorts in the world. He brings over 28 years of hospitality experience to the role, where he is responsible for managing the overall team and operations, performance, and strategic direction. With extensive experience in luxury hotel management, O’Donohue joins the team after nearly five years with Montage International as general manager at Pendry San Diego, where he opened the flagship property. Previous to this, O’Donohue spent 10 years working in various positions at Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Prior to his
time at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, O’Donohue worked at InterContinental Hotels and Hilton Hotels.
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newsbriefs
County’s Edgemoor facility named best in California, again For the second year in a row, the County Health and Human Services Agency’s Edgemoor Skilled Nursing Facility has been named the best facility of its kind in the county and the state by Newsweek magazine. The magazine analyzed more than 15,000 nursing homes in the Unites States and chose 400 winners in 20 states.
Under the umbrella of County Behavioral Health Services, Edgemoor patients receive 24-hour skilled nursing care, physical rehabilitation, as well as recreational, occupational and speech therapy. Patients at the 192-bed facility require specialized interventions from highly trained staff.
Mingei International Museum receives $227,000 grant
Mingei International Museum received a two-year $227,000 Institute of Museum and Library Services CARES Act Grant in support of its current distance learning programs, as well as new engagement programs to support seniors who are socially isolated due to the current pandemic. The museum Museum staff hands out at-home art-making is one of only 68 grant supplies. Photographer Ron Kerner recipients in the country, tion two years ago, it formed and the only cultural institution in San Diego, to receive funding partnerships with local libraries, schools, community centers out of 1,701 applicants. and other arts and culture hubs The museum had already reimagined community engage- to continue sharing creative projects around the San Diego ment prior to the pandemic. region. When the museum embarked on its major building renova-
San Diego economy got a big boost from military An estimated 25 percent of the county’s gross regional product came from direct military spending, according to the San Diego Military Advisory Council’s Military Economic Impact Report for Fiscal Year 2020. The military accounted for $33.6 billion in direct spending in San Diego County, with an increase of 5.7 percent over 2019. The money is vital in a year when the coronavirus and steps to control the pandemic brought San Diego’s economy to a near halt. The UC San Diego Rady School of Management faculty and students created the report that measures the economic impact of the military in San Diego. “ This report was a great way
to understand and calculate what the military impact really means through the numbers,” said Andrew Ovrom, Rady School MBA student lead for the report. “By utilizing the academic resources at the Rady School and UC San Diego, along with the experts at SDMAC, we developed a report that concretely quantifies the impact of the military in numbers that are supported by data. “With a mixed student group that contained active duty military, San Diego natives, and international students, we challenged ourselves to produce a report that highlights the importance of the military on the San Diego economy and the people in it.”
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Photo: Speakers, from top left: Steve Hedrick , Kim Prather, Kim Rubinstein, Sherry Seethaler
A Deep Look into Trust in Science in Uncertain Times The year 2020 has put science in the spotlight as never before. From wearing masks during the pandemic to questions surrounding vaccinations, science has been thrust into the center of our lives with social media, allegations of fake news and political mistrust fanning flames of doubt. In a program sponsored by UC San Diego’s Division of Biological Sciences
and Research Communications Program, a panel of experts will discuss core issues of science communications, public distrust and authenticity, with a focus on issues intertwining the COVID-19 pandemic. This event will be hosted on Zoom and includes a question-and-answer session. The public is welcome to attend.
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NORTH SAN DIEGO BUSINESS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
CHAMBER CHATTER
Billie Jean King said, “Champions keep playing until they get it right”. This quote brings me back to thinking about what we are doing amid this pandemic while we are pivoting daily to keep business going and staying relevant to the current economic climate. The Chamber team has been fully staffed and working every day to connect with our members and the Board of Directors has been reaching out to members as well to see how they are doing and thank them for their continued support. Together, we will get through this and I have to believe we will be stronger, more compassionate, and relevant than ever. Are You Registered to Vote? While the Chamber is non-partisan, we are extremely vocal and strong advocates for legislation that impacts business. We strongly encourage everyone to register and vote on November 3. Herewith are some important tools for you to consider using in preparation for the election. The Real Impact of Prop 15 • Chamber Editorial At a time when California busi-
nesses are struggling to stay open Prop 15 imposes a $12.5 billion tax hike that will be the nail in the coffin for many California businesses. Struggling to keep their doors open, afford rent, pay employees, and more, businesses need more economic incentivization to create jobs for the unemployed, not more financial burdens. November 2020’s Proposition 15 will burden businesses and corporations statewide with an additional $12.5 billion in property taxes annually. How Well Do You Know the Candidates and What They Stand For? The chamber will never take a position of support for any candidate running for office but we do feel it
is important that we give you an opportunity to meet the candidates and ask questions that will help you decide who to vote for. We hope you will join us for these complimentary opportunities to meet and hear the candidates. Not a member of the Chamber yet? Now is the time to experience and engage with San Diego’s only five-star US Chamber organization. Ask any of our members what their experience has been and they will share with you why we are different than the others. Our benefits are relevant to your success. Are You Keeping it Local? Be sure to support local business and work with us to grow our communities. When local business does well, our communities are vibrant. ...and PLEASE, thank our Local Business Champions when you have an opportunity. Thank you for sticking with us, you are the glue that keeps this organization together. it is the community and membership that are the glue that keeps us all together and working for the greater good of the region, our families, employees, and businesses.
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Heart Centered Living
As a small business owner, I have to be very mindful of how I delegate my marketing budget. Marketing can be very expensive, and you don’t always get, “the bang for your buck”. The thought of investing in “print” advertising was not on my radar. I am so glad I took the leap with Local Umbrella. I am very pleased at how my article came out. The staff writer did a great job of bringing out the essence of my Emotional Wellness Coaching practice and EFT tapping. I have received inquiries, consultations and people are booking sessions. Brad and his team made it extremely easy to advertise with positive results!
Sooze Fler y, M. S.
Heart Centered Living Emotional Wellness Coaching
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BY BART MENDOZA © MUSICSCENESD // MUSICSCENESD.COM
OCTOBER 2020
k o o L ! t u O New Compilation Showcases San Diego’s Music Scene 1958-1973
San Diego has had a long history of great bands making great records, but until now, the earliest days of our rock n roll community haven’t been documented. That has all changed with the release of Look Out! The San Diego Scene 19581973, a new CD collection, compiled by Andy Rasmussen. Perhaps best known as a musician with a string of notable bands that has included The Bomboras, The Loons, The Sleepwalkers and his own Action Andy & the Hi-Tones, Rasmussen’s first foray into a historical musical release has resulted in what is an essential listening experience for fans of San Diego artists or rock ‘n’ roll in general. Lookout features 33 tracks, including a handful of radio station promos, with liner notes from Mike Stax and songs from some of the popular local bands of the era, including The Cascades, Sandi & The Accents, The Brain Police and Glory. “Inspiration naturally came from the music itself, Rassmussen says of the project. “Aside from being a musician, I have been hunting and gathering records since I was a teen in the 80’s. After hearing a 45 of The Lyrics “So What!” I was hooked & proud of the fact they were from Oceanside, locals! I soon picked up an album by another local 60’s group called the Hard Times. It was called “Blew Mind” and well, yes, my teen-age mind was blown,” he recalled. “I’ve always been into 60’s music, and if it came from San Diego, all the better. So basically it’s been years of
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collecting and gathering bits of information on the 60’s music scene here.”
fun time capsule.” Despite the years of hard work in putting Look Out together, Rasmussen, is happy with the end result. “It was important to not only get this amazing music out to the public, but to tell the tale of all the hard working bands and musicians who helped jumpstart the fertile scene we have today. In my opinion, San Diego was never in the shadows of L.A. or San Francisco, San Diego was truly doing it’s own thing.”
Rasmussen considers sequencing an important part of this release. “It was important to make this a CD that had a chronological order for people to follow,” he said. “In listening, you’ll hear how it goes from that early 50’s Rockabilly sound, then to gritty R&B, Instrumentals, Garage Rock, and tinge
of Psychedelia, and so forth. It’s like listening in on a really
He notes the hardest part of putting this album together was licensing all the music. “As I got serious about the comp, I realized this was probably the biggest hurdle. Having a background as a musician, I worked with everyone from an artists point of view. What I think got everyone on board was the fact that this is a non-profit project, and that all proceeds are going to San Diego music programs. One I am currently working
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with is the VAPA Program (Visual and Performing Arts) for the San Diego City Schools. What’s important for me to do with this project, and all this great music, is to return
it back into the community and promote the Arts in education.” For Rasmussen, the key to making this project a thorough look at the county’s musical past was the involvement of the artists themselves. “Everyone involved has been incredibly helpful, from the bands themselves to family members, relatives, and even fans of the groups
who used to see them perform.” He considers one highlight to be with drummer Willie Kellogg, who passed away on September 30. “He was the go-to drummer about town, and played with so many bands, including at least five or six on the CD!” Rasmussen remarked. “He recalled recording session in L.A., then playing football later with Elvis and his crew. He backed up John Lee Hooker, toured with Moby Grape, and had an incredibly spiritual nature about him. Turns out he lived a few blocks away from
my house, and I’d stop by here and there, and we’d just talk about anything. He had a brother Gale Kellogg who also played drums in a band on the CD called the Inmates, they sound incredible! Such a talented family,” Rasmussen said. In putting this collection together was there a piece of info discovered that stands out? “One that stands out is the time I connected the dots to two very different singers,” Rasmussen said. “One named Ervin “ Big Boy ” Groves, and the other Ervin “ Big Daddy ” Rucker. Over time, facts got a little muddled. Because their first names were Ervin, and the “Big” aspect of their
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stage names, people (especially overseas), began to think they were the same person.” The confusion was resolved by a movie worthy coincidence. “One day by chance I decided to visit and find the head stone of Ervin Groves. It just happened that his daughter was there, paying a visit at that same time. She seemed a bit bewildered as to why I was there, and of course we talked and I explained the situation. After clearing it up quickly, she happened to show me a book she put out, which had photos of her father and family history. It was a beyond serendipitous situation. You’ll find Ervin “Big Boy” Groves and Ervin “Big Daddy” Rucker on the comp, both musical collaborators who knew each other well.” Music fans will be happy to know there is more than enough music for a second edition. “Of course. I’d love to do more volumes, but really want to see what the response is to this CD. There was so much great music happening in San Diego during the 60’s, more than people realize.” https://thesandiegoscene.bandcamp.com/album/look-out-thesan-diego-scene-1958-1973
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Sorry It’s Over / Am I Better? The current pandemic has brought original live music to a halt, but there are still new groups emerging, such as Cardiff / Encinitas based duo, Sorr y It ’s Over. Singer / guitarist Sam Adgate and guitarist Louis Petrella had been playing together in a band in high school as well as off and on for some years after. “We had both moved back to Encinitas last year and decided to actually put some work into our songs and start recording,” said Adgate. “We started jamming again a little over a year ago but the idea of starting a band didn’t come until a few months into when we first started playing again.” The choice of a band name is pragmatic. “No one could agree on a name and everyone was pretty over continuing thinking about it,” Adgate said good naturedly. So far the pair have released two singles, “Sunflower” and “Ghost Inside.” With an EP in the works, Sorry It’s Over releases a single “Am I Better”, on October 9th. While for radio purposes the band would certainly be considered pop / alternative/ indie rock band, their sound is harder to define. One unifying trait is strong melodies. “A lot of our songs sound fairly different from the next,” says Adgate. Petrella concurs. “I think our music varies on genre by song, I like to listen to all different types of music.” Adgate cites Death Cab For Cutie and Red Hot Chili Peppers, while Petrella counts The Strokes and Weezer as biggest influences “as far as songwriting goes,” with originals the bands focus. “It’s a pretty even split as far as the songwriting goes,” Adgate noted. “Usually we come up with song ideas separately then get together to flesh them out into complete songs. Fortunately, Louis
kills it with production through Ableton so we can bring these songs to life quickly.” Notably the band has been working with renowned producer, Geza X, releasing their music via his eponymous label. “Geza’s been a great mentor for us so far with production and mixing and we definitely look forward to working with him more.” While sorry It’s Over had hoped to be gigging this year and promoting their music, things haven’t worked out that way. However, they choose to look at the bright side. “We’ve just played house shows and some bars in the area so far,” Adgate said. “COVID put a halt on some future dates, but if anything it’s just given us an opportunity to stay focused on getting our music where we want it to be.” www.facebook.com/sorryitsoverband https://sorryitsoverband.com
Dave Gleason / Cowboy Christmas
Guitarist Dave Gleason has an extra reason for holiday cheer this year. “Cowboy Christmas,” written by Gleason and acclaimed songwriter Erin Enderlin (Alan Jackson / Lee Ann Local News > LocalUmbrellaNews.com
Womack / Luke Bryan) has been recorded as a duet by country hitmakers Terri Clark and Ricky Skaggs. Featuring backing from The Time Jumpers, the song appears on /LocalUmbrellaMedia
Clark’s new “It’s Christmas... Cheers” album. “We wrote “Cowboy Christmas” maybe seven or eight years ago in Nashville, so it’s been sitting around looking for a good home!,” Gleason said good naturedly. He’s had a few tunes previously covered, “but this is the first on a major label level album,” he continued. “I still can’t believe it- I grew up with a good amount of Ricky Skaggs albums, I’m a pretty big fan! So to hear him duet on this tune with Terri is pretty mind bending. And right alongside Marty Stuart’s Fabulous Superlatives, The Time Jumpers are widely known as THE hot ticket band in Nashville...so that is also a real honor.” Gleason has recently begun to play out again. “It’s so apparent that people really miss live music and going out for an evening,” he said. Alongside some
solo gigs at the Grand Ole BBQ, he’s played with JD Crawford at Renegade’s Bar in El Cajon. “We set up in the parking lot, distanced from the outdoor table set-up they have, and we just do a duo line-up, and it’s fantastic.” He notes how important live work is. “It’s funny, you can keep the ‘chops’ up around the house or whatever, but back on stage singing into a sounds system...It took me a few tunes to re- coordinate and pull it back together! No Joke,” Gleason remarked. While things are different these days, he’s happy just to be performing once more. “It’s really great to get to play out again and dust it off,” Gleason said. “I’m not a big ‘jammer’ or rehearsal kind of guy, I pretty much have done it on the bandstand for the last 20 or 25 years, so it feels like I’m back home.” www.dave-gleason.com
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Stay Safe, San Diego
VOL. 5 ISSUE 10 31
Top San Diego Researchers receive $ 5 million to study cellular aging Sanford Burnham Prebys researchers are joining forces with University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) and the Salk Institute to form a worldclass San Diego Nathan Shock Center (SD-NSC), a consortium established to study cellular and tissue aging in humans. The center will be funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, and is expected to receive $5 million over the next two years. Professors Peter Adams, Ph.D., and Malene Hansen, Ph.D., of Sanford Burnham Prebys will lead key research and development cores, along with Professors Rusty Gage, Ph.D., Martin Hetzer, Ph.D., and Tatyana Sharpee, Ph.D., of Salk; and Anthony Molina, Ph.D., of UC San Diego. Salk Professor Gerald Shadel, Ph.D., will be the director of the SD-NSC. “ This is a special opportunity for San Diego’s aging research community to share our ideas, skills and technologies to drive innovative research in the basic biology of aging,” says Adams. “ We are grateful for this support and will work to create the
Professor Peter Adams, Ph.D.
Professor Malene Hansen, Ph.D.
strongest environment possible to achieve meaningful breakthroughs that will benefit human health.” Aging is the most significant risk factor for human disease. Human cells and tissues age at different rates depending on their intrinsic properties, where they are in the body and environment exposures. Yet, scientists do not fully understand this variability (“heterogeneity”) and how it
contributes to overall human aging, risk for disease or therapeutic responses. To explore the complex heterogeneity of human aging, the SD-NSC will deploy three cutting-edge Research Resource Cores, including the Human Cell Models of Aging Core, to be led by Gage and Molina; the Heterogeneity of Aging Core, to be led by Hetzer and Adams; and the Integrative Models of Aging Core, to be led by Sharpee.
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