Imperial Beach Connection October 2020

SDRC MISSION VALLEY SDRC

IBConnection WWW.LOCALUMBRELLANEWS.COM

SOUTH EDITION

VOLUME 5 | ISSUE 10

Revamping the Pier The Port of San Diego shares their ideas Page 16

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Imperial Beach Spotlight AN I NTERVI EW WI TH

Andy Hall City Manager of Imperial Beach

IB Connection recently sat down with Andy Hall, IB City Manager, at Veteran’s Park to get more insight into current happenings within IB. First, so everyone knows, a City Manager is a ‘hired’ position working directly under a Mayor and City Council, which are elected offices. The Mayor and City Council make rules and policies and the City Manager executes them and the city employees work under the City Manager.

On top of mind for many IB residents is the current status of the sewage problem at the border.

The $300 million allotted for this problem from President Trump’s USMCA deal, could do a great deal for this problem. With cooperation from Mexico, Andy Hall feels this problem could, once and for all, be fixed within the next 4 to 5 years, maybe sooner.

Though much emphasis is being placed on re-directing the sewage overflow into these two treatment plants, Mr. Hall believes the problem will be solved better utilizing the re-use of water, which is a valuable commodity, instead of sending the Phase-1 cleaned

water out into the Pacific. Though it’s a complicated issue, especially with San Diego/USA having such strict EPA standards and the Mexican border having less rigid policies, both Countries share the same goal and are working together to make a cleaner Tijuana River and Pacific Ocean for all of us to enjoy.

We asked about upcoming projects: The IB Resort had to re-submit plans for changes required by the Coastal Commission and we have been informed this project is moving forward. However, we do not yet have a ground breaking event scheduled.

The BlueWave construction project by the Bayside Landing and Pizza Port on 2nd and Palm are still on track, and per most recent updates, they’re still in the development process.

What was once going to be the Lighthouse Point at 951 Seacoast, which was a mixed-use commercial & residential design, might soon be an entirely new idea that IB should welcome! He believes

the current plan submitted could be a food court with outdoor dining representing foods from around the world - very exciting!

We had to ask the all important question - why were the main two streets leading into IB, Imperial Beach Blvd. & Palm Ave., so torn up for so long and at the same time? Turns out the City of IB was responsible for the upgrades on

IB Boulevard to replace the infrastructure to be improved and it was budgeted and scheduled for some time. However, simultaneously on Palm Ave., completely coincidentally, the main waterlines owned by CalAm Water started to leak in several spots along Palm Ave. These two months-long repair projects were not scheduled to take place during the same time-frame. The waterlines on Palm Ave. were old, approximately 108 years old and once multiple leaks started to happen, CalAm Water decided to replace all the mainline water pipes up and down Palm Ave. Please know, the City work on IB Boulevard is finished, however the CalAm Water work is still underway.

We were also informed SDG&E have scheduled the updating of their infrastructure as well and this should start happening this year.

We asked about the eventual plan to bring all electrical lines underground and there is a plan. All of us IB residents have been paying a small tax on our bill and these funds are being accumulated to take on this feat, which will take years and years to complete, once it gets started.

Mr. Andy Hall also asked us to print more information regarding the new ‘district elections’ happening this year. IB Connection will be reaching out for more information and we hope to feature an article on these changes, so IB residents will not be confused this election voting season. This November 3rd, only districts 2 and 4 will be voting, we’ll give more instructions in the next issue.

The IB Connection thanks Andy Hall for his time and all his valuable information.

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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

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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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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

New Playground Designed for Veteran’s Park in Imperial Beach

IB Businesses Receive $121K in Funding Assistance The City of Imperial Beach is pleased to announce the distribution of $121,973 through the Imperial Beach Emergency Relief Fund for Small Business Reimbursement Program. During the program, we were able to assist thirty-six local businesses impacted by COVID-19.

In May 2020, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors allocated a portion of the County’s Coronavirus Relief Fund proceeds to local cities in accordance with the CARES Act. The Imperial Beach City Council allocated approximately $150,000 of the CRF funds to create an Emergency Relief Fund for Small Businesses to assist as they evolved to the new normal. “Our businesses are vital to our little beach town, and it’s important that the City Council and the community continue to support them even in these difficult times,” said Mayor Dedina.

The program provided funding through the reimbursement of eligible expenses.

Each business that applied was required to be physically located within the city limits of Imperial Beach, and all businesses that received funding are classified as a “small business.” Corporate businesses were not included in the program due to relief funding already allocated to assist. Funding through the program could only be used to cover COVID-19 related costs identified

in the CARES Act, so our businesses were able to get creative through outdoor spaces and additions to accommodate customers.

IB has shown the true meaning of community during these challenging times as residents have come together as family to

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help our most vulnerable. We will continue to work hard for our residents and our business community to show that we are IB Strong.

Source: https://news.imperialbeachca. gov/

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VOL. 5 ISSUE 10 15

Announcing Our Ver y Fir st

Garden of the Quarter Contest Winner, Gail Carr!

Gail is a very sweet woman. Her son’s girlfriend, Tamara, nominated her on Facebook. Gail has lived in IB for a long time and spent YEARS slowly growing her garden to the sanctuary it is today. It is truly an oasis.

Fruit trees, gardenias, a tree house, succulents galore, and there is even a koi pond!

See Page 17 for details on how to enter the IB Garden of the Quarter Contest!

EPA Announces Two Near-Term, Clean Water Projects in the Tijuana River

Recently, at an event with U.S. Ambassador to Mexico T.H. Christopher Landau, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott and Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) Jayne Harkins at the U.S. Coast Guard San Diego Station, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler highlighted past, present, and future investments to help reduce transboundary Tijuana River pollution.

“EPA and its partners have laid the groundwork and made significant investments improving water quality in the Tijuana River basin to benefit public health and the environment, but there is more work to be done,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “ Today, we are pleased to announce two near-term projects that continues this momentum— and as we look forward to major investments under President Trump’s United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Trade Agreement.”

“San Diego got two historic wins

in the USMCA – a trade deal built for the 21st century and a fix for the environmental crisis in the Tijuana River Valley,” said San Diego Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer.

“We’ve advocated long and hard for this across party lines and this $300 million investment by the EPA marks a new chapter for the San Diego-Tijuana megaregion with improved quality of life for so many residents on both sides of the border.”

To expeditiously increase treatment of Tijuana river flows by 10 million gallons per day, EPA will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IBWC to divert additional water for treatment at the IBWC International Treatment Plant. EPA will fund the design and construction of the diversion. Additionally, EPA is partnering with the City of San Diego to rapidly develop and deploy a permanent solution to better control sediment and trash in Smuggler’s Gulch—just north of the U.S. – Mexico border. In addition to capturing sediment and trash that would otherwise flow into the Pacific Ocean, this

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project will help reducing flooding risk for the community. Funding for these near-term projects will be provided by the agency’s Border Water Infrastructure Program.

Through these actions, EPA and its partners are working to better protect public health and the environment from poor water quality that has negatively affected southern California communities. “ Today, we begin to turn the tide in our battle against sewage pollution. The time for talk is over.

The time for action is here. I am happy to see that we are now moving forward with actual solutions and projects to address this problem,” said San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chairman Greg Cox. “ The City of Imperial Beach is grateful to the EPA, especially Administrator Andrew Wheeler, as well as all of our federal, state and local partners for working collaboratively to identify short and long-term fixes that will help to make sure that our kids and families can enjoy our beautiful

beaches year-round,” said Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina.​ “ This announcement is a major milestone that will greatly benefit the San Diego area. We appreciate the ongoing regional collaboration and leadership from the EPA,” said City of Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey.

These near-term projects make important progress and build on the groundwork and investments that EPA and its partners have already made to improve water quality near the border.

For example, this month, the Poniente Collector project was completed, using $3.9 million in EPA funding to keep 4.5 million gallons of sewage per day from entering the Tijuana River. EPA has also allocated $6 million to co-fund improvements to an existing Tijuana River diversion to reduce the flow of transboundary pollution.

For more information on U.S.-Mexico Border water quality, visit https://www.epa.gov/usmexicoborder.

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16 VOL. 5 ISSUE 10

Miss Sullivan’s Teacher Corner October 2020

Hello South Bay Families, I hope everyone is keeping well. SBUSD survived its first few weeks of school! We are all learning these new digital communication platforms and there has been some glitches and troubleshooting going on. Okay, probably a lot of glitches and troubleshooting. This happens when a whole community has to get online and learn together, all at the same time.

But, as a SBUSD community, I think we have been rising to the challenge. The look of sheer joy, on my young students’ faces when they greet me each day is priceless. They would much rather be with me face to face but are loving any connection that they can get. I love seeing the passion for learning reaching out from the screen into my small bedroom classroom.

I know I speak for all teachers and district administration when I say that teaching online successfully would not be possible without parent support. We know that your most crucial purpose is that your children are safe, secure and getting an education. SBUSD appreciates your patience and support as we try to make everyone digitally and emotionally connected to each other.

I know that the first week was hard, and the second week was a little easier as we all familiarized ourselves with new technology.

If you are not connected and are having difficulties please call or email the SBUSD Technology Department. They too, are dancing as fast as they can making sure that students have devices, and broken ones are fixed. They are also in charge of making sure that all our instructional platforms are working and available for student use. They will get back to you within 24 hours and together with the teacher will get your child what and where he/she needs to be.

Here are important contact information if you really need help getting your child online and connected.

Warm Regards, Kelly Sullivan, Transitional Kindergar ten Teacher Mendoza Elementary ksullivan@sbusd.org

WELCOME to the 1st IB GARDEN of the QUARTER!

How to enter: Upload one photo of your garden’s best side to:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/ImperialBeachLifestyle/events/?ref=page_internal Members of this group will VOTE - - -

Then RESULTS will be posted on Sept. 30th 2020!

Winner will receive a $100 gift card from The Home Depot Gardening Center!

SBUSD Parent Technology Suppor t-Videos & explanations of digital tools and platforms. https://sites.google.com/sbusd.net/familydistancelearningresource/home District Help Webpage https://sites.google.com/sbusd.net/familydistancelearningresource/help?authuser=0 Technology Help Email: FamilyTechSupport@sbusd.org - Tech Support Help Line: 619-628-1691.

Welc om e To Th e NE W

t! s te n o C r te r a u Q e th f o Garden Have a beautiful garden? You could win a prize! We are asking people to post photos of their gardens with winners of this contest to be chosen the first week of January 2021.

Winners will receive a $100 Gift Card from The Home Depot Gardening Center, and a photo of your garden will be featured in the new and improved IB Connection Newspaper!

How to enter: Upload one photo of your garden’s best side to: https://www.facebook.com/events/908597016291595/ or search for Imperial Beach Lifestyle on Facebook.

Contest Rules: 1. The property you are entering must be located in Imperial Beach, CA. 2. You may enter by posting a photo, of your gardens bestside, to this Garden of the Quarter event. 3. Members of this group can “like” the garden they feel most deserves to win. The entry with the most likes by the end of the contest will be the winner. 4. Contest is LIVE and you may enter your photos anytime from today August 5th through September 30th, 2020. Feel free to comment with any questions. Thank you! We look forward to seeing your beautiful Imperial Beach gardens!

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VOL. 5 ISSUE 10

IB Pier Getting a Colorful Make-Over

By Jeanne Rawdin The IB Pier, the iconic arrow-shaped center of Imperial Beach’s tourist and downtown area, is getting spruced up with some practical — and whimsical —additions to give it a new and updated look. San Diego Port Commissioner Dan Malcolm recently provided an update on the project, which is a collaboration between the Port and the City of Imperial Beach.

This new project was first presented by Malcolm back in 2019, three months after the Imperial Beach City Council had requested that the Port ditch its original plans for pier redevelopment, which proved quite controversial. Originally the Port of San Diego had plans to install a restroom and shower facility on the pier, but those plans were met with angry pushback from nearby homeowners on Seacoast Drive who insisted the bathrooms and showers would become a magnet for crime.

The residents circulated a petition against the project, and the project went back to the drawing board. These new improvements do not include new restroom and shower facilities.

According to Commissioner Malcom, the new aesthetic enhancements incorporate brighter colors to reflect the city’s unique southern Californian beach vibe. The exterior walls of the Tin Fish Restaurant on the pier have been repaired, and the structure was repainted in its original light-blue color with white trim. The existing restroom structure and the lifeguard station were repainted in a fresh dark-blue color with light-blue trim.

Early next year, colorful destination-themed murals will be applied to the restroom, lifeguard tower and northwest side of the Tin Fish Restaurant. Each

mural will reflect Imperial Beach as an iconic destination and celebrate the pier as being located at the most southwesterly point in the continental United States.

The pier’s railings will also be repainted and the old and weathered regulatory signs along the railings will be removed or covered over by new “Activity Zone” placards. These new placards will have whimsical sayings appropriate to each of the three designated activity zones – surfing, fishing and lounging. Here’s a sampling of some of those sayings, to give you an idea: “Surf waves, not browsers.”

“Happiness comes in waves.”

“Good things come to those who bait.”

“Eat, sleep, fish. Repeat.”

“Daily dose of vitamin sea.”

“No bad views ever.”

Blue and white distance markers will also be placed along the pier at 250-foot intervals along the north rail of the pier early next year. The markers will inform visitors how far they have walked and encourage them to keep walking along the full 1,490 feet on the pier, which is roughly the length of five football fields.

You can also expect fishing-rod holders to be placed along the fishing zone (which is the area between the lifeguard station and the restrooms) in the project’s second phase, to be unfolded next year. Right now, two custom-designed stainless steel prototypes have been fastened to pier railings there for evaluation .

Further improvements are in the design and development stage right now, and include the replacement of benches and the addition of fish-cleaning stations and drinking fountains.

According to Port Commissioner Dan Malcolm, the project

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Dan Malcolm

has met with no opposition and the community is on board with all the changes. “ The Port and the City of Imperial Beach always communicate and collaborate,” Malcolm said. “We have already heard a lot of supportive feedback about the enhancements.”

Malcolm also points out the aesthetic enhancements will act as a magnet for locals and tourists alike and will inject some economic fuel into the downtown area. “ The Imperial Beach Pier is a key part of the city’s downtown which has been going through revitalization, with new restaurant and retail offerings in the past few years,” he explained. “ The goal of these enhancements and improvements is to encourage people to come to the pier and explore its many ocean-air amenities, sights and pleasures while patronizing the neighboring businesses.”

While these aesthetic improvements will definitely have a positive impact on the area, there are still several longer-term infrastructure improvements that need to happen over the next few years to keep the pier structure strong and sus-

17

tainable, while exploring the possibility of adding on to the pier. These further enhancements will require structural engineering and most likely some environmental studies. Malcom said that engineering consultants are currently preparing a study on the feasibility of adding cantilevered lateral extensions to the pier deck in two locations and installing shade structures.

The cost of such additional improvements won’t be known until the studies are completed.

Malcom summed it up by saying, “ The Port continues to move forward on plans to activate the iconic Imperial Beach Pier and enhance the public’s fishing, surfing and viewing experience on the pier. Through community feedback we’ve received the past few years, we were asked to enhance the pier to attract new visitors, create a more balanced user experience and connect people with the ocean. With these enhancements, we are meeting those expectations and then some, plus we’re adding some fun to the upbeat and casual atmosphere that Imperial Beach is known for.”

Brief History of IB Pier The first fishing pier in Imperial Beach Pier was built in 1910 — along with the first sidewalks in town and the first public library, general store and café — by a company known as the South San Diego Investment Company to lure investors to the area and continue expansion. A boardwalk and bathhouse were also built at that time, but both washed away during winter storms by 1953.

Another pier was built in 1960 but also didn’t survive.

The IB Pier that stands today was built in 1989. If you dive in the ocean from the pier, the water is about twenty feet deep.

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18 VOL. 5 ISSUE 10

A Look Back at Imperial Beach

By Patrick Daugherty, San Diego Reader

Imperial Beach was originally part of an 1846 land grant from the Spanish Crown to the benefit of one Pedro Cabrillo. Queen Victoria was on the throne and Grover Cleveland was president when the first American settlers arrived in what is now known as Imperial Beach, then called South San Diego. And since those settlers were American, and this was California, what instantly happened was commerce, particularly real estate, most specifically, subdivisions.

R.P. Morrison filed a South San Diego subdivision plot with the San Diego County clerk in June of 1867. His plan ran north of Palm Avenue between 13th Street and Fifth Street and west between Palm Avenue and Imperial Beach Boulevard from 17th Street to Ninth Street.

Maps of Imperial Beach made in 1910 show subdivision plots running all the way down Imperial Beach to the mouth of the Tia Juana River. George Chaffey purchased many of these plots, hoping to sell them, at a modest profit, to the good citizens and farmers of Imperial Valley. Another subdivider, Frank Cullen, erected several buildings on the 900 block of First Street, which remained until a municipal fishing pier was built in the 1960s.

Early subdividers established a drill. First, file for a subdivision; then, build a hotel so people would have a place to stay when they came to look at the land; then, the key part of the process, hold a land auction, and then build a community. There were no guarantees in any of this, particularly the building of the community part, and most of the early subdivisions were written off within 15 years.

Monument City was built on the U.S./ Mexican border where the international boundary is today. The San Diego Weekly Bulletin reported that “the town has been laid out, buildings erected, a school started, and a post office applied for.” The United States Census of 1880 disclosed that Monumentville, San Diego County, California, had residents born in 15 American states, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Hamburg, Hanover, Mexico and Norway.

By 1888 most of the South Bay had been claimed. The editor of the San Diego Re-

cordwrote, “At the present date, there are nine cities laid out about the south end of the bay. They are as follows in order: Otay, Tia Juana, South San Diego, South Coronado, Coronado Heights, Pacific Park, International City, and Head of the Bay. Add to these Monument City, Imperial Beach, Nestor, Palm City, and the “Little Landers” section and you will see that promoters planned to cover the area with towns.

By 1900, Imperial Beach got its first sidewalks. Dennis Orlanger was there on the 900 block of First Street, along with the Orlanger family, who owned a general store.

Down the street from the post-office and soon, a branch of the San Diego County Library. Lots were going for $25 down and $25 a month.

In 1910 the South San Diego Investment Company put up the first fishing pier in Imperial Beach. This purpose was to lure investors. There was also a two-block long boardwalk and a bathhouse. Both washed away during winter storms, the bathhouse in 1949, the boardwalk in 1953.

E.S. Babcock, the man who built the Hotel del Coronado, had a channel dredged through the mudflats in South San Diego Bay in 1910. The channel was 8 feet deep at low tide and 75 feet across. The boats servicing South San Diego Landing were up to 45 feet long and could hold 50 passengers.

Ralph Chandler bought the Grant from the U.S. Grant Hotel. The boat was piloted

by Captain A.J. Larseen. The excursion route went between H Street in down-

town San Diego to the South Bay Landing. The Grant made two trips a day and occasionally a night foray. The following is a snappy advertisement encouraging the public to climb aboard.

Your itinerary is not complete until you visit Head of the Bay. Take a boat at McKinley Wharf, foot of H Street, at 9:20 a.m., or 1:00 p.m., land an hour later at South San Diego, nine miles distance, every minute of which has been enjoyed.

You will find the motor car waiting to take you to beautiful Imperial Beach where you can enjoy yourself surf fishing, bathing, or taking in the sights until 4:00 p.m. when the car will carry you to the landing and the boat, return you safely to San Diego, making a trip of nearly twenty-five miles by boat and car besides a day of unexcelled pleasure. Take Coronado ferry car to foot of H Street. Phone Sunset 2117.

It’s hard to believe how good public transportation was 85 years ago. You rode on a handmade, beautifully finished pleasure boat to the South Bay Landing. You disembarked and climbed on to a trolley car courtesy of the Mexico and San Diego Railway Company. The trolley was battery powered, the latest invention of Thomas A. Edison, who wanted to make trolleys without having to use unsightly overhead wires. The streetcar ran south on Tenth to Palm Avenue, then west on Palm to First Street and the beach, and then back to the landing.

We’d Love To See Your Vintage Photos Of Imperial Beach!

Email your photos to etcprods@yahoo.com.

We’ll choose photos to publish in each issue. Please include a brief description of your photos, and information about who is submitting them.

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By IB Lee appy Fall IB, cooler temperatures, less humidity, beautiful sunsets are upon us. A great season for Imperial Beach and San Diego to get outside, even during this pandemic.

2020 has been a tough year for everyone, in so many different ways. Really for all of us, so I understand the pain, pent up frustration, uncertainty, boredom, and cabin fever just to name a few things we may be dealing with… This month we will be explaining the power of a simple stroll to help ease the stresses of today and Covid-19.

It’s very easy to enjoy outdoors and be mindful of the pandemic and masking protocols, keeping you and our community safe.

Masks suck and I personally hate wearing them, but I do for the greater cause and care for my community. As I explain to my after school program kids, you don’t have to wear a mask all the time when you’re outside, only when you’re going to be about 6ft of someone else, whether they have a mask or

H

We love Imperial Beach and are here for you! Spirit Realty is ready, willing and able to help with your Real Estate transactions and Property Management. We can sell yours, find you a new one and collect your rents in a prompt professional manner.

Our Broker is onsite with the team here at the corner of Palm Ave and Seacoast Drive - right next to the surfer statue.

Stop by or call our office anytime!

BE IB FIT

not, just slide it on, engage in conversation, then when you separate take it off. Very simple and it reduces mask wearing time greatly, while doing your part to be safe. There’s no need to be nervous or scared, just be mindful. So, with that said, let’s get out and enjoy these lovely days of Fall, in which our gorgeous city of Imperial Beach offers so many opportunities to do so. Simple as taking a leisurely stroll, anywhere, we have the Estuary, the many different sections of our beach and if you don’t want to get your nice

shoes dirty from sand or the trail, the slightly longer than 1/2 mile round trip up the pier and back, as well as the bike path offer many opportunities to get out and enjoy Nature and it doesn’t cost a thing.

A simple stroll being in Nature, is one of the best and easiest ways to take a break from the craziness of the world... Being in nature gives us a chance to release and recharge, simply because we are natural beings and being with/in nature is us being in our natural element. So, as we take these strolls take a

VOL. 5 ISSUE 10 19

moment, if not many moments, to just “BE” one with nature...

Just breathe deeply taking in the energy of the natural environment and as you exhale relax your shoulders and release, let everything go, all the stress of the world, just for these moments, it’ll all be there when you get back home, but the objective of the stroll is to just “BE,” giving your mind a break and giving yourself a moment to “BREATHE”... A simple stroll, not only allows you to be in nature, but it also generates natural endorphins to build in your body and mindset, giving you a positive and good feeling that you can take home with you. It’s a beautiful thing and it works. A simple stroll.

In upcoming issues BE IB FIT will be addressing ways to be Healthy and Fit during the pandemic and in the future. We’ll have nutritional tips, exercise programs, Q&A Therapy, and of course fitness fun in the sun utilizing our beloved Imperial Beach. So until next time everyone, Live Light, Love Life, and BE IB FIT

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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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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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22 VOL. 5 ISSUE 10

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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VOL. 5 ISSUE 10 23

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!

Q

Sydney Williams

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24 VOL. 5 ISSUE 10

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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VOL. 5 ISSUE 10 25

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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VOL. 5 ISSUE 10 27

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.

We’ve Got You Covered

with local readers right in your neighborhood!

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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28 VOL. 5 ISSUE 10

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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CLEAN ENERGY Efficiency, Solar and Storage Offer a Unique Opportunity to Bring Clean Energy to Housing in Imperial Beach

By: Mark Suacci | Jul 3, 2020 | SSI News

After over 40 years of promoting energy efficiency and a decade of promoting solar PV, clean energy advocates working in the Imperial Beach housing sector are considering what the next steps should be for cutting energy costs to consumers.

The next steps will require more integrated strategies that enable property owners to better manage energy demands, improve the financial outcomes of energy investments, and create more resilient and sustainable housing. I believe that energy storage must be a significant component of this future.

Beyond energy eff ici​e ncy Energy efficiency will continue to be the first step toward lowering energy consumption and costs. Avoiding rising energy prices triggered by deregulation has been a catalyst for energy efficiency and implementing net-zero energy building standards like those that took effect in Imperial Beach and the rest of California for all new residential construction starting January 1st of this year 2020.

Achieving deeper energy reductions for existing housing units here in Imperial Beach, which are typically older and less efficient, presents added costs — and thereby is limited to energy-efficiency-only strategies.

Energy economics require more expansive strategies.

In the last five years, solar PV costs have declined to the point that standalone solar PV systems can be financially feasible for Imperial Beach homeowners and at times more feasible than deeper energy-efficiency retrofits. As a result, solar PV

is increasingly credible as a way to offset electricity consumption after a first level of energy efficiency retrofitting. At a policy level, providing incentives to finance solar access for Homeowners in communities has emerged as a second significant step for reducing energy costs for renters in Imperial Beach. A property owner can install solar panels on a rental and include utility costs in their rent, thereby allowing the owner to have

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the ability to sell electricity as part of the rental of the building. Another revenue stream which allows for a much faster payback on the investment. Not only does the building increase equity value but allowing for $200 to $300 more dollars per month to come in with the rent. Solar panels have a 10 year mandatory warranty with a 25 year manufactures warranty on the product.

The financial opportunity from

solar PV is especially evident when owners of rental housing are able to integrate solar PV into new construction or substantial rehabilitation using federal Business Energy Investment Tax Credits (ITC). As shown below, since solar PV installations generate operational cost savings and can also reduce tenant utility costs.

For existing properties seeking to add solar PV to an efficiency-only

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Stay Safe, San Diego retrofit, the economic feasibility of solar is not challenging, and can be favorable. The growing market for third-party ownership structures and improved access to solar investment funds have enabled turnkey financial options that leverage ITCs and real estate depreciation tax benefits to provide financing without the need for upfront capital investments by the property owner.

Under third-party-ownership (TPO) arrangements, the value available to building owners and their tenants increases as the cost per kilowatt-hour decreases. Where solar incentives and tax benefits are fully leveraged to write down project costs, as in the case of LIHTC transactions, the economic benefits can be potentially larger, provided that the solar costs do not escalate after installation. Figure 2 shows the comparative costs under power-purchase agreement and system-purchase scenarios with and without solar incentives.

Net metering’s role The economic case for all energy improvements is greatly influenced by utility tariffs and the value of avoided energy costs. For solar PV systems, the value proposition is on utility net energy metering (NEM) policies that credit property owners for the excess solar generation provided to the grid. A project’s financial feasibility is a function of whether the NEM tariff and fees allow the property owner to cover unsubsidized costs and earn a reasonable return.

Robust utility NEM policies are of great importance to all homeowners in Imperial Beach because the underwriting of these systems requires a stable and predictable source of cash flow to cover debt and operating costs. Existing Imperial Beach single and multifamily properties do not typically have capital reserves or excess operating income to cover upfront investment costs, and complex ownership structures and complicated financing stacks make it difficult to add new debt to a property. Furthermore, federal regulations significantly restrict the ability of property owners to capture solar energy credits allocated to residents to support the project’s installation.

NEM provides property owners with a cash flow from the solar generation in two ways. First, the PV generation supplies electricity to the property and replaces higher priced utility service. Secondly, NEM allows the electricity grid to act as a free battery for the PV system’s excess power generation. Solar energy production, which peaks in the middle of the day when most people are away from home, does not correlate well with peak electricity consumption.

Standard homeowners can consume about 25 percent to 50 percent of the electricity their PV systems

generate. With net metering, the remaining 50 percent to 75 percent of solar-generated electricity is exported to the grid. Customers then are compensated via NEM credits, which offset the electricity costs for power they purchased from their utility.

SDG&E has also adopted innovative virtual net metering (VNM) policies that make solar PV more accessible in multitenant and/or commercial buildings. In multifamily rental housing, VNM allows the PV generation from a single array to be allocated to multiple utility meters at a site without separate meter hookup and inverters. This allows multifamily residents to receive a fair allocation of economic benefits from their building’s solar system.

For PV systems with a VNM interconnection, all of the solar generation is supplied to the grid (in front of the utility meter) and credited at the NEM rate, which can be financially advantageous to both owners and tenants. However, if a utility’s NEM policy compensates solar generation below the retail rate for electricity, the value proposition of new standalone PV solar installation diminishes rapidly. Worse, the lower rate damages existing solar PV financings that were underwritten with prior assumptions. This is why we have to stay on our Public Utilities Commission and fight for the value of solar generation. The Utility has said they get to buy our energy at a wholesale cost. You get a 1 to 1 credit for energy we use, but there is a 3 to 1 swing when it comes time for them to buy our over generation.

This is one reason why oversizing your system is not profitable..

Utilit y threats and changing energy economics Utility companies and their investors are concerned that they may face stagnant growth in electricity consumption due to increased efficiency and greater adoption of distributed energy technologies. As solar PV installation capacity reaches policy caps set by regulators on the level of distributed generation that can be installed, NEM rules are being reviewed and updated to address increasing demand for solar and concerns about whether grid costs are fairly shared by all customers.

The result has been a proliferation of proposals for higher fixed charges, residential demand charges, mandatory time-of-use rates, and an end to NEM as we know it — all designed to make solar less economically attractive to customers. Both Hawaii and Nevada have already dismantled their NEM programs and in the process and have adapted them to benefit onsite storage. A program called “Demand Response” is allowing solar generators to store energy in batteries and sell the power to

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the Utility at 3rd tier rates.. They buy the power when the grid needs it at night from battery storage. This is all done with technology that exists today and works at the speed of light..

NEM customers that sell battery stored power are seeing the benefits.

While a recent decision in California largely preserved net metering policy in the state, solar customers must convert to time-of-use rates.

This decision — a reasonable response to changing grid dynamics The emergence of battery storage Rhone Resch, the president of the solar industry’s national lobbying group SEIA, said recently that “storage is the missing piece of the puzzle” for the future of PV. As metering policies evolve, battery storage offers an important pathway for maintaining and enhancing the value proposition of energy investments like solar PV for all customers, but especially in affordable housing.

The reason is simple. Energy storage empowers solar PV owners to take control of the energy they produce, while also adding valuable flexibility to the electric power system.

This is already happening with private commercial customers who deploy solar-plus-storage to reduce electricity costs, decrease commercial demand charges, and generate revenue through providing grid services, like demand response and frequency regulation.

Battery storage will be key to capturing the economic benefits from solar. The high-end customers for solar-plus-storage systems have figured this out. Now it’s time for Imperial Beach residents, to benefit as well. Otherwise, we will be left with systems that fail to deliver all the economic benefits possible.

A third-generation energy strategy

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Just as adding solar PV delivered a more expansive strategy than energy efficiency alone, energy storage technologies could emerge as the third-generation strategy to achieve cost reductions and extend energy benefits to Imperial Beach communities.

When installed in single and multifamily housing with solar PV, energy storage can capture solar savings and shelter system owners and/ or tenants from changes in utility rate structures and cost fluctuations. Preserving the value of solar that is installed in our communities is especially important for working Military and retired owners on fixed incomes. Storage can make solar energy more valuable, and open up the opportunity for many new sources of revenue for homeowners and housing developers, which they can then pass on to their tenants. In addition, solar-plus-storage technologies provide clean, reliable power during an emergency.

Clean Energy Group’s Resilient Power Project recently released a new report analyzing the economics of solar-plus-storage systems for multifamily affordable housing. The report, Resilience for Free, showed how resilient power can be provided at little cost to help support those residents who need it most during an emergency.

The challenge now is to bend the technology arc of this storage revolution to serve our communities. To do that, we must use three technology strategies synergistically — energy efficiency, solar and energy storage — to significantly reduce the electricity costs. Indeed, the economic power of these technologies is their synergy.

Go Solar with batter y storage!

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