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Mayor Paloma Aguirre Recognizes Imperial Beach’s Fil-Am Community
By Adam Behar
The southernmost city in San Diego County, Imperial Beach is enjoying a period of growth and revitalization under the steady leadership of Mayor Paloma Aguirre. “There's a lot of interest in our community, especially because it's changed so much in the last 20 years. It's night and day, compared with how it used to be,” she said. “Now Imperial Beach is known for being a family-friendly, beach-oriented community. We are the second safest coastal city in the entire county and our safety numbers continue to improve,” she said. Mayor Aguirre’s particularly proud of the city’s parks, which have undergone renovations and rehabilitation. They have brand new amenities like picnic tables, barbecue grills, playgrounds, and one of the largest, inclusive playgrounds for kids with disabilities and sensory perception issues. The city, which dates back to 1887, has a population of around 26,000 residents includes 9 percent, she estimated, that are Filipinos and Asian and Pacific Islanders. It might not be as large as National City and Chula Vista’s Filipino populations, but it is significant, she said, and a source of pride for the Mayor. The Fil-Am community is “very active in the community,” said Aguirre. “They’re small business owners. They’re part of the Imperial Beach Woman's Club. They're part of
Mayor Paloma Aguirre Kiwanis. They’re part of the fishing community in Imperial Beach.” It’s no understatement to say that, generally speaking, Filipinos are the fishing community. Aguirre explained that some years ago she was part of a nonprofit that sought to assess what kinds of people were fishing in Imperial Beach. The study indicated “that over 85 percent of our fishing population at Imperial Beach pier and throughout the coastal city were Filipinos,” Aguirre said, adding: “They’re very embedded in our community and our history.” The other day, the Mayor was talking with one her tideland staff, who emphasized that Filipinos
"Imperial Beach is known for being a family-friendly, beach oriented community, says Mayor. ( courtesy photo) are “consistently regulars” at the pier. That takes some dedication, she pointed out. Every morning at five or six in the morning, the fishing crew arrives to power wash and clean. “They’re always there in large numbers. They're an integral part of our community that I really appreciate and celebrate because that's what makes our community so beautiful—our diversity,” she said. Mayor Aguirre is an Energizer
California Seniors: Retain Your Home, Car, and Assets While Qualifying for Medi-Cal
By Sunita Sohrabji/EMS For low-income residents of California, health care costs became less of a concern on this year, when on Jan. 1, the state rolled out its final phase of Medi-Cal expansion, providing free health care to all residents, regardless of immigration status. Also beginning Jan. 1, Medi-Cal eligibility will be based solely on income. Assets are not included, which means a person can own a home, a car, even a stock portfolio, and still be eligible for benefits, explained Yingjia Huang, Assistant Deputy Director at California Department of Health Care Services. “Those are considered assets that no longer need to be verified, or included in the basis of the determination,” she explained in an interview. People living on retirement or pension benefits of under $1,732 per month would qualify for Medi-Cal, Huang clarified. Living With Family Adriene Clark, client advocate at the Alameda County Department of Social Services, noted that retired
seniors who choose to live with their family are still eligible for expanded Medi-Cal, as eligibility is determined solely on their income, not the income of the household in which they live. This is an enormous benefit to multigenerational families living in the same household. Medi-Cal applicants can even keep assets they might have in the home country if they are immigrants, she said, noting such assets will not be included in eligibility determination. Stock portfolios can also be kept, but dividends and payouts from stock would be counted as income. Proof of Immigration Status Not Required “More people will be able to see health care providers when they need to, which will reduce sickness and guarantee more wellness throughout the state,” said Clark. California is the first state in the nation to provide health care coverage to undocumented residents. No proof of immigration status is required to enroll. The expansion provides a huge boon to seniors living in California.
More than 600,000 people in the state who are over the age of 65 live below the federal poverty line of $15,000 per year. Poverty is especially acute among undocumented immigrants: about 27% live below the federal poverty line, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. Older Adult Expansion Program Seniors can provide proof of California residency via a utility bill or a rental agreement; there is no requirement as to how long they have lived in California. Applicants must also be able to provide proof of income, and vouch that they intend to stay in California indefinitely. Additional eligibility requirements for the Medi-Cal Older Adult Expansion Program can be found here. Medi-Cal expansion for seniors has been in effect since May 1, 2022. This January brought about the final phase of expansion, which now includes all low-income residents of the state. Benefits “In California, we believe everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health care coverage – regardless of income or immigration status,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said when signing the bill in 2021. “Through this expansion, we’re making sure families and communities across California are healthier, stronger, and able to get the care they need when they need it.” Full-scope Medi-Cal includes a variety of services, including: routine and emergency health visits, medication and medical supplies, including hearing aids, personal attendant care, referrals to specialists, See MEDI-CAL on 9
Bunny mayor who has developed a reputation for being a fierce advocate "for the city’s residents. In addition to overseeing the revitalization of the business sector, she’s also been out front trying to find a solution to the sewage crisis, which has been “the worst it’s ever been,” she said, so onerous that it’s caused the city to close its beaches. What makes the problem so challenging is that “there's multiple sources of pollution
hitting us all at once,” she said. The three main sources include the international wastewater treatment plant on U.S soil, which is out of compliance and needs costly repairs. Another source is the Tijuana River, “the most significant source of pollution for Imperial Beach.” And, the third source is the sewage plant near Rosarito, Baja California, which Mexico has committed to fixing. They broke ground six
months ago, and Mayor Aguirre is spending a good amount of time south of the border to make sure that they’re making progress. Other times she has to get on a plane and fly to Washington, D.C. to “knock on doors and advocate for funding,” she said. The issue is personal for Paloma Aguirre. One of the reasons she moved to Imperial Beach in the first place was because she loves the ocean. The Mayor, it turns out, was once a competitive bodyboarder and once harbored dreams of turning pro. (Bodyboarding is like surfing, except you lay prone on a foam board.) With the beaches closed in I.B., she must head north to Ocean Beach to catch a few waves, said Mayor Aguirre, who’s also comfortable on a skateboard. While the beach closures are an inconvenience for surfers and beachgoers, Aguirre is also concerned about the health risks that the sewage crisis poses for the fishing community. She said a few years ago the School of Public Health at San Diego State University examined several types of fish routinely caught in Imperial Beach. And the good news, she said, is that “nothing in the meat itself was concerning,” and the mercury levels “were pretty much on part with any other fish you’d buy from a store.” Generally speaking, it’s okay to fish in Imperial Beach, she said, as See
MAYOR AGUIRRE on 4
Michelle Camaya Julian reunites with Lion King production SAN DIEGO, CA--Who knew that Michelle Camaya Julian would STILL be saying “Yes!” to perform with the most widely known musical on the planet, The Lion King? Almost every year, she receives a direct email from the production’s General Manager, offering her a position to perform her original track (a “track” is a specific role in a show performed by an ensemble member). In 2002,Michelle originated one of the six female dancer tracks in The Lion King’s first national tour, also referred to as “The Gazelle Tour”. The touring company had a profound mission to instill joy, hope and positivity to the cities they traveled to, especially because the effects of the recent 9/11 attacks still weighed heavily on people’s hearts. Michelle dedicated one year on tour then decided to go back to school. Two days before her senior year at the University of California, Irvine, she withdrew to tour North America with Fame the musical. Two years into touring with Fame she booked the musical, Swing. Soon thereafter, Keena Smith, who was in the Los Angeles production of The Lion King (there’s been over 28 productions worldwide), shared that there were plans to cast a touring company. The Lion King “Gazelle Tour” would be her third professional show. Some key advice that never left her consciousness during 5 years on the road was, “Finish what you start.”. This is what the world renowned dance professor at UC Irvine; choreographer, director and writer, the late Donald McKayle would instill onto his students. So, after 5 years away from college, Michelle completed her last year
and received a BA in dance. Even though she was already deep into a prosperous career, she knew that having a degree would later be beneficial. Life happened and Michelle found herself back in San Diego. Then, in 2005 she was contacted by the New York production to see if she would be interested in joining the Broadway company. She dropped everything she was doing and moved to New York City the Summer of 2005. So much happened during her 3 years on Broadway. In addition to performing 8 times a week with The Lion King, she was in a dance company (Mark Stuart Dance Theatre), was a lead dancer in a feature film (Disney’s Enchanted) and took a small leave of absence to become a finalist on a reality show (Bravo TV’s Step It Up & Dance). In 2009, Michelle was one of the handful of veteran Lion King
performers chosen to open an entirely new production in Las Vegas. And now with the experience of three Lion King productions under her belt, she had proven herself to be dependable, conscientous, and impactful for the company. Since then, Michelle would find herself saying, “Yes!” to many more offers to rejoin the show in Las Vegas, on the Gazelle tour and Broadway. Cut to 2024, and 17 contracts later, Michelle finds herself mentally and physically preparing to join Lion King’s “Rafiki Tour”. This September, she will perform her original track in Greenville, South Carolina for two weeks. She will have 3 days in rehearsal to prepare to be back on stage. She realizes there’s much preparation to be made See
MICHELLE on 11