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Publishers' Message Even now as the fourth edition of Imperial Valley Alive! goes to press, we can still hardly believe we have the good fortune to be part of the alchemy that transformed a wild idea into a full-blown – and growing – regional lifestyle magazine. The creation of each edition so far has been magical, though spells, potions and elixirs have not been needed. The charmed – if sometimes challenging – development of this compelling magazine rich with local images, articles and ideas could not happen without the talent, tenacity and generous contributions of so many in the Valley. The process is reminiscent of the old folk tale about stone soup. You know the story, the one about a hungry traveler who wanders into a village with nothing but an empty cooking pot. Villagers rebuff the traveler’s request for food because there is so little to go around. Undeterred, traveler fills the pot with water from a nearby stream, drops in a large stone and sets it to cook over a fire in the village square. A curious villager happens by and the traveler explains he’s making “stone soup,” a wonderful tasty and filling concoction that all will be able to share. As they watch the pot boil, the traveler notes that the soup would be even more delicious with a few additional ingredients. The villager hurries off and returns with a few carrots to add. Soon more villagers happen by and bring ingredients to add to the pot. Someone adds a bit of seasoning. Another adds a potato. Someone adds some greens. Another adds a few scraps of meat. As they watch the pot, the villagers and the sojourner are richly rewarded with the tantalizing aromas of shared ingredients as they mysteriously transform into a delicious and hearty meal for all could share. The crucible in which Imperial Valley Alive! came to life in September 2016 was an idea we had long kicked around. We thought the Imperial Valley was ripe for a regional lifestyle magazine to showcase the creative, energetic, diverse and innovative community that we enjoy, but rarely see reflected in the media. We started on this journey with little but a vision and the conviction that this Valley has the talent, resources and skill to breathe life into something far greater than what any one of us alone could accomplish. And with the generous creative contributions readers offered; the editorial talent of local professionals; the advertising support of valued local businesses and our local printer, the first 32-page edition of Imperial Valley Alive! came out in September 2016. Since then the quarterly magazine has continued to grow. More ideas percolate as readers and advertisers share their thoughts, images and enthusiasm. When we invited readers on Facebook to contribute their images of desert treasures, we were inundated. More than 200 images were submitted – and many appear on the chockfull pages of this 44-page edition. Their photos and the thoughts and words shared throughout the magazine remind us that the Valley’s real treasures are the people who are willing to share their insight, humor, ideas and artistic expressions. Many of you have offered suggestions on Facebook that continue to season the magazine as it evolved. Many of you also have been enthusiastic participants in both competitions we have held online and in the print edition. Most recently Cassondra
Bill Gay is president of Reliance Public Relations, Inc., which publishes Imperial Valley Alive! -Photo by JD Romero
FROM LEFT: Alejandra Noriega, Marissa Bowers, Bill Amidon, Peggy Dale, Sue Gay and Susan Giller get ready for the Yeti drawing in June at Johnny's Burritos in Imperial. -Photo by Bill Gay
Nichelle Smith of Westmorland won the drawing for a Yeti cooler filled with prizes from numerous advertisers worth by finding an image hidden in the spring edition. The popularity of that contest prompted us to cook up a hidden image for this edition. Going along with the profusion of photos in this magazine, we have hidden a smaller version of the camera somewhere on one of the pages in the print version of this magazine. Only the print edition contains the camera icon. If you'd like to be entered into the contest, pick up a print version of the magazine and follow the instructions inside. You can find a list of distribution sites on our website, www.imperialvalleyalive.com. We will hold the drawing for a gift basket full of fabulous prizes on Aug. 31. And as Imperial Valley Alive! enters its second year of publication we promise, with your suggestions and contributions, to keep adding more tasty and intriguing ingredients for you to savor in future magazines.
Cassondra Nichelle Smith, shown with her daughter, was the winner of the Yeti and other gifts totaling more than $500. Smith's name was randomly selected at a drawing in June at Johnny's Burritos in Imperial. -Photo by Alejandra Noriega
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INDEX |
Volume 1, Number 4 EDITORS & PUBLISHERS Bill Gay Susan Giller Peggy Dale
CONTRIBUTORS Richard Brown Becky Hanks Darren Simon
COVER PHOTO Joselito Villero
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alejandra Noriega
WEB DESIGNER
Fields of gold west of Calexico.
-Photo by Apolos de la Garza
Jesus Uriarte
SALES
Bill Amidon Sue Gay Mark Gran Marissa Bowers
ADVERTISING
advertising@imperialvalleyalive.com 760-693-5330
DISCOVER |
Delve into Desert Treasures, Page 6 Tapestry of Music, Page 8 Art from the Past, Page 10 Artistry in Ink, Page 12
ENRICH |
Dive into the Discovery Zone, Page 14 What’s Ahead for our Schools, Page 17
PRINTER
Imperial Printers, El Centro
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Send name, address and email address along with $16.80 for annual subscription to:
Reliance Public Relations, Inc. P.O. Box 1944 El Centro, CA 92243 www.imperialvalleyalive.com IMPERIAL VALLEY ALIVE! is published quarterly by Reliance Public Relations, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical for any purpose without the written permission of Reliance Public Relations, Inc.
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ON THE COVER: Dane Knight shows photos to gymnasts at Imperial Valley Flipz Allstars in El Centro. -Photo by Joselito N. Villero
| INDEX
EXPLORE |
Take a Day Trip to Liberty Station,
Page 13 Downtown El Centro is Teeming with Innovation, Page 18
APPRECIATE |
What Catches Your Eye?, Pages 38-39
A tattoo gun sits next to an array of assorted color ink bottles at Inkredible Tattoos art studio on Main Street in El Centro. -Photo by Joselito N. Villero
ALSO INSIDE Publishers’ message, Page 3
A student music group plays during a reception for the Borderland: Life on the Border exhibit at Imperial Valley College. -Photo by IVC
Readers' Photos, Page 20-21 Calendar of Events, Pages 25-27 Coupons, Page 36 Subscriber Information, Page 36
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DISCOVER |
Desert Treasures By Susan Giller
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Some say beauty is in the eye of the beholder and then don’t take time to look. Chinese philosopher Confucius saw the world differently. “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it,” he stated. Photographer Dane Knight of Imperial doesn’t just see beauty but captures it as it leaps to life in the lens of his camera. He and scores of other photographers eagerly shared the often hidden beauty of the Imperial Valley in more than 200 images of desert treasures they submitted in response to an Imperial Valley Alive! Facebook request. The imagination, talent and creativity of their submissions add even more to the depth of the Valley’s trove of natural and manmade treasures. And, perhaps these talented photographers are living embodiments of French impressionist Summer 2017
Beauty leaps to life in photos, art, music.
painter Edgar Degas’ conviction that, “art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” “You can’t help but see potential everywhere you look,” Knight said. “You just have to open your eyes.” Several of Knight’s and other submitted photos are used throughout this edition of Imperial Valley Alive! Still more can be viewed on Facebook and on the magazine website, www. imperialvalleyalive.com in the gallery of reader-submitted photos. Their images run the gamut from the tiniest bee to the expansive sand dunes, from a mundane window display to the inspirational flight of the Blue Angels. Yet, each told a story, touched the senses. Each offered an artistic expression of what exists in the Imperial Valley. The images prove the assertion of early modernist Marc Chagall when he
Top photo: A sunburst lights up the Glamis sand dunes in this photo dubbed "Heavenly Light.¨ The image is available for purchase at billgatesphotography@ smugmug.com. -Photo by Bill Gates Bottom photo: A hummingbird seems to stand still on a garden decoration in Holtville. -Photo by Velma Ruiz Pacrem
wrote, “Great art picks up where nature ends.” And the photos featured in this magazine and online merely add to the region’s rich artistic offerings. Both Imperial Valley College and San Diego State University, Imperial Valley, have galleries that frequently display art of various mediums. Community choral groups, symphonies and musical theater are active and performance schedules are listed in the calendar. Also photos, paintings and other art works are regularly displayed in banks, Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo, restaurants and other public buildings throughout the region. Even parks, city streets and most recently a renovated park featuring a splash pad showcase sculptures and mosaic works done by the Rainforest Art Project with the assistance of school children and community members. Despite their keen interest in photography or art, few start out intent on making their passion their profession. Yet those interviewed said every photo taken piqued their curiosity and inspired more photos. Bill Gates of Brawley, an octogenarian, retired banker and well-known local photographer, said, “Looking through the lens of a camera gives you a whole new way of seeing things around you.” Numerous beautifully framed and mounted photographs by Gates featuring Imperial Valley scenes are displayed in Rabobank’s El Centro branch, Sun Community Federal Credit Union in Brawley, the Imperial Valley Economic Development Corp., the Brawley Chamber of Commerce and many other places. Artwork by Imperial High School students is on display at an exhibit in CONTINUED | PAGE 28 May. -Photo by Joselito Villero
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DISCOVER |
Tapestry of Music By Becky Hanks
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When she was 2 or 3, Emma Walker was invited by a local church to sing “Amazing Grace” with her dad, Danny. That first public performance was a turning point, Danny said, although he and his wife, April, had already discovered the toddler’s sweet vocal talent included perfect pitch. As they climbed on stage with Danny holding his guitar, he whispered to Emma and asked if she wanted him to sing with her – or do it alone. She declared she would do it herself, and her musical journey was launched. Emma’s younger sister, Clara, watched her sibling perform many times, accompanied by their dad. A few years later, when asked if she wanted to sing too, she quickly agreed. “I was kinda waiting for them to ask,” Clara admitted. Years went by before then 7-year-old Grace joined her sisters, making the Walkers a trio of harmonizing siblings. James, Grace’s twin brother, takes guitar lessons in hopes of someday having his own band. Now the girls are 12, 11, and 9, and Summer 2017
Valley is blessed with multitude of musical groups.
frequently join local music groups for performances. According to their dad, he and April believe Emma has a natural affinity for vocals, a “God-given talent.” Clara’s gift is playing stringed instruments and she takes violin lessons. Grace, with personality-plus, has a talent for performance and vocals, Danny said. “I really like being up there with my sisters, with everybody watching me,” Grace confessed when asked about her favorite part of performing. With a little more humility, her sisters both said they perform to “glorify God.” The Walkers, with their love and aptitude for music, are just a small part of a vast, and unexpectedly vibrant, tapestry and legacy of music in the Imperial Valley. For a small, rural community, the Valley is blessed with a multitude of music groups. The Imperial Valley Choral Society acts as an umbrella organization for the Chamber Singers, directed by Anita Slobig; the Junior Master Chorale, directed by Hope Davis; and the Imperial Valley Master Chorale, directed by Denny Lang. Others include the Imperial Valley Symphony, the Jimmie Cannon Valley Jazz Band, the IVC Community Band and all the local school bands.
Top photo: Imperial Valley Master Chorale singers, performing with Imperial Valley College musicians, end their 2017 season with a fun-filled performance of "Annie's Black Hills Chuck Wagon Dinner Show¨ on June 5, 2017, at Pioneers' Park Museum east of Imperial. -Photo by Sue Gay Above photo: Emma, Grace and Clara Walker. -Photo provided by April Walker
Director/conductor Joel Jacklich has been at the helm of the Imperial Valley Symphony for an amazing 43 years and presented at least a dozen world premiere concerts of original works and arrangements. Jacklich is also the founder of the Imperial Valley Master Chorale, a vocal group that stemmed from a choral class he taught at Imperial Valley College. In the 1990s, Linda Brown took over as director and increased the number of concerts per year. Adept at reeling in worldclass talent to the Valley, Jacklich’s gregarious nature and experience in conducting and playing for big-city orchestras connect him with performers who are happy to travel to remote Imperial County and play for a fraction of the usual cost. “We go through some amazing literature here,” Jacklich said of their concerts. “When we did Beethoven’s
Master Chorale and IVC musicians delight the crowd at their season-ending performance on June 5, 2017. -Photos by Sue Gay Fifth Symphony, it was the first time it was ever done here.” The symphony also spotlights local student soloists and provides music scholarships for promising musicians from sixth grade through college. Although his music professor wanted him to become a professional conductor, Jacklich said his heart was in teaching, being inspired by a favorite music teacher in junior high and high school. But teaching was not everything to him, as Jacklich admits to an everlasting bond with music – the reason he’s continued even after retiring from IVC. In addition to the symphony, he also creates CONTINUED | PAGE 30
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DISCOVER |
Students visiting the Imperial Valley Desert Museum learn about the centuries-old ceramics used by the area's earliest residents. -Photo submitted by IV Desert Museum
Geology as Art By Anne Morgan The story of people in the Imperial Valley is one of adaptation and survival in a land of extremes. It is a story based on the availability of water and natural resources. And it started much earlier than many realize. The Imperial Valley hasn’t always been a desert. Millions of years ago the Imperial Sea, an arm of the Pacific Ocean, reached from the Sea of Cortez into the Imperial Valley, stretching as far north as the Coachella Valley. Sediments from the then-forming Grand Canyon eventually closed the area off from the ocean and the saltwater evaporated, exposing a desert. The Colorado River later changed course to fill the Valley with fresh water. The first infill of what we call Lake Cahuilla could date back as far as 3.5 million years. The oldest shorelines are too old for Carbon-14 dating, but the earliest known dates are about 26,000 years ago. In the last 1,000 years alone the lake filled and receded at least four times. The last
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Kumeyaay left behind treasure trove.
time the lake was evident was in the early 1700s. For as long as the lake was there, people traveled to it for its abundant resources. The Kumeyaay migrated from the ocean to the mountains to the shore of the inland lake, following the seasonal resources. Marshes ran along the shoreline with cattail, arrow weed, and tule providing habitat for fish, shellfish, and waterfowl. Rabbit, coyote, Borrego sheep and mule deer were drawn to this bountiful environment. Fish such as the razorback suckerfish and bonytail chub were caught using fish traps along the lake’s shoreline. More than 400 traps have been identified at different lake elevations, most commonly in V and U shaped designs. Today no one is sure exactly how the traps were used, though the assumption is that fish were lured into the traps and then netted or speared in the shallow water. The Kumeyaay long practiced sophisticated forms of environmental management and have centuries of oral traditions about tending the land. For
example, controlled burning was practiced to open the land and allow new plants to grow. Crops were cultivated according to their respective seasons. Jacumba’s volcanic soil was irrigated by local springs and yielded excellent harvests. Earthen pits for roasting plants like agave have been dated to more than 9,000 years ago. Today some of the most ubiquitous artifacts in the region are grinding stones. These were essential to processing seeds, nuts, berries, and acorns into fine flour for cooking. The two primary sets of grinding tools are mortars and pestles, and grinding slicks and hand stones. Mortars are round holes worn directly into a rock by repeated pounding with a long, heavy stone pestle. Grinding slicks are smooth flat depressions on stones on which food is ground using hand stones. In the Southwest, including in the Imperial Valley, these are often called morteros and mutates and can still be found as evidence of human habitation stretching back over thousands of years. For centuries ceramics have been
integral to people in this region. Clay was coiled, built up in successive rings, shaped, then smoothed and fired in open pits. Called aas’kay or saa’kay in the language of the Kumeyaay, these vessels are generally known by the Spanish term olla. Traditionally made by the women of the tribe, these ceramics were used for cooking, holding water or storing food and supplies. They could be sealed with clay, carried in nets, or buried to keep water for future use, and would have been an essential part of daily life. Archaeology can tell us where and how people lived, but art provides a way of understanding a people’s world-view. In the Imperial Valley the earliest people used the land itself as their canvas — creating petroglyphs, pictographs, and geoglyphs. Petroglyphs are images made by pecking or engraving rock with stone tools. Pictographs are paintings applied to the surface of the rock, which were made famous by ancient cave paintings in Europe. Geoglyphs are images directly worn into the ground. The world’s largest concentrations of geoglyphs are found in western Australia, northern Chile/southern Peru (the famous Nazca Lines) and the Imperial Valley/Colorado River area. These images are best seen from the air and can range from only a few feet to hundreds of feet in length. Because they are on the ground, it is often difficult to see even the largest geoglyphs. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is in charge of their preservation and maintains protective fences around many geoglyphs in highly trafficked areas. Like other early art forms, the meanings of geoglyphs are still shrouded in mystery. Ethnographies suggest that they represent creation stories, records of important events, mythological events, constellations, or astronomical phenomenon, such as the time of
The "Spirit of the Desert,¨ a statue outside the Imperial Valley Desert Museum, symbolizes the area's rich history. -Photo by IV Desert Museum the solstice. For thousands of years people in the Imperial Valley have survived and thrived by adapting to every imaginable environment and challenge. The story of Imperial Valley’s heritage begins with the Kumeyaay: people who are here, have always been here and always will be here.
The Imperial Valley Desert Museum is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday More information is available at www.ivdesertmuseum.org, by calling (760) 358-7016 or emailing ivdmuseum@gmail.com.
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DISCOVER |
Tattoo artist Ricka Perez tattoos a mandala with a quote on the back of Naima Clark at Inkredible Tattoos art studio on Main Street in El Centro. -Photo by Joselito N. Villero
Artistry in Ink
Brothers take tattooing to creative levels
By Richard Montenegro Brown
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Ricka Perez and his younger brother, Rene, wouldn’t dare call themselves artists. They’re simple tattooists, if you ask them. Anything else is presumptuous; “arrogant,” Ricka says. Forty-three-year-old Ricka Perez of El Centro is owner of Inkedrible Tattoo Studio on Main Street in downtown El Centro, the Imperial Valley’s longest-serving tattoo shop having opened in 1997. Rene, who is 39, has been tattooing alongside Ricka from nearly day one, give or take several months of apprenticeship under his brother. But the simple fact is, the Perez brothers are artists, men proficient in numerous styles and genres that when called upon by clients, they must replicate or approximate. Just ask Jimmy Bedrossian of El Centro. Rene’s work adorns large areas of his body --- arms and legs --- and artwork from both Rene and Ricka adorn the walls of his home. “I think both of those guys are good artists,” Bedrossian said. Both of his arms are “sleeved,” including a massive tribal cover-up piece that is a nod to the Polynesian designs of the South Pacific Ocean. Yet it’s the realism of four Old Testament Bible scenes on his right arm that raises the stakes from mere tattoo to fine art. “I love them. I love all the work that I have,” he added. “Like I said, it tends to be a really good conversation starter.” Bedrossian is proof that gone are the days when customers come in to tattoo shops and choose “basic” designs in primary colors from dusty and aging “flash” cards on the walls. Today it’s all about custom art from artists who grow increasingly more talented with the demands of the clientele. Increasingly tattooing has shed its past as a crude art form Summer 2017
Tattoo artist Ricka Perez shows the new mandala tattoo on Naima Clark at Inkredible Tattoos art studio on Main Street in El Centro. -Photo by Joselito N. Villero and been accepted as high art. The oldest known tattoos are a mélange of dots, dashes and symbols found on the body of Otzi the Icemen from between 3370 and 3100 BC, a far cry from the sophisticated, technical and complex work found on men and women of all stripes today. Tattoos have been written about as fine art in publications from the Atlantic to the New York Times, and with each mention comes more credibility and respectability. The art form has been shown in famous museums around the world, like Musée du Quai Branly in Paris. In May 2014 it was the site of an exhibit called “Tatoueurs, Tatoués,” or “Tattooists, CONTINUED | PAGE 35
| EXPLORE
Liberty Station
Tribute to the Past, Promise of the Future
San Diego’s Liberty Station reverberates with naval history and the vibrant present. Situated along the northernmost shoreline of San Diego Bay, as passenger jets from nearby Lindbergh Field roar overhead, children play, families picnic, and couples stroll on the pristine grounds where tens of thousands of recruits once learned to become sailors. Founded in 1923, the former Naval Training Center is where many Imperial Valley young men and women joined fellow recruits as they trained for battle and for peacetime. It closed in 1997; three years later it became the property of the City of San Diego. Today, former barracks house popular restaurants,
boutiques, markets and offices. The former commissary is now Liberty Public Market, a thriving collection of hip eateries and specialty shops that showcase local artisans. Everywhere are reminders of Liberty Station’s origins. Listen closely and you may hear echoes of the past, of drill instructors shouting commands, of boots striking hardened ground, of recruits cheering at graduation, and sounds of sorrow for those who never came home. Then open your eyes and savor the present, and promise of the future. Liberty Station is at 2640 Historic Decatur Road in San Diego. To learn more, visit libertystation.com
Top and above left photos: Liberty Public Market is a thriving collection of artisanal shops at Liberty Station. Above right: Liberty Station's rich past is told in monuments such as this marker at Ingram Plaza, dedicated to World War I sailor Osmond K. Ingram, "who sacrificed his life in an effort to save his ship and shipmates during an engagement between the USS Cassin and a German submarine on October 15, 1917.¨ -Photos by Peggy Dale
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ENRICH |
Far left: Imperial Valley Discovery Zone co-founder Dennis Gibbs, an Imperial High science instructor, demonstrates one of the program's experiments during the Imperial County Office of Education's annual event. -Photo provided by Richard Salgado, ICOE Clockwise from top right: Discovery Zone students are shown at Imperial High; students demonstrate during the ICOE event at Southwest High School; Discovery Zone students work with younger students. -Photo provided by Dennis and Dan Gibbs, and by Richard Salgado, ICOE
Discovery Zone By Darren Simon
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When Rita Patel was a student at Imperial High School, she participated in a unique program in which she and her partners built a gravity experiment and explain the science to elementary school students. She and her team became the teachers. Today she is studying neuroscience and cell and molecular biology at the University of Toronto in Canada, and she credits that Imperial High learning experience with giving her the communication skills to succeed in college. The program participated in is aptly named the Imperial Valley Discovery Zone. It is an interactive method of teaching created by two Imperial educators—brothers Dan and Dennis Gibbs—that brings together high school and elementary students. This summer, the fraternal twins transformed the old band room, which is next to the city’s public swimming pool, into Summer 2017
Helping rural students reach potential.
what will be the Discovery Zone program, a unique and inspiring way to teach STEM— science, technology, engineering and math curriculum—to elementary students, using high school students to be the teachers. The brothers’ mission and passion is to enable rural students as much opportunity to succeed in the sciences as any student growing up in a metropolitan city. “Sometimes when you come from a smaller community, you have a sense kids from metropolitan areas have one up on you,” said Dennis, who teaches advanced placement chemistry, physics and geology at Imperial High School. “That’s not the case. We want our kids to be exposed to these kinds of experiences.” Dennis and Dan, a former second-grade teacher in the Imperial district, now a fulltime science coach for Discovery Zone, launched the program four years ago. It has been growing ever since. Here’s how the program works.
High school students have a “maker space” at Imperial High where they work with Dan to design and build engineering and science-based projects. The list of their creations is awe-inspiring—a hydraulic lift, a hovercraft, a telegraph machine, a vortex cannon, three-dimensional dinosaur puzzles and working hand cranks. All of it built from scratch by the students. “They are designing and building the exhibits,” Dan said. “They basically follow their own STEM interests, and it can be in any science area.” He added by building their own projects, students learn through the scientific process that plans don’t always go right and they have to work through the issues to reach a solution. “Sometimes you have to be there to encourage them, to remind them it’s a cycle and process, but then they get it,” he said. CONTINUED | PAGE 32
Home School
Fostering a family atmosphere
The week of March 20, 2017 could be called a typical week at the Imperial Valley Home School Academy. On Monday, the kindergarten through eighth-grade students were offered an array of tutoring sessions. Tuesday through Thursday were filled with hands-on grade level workshops covering a wide range of STEM topics, from plant sciences to “sun and stars.” There were also language arts and writing enrichment for the upper grades. On Friday, there was a field trip to the Living Desert in Palm Desert. Students not in attendance at the optional workshops, were at home studying the prescribed curriculum with lesson plans provided by the school. Murrie Plourd, the school’s principal and one of its four teachers, points out that when parents enroll their children into the home school academy, which is part of the El Centro Elementary School District, they are signing on to a close-knit family atmosphere. “We have a wonderful partnership with parents,” she says. The school provides free curriculum, as well as all the textbooks and lesson plans for parents. The workshops, designed to enhance the home instruction, are collaborative and based on STEM and other academic subjects. There are also monthly field trips to help build life experiences. There are 80 to 100 students enrolled in IVHSA each school year from all over Imperial County. They have the option of attending the workshops and can go for either a half day or full day. “The involvement of our parents is crucial to our success. They are highly involved and take a hands-on role, in an effort to meet the individual needs of our students,” said Plourd. “We have been able to maintain a family atmosphere that represents all that is good about school. We learn to treat everyone with respect and to celebrate differences,” she said. The school’s brochure expresses the IVHSA philosophy. It notes that the academy considers learning to be a lifelong adventure. “We face each day with open minds. We believe in the freedom to wonder, explore, imagine and create…We recognize that success means doing our best, and inspiring others to do the same.” Just because it is a specialized home school, that doesn’t mean that traditional school activities are ignored. The academy has a kindergarten through eighth grade drill team that performs in local parades. Students are also able to participate in any activity sponsored by the school district. During the 2016-17 school year, six academy students were in the elementary district’s band or orchestra, which practice at Sunflower School, next door to the academy complex on West Main Street in El Centro. Parents of students there have embraced the family atmosphere fostered at the academy by Plourd and her staff. As school let out in June, parents penned a large thank you to the staff that contains more than 20 individual notes. “Thank you, loving teachers, for all your time, enthusiasm and dedication to our children,” states one of the notes, which mirrors many others. “Without your support, our journey could be so (much) more complicated.” Another one notes “our whole family is so grateful for everything IVHSA and its dedicated teachers have done for us.” Summer 2017
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Child-centered Environment
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It is the approach to education that distinguishes Ballington Academy for the Arts and Sciences from other schools. Ballington, a charter school in El Centro, has a Common Corebased curriculum but has adopted a teaching methodology focused upon a project-based learning where students engage in real-life situations. As stated by the Buck Institute for Education, “Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge.” According to Ballington Principal William Anderson, “We believe in a student-centered classroom environment that allows a child to become actively involved in learning. When undertaking a project, teachers will focus on the relevant standards-based content and skills like critical thinking, problem-solving or a host of other important skills aimed at both the academic and social emotional development of the child.” Project-based learning begins with a question or a real-life problem. Students are given the opportunity to ask their own questions, find the resources to answer these questions, and apply their learning in a way that lets them present an authentic representation of their learning, Anderson said. “There is time for student reflection and dialogue which extends their learning and allows for development of important speaking and listening skills,” he added. The school also offers a wide array of specialty classes in music, visual art, technology and science/engineering. “I cannot stress enough the importance of arts in education. It is an integral part of the development of each human being,” said Anderson. He said data exists to overwhelmingly support the belief that study and participation in the arts are key components in improving learning throughout all academic areas. Evidence of its effectiveness is found in reducing student dropout rates, raising student attendance, developing better team players, fostering a love for learning, improving greater student dignity, enhancing student creativity, and producing a more prepared citizen for the workplace for tomorrow can be found documented in many studies. “In such a rapidly changing world we have come to realize we really do not know what kinds of jobs will be available in the future but what has been identified are needed skills that will and do lead to success,” he said. Those skills include creativity and imagination, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Ballington is a kindergarten through sixth grade charter school authorized by the El Centro School District. Charter schools are independent public schools but authorized by a district to operate. Students do not need to be residents of El Centro. Teachers are fully credentialed in the State of California and consistently attend professional development to stay current on educational issues, said Anderson. Class sizes are capped at 25 students. “Being a small school has allowed us to build a strong school community where caring relationships are fostered on a daily basis,” said Anderson. Additional information about Ballington may be found online at ballingtonacademy.org or on Facebook. Summer 2017
California's School Reform
What It Means for Our Schools
Sweeping Changes in Education To Help All Students Succeed
Todd Finnell, Ed.D., County Superintendent of Schools Education in Imperial County, and throughout California, is undergoing sweeping reform, and has been for the past seven years. These changes to our education system are rooted in a belief that we must focus our efforts on “equity” rather than “equality” when it comes to student success. Equality in our schools would look to have all students receive the same supports and strategies… being treated “equally” regardless of their individual needs. Equity, rather, acknowledges that each child is unique and requires individualized, or targeted, supports and strategies to ensure ALL students have an opportunity to reach their full potential. Our equity-based model in California strives to have every student succeed, which is why you’ll often hear the phrase “All means ALL” in and around our schools today.
School Reforms and What They Mean
It’s important to understand that the reforms are focused on a principle known as “subsidiarity,” which argues that matters or decisions ought to be handled at a local level if possible, rather than by a central authority, such as the State. So, in the case of schools, it’s a movement toward having greater local control and decision-making in the individual school districts. All things considered, our local districts welcome and appreciate this change in policy.
Now, let's take a brief look at the changes our schools have faced.
There are five major components to California’s school reform movement,
California
School Reform
New
New
State Standards
Accountability
New
Funding
New
New Local Accountability & Planning
and each of them has presented significant changes in the way our schools do business. While the changes have been met with opportunity and some challenges, our local school districts have done a magnificent job of embracing the changes in a constructive, improvement-focused manner that is good for kids and families. The first component of the reform movement was the adoption of our new state standards. Simply put, standards define what students should be able to know and do by grade level. The new State Standards have raised expectations for all students and have pushed curriculum and instructional practice to new levels. Imperial County administrators, teachers and staff have worked diligently to embrace these new standards, which required tremendous effort and commitment for which we are very proud. The second component involves how schools are funded. Consistent with the principle of subsidiarity, schools now receive most of their funding from the state as unrestricted funds, which allows the local district to make
Assessments
decisions based on their local priorities and needs…not those from Sacramento. Consistent with the focus on equity, schools also receive additional funding for special student populations such as English learners, students living in poverty, and foster/homeless students. The third component focuses attention on local accountability and planning. The Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, is an important piece of the reform plan to ensure schools encourage, collect, and utilize input from stakeholders as they develop their local goals, priorities, and activities to ensure student success. In other words, with the flexibility of use of funding comes a greater responsibility to be responsive to the community needs. Stakeholders, such as parents, students, teachers, business and community leaders, and others are all expected to help the school set goals and priorities to meet these needs. This all comes together in the district LCAP, and our schools need public participation in the process. Changes in student assessment make up the fourth component. Rather than CONTINUED | PAGE 31 Summer 2017
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EXPLORE |
Making Old New Again
Iconic space elevated from vintage to artistic.
By Susan Giller
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When Jacob Zavala opened the doors of El Dorado Printing & Embroidery Services on the corner of Sixth and Main streets in El Centro in May, he did more than put his business in a more visible location – he put his entrepreneurial spirit to work breathing new life into the once vibrant downtown. In a sense, Zavala and his brother, Daniel, the silkscreen artist behind the Bujwah brand of clothing and apparel now based in the connected Main Street gallery, have dedicated their immense creativity and energy to both building a thriving business and making what was old, new again. Their new space formerly was home to the iconic 74-year-old Brooks Jewelry & Gifts until it closed for good in 2016. The Zavala brothers are so dedicated to carrying on the Brooks traditions of quality and customer service that many vestiges of the jewelry store remain; some of the neon signs, the venerable Brooks safe, the clock over the door. Even the Main Street glass door into the Bujwah showroom retains the Brooks sign that states, “Welcome to a creative shopping experience.” Said Jacob Zavala, “It just makes sense because that is exactly how we plan to run our business.” For the Zavala brothers, the move to Main Street from smaller, less visible digs in the old Sears garage at 730 State St. helps further their strategic plan of building their thriving creative businesses. It also provides an opportunity to build the community in which they grew up. “Our intention is to be able to build a business to use our creativity to make a living,” Jacob Zavala said. “What we do is custom, we don’t use clip art. We take a customer’s idea Summer 2017
Top, from left: Silkscreen artist Daniel Zavala's designs dazzle one wall in the loft-like gallery that showcases Bujwah brand clothing and apparel at Sixth and Main streets in El Centro. The visual feast continues with a near life-size car design parked over displays in the space that once held the Brooks Jewelry & Gifts tableware and decorative items. Bottom: A storefront within the store now housing El Dorado Printing & Embroidery Services offers a glimpse of old Brooks Jewelry neon signs and the work being done on new embroidery equipment. -Photos by Susan Giller and develop something unique, … something you cannot get anywhere else.” His goal in business is to develop a relationship with his clients, to fully understand their needs and offer the best options. “We’re not in it just to make a quick buck,” the 34-year-old said.
“But if I can help your business thrive and you grow, then we all grow.” His printing and embroidery work helps brand and merchandise several local businesses, including Humble Farmer Brewing, Burgers & Beer, Johnnies Burritos and Pentagonal Brewing Company. He is currently working with Mission Brewery in San Diego to develop the brand for the business. He said they also do ball caps and T-shirts for local schools, teams and other organizations. While the move to Main Street was a major leap for the Zavala brothers’ business, it was also like coming home. “I love downtown,” Jacob Zavala said, “Growing up it had everything. There were lots of stores then and it was clean. There was always something to do. … I was always here.” As Main Street’s luster faded, he said he and his wife had a dream of opening a business downtown to help draw back people and businesses. “There is so much character, so much potential here,” Zavala said. “But it takes businesses to make downtown work, not just the city, not just government funds.” El Dorado and Bujwah’s move to Main Street was precipitated when Larry Bratton, owner of Brooks, decided to retire and close the jewelry store. “Larry approached me and he was very persistent,” Zavala said. “I think he realized we were on the same page” about the potential of downtown. Upon his announcement to retire and close Brooks, Bratton said of Zavala, “’I’m glad to turn the torch over to someone that’s going to occupy the space and keep the building like it is.” The Zavala brothers have not only retained many of the iconic
Jacob Zavala, who with his brother, Daniel, owns El Dorado Printing & Embroidery Services and Bujwah, meets customers at the repurposed and restored saloon bar in the former jewelry store. -Photo by Susan Giller Brooks touches, they have stripped the space of many more mundane trappings to reveal its historic splendor. Now the high tin ceiling is on display. Exposed brick walls are now showcased in both the former gift and jewelry sections of the store. Removing layers of flooring revealed vintage small, white hexagonal tile. The work the Zavala brothers put into the space elevates it from vintage to artistic. The El Dorado Printing portion of the space features a storefront within the store that offers a glimpse of the magic of the elaborate embroidery machinery. CONTINUED | PAGE 34
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Amazing Valley Photos
Meet our Desert Treasures photographers
1 Salton Sea
Jodi Rollins is a Calipatria resident originally from Colorado and New York. She owns a freelance marketing and social media company. She enjoys finding the Valley’s “hidden gems of beauty.”
2 S unbeam Lake
Apolos de la Garza lives in El Centro and is a school psychologist for Imperial County Office of Education. He is an avid runner who enjoys the quiet beauty of Valley fields.
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3 W estside Main Canal
Michael Dahm and his wife, Brandie, an EMT, live in Westmorland. He works at Southwest Microbials as an organic fertilizer operations manager and owns Desert Eagle Eye Photography. The Dahms love visiting the Salton Sea “to take a break and appreciate the nature around us."
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4 H oltville barn
Marcia R. Jennings worked for many years in Coronado and lives in Holtville, which she and her husband call “Paradise 92250.” She said the Valley has a beauty of its own, “It’s just a question of going out and finding it.”
5 Sunflowers 20
Silvia Gilroy Damron, born in Brawley, raised in Holtville and now living in Northern Arizona, says, “I’ve always loved the unique beauty of the Imperial Valley.” She and her husband visit often. Summer 2017
6 Camacho's Restaurant
Velma Ruiz Pacrem has been taking photos since her husband introduced her to a Yashica 35mm in 1975 and considers herself a photographer historian determined to help people see the Valley is a diamond in the rough.
7 O ld Post Office Pavilion, El Centro
Liz Warner is a local artist who has been taking pictures since childhood. Taking photos of the Valley’s abundant beauty “helps me to step back and express gratitude for the beauty that surrounds me.”
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8 Herd of sheep, near Brawley
Kenny Robertson, a Brawley resident who has lived in the Valley his entire life, is a foreman/heavy equipment operator for A&R Construction. He picked up his first DSLR camera in January 2015 and since then has been studying the art of photography.
9 Baker Lake, Imperial
Sara Hurtado Hernandez lives in Imperial but hails from Calipatria. She is in her 27th year of working at Imperial Valley College. Using her cellphone to take nature photos, she said, “It’s all about timing.”
10 Chuckawalla lizard
(in Chuckawalla Mountains a few miles east of the Salton Sea)
Charlie Nichols of Imperial is a CA engineering technician at the Imperial Irrigation District. He says he’s not much of a photographer but keeps his phone handy and “just take pictures as they present themselves.” Summer 2017
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The Art of persuation
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Creating change good for business, public.
The Coalition of Labor, Agricultural and Business (COLAB) of Imperial County has never shied away from making noise about an issue of concern to local businesses in a way that makes governmental officials cringe. Yet the organization’s effectiveness at driving a point home just as often comes from its persistent, quiet, collaborative work with local government to improve processes, ensure public funds are used efficiently and make sure business and the public concerns are considered in decisions. Kay Day Pricola, COLAB executive director, said, “We need a business-friendly local government to help the economy grow. That’s why we work with government to create dynamic change that’s good for business and good for the public.” Sometimes that work is loud and adversarial; sometimes it is creative. A case in point is COLAB’s position on the condition of the network of roads and bridges that crisscross the Imperial Valley. Imperial County has 2,555 miles of roads and 138 bridges to maintain. That puts the county in the top five of the 58 counties in California in road mileage maintained, according to John Gay, county Public Works director. Recently, Gay met with the COLAB Board of Directors and explained that the county’s ability to maintain its roads is severely tested because the state’s formula of doling out road funds is based largely on vehicle registration numbers for the region. That puts Imperial County 30th out of the state’s counties in terms of the funds it gets for roadwork. In 2008, local voters approved Measure D, a half-cent sales tax initiative to pay for county and city road repairs and maintenance. At the time, COLAB opposed the measure over concerns the revenue would not be used effectively. Today, even with Measure D funds, the county still falls far short of meeting what’s needed for roadwork. And Gay said the situation is even more serious when it comes to the county’s old timber bridges, which are deteriorating faster than there is money to replace them. Pricola said she knows one grower who has to drive 17 miles out of his way to reach his field near the Salton Sea because a county bridge was closed due to safety concerns. And complaints about potholes and deteriorating roadways throughout the region are rampant. COLAB continues to lead the chorus. Now new funding is on the horizon in the form of a mammoth gas tax increase signed into law in April by Gov. Jerry Brown that will raise about $50 billion over the next decade for road infrastructure. The county and local cities expect to get about $16 million a year from the increase that includes: 12 cents a gallon on gas; a 20-cent a gallon diesel excise tax and a 5.75 percent diesel sales tax. For COLAB, the concern will continue to be the proper and efficient use of the funds, Pricola said. And, COLAB continues to press for greater public input on prioritizing the roads on the county’s list for improvement. Gay said he welcomes the public input and transparency. With that input, he said, his department will map out a road repair and maintenance plan for approval by the Board of Supervisors. He started by inviting COLAB’s members to prioritize the list of roads that his department listed as needing work. Pricola suggested the public get involved, too. “You drive the roads – daily – and you know which ones in your area are the worst. COLAB will continue to seek accountability for the use of the funds. “And, while we will be the very squeaky wheel, we will do so based on the needs of the users,” Pricola said. “We welcome your input.” Summer 2017
Simplify your life at the Florentine Collection
Imagine life in a gated community, centrally located, with amenities designed to simplify your life. The Imperial Valley has just the place. The Florentine Collection is in Brawley, a new home community presented by GHA Communities and new-home builder Mario Gonzalez. “From the moment you drive through the front entry gate, you will be captivated
by the unique lifestyle Florentine has to offer with lush landscaping, palm trees surrounding the community pool and spa,” said Amy Volmer, Florentine’s sales manager. “Have a gym membership? You won’t need it, because at Florentine we have a full gym, and a lounge area complete with a covered patio with a built-in barbecue for our owners to use.” Florentine Collection features spacious
three- and four-bedroom floor plans up to 2,151 square feet. All of the homes come with extraordinary upgrades as a builder standard, such as 9 foot tall ceilings, granite kitchen countertops, stainless steel appliances, 8 foot tall interior doors, finished garages and many more options that give your new home a unique and modern design, Amy said. The community features attractive architectural styles with traditional-style elevations. The inspiration for the Florentine Collection was to create a community where families, couples and individuals can buy a quality-built home at an affordable price. It consists of 106 single family homes the only gated, new-home community in Brawley. Amy takes pride in her motto: “I know you’re going to love it at Florentine Collection” and she means it. “We try to simplify your life, from your new home purchase with our community to maintaining your front yard landscaping,” Amy said. The Florentine Collection can be found online at www.FlorentineCollection.com. The sales office is located at 341 Jasmine Place in Brawley. Amy can be reached at 760-351-0322.
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Student creations were on display for the public in May at Imperial High School. -Photo by Joselito Villero
Calendar of Events August Aug. 8, 9, 10 Science Week at Sustaining Organic Living 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Aug. 8, 9 and 10 for ages 1-7 at 297b S. Imperial Ave., Imperial. 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 7-10 for ages 7 and older. Cost, $25 per week per child. Email rene@sustainingorganicliving. org or call 760-545-0018 for more information.
Aug. 11 End of Summer Movie Dive-In 7 to 10 p.m. August 11, Imperial City Pool, West Barioni Blvd., Imperial
Aug. 25 Kids Night Out 6 to 10 p.m., August 25 Conrad Harrison Youth Center, 750 Park Ave., El Centro Back to School night with raffles, books and games. For ages 3 through 12 years old. Fee is $15 per child. For more information, call 760-337-4555 or 760-337-4570.
The information included in the print version of Imperial Valley Alive! is what was available by publication deadline. Visit our calendar online at www.imperialvalleyalive.com and submit your event information.
September Sept. 7
Imperial Valley Girls Rock! 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. September 7, Imperial Palms Resort, 2050 Country Club Drive, Holtville. Tickets are $40 per person, $300 for a table of 8. The awards honor Imperial Valley girls and women ages 5 and above who strive toward the highest level of personal, academic and professional accomplishments; devote time and energy to their community in a meaningful way and serve as a role model to others. it is the desire of the El Centro Chamber Foundation to develop and maintain leaders in the Imperial Valley. For information, contact Anthony Moreno at 760-352-3681.
Sept. 24
Oct. 19
ICSO Volunteer Group Annual BBQ 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. September 24, Casa de Manana Building, Imperial Valley Expo. For information, call Sheriff Service Officer Yvonne Naud 442-265-2095. Cost is $10.
PMHD Foundation Gala - New Beginnings Under The Stars 6 p.m. October 19. Location TBD. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $100 per person
Sept. 28 2017 Welcome Back Teachers Dinner 5 to 8 p.m. September 28, Hidalgo Hall, Brawley. Tickets are $25 each. Join us as we celebrate our local educators with a special dinner, giveaways, prizes and the awarding of the 2017 Brawley Chamber Teacher of the Year. For information, visit http://www. brawleychamber.com
Sept. 9 9/11 Stair Climb 6:30 to 11 p.m. September 9 Fourth annual 9/11 Stair Climb, hosted by Brawley Fire Association and Imperial Valley Expo. Registration is at 6:30 pm with Stair Climb at 8 pm. Register by Aug. 25 and cost is $25, including T-shirt. After Aug. 25, the cost is $30. For information, call Tiffinie Macias at 760-498-7153 or Richard Jusso at 760-222-7379.
October Oct. 14
IV Food Bank Harvest Bowl 5 to 7 p.m. October 14. Location TBA. Contact Information, 760-970-4456. October 18 Red Shoe Day Imperial Valley For information, visit www. redshoedayiv.com
Oct. 20 Kids Night Out 6 to 10 p.m. August 25 Conrad Harrison Youth Center, 750 Park Ave., El Centro Halloween theme. For ages 3 through 12 years old. Fee is $15 per child. For more information, call 760-337-4555 or 760-337-4570.
Oct. 21 SeaFest 2017 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. October 21 at Salton Sea State Recreation Area. Event will shine the light on the Salton Sea. There will be live music and local food served throughout the day, with an Organic Farmers’ Market at 8 a.m. and vintage car show from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. SeaFest also marks the start of the paddle season for the Kai Wai Club. The club will be paddling from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Summer 2017
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INLAND EMPIRE September Sept. 4
Mount Baldy Run-to-the-Top Annual Trail Race 2017 Starting at 8 a.m. September 4. The Mt. Baldy Run-to-the-Top trail race San Antonio Canyon Town Hall’s 52nd annual Labor Day fundraiser. It's one of the most popular and challenging mountain trail races in California, held on Mt. Baldy in the Angeles National Forest. From the start line at 6,000 ft., the Run-tothe-Top covers 7+ miles, with 4,000 of elevation gain. The final mile, the steepest, is above timberline. The finish is on the summit of beautiful Mt. San Antonio (Mt. Baldy) at 10,064. The race is timed and is sanctioned by USA Track and Field. For more information and to register visit http://run2top.com/or write to mbrun2top@gmail.com.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY August
6 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Thursday through August 24, downtown Carlsbad Village, Carlsbad Movies under the stars in downtown Carlsbad Village, just two blocks from the beach. This free community event is a favorite for all ages. Bring a low back chair and watch some of the newest releases, and a few classics too, in the fresh, summer air. Bring a picnic dinner and dine al fresco before the movie begins or choose from a multitude of Village eateries within a block from the outdoor venue. Seating begins at 6 p.m.; movies start at dusk (around 8pm). More information: carlsbad-village. com, info@carlsbad-village.com
Aug. 4 and 5
Murder Mystery Dinner Theater 5:30 p.m. August 4 and 5, Julian Town Hall, 2129 Main St., Julian Tickets are $35 each. For information, call the Julian Triangle Club, 760-5255137. Solve a hilarious crime while you feast on a fantastic Jeremy’s catered three-course dinner.
Aug. 5
Sip of Julian 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. August 5, Julian Town Hall, 2129 Main St., Julian Cost is $25. Contact Julian Chamber of Commece, 760-765-1857.
Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24 Flicks at the Fountain
Aug. 6, 13, 20, 27
Visit our website at www. alpinecommunitycenter.com
Historical Skits 1 to 4 p.m. August 6, 13, 20, 27, next to Julian Fitness Center The Julian Doves & Desperados are in town every Sunday. They perform historic, comedy, gunfight skits at their stage area, located in-between The Julian Fitness Center and the Julian Market & Deli, at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Aug. 12
HeART of Mt. Helix 5 to 10 p.m. August 12, Mt. Helix Park. The 10th annual HeART of Mt. Helix on August 12th from 5 to 10 p.m. will feature live art demonstrations and art auctions, music on two stages, a juried art show, succulent plant sale, and tastings from top local restaurants atop Mt. Helix. For tickets and the line-up of this year’s entertainers, artists, restaurants and other participants, visit https://www. mthelixpark.org/heart-of-mt-helix. More Info: https://www.mthelixpark. org/heart-of-mt-helix
Aug. 11
Alpine Summer Concerts in the Park 6:30 p.m. August 11 and 25, Alpine Community Center Park, 1830 Alpine Blvd., Alpine, behind the library. Once again, summer concerts will rock the night at the Alpine Community Center Park (1830 Alpine Blvd, Alpine, CA 91901 - behind the Library) Presented by the Alpine Community Center & the Alpine Library. Bring your blanket or chair to relax on the lawn, or dance beneath the stars. Food will be available for purchase from local vendors. For more info please contact Cindi Robertson, Director of Operations - Alpine Community Center 619.445.7330 or email cindi@alpinecommunitycenter. com
Aug. 25
Dances of Mexico 7 p.m. August 25, Muevete Dance Studio, 3338 Main St., Lemon Grove. Showcased will be dance styles from various regions in Mexico, showcasing talented dancers from Ballet Folklorico en Aztlan. All shows are free, starting at 7 pm. For details visit http://www. muevetestudio.com/ More Info: http://www. muevetestudio.com/
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Summer 2017
Aug. 25-27
Summer Camp Out 4 p.m. August 25 through 10 a.m. August 27 at Fort Cross Old Timey Adventures, 4425 CA-78, Santa Ysabel. Tickets are $45. For information, call Doreen Cross at 951-847-1904.
September Sept. 2
Julian Grape Stomp Festa 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Menghini Winery, 1150 Julian Orchards Drive, Julian. For information, call the Julian Chamber of Commerce, 760-765-1857
Sept. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Historical Skits 1 to 4 p.m. September 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, next to Julian Fitness Center.
Sept. 8
Viejas Concerts in the Park Jim Jefferies, 7 p.m. September 8. Doors open at 6 p.m. For ages 21 and over.
Sept. 9
Viejas Concerts in the Park Jim Gaffigan, 6:30 p.m. September 9. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. For ages 21 and over.
Sept. 9
Ramona Grape Stomp Noon to 5 p.m. September 9, Ramona Outdoor Community Center, 421 Aqual Lane, Ramona. To celebrate the harvest of grapes throughout the Ramona Valley, this fun-filled family event will offer attendees the opportunity to squish grapes between their toes in grape-stomping challenges, with prizes awarded to the best stompers. Attendees can also taste awardwinning wine from local wineries and check out food, arts and crafts, and children events. Admission tickets can be purchased at the gate on the day of the event or pre-purchased on the web site beginning August 1 at http:// ramonagrapestomp.com.
Sept. 16
Julian Music Festival 1 o 7 p.m. September 16, Menghini Winery, 1150 Julian Orchards Drive, Julian. Cost is $15 for adults. Children under 16 are free with a paid adult chaperone. Seniors and pre-sales tickets are $12. Contact Terry Cox at 760-470-0321.
Musicians perform at an exhibit at the Imperial Valley College art gallery. -Photo by IVC
Sept. 23
Julian Apple Days Festival 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. September 23, Menghini Winery, 1150 Julian Orchards Drive, Julian
Sept. 24
Viejas Concerts in the Park George Thorogood & The Destroyers / Foghat, 7:30 p.m. September 24, 5000 Willows Road Alpine. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For ages 21 and over.
Sept. 28
Viejas Concerts in the Park Lee Brice, 8 p.m. September 28, 5000 Willows Road, Alpine. For ages 21 and over.
October Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29
Historical Skits 1 to 4 p.m. October 8, 15, 22, 29, next to Julian Fitness Center.
Oct. 21-22
Borrego Days Desert Festival 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. October 21 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. October 22, downtown Borrego Springs. The 52nd Annual Borrego Days Desert Festival returns to showcase qualities that make Borrego Springs so unique as both a weekend getaway and a world all its own with beautiful weather, incredible star gazing, resorts, and the free Borrego Days Festival which kicks off Saturday, October 21 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and continues through Sunday, October 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For cool summer fun, visit
www.dippyduck.com
Summer 2017
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DESERT TREASURES CONTINUED FROM | PAGE 7
"My take on a mesquite tree at the abandoned Tumco mining town. I titled it the Tumco Ghost Tree." -Photo by Dane Knight
Though his professional portfolio has expanded over the years, Gates joked that it’s “probably been enough to buy another camera or two.” Unlike looking at a scene with the naked eye, Gates said, “The camera lens gives you a different perspective. You focus on things you might not have paid attention to. It can be a little surreal.” Gates’ photographs often feature landscapes, wildlife and scenes from around the Valley. He is captivated by how light and shadows play on a scene. He bought his first single-lens reflex camera when he was a GI in Korea 50-plus years ago. Yet he remains
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committed to reaching for something unique in each photo. “I want to create the same feeling in the photo that I have when you see a scene,” Gates said. “It is the feeling a photograph evokes that makes it rare and wonderful.” Knight has been perfecting his photos since he bought his first “point and shoot” Kodak to take family pictures when his daughters, now 12 and 9, were little. The more photos he took, the more he saw of the world around him and the more he wanted his images to reflect. Before long Knight, a captain at the Naval Air Facility El Centro Federal Fire Station, had graduated to a Nikon D5300
and still was dissatisfied. “You see how professional shots look and you get to where you want your shoots to do more,” he said. He continued photographing whatever caught his eye and reading everything he could about photography, color, shutter speed, depth of field and light, lenses and filters. “I guess you’d say my niche is freelance,” he said. “I am just always catching things wherever I am, wherever I go. I am the kind of person who doesn’t shy away from much.” Along the way his work has gained more attention. He has won several awards in the photography division of the California Mid-Winter Fair & Fiesta. This year, a shot he captured of firefighters in bright yellow gear huddled in a circle with a vibrant sky overhead won the commercial photography division. The fair considers his work commercial because he takes marketing shots of homes for sale for local realtors. Currently his workhorse camera is a Nikon D750, which he said provides a greater ability to focus in on acrobatic moves at Flipz All-Stars Competitive Cheerleading gym in El Centro, where his daughter trains and he has become the defacto photographer for all the
Above photo: Bougainvillea flourish in our desert region and add spots of color here and there. This orange-colored bougainvillea was photographed in El Centro, in front of a restaurant on South Fourth Street -Photo by Marcia R. Jennings Right photo: A dead tree frames a vibrant sunset at the Salton Sea. -Photo by Brandie Dahm team. Every photograph you take teaches you something, Knight said. For instance, when he decided he wanted to get animated shots of the girls and their families instead of static, posed photos, he said he felt uncomfortable.
“I didn’t feel comfortable imposing on their privacy,” he said. ”But I learned that you have to put your emotions aside to get the shot you want. You have to be aggressive, get in and get the shot.” Like Knight and Gates, all the
photographers who submitted artistic images of Imperial Valley’s desert treasures generously shared their enthusiasm for the place and their craft. And perhaps in the very best way they embody Albert Einstein’s quote: “Creativity is contagious, pass it on.”
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TAPESTRY OF MUSIC CONTINUED FROM | PAGE 9
Emma Walker plays the piano and sings at an event. -Photo provided by April Walker arrangements and compositions when “the muse strikes.” “The music adds to the words and the words add to the music,” Jacklich said. “It’s a total emotional experience.” Denny Lang and his wife, Patty, are both instrumental in local performances. Denny has a degree from the USC School of Music and is director and conductor of the I.V. Master Chorale, while Patty is the founder of NoCCA, North County Coalition for the Arts. “You give and give as you’re rehearsing to make it music,” Denny said. “When you hear a performance, you are looking for accuracy, but also the emotional message and how it touches your heart and soul.” Names of local greats thread through and pop up frequently in the tapestry of musical influence, including Carolyn Sechrist, Jimmie Cannon, and Ethel Lang – all woven into the colorful history of Imperial Valley music. Now those names are joined by new ones – protégés who have stepped in to carry on the legacy. Luke Hamby is a local building contractor and a virtuoso violinist who is currently Concert Master for the I.V. Symphony, a spot held for years by his former teacher, Ethel Lang. And Hamby has branched out into the vocal arena by starring in recent NoCCA musical productions. “Music is a very important aspect of life,” Hamby said. “We are created to need and appreciate music.” Newer contributors also include: Dr. Matthew Busse with the
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Southwest High Chamber Orchestra; Esteban Corona, the new music program director for Brawley Union High School; Mitch Sturman, band director for El Centro Elementary School District; Marissa Gohl with Wilson Junior High Schools orchestra; Renee Baker, band director at Central Union High School; and George Scott, Imperial’s band teacher who has directed musicals and offers private lessons to help develop and recognize local musicians. “Music jobs in schools have attracted a lot of talent and been instrumental in teaching, encouraging and promoting music. It has built a really nice tradition in Imperial Valley,” said Denny Lang. “We’re just blessed with really fine musicians that are attracted to this area and have grown up here and stayed… We have amazing talent – a tradition in strings” that began with Carolyn Sechrist, he added. In fact, many Valley greats began in the local education systems as music and band instructors, as in the case of Sechrist, Cannon, Lang, Jacklich and others. In the meantime, the Walkers and other young, talented musicians receive encouragement, training and exposure to high quality performances by working with local groups. They have performed with the Master Chorale as well as in Cattle Call Cowboy Poetry sessions. Emma won a contest in 2015 to sing the National Anthem at the Las Vegas National Rodeo finals. “The girls may not realize how much they are inspired by these people, but I can see the impact,” Danny Walker said. “They’ve had the opportunity to rub elbows with people who are really good. It’s an inspiration to know them and hang out with them.” Lang said he plans to present Handel’s “Messiah” once again in late November, and he invited local talent to join the chorale. “We are more than pleased with the students we do get,” Denny said. “It’s getting tougher to recruit, because music programs are not really supported. The arts are being forgotten.” The Master Chorale presents concerts four times a year with a Cattle Call performance in October, a Christmas program in November, a spring concert that incorporates the I.V. String Quartet with Jacklich and other music groups, and a dinner “Chuck Wagon Show” in June at the Pioneer Museum. The I.V. Symphony performs three times a year with fall, midwinter and spring programs, as well as accompanying other groups for productions. Although each performance costs upwards of $7,000 to produce, all concerts are free and open to the public, with just an empty violin case in front of the lobby for donations, Jacklich said.
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL REFORM CONTINUED FROM | PAGE 17
the old pencil and paper bubble testing, schools are now using computer-based tests that adapt to the learner. This adaptive approach provides the school with a better understanding of the student’s performance on the test. Lastly, and just released this year, is a new system of State Accountability. Rather than placing so much emphasis on high stakes testing, California has now implemented a model using multiple measures of school performance. These measures, in addition to test scores, include things like chronic absenteeism, suspension rates, English learner progress, graduation rates, college and career readiness, and other local indicators. To provide public visibility and access to how schools are doing under the new accountability model, California has launched the new “Dashboard,” which is an easy-to-use online tool (www.caschooldashboard.org) for navigating the state’s new accountability and continuous improvement system. The Dashboard helps schools and districts build on successes and focus on challenges. As an accountability tool, the Dashboard helps identify schools and districts doing exceptional work, and those needing targeted interventions to improve. So, as you can see, our schools have been busy.
Looking to the Future
Imperial County schools are in a great place and have done an amazing job of embracing change over the last several years. The work hasn’t been easy, and has felt at times unclear. Do we have important work yet to do? Absolutely, and we’ve come together as an educational community to learn from and lean on each other while we work collaboratively
toward ensuring success for each of our students. "The Imperial County Office of Education is helping our schools navigate these reforms in support of student success. Our work this year is focused in three key areas: Technology, Leadership, and Modernization. We’ll be threading these areas of focus throughout our programs, activities, and trainings in 2017-18, and look forward to another amazing year in service to our schools and community."
Dr. Todd Finnell serves as the County Superintendent of Schools and leads the Imperial County Office of Education. A local educator for more than 26 years, he has served as classroom teacher, counselor, and administrator in both the K-12 and the Community College systems. He also teaches graduate studies at San Diego State University.
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DISCOVERY ZONE CONTINUED FROM | PAGE 14
The Gibbs brothers said one of the most gratifying parts of the program is seeing high school students become experts. “In a normal classroom, we as educators tell them what to know. We never ask them to be experts,” Dennis said. “Here we ask them to take responsibility.” The Gibbs brothers worked with a cross discipline curriculum committee to organize the program for second, third and fourth grades. Now they’re working on expanding the Discovery Zone for fifth and sixth graders. The trained high school students—using the hands-on exhibits built by students—teach the sciences principles to Ben Hulse Elementary School students in inter-active workshops. The younger students are introduced to STEM in a fun way material fun and they are learning to be critical thinkers, which will aid them as they advance to higher grades, Dennis said. “I’m hoping to create a tsunami of critical thinkers entering middle school,” Dennis said. “A kid who is a critical thinker will do better in all areas of their life.” The 52-year-old brothers, Valley natives raised in Brawley, followed Discovery Zone students are shown in front of a project. parallel paths that brought them to the development of the Discovery -Photo provided by Dennis and Dan Gibbs Zone. Dan earned a degree in management information systems from California State University, Northridge. Dennis transferred to Cal The apparatuses the high school students build become tools for State Northridge where he earned a degree in earth sciences. teaching STEM education to elementary students. They each went on to earn master’s degrees, Dan in instructional The high school students then become master high school technology from National University and Dennis in the geosciences explainers (MHSEs) who take on the role of teaching what they from Mississippi State University. The brothers worked for 10 years for their family’s industrial have learned to newer students in the program. Once that new group develops the knowledge, they become high school explainers chemical distribution business. When the business ended, they decided to become teachers: Dennis as a high school science and work with their mentors to teach the elementary students. The teacher, and Dan, as an elementary teacher, both in the Imperial interactive setting lets everyone gain from the experience. district. At one point, then-Imperial unified School District Superintendent Lisa Tabarez asked Dennis if he wanted to use the then-shuttered Westside School as a science center. He liked the idea, but he thought it could be more than that. He recalled a field trip he and his brother had taken to Anza Borrego State Park where high school INSURANCE SERVICES students interacted with elementary students. “I thought, ‘Can we take that experience and mold our new science standards to that model?’” Dennis said. That year, Dennis and Dan, working with other teachers, came up with the first lesson plan, and Discovery Zone was born. 302 N. 8th St. Funding for the program was a different story. The first grant the El Centro, CA 92243 program received was for $200,000 from the Natural Sciences Phone: 760-352-3411 Foundation—a grant won with the help of the Imperial Valley Fax: 760-352-3499 Regional Occupational Program. Since then, the brothers have david@davidhwest.com learned to write grants and have secured additional funding to keep
David H. West
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the program going. The program has grown with as many as 150 high school participating. Last year, the program engaged some 8,000 people from throughout the Valley by having the students show off and explain their scientific and engineering creations at events like the California Mid-Winter Fair & Fiesta, Imperial Market Days and even during high school football games. “You know what’s cool is to see adults engage with our HSEs and to see how well our HSEs represent the program,” Dan said. Many of those high school students who participate go on to pursue degrees in the sciences, math and engineering where the skills they have learned are enabling them to compete academically with students from throughout the country. Rita Patel and her brother, Rahul, both participated in the Discovery Zone. They both credit the program, and specifically their work explaining principles to others, with helping them find the confidence to speak up in college. “It taught me how to be comfortable talking to people I had never interacted with before and most importantly, the DZ exposed me to talking with parents and people older than me—people who weren’t specifically my peers,” Rita said. “As a result, when it came to attending office hours, or asking my professors a question after class, I didn’t hesitate one bit. Like they say, communication is key and I believe that the IVDZ gave me the communication skills to overcome challenges at college.” Rahul, who is studying engineering at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, added: “Having to participate in various public events, such as market days and the county fair really helped in stepping out of my comfort zone. We (high school students) were in charge of explaining the science behind the
A Discovery Zone student explains a project. -Photo provided by Dennis and Dan Gibbs exhibits that we were showcasing.” For the Gibbs brothers, the success of their students inspires them to push to expand a program they know makes a difference for everyone who participates, and they look forward to seeing the elementary students who have experienced the program become the next generation of high school participants. O the future for the Discovery Zone, Dan said, “It’s extremely gratifying to me, but it is still a total work in progress. We’d like to see it countywide, and like to see a science center that could serve the entire county.”
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MAKING OLD NEW AGAIN CONTINUED FROM | PAGE 19
According to Jacob, the brothers previously always had to work in cave-like settings. “Now we have a window,” he said. And, customers are treated to a visual feast that includes the hulking old Brooks safe and a newly installed antique saloon bar now providing a business counter. The old display windows spotlight some of Bujwah’s creations. In the Bujwah space, the brothers carefully cultivated vintage details and edgy touches into an art gallery setting to showcase their unique brand of clothing and apparel. The screening printing equipment and supplies where Daniel works his magic is hidden behind an artistic display wall. Elaborate black chandeliers hang from the high ceiling. Couches in both spaces invite visitors to sit and take in the stunning setting. The brothers have come a long way from the days of setting their apparel from the trunks of their cars; they have returned home. Yet in some way they have never left A Daniel Zavala framed design and a their roots. luxurious leather couch invite customers to The El Dorado in the name of the get comfortable while at El Dorado Printing business pays homage to the road, or & Embroidery Service and the Bujwah street as it was renamed when it became gallery at Sixth and Main in El Centro. part of El Centro, where Daniel, Jacob and -Photo by Susan Giller their three brothers and one sister were
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raised. The brothers developed their skills working part time as teenagers at Driscoll’s in El Centro. The brothers eventually left Driscoll’s to follow their artistic muse and in about 1999 started Bujwah. By then, they and some friends had moved to San Diego and were selling skate boards and T-shirts from Jacob’s truck and house, according to a 2013 San Diego Reader article. After the Bujwah designs began to be featured on music festival posters and T-shirts, the brothers and their friends opened a store in Golden Hill, according to the Reader article. “It was pretty cool being part of something big,” Jacob Zavala said. “But the thing that stopped the brand from growing was we didn’t have money.” In 2013 the brothers also opened their headquarters on State Street in El Centro and decided to get serious about the business. With the move to Main Street, the old space has become their warehouse. “I used to be a free spirit,” Jacob Zavala said. “But I took over the business side. I cut my hair, put on a polo shirt and got to work” to creating a future for their business, for downtown and for the community.
ARTISTRY IN INK CONTINUED FROM | PAGE 12
Tattooed,” that explored tattooing as an artistic medium, according to an article in the New York Times. The show included “works produced specially for the event by internationally renowned artist tattooists, body suits on canvas and volumes comprising imprints taken from living models,” the museum said in a news release. For Ricka and Rene Perez, it’s not quite that lofty. But that doesn’t mean they are not prepared to answer the call. Ricka said it’s important to study design, styles, the interplay of light and shadow, perspective, and Rene said sometimes the best medicine is being “pushed” by the client. “Customers, they ask for stuff you didn’t think you were capable of doing,” Rene said. “Customers push you to learn.” Ricka counts realism, portraiture and a softer watercolor-like style as his tattooing specialties. In his spare time, he oil paints, airbrushes, uses spray paint to create murals with his brother, and does screen printing, and even pin striping. Rene’s tattoo work plays out in big vivid colors that punctuate his traditional Japanese and throwback American
Rene Perez at Inkredible Tattoos art studio on Main Street in El Centro. -Photo by Joselito Villero traditional styles. He also works with watercolor, paints in acrylics, works in pencil. While the rest of the world might consider the Perez brothers and any other modern-day tattooist an artist, Ricka said the title just turns him off. “I live out of art,” Ricka said, “but I won’t say I’m an artist.
“We draw ‘monitos’ (insignificant things), it’s like video games,” Rene said, describing the fun, almost frivolous, nature of their work. Ricka said it’s that attitude that keeps the job from being a job. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years and it’s been a good 20 years.”
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diseases such as diabetes as well as health issues like high blood pressure, glaucoma, cataracts and neurological abnormalities. Advanced Eye Care Optometry is locally owned and operated. Relocating, expanding Dr. Aguilar, who was born in Brawley and raised in El Centro, took to better serve patients. over the practice in September 2007. He is an alumnus of Imperial Valley College who transferred to University of California, Davis, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavioral Sciences. He then attended the New With an eye on the future, Advanced Eye Care Optometry has England College of Optometry in Boston, Mass., graduating with expanded its patient service with its move to a new office location honors in 2003. and addition of a second doctor. After graduating, Dr. Aguilar returned home, where he is an After relocating in June 2017, the doctors and staff of Advanced active member of Rotary International, a past president of the Eye Care have been settling into their new home at 506 W. Aten Imperial Valley Optometric Society, and a board member of Road in Imperial, where they have far more space for patients and NVISION Laser Eye Center. staff. Dr. Mancilla was born in Los Angeles, grew up in San Diego, and “Our move was driven by the desire to better meet our patients’ earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Physiological Science at UCLA. He went on to study optometry at InterAmerican University needs,” said Dr. Edgar C. Aguilar. “We want to build for the future, of Puerto Rich, School of Optometry, which provided a bilingual and we’re achieving that with this new location, which gives us optometry program. He graduated with honors in 2004 and is part room to grow.” Dr. Alex Mancilla, who is fluent in Spanish, has joined Dr. Aguilar of the Alpha Kappa Omega Optometric Honor Society. Upon graduation, Dr. Mancilla returned to California and began on staff of Advanced Eye Care. Having a second doctor means the working at Costco, where he practiced for 11 years. He joined practice can better accommodate its patients, making it easier for Acuity Eye Specialist in 2015, seeing patients in El Centro and them to make appointments. The addition of Dr. Mancilla also will help alleviate any backlog of patients and allow the office to accept Brawley. Dr. Aguilar and Dr. Mancilla are dedicated to the Imperial Valley, more insurances and broaden its patient base. which each has made this community their home. There’s more good news for patients: A bigger optical “At our new location, we have more than enough space for us department means there’s more room for an expanded selection and enough space to continue to grow as we expand,” said Dr. of eyewear choices, and the well-designed office allows for better Aguilar. “We are excited to start this new chapter in our lives and traffic flow. The office is designed so patients will have all of their become the premier eye care facility in the Imperial Valley.” pre-exam tests done in one setting with the exam in an adjacent Appointments may be made by calling Advanced Eye Care room, meaning there are fewer steps to the final exam room. Optometry at 760-352-3505. Visit the practice’s website at www. As health care continues to evolve, patients can be confident in Advanced Eye Care as on the first line of defense in helping detect StopSquinting.com
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Visit Us at Our New Location in Imperial and Welcome Dr. Alex Mancilla!
760.352.3505 506 W Aten Rd • Imperial
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Dr. Edgar Aguilar
Dr. Alex Mancilla
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What Catches
Your Eye?
Left photo: The Cattle Call statue of a bronc rider is a trademark of Brawley's Cattle Call at the entrance to Cattle Call Park. Photographer Bill Gates took the image using a small aperture setting, which creates the star effect, as the sun came up. -Photo byBill Gates Below photo: Bees pollinate a local field. -Photo byDane Knight
GROWTH STARTS SMALL. Rabobank America.com/Grow El Centro 1448 Main St (760) 337-3200 Connect with us:
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El Centro 2150 N. Waterman (760) 353-4743
Holtville 502 Holt Avenue (760) 356-5000
Brawley 190 Main Street (760) 351-5000
Brawley 250 Wildcat Drive (760) 351-4733
Clockwise from top right: The Desert Tower sits above the Valley at In-Ko-Pah. -Photo by Marcia R. Jennings Cactus in full bloom this past March in her sister's garden. -Photo by Velma Ruiz Pacrem Salton Sea near Red Hill. -Photo by Bruce Corfman The burrowing owl in the Imperial Valley is a gem that to be treasured when driving the back roads. -Photo by Velma Ruiz Pacrem Cattle Call Little Miss contestants sit on a fence. -Photo by Jodi Rollins Summer 2017
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Imperial County Behavioral Health Services
Music Makes a Difference T
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hey’re known as the “Super Stars,” and at Imperial County Behavioral Health Services, they’re gaining quite a reputation for their musical talents. The nearly two dozen Super Stars are among hundreds of consumers who each month benefit from a multitude of programs at the county’s Wellness Centers in El Centro and Brawley. But the Super Stars are taking their recovery a step further by performing at Behavioral Health Services events, including their most recent performance for Father’s Day earlier this month. They’ve even recorded a CD, with plans in the works for a second one. “They’re very proud of being part of this group,” said Maria Martinez, supervisor at the El Centro Wellness Center. “Once you give them the opportunity and chance to do this for themselves, you see the growth, the excitement.” The centers offer resources for people already being treated by Behavioral Health Services, with referrals made by professional staff at the county agency’s clinics for adults ages 18 years Summer 2017
and older who are being treated for a variety of disorders, including anxiety and depression. At the centers, Behavioral Health Services staff helps consumers set monthly goals, tracking those goals with a variety of tools. They’re given many opportunities to pursue selfimprovement through a variety of classes of their choice that include fitness instruction through contracts with Fitness Oasis and 4:13 Gymnasium, and yoga, meditation and nutrition classes via other providers. A contract with Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo insures that consumers get medically cleared for fitness programs. “We do the exercise component and nutrition part of it, because it all contributes to wellness,” said Martinez. “We pay for the physicals because we want to eliminate barriers and help them keep moving forward.”
Through the Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program, consumers try their hand at art, or learn how to get ready
to be a productive member of the workforce. They can take a life skills
course that gives them practical approaches on handling circumstances life throws their way, or practice how to gain better self-esteem. There are classes for English learners, and others that help people earn their general equivalency diploma (GED). Through a contract with Imperial Valley College, five consumers graduated this past semester with high honors, and many more are on their way to similar success. Then there’s the music, ranging from vocal lessons to piano to guitar to percussion to instruments like trumpet and saxophone. They’re taught to read music and learn elements of music theory to help them understand rhythm. By far, though, the most popular class is singing, said Martinez and music facilitator Sergio Alberti. At the El Centro center, music classes have been so successful that Alberti soon will see his role expand into helping develop similar programs at the Brawley center and other Behavioral Health Services programs, such as Youth and Young Adult Services. “We’ve seen the growth and all the positive outcomes that we’ve had,” Martinez said. “I think it will work out to our benefit, in providing more services. It’s been proven that by attending music classes, they grow. Now what
they’re doing is performing. That says a lot of what recovery is and how music has helped them move forward.” “We have a lot of good singers,” said Alberti. The former Las Vegas performer has seen his share of success, having performed at some of that city’s more prominent casinos as well as at venues overseas. His experiences give him credibility with his students. Music is a crucial part of recovery, he said. His two years of working with consumers have shown him that. “It’s tailormade for them. These two years of fine tuning the program show what works and what doesn’t work,” he said. More importantly, he said, “It shows (consumers) they’re not alone. They’re exposed to something that is magical.” “Our main thing is to have the structure, have the stability, have the education component for our consumers to be better, to do better,” Martinez said. “We want to keep them moving forward, and we’ve had success in some gaining their diplomas, gaining jobs.” “We see the person in the beginning, how they are. It’s hard for them,” she said. “We tell them this is your future; you’ve opened the door, and there’s the light.”
800.817.5292 • 442.265.1525 Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Programs Adult El Centro/Brawley MHSA Wellness Center 2695 S. 4th Street El Centro, CA 92243 205 Main St., Brawley, CA 92227
Adobe Stock photos
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Ruth Perry, certified nurse midwife with ECRMC's Couplet Care Maternity Suites
Couplet Care
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El Centro Regional Medical Center opened its new Couplet Care Maternity Suites in July to provide a new level of care and closeness for mothers and their newborns. Couplet Care reduces, or eliminates, the traditional maternity care practice of moving a newborn into a nursery separate from its mother for some time after birth. In the new private familycentered care maternity suites, each mother, baby and a support person remain together throughout their hospital stay. Summer 2017
Growing trend comes to El Centro Regional Medical Center.
“Family-centered care offers so many important advantages for the mother and baby that we are excited to offer it here,” said Ruth Perry, a certified nurse midwife with ECRMC’s Couplet Care Maternity Suites. The concept of family-centered care, or keeping babies with their mothers from the moment of birth, is a growing trend in maternity care. In a 2014 report to the American Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses conference, registered nurses Alicia Brenneman and Kimberly M. Price
concluded, “The outcomes revealed that Couplet Care was very successful with only positive outcomes. … Couplet Care has shown to have magical outcomes for all involved.” Perry said skin-to-skin contact between a mother and child immediately after birth starts the process of bonding and connection that can be nurtured throughout the new family’s time together in ECRMC’s Couplet Care Maternity Suites. “Those first few minutes after birth are the golden hour. That’s when the magic begins,” Perry said. Skin-to-skin contact actually provides several important health benefits for a newborn, she said. Close contact helps stabilize the baby’s temperature. It also keeps a baby calm, reducing its level of stress hormones and the chance of becoming hypoglycemic. “We can take vital signs, do footprints … you’d be surprised at how much we can do without separating a baby from its mother after delivery,” Perry added. That dedication to keeping mom and baby together continues throughout the new family’s stay at ECRMC. Each of the 16 Couplet Care Maternity Suites is equipped with a bed for the new mother, a bassinet for the baby and a couch that converts into a bed for her husband or support person. Perry said keeping the new family together provides several advantages. There is less stress on mothers and babies. Mothers and babies have a chance to bond and get to know one another better. Babies with their mothers actually sleep better and cry less. “A mother learns her baby’s cues so when they go home she feels much more competent,” Perry said. “And, a mother’s milk comes in sooner and a baby will eat more often when it stays with its mom. Couplet Care increases the success rate of breast feeding.” ECRMC’s care team is always available to assist as needed. The hospital also has a lactation expert available to answer questions and provide hands-on breastfeeding education. “There is so much to be said for Couplet Care; it even improves security,” she said. Maternity tours of the new ECRMC Couplet Care Maternity Suites are available by calling 760-339-7293.
Couplet Care Private Rooms for Tender Moments July 2017
ECRMC is proud to announce Couplet Care, Family-Centered Care, with private rooms for mothers and newborns throughout their hospital stay. Benefits of Couplet Care: •Better sleep for the mother and newborn •Lactation begins sooner •A mother will recognize her baby’s nuances and cues sooner •Mother, baby and support person have more frequent interaction leading to more success at home Call (760) 339-7293 to schedule an appointment to visit the ECRMC Maternity Department and learn more about Couplet Care.
A Community of Care.
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