December 7, 2023

December 7, 2023

Volume 53 - No. 49

CHILDHOOD & TEENAGE DEMENTIA ON THE RISE Not Just a Senior Concern

By Friedrich Gomez Globally, childhood and teenage dementia is on a startling rise!

Every 11 minutes a child or teenager dies of dementia.

A rare genetic disease, childhood/ teenage dementia is now approaching the same levels of more common childhood diseases such as cancer and cystic fibrosis.

In this exclusive, investigative report to The Paper, new facts will be presented here that may stun or

even shock the reader into disbelief – and yet it is a sad state of affairs that these facts are still only slowly finding their way into the mainstream media.

The greatest defence against dementia – in all age brackets -- is public awareness.

Only with awareness comes better understanding and monetary funding for the best research possible.

What we cannot prevent or cure today -- may bring a miraculous cure tomorrow.

The Paper • 760.747.7119 online: www.TheCommunityPaper.com

email: thepaper@cox.net

CHILDHOOD & TEENAGE DEMENTIA ON THE RISE! It sounds unheard of. Even ridiculous and too shocking to be factual.

And yet it remains devastatingly and tragically true.

Dementia is no longer just a major concern for the elderly -- our precious senior population.

It is now a major concern for newborn babies, and children and teenagers.

It remains a most shocking fact to

most everyone today of the unexpected rise of childhood and teenage dementia – not just here in America but, around the entire world!

Tragically, the mainstream media has not properly addressed this issue, and readers of The Paper will be shocked at reading about this for the very first time!

Worse -- this crisis is silently spreading and on a deadly rise!

In America, Asia, Europe, Canada, South America, and all points in between, the plight of childhood de-

Dementia See Page 2

The Paper • Page 2 • December 7, 2023

Dementia from page 1

well-known conditions such as cystic fibrosis.

CLOSE TO LEVELS OF CHILDHOOD CANCER DEATHS!

mentia is finally getting the wakeup call it has been longing for.

And the deadly levels of childhood/ teenage dementia is now closing in on matching the same levels of childhood cancer!

It is now estimated that about 90 children die every year in Australia from childhood dementia, which is a death rate now closely rivaling the number of deaths from childhood cancer!

The European Commission sounded the global alarm in “Horizon the EU Research Magazine” when over 27 countries voiced collective concern as the respected science magazine touted in bold headlines: “CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA AT FOREFRONT OF RARE BRAIN DISEASE BATTLE.” Like an urgent clarion call for united action, the magazine proudly announced in its opening sentence: “Researchers across the globe have (finally) put their heads together to combat this complex disease.”

HOW RARE IS CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA? According to the Childhood Dementia Initiative, there is an estimated 700,000 people living with childhood dementia today. Approximately one in every 2,800 babies are born with a genetic condition that causes childhood dementia.

It bears repeating: this rare birth disease is on the rise.

Today, more newborn babies have this rare childhood dementia than babies that are born with more

Give Us This Day Our Daily Chuckle This week, a compendium of wit, wisdom and neat stuff you can tell at parties. Enjoy!

The year is 2024 and the United States has just elected the first woman, Susan Davis, a University of Nebraska graduate, as President of the United States of America.

A few days after the election the president-elect calls her proud, yet humble, Cornhusker father and says, ‘So Dad, I assume you and mom will be coming to my inauguration?’

‘Oh sweetheart, I don’t think so.

It’s a 30+ hour drive, your mother isn’t as young as she used to be, and my arthritis is acting up again.’

‘Don’t worry about it, Dad. I’ll

“CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA IS NOW ACCELERATING AT A STARTLING RATE!” Childhood dementia is no longer just a rising concern around the United States, but it is now one of collective global concern.

According to Professor John Christodoulou, director of genetics research at the Murdoch Christian Institute in Melbourne, Australia, he states: “Childhood dementia diagnoses in Australia are accelerating at a startling rate, yet we find that that there are only 14 clinical trials currently active in Australia covering just nine of the 70-plus childhood dementia disorders.”

ABC NEWS NOW REPORTS (OVER) 2,000 CASES OF CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA IN AUSTRALIA. ABC News reports that: “The State of Childhood Dementia released its report citing that over 2,000 cases of the children’s disease has hit Australia.”

CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA DEATHS IN AUSTRALIA NOW send Air Force One to pick you up and take you home. And a limousine will pick you up at your door on both ends of your trip.’

‘I don’t know. Everybody will be so fancy. What would your dear mother wear?’

‘Oh Dad’, replies Susan, ‘I’ll make sure she has a wonderful gown custom-made by the best designer in New York.’

‘Honey,’ Dad complains, ‘you know I can’t eat those rich foods you and your friends like to eat.’

The President-to-be responds, ‘Don’t worry Dad. The entire affair is going to be handled by the best caterer in New York,I’ll ensure your meals are salt free Dad. I really do want you to come.’

So Dad reluctantly agrees and on January 20, 2025, Susan Davis is being sworn in as the President of the United States of America.

In the front row sits the new president’s Dad and Mom. Her Dad, noticing the senator sitting next to him, leans over and whispers, ‘You see that woman over there with her hand on the Bible, becoming

In America, the grisly childhood death rate from childhood dementia is not far behind.

HOW OFTEN DO CHILDREN DIE OF DEMENTIA? Every 11 minutes, a child somewhere in the world dies from dementia.

WHAT CAUSES CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA? According to the Dementia Institute at Australia, there are (over) 70 rare genetic disorders that cause dementia in children and teenagers.

Childhood dementia is an inherited condition which mostly affects the function of the brain.

WHAT IS THE LIFE EXPECTANCY FOR CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA? The average life expectancy for children with dementia is just 28.

Sadly, approximately 75% of children have a life expectancy under 18 years of age.

Children who live longer require President of the United States.’The Senator whispers back, ‘Yes, I do indeed.’

Her Dad says proudly, ‘Well, her brother played football at Nebraska!’

••• HOLY E-MAIL One day God was looking down at earth and saw all of the rascally behavior that was going on...

So He called His angels and sent one to earth for a time.

When the angel returned, he told God, ‘Yes, it is bad on earth; 95% are misbehaving and only 5% are not.

God thought for a moment and said, ‘Maybe I had better send down a second angel to get another opinion.’

So God called another angel and sent her to earth for a time.

When the angel returned she went to God and said, ‘Yes, it’s true. The earth is in decline; 95% are misbehaving, but 5% are being good...’

God was not pleased.

lifelong care.

CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA MAY PROGRESS QUICKLY. In some cases, dementia symptoms may appear in babies and children and progress quickly, while in other cases, symptoms may not start until the teenage years.

Dementia in young people can also be more difficult to recognise.

The following factors may contribute to delays in diagnosis: “being younger at the age of onset.”

In other words, the younger the child (or baby), the harder it is to differentiate and evaluate if the disease is causing imbalance or muscular coordination – or if it’s just a normal or awkward developmental stage of a child.

IS THERE A TREATMENT OR CURE FOR CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA? At present, there is no treatment to stop or slow childhood dementia caused by neuro-degenerative diseases or NCL (a group of rare and fatal diseases of the nervous system that typically begin in childhood).

To reiterate, there is no treatment nor cure for childhood dementia – it is a fatal disease.

Dementia continued on page 3 So He decided to e-mail the 5% who were good, because He wanted to encourage them, and give them a little something to help them keep going.

Do you know what the e-mail said?

Okay, I was just wondering, because I didn’t get one either.

••• Letting Go Today I was in a store that sells sunglasses, and only sunglasses. A young lady walked over to me and asked, “What brings you in today?

I looked at her and said, “I’m interested in buying a refrigerator.” She didn’t quite know how to respond.

•••• I was thinking about old age and decided that old age is when you still have something on the ball, but you are just too tired to bounce it.

Chuckles continued on page 12

The Paper • Page 3 • December 7, 2023

Dementia from page 2 However, treatment (options) may include medications, physical, occupational, speech, and mental health therapy.

And also nutrition services to maintain physical health.

CHILDREN UNABLE TO “BOND” WITH FACIAL RECOGNITION W/PARENTS. Sadly, childhood dementia can prevent early stages of normal development, such as being unable to “bond” with parents through facial recognition, even during feeding when emotional eye-contact is crucial for emotional/psychological bonding.

According to The Childhood Dementia Initiative and the Dementia & Alzheimer’s Disease Research Association: “In childhood dementia, the child may experience memory loss such as facial recognition, along with difficulty in communicating, all of which leads to loss of connection with loved ones. Symptoms worsen over time. Hence, the child is deprived of normal love-bonding with parents and thus is forlorn and lost in a world, seemingly, devoid of love.”

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDHOOD DEMENTIA? Symptoms vary, depending on the exact causes in the brain.

With children, they may typically involve: 1. Difficulty communicating.

Memory loss.

2. Confusion & memory loss.

3. Difficulty understanding.

4. Anxiety.

5. Facial look of fear.

DATELINE: AUSTRALIA. MOTHER LEARNS HER 3 CHILDREN HAVE DEMENTIA. 18 September 2022. Renee Staska’s children have been diagnosed with Niemann-Pick Type C,which causes childhood dementia.

When mother, Renee Staska, of Adelaide, Australia, found out her youngest son had a rare genetic disorder, she decided to have her other two children tested just for peace of mind.

“I thought I’ll just blood test them, get it over and done with, so I can stop worrying and then they both came back positive with it as well,” Ms. Renee Staka said.

Her three children, Hudson, 7, Holly, 6, and Austin, 4, have all been

diagnosed with Niemann-Pick Type C, which is one of more than 70 diseases under the umbrella of childhood dementia.

“You’re not just a mum of three kids anymore – you’re a mum of three terminally ill children now,” she sadly reflects after she was given the soul-crushing news.

Staska’s pregnancies with Hudson and Holly were considered low risk; however, when she was 28 weeks pregnant with Austin, a growth scan detected ascites – an accumulation of fluid in the stomach.

“I had that scan and they said to me this is not compatible with life, you need to go with Women’s and Children’s Hospital tomorrow,” Staska said.

“It was just completely shell-shocking because I had had a normal pregnancy otherwise.” The fluid was monitored through weekly scans, which showed an improvement, and she was induced at 38 weeks.

“He was pretty much perfect. He still had the enlarged liver and spleen, so we went under the care of the gastro team at Women’s and Children’s,” Staska recalls.

“From there, he just kept on plodding along, getting better and better.” He was eight months old when the doctor said ‘it’s just taking a little bit longer than I would expect for his liver to go back to a normal function – I’m just going to run some gene panels’.”

According to the Australian Niemann-Pick Type C Disease Foundation, the disease causes an accumulation of cholesterol and other fatty acids in the body’s cells which affects the brain and other organs, leading to progressive intellectual decline, loss of motor skills, seizures and dementia.

Renee Staska said no other members of her family have the ultrarare condition and at the time of their diagnosis, her children were not showing any signs or symptoms.

“You’re looking at your children and they’re happy and they’re doing everything they’re supposed to do . . . it’s just a mismatch and it’s really hard to make sense of it,” she sadly reflected out loud.

Renee is well aware of the fact that most children with dementia will only live until their late teenage years – at most.

For her, every moment of every day with her children are priceDementia continued on page 5

Oodles!

Looking for things to do? Places to go?

Check out Oodles every week for listing of civic and service club meetings, and more!

Have an event you need publicized?

Email it to: Lisa.ThePaper@gmail.com If you submit photos do not embed them. Send them as jpg, tif, or pdf attachments only.

The Paper comes out on Thursdays. Deadline is the previous Friday.

Simple press releases are the best: who, what, where, when, why.

Please no brochures or flyers. Keep it simple You’ll get more ink!

San Diego Zoo Jungle Bells December 9 - January 1, 2024 Member Preview Night December 8 Experience the magic and spirit of the holiday season at the worldfamous San Diego Zoo! Join us for Jungle Bells as we light up the night until 8 p.m. (except December 24) with amazing entertainment—including the end-of-theevening spectacular, Aurora. Bring the whole family, and enjoy all the fun and warmth of this joyous annual celebration.

Jungle Bells is included with all admission tickets and memberships. *** Escondido Senior Travel Monthly Meeting December 11 • 1pm Park Ave Community Center

legal issues, assist with using the new legal databases, show you free legal websites, and make referrals to legal aid organizations. Law Librarians cannot give you legal advice or perform legal research for you.

2nd Saturday Concert Courtly Noyse Saturday, December 9, 2023 • 3:00–4:30 p.m.

Turrentine Room • All Ages Renaissance performers in colorful period costumes singing, telling stories, and playing historic instruments in a recreation of music of the era. ½ Price Sale in the Friends Bookshop December 18–23 All items in the store 50% OFF marked price (25¢ minimum) Only cash payment accepted.

Escondido Senior Travel’s next monthly meeting is December 11 at the Park Avenue Community Center at l:00 pm. Upcoming trips are Wheel of Fortune, February 22; 2024; Taste of Los Angeles, March 26, 2024 ; From the Desert to the Farm, April 6, 20024; Coastal Tour, May 15-17, 2024 ; and Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash presenters June 12, 2024.

All events generously sponsored by the Friends of the Escondido Public Library

The Senior Travel Office is located at the Park Avenue Community Center and is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10:0012:00. Phone Number 760 2941851

Study for your finals at the Library!

We provide everything you need to study: a large, quiet space, lots of tables, break time activities, relaxation corners, and sugary snacks.

*** Escondido Library Events All Library facilities will be closed on December 25, 2023 for Christmas and January 1, 2024 for New Year’s. The Library will also close at 5:00 p.m. on December 23 and December 30, 2023.

Law Library Services Thursdays, December 16 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Adult Services Business Center Reference librarians from the San Diego Law Library will be on site to guide you to resources to better understand and research common

Teen Open Study December 14 • 3:00–8:00 p.m.

December 16 • 1:00–6:00 p.m.

December 18 • 2:00–6:00 p.m.

December 19 • 3:00–8:00 p.m.

Turrentine Room • Ages 13–18

*** LIFE at MiraCosta College 1831 Mission Ave., Oceanside In The Board Room Trailer T200 A Lifelong Learning Group Meetings will be held in person at the MiraCosta College, Oceanside Campus, at 1:00 pm in the Board Room Trailer T200 by the Police Station and by the Internet Application ZOOM. Dec 8. 1:00 Women Composers David Lewis and Dec 8 2:30 Women Composers David Lewis Oodles continued on page 14

The Paper • Page 4 • December 7, 2023

Local News

State Declares Citrus Quarantine In Valley Center The California Department of Food and Agriculture declared a new citrus quarantine in Valley Center Nov. 30 after detecting the fatal citrus tree disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening in five orange trees on a residential property during regular inspections.

This bacterial disease is a major threat to San Diego County’s $138 million annual citrus crop and can impact residential citrus tree owners.

HLB causes misshapen, bitter fruit and eventually kills infected trees.

There are over 120 growers with approximately 1,100 acres of commercial citrus and 120 nurseries that may have citrus trees within the Valley Center quarantine. The commodities on these Valley Center properties are valued at $19.4 million.

This new quarantine adds to the existing HLB quarantines in the city of Oceanside and Rancho Bernardo. It covers the area bordered on the north by the intersection of I-76 and Pala area; to the south by I-15 and Deer Springs Road; to the west by Camino del Rey; and to the east by Valley Center. The maps for this HLB quarantine are available.

The intent of the quarantine is to protect the food supply, support the agricultural economy, and environmental sustainability by restricting people and businesses from moving citrus nursery stock, plant parts and fruit outside the quarantine boundaries and off their properties.

The only exception is for agricultural businesses that must adhere to specific requirements for treat-

ment, cleaning, and packing commercial fruit prior to movement.

residents to take the following steps:

• Only buy citrus trees from reputable local nurseries.

The disease is not harmful to people or animals but is deadly to citrus and could be devastating to the county’s citrus industry. HLB is spread by tiny insects, the Asian citrus psyllid, if they are carrying the bacterium when they feed on citrus trees.

Samples from trees on the property where HLB was confirmed—as well as the surrounding area—are undergoing tests for the disease.

• Do not move citrus plants, leaves, or foliage into or out of the quarantine area.

• Report citrus trees that seem to be sick or dying even though they also appear to be well-watered and well-maintained by contacting CDFA’s toll free Pest Hotline at (800) 491-1899 or visit cdfa. ca.gov/plant/acp.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and County Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures will work with residents in the immediate area to arrange for treatment of citrus trees as a protective measure against the disease. County officials are also proactively notifying local citrus growers, plant nurseries and other related businesses. If the disease is detected in additional citrus trees in the quarantine area, CDFA officials will contact properties regarding treatment and removal of the infected trees. Nearby trees will be treated, and regulatory survey efforts will be increased to prevent the spread of the disease in the area.

Infected trees may have areas with mottled yellow leaves, generally seen in asymmetrical patterns and bear small, asymmetrical fruit which are partially green, bitter, and not fit for sale or eating. The disease destroys the appearance and economic value of the trees and eventually causes their death, typically within a few years.

Inside the quarantine area, we urge

North San Diego County is home to many military retirees, active duty military, and veterans. All of us have memories of “basic training” or, if Navy, “boot camp.”

Man About Town Fort Ord One of the most beautiful military bases to ever serve our troops.

Sadly, it is no more.

For a young, fresh kid who grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, who weathered many a fierce, snow blizzard and many a hot, humid summer day . . . Fort Ord was paradise!

In my case, Fort Ord was basic training. My first introduction to a regimented life, with someone to tell you when to sleep, when to waken, when to eat, when to march . . . when to run . . . quite a departure from civilian life.

I know not what other military vets have in the way of memories from ‘basic training,’ but mine are precious. I loved basic training!

I boarded a plane at Omaha’s Eppley Field airport and happily waved goodbye to snow up to my backside. I could only imagine arriving at the land of sunshine. I was not disappointed.

Upon arriving in California we boarded a bus and headed for Ft. Ord . . . surrounded by sunshine.

• Cooperate with agricultural officials who are inspecting trees, taking samples and treating for the pest.

• If residents no longer wish to care for a citrus tree, consider contacting a tree removal service to discuss options to help ensure trees do not continue to be a host to the pest and disease.

For questions regarding moving commercial citrus and HLB quarantine regulations, please contact the San Diego Department of Agriculture, Weights, and Measures at (760) 752-4700 or visit sdcawm.org.

Escondido Christmas Parade This Saturday The Annual Escondido Christmas Parade, sponsored by the Escondido Jaycees, will be held on Saturday, December 9th at 10:00 a.m. to approximately 12:00 p.m. The parade will start on Escondido Blvd. next to Grape Day Park and will proceed south to Grand Ave. It will go east along Grand to Juniper where it turns north to East Valley Pkwy. There it turns back west to Broadway. It will go north on Broadway and will terminate at Woodward Ave. The Escondido Police Department wishes to remind all motorists to plan an alternate route for traveling in downtown Escondido on Saturday, December 9th, between 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

East and west bound traffic can avoid the street closures by using Second Ave or Washington Ave. North and southbound traffic can use Centre City Pkwy, Grape St. or Hickory St. The streets within this perimeter will be closed to through traffic.

The Woodward Parking Lot and Parking lots for Escondido City Hall will be closed to the public.

These lots will be reserved for parade personnel.

For further traffic information, contact Bob O’Donnell, Escondido Police Department, at (760) 839-4707 or reodonnell@escondido.org. For parade information, please contact the Escondido Jaycees at parade@ escondidojaycees.org

Upon arriving at the base I remember how impressed I was at how the nice, neat, orderly manner that all the grassy areas was maintained. Little did I realize that I would soon share in the duties required to keep all that greenery looking fine.

I marveled at ice plant. I had never seen it before . . . and it was all over the base. I enjoyed night maneuvers . . . I enjoyed every aspect of basic training.

After an all too brief night’s sleep we were awakened at 5am . . . an ungodly hour to be roused from a nice sleep . . . and in a room filled with strangers, all men.

I received orders to ship out for Fort Sam Houston, Texas (San Antonio) and Brooke Army Hospital where I would wind up serving as the base Entertainment Director.

This, too, I loved! A great military base, great staff, great facilities.

Soon, we would be outfitted in our military clothing . . . and lined up for a physical exam and . . yes, shots . . . a lot of shots.

Then it was learning how to line up in formation, how to march, how to ‘double time,’ how to assemble and disassemble our M-1 rifle, how to fire the weapon, and, hopefully, to hit the target and not get “Maggie’s Drawers” (waving of a red flag indicating the target was missed).

And, ten, after eight short weeks . . . I was a bona fide “sodger boy!”

I truly wonder how many military veterans have fond memories of basic training. To me, it was a whole new world . . . and I loved my military service!

Today, the beautiful campus that once was Fort Ord is now a college campus . . . an ideal use of the land . . . but, somehow, not quite the same memories as offered when it was a military training base.

The Paper • Page 5 • December 7, 2023

Dementia from page 3 less and she is creating a lifetime of memories for her children as her first priority. And she knows that time is short for those she loves as only a mother can.

“I think it’s really important to actually let families know that it’s not the end just because you’ve had that diagnosis,” she says.

Imagine that.

With her whole life filled with all three of her children cruelly cursed with childhood dementia she, somehow, cares enough to think of others in the same situation and she cares deeply enough to try to comfort them.

She cared enough to have her story told, and for it to be posted online for all the world to see.

“You still have all these years, all these memories to make and you do need to actually hold onto hope.”

Her online joyful photos of her and her children, laughing, and enjoying life, all bring to reality her very words on the internet:

So Renee Kaska, mother of three, does the next best thing -- which is the best thing possible for her children.

“I think it’s really important to actually let families know that it’s not the end just because you’ve had that diagnosis,” she says.

She enjoys every single moment with them.

“You still have all these years, all these memories to make and you do need to actually hold onto hope.”

She laughs with them.

And always feels genuine joy with them, every second of every day.

What were the chances that all of her babies would carry the fatal dementia gene?

A million to one?

A billion to one?

So, I wanted to honour Ms. Renee Staska, by acknowledging her story, thousands of miles away in Australia and feature her in The Paper. The Paper wishes to amplify her voice and help her comfort others, like herself, who may be struggling with the same news that she received about her three children.

There is no love that is more powerful (or resilient) than a mother’s – under Heaven and Earth.

I found out that Escondido, California is exactly 8,207 miles away from Renee Staska and her three little children in Melbourne, Australia.

And Renee Kaska is one of them.

What’s the point?

She’s a fighter, and she wishes to comfort other families who are silently facing the same death sentences for their children just as she is.

Simply that she has found favour and success with The Paper picking up and carrying her story for us Yanks to read about. And to help her spread the word so that fund-

Try telling that to Renee.

ing and research can be further realised.

And as I’ve received fan mail from online readers from Los Angeles to Denver (my first out-of-state online fans are in Denver) to New York and parts of Europe . . . well, Renee Staska’s courageous story will be widely exposed and widely read!

DATELINE: SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, USA. FAMILY LEARNS CHILDREN AGED 2 & 6 HAVE DEMENTIA. 22 July 2023.

Following a terrifying diagnosis, one family is having to come to terms with the fact they may only have a limited number of years left with their two boys, who will struggle with seizures, slow development, and childhood dementia due to a rare disease.

When Kristian Tucker, 31, and Bryden Tucker, 34, welcomed their third child in 2021, they relished life as a new family of five.

But when their eldest child, Michael, now 6, started showing signs of delayed speech and seizures, the bubble began to burst.

Kristian Tucker, from Spokane, Washington, told Newsweek Magazine that Michael’s seizures began at age 3 and “continued to get worse as he got older.” Medication wasn’t working, which left the doctors perplexed as to what the condition could possibly be.

In February, the results of a genetic test led to a devastating diagnosis which resigned Michael to a short and difficult life, marred by development delays, loss of motor skills, and a cognitive decline resulting in

dementia at an early age.

“After the genetic test, we were told that Michael has Batten disease type 2 in April 2023. We had never heard of it before, but I was horrified. When we first found out about it, we were told the average life span is about eight to 12 years,” Kristian Tucker said.

Her husband, Bryden Tucker, jumped into the conversation: “I couldn’t believe that I might only have a couple of years left with my baby and that he would suffer so much,” he added with a crushed heart and tears flowing from his eyes.

Bryden Tucker’s voice was agonising to hear: “I still don’t understand how they can have dementia when they’re only babies. I still don’t understand how they both can have this disease.”

The diagnosis was shocking for the Tucker family, but they had no time to think about the repercussions before they were hit by the next blow. Michael’s two siblings, Talia, 4, and Oliver, 21 months, also had to be tested for the condition as it’s not uncommon for the disease to affect multiple siblings.

It’s estimated by the Cleveland Clinic that Batten disease affects about three in every 100,000 births in the United States, but siblings of children with the disease have a 25 percent chance of also having the disorder.

In May 2023, a month after discovering Michael’s fate, the Tucker family was devastated once again Dementia continued on page 12

Visit Vista Farmers Market The Vista Farmers Market features over 50 farmers selling what they grow; local, certified, and organic growers with in-season produce.

Actual, real farmers with an abundance of avocados, persimmons, apples, oranges, strawberries, peaches, and other fruits and vegetables. Farmers also sell dates, eggs, nuts, juices, honey, cheeses, sausages, plants, wool, flowers, and grass-fed meats.

In addition, there are more than 40 foodmakers that sell fresh bread and other baked goods such as pies, cupcakes, and cookies, as well as sauces, salsas, dips, and pickles.

Over a dozen makers and crafters attend each week with their soap, pottery, clothing, hats, jewelry, gifts, dog treats, and more. Each

week features a variety of musicians as well as several services such as knife and tool sharpening, and massage.

The market has over 600 free parking spaces and is located at the San Diego County Courthouse, 345 South Melrose Drive, Vista, CA 92083, just south of Highway 78.

The market is open every month, every week, every Saturday – regardless of the weather – from 8:00 am until 12:00 noon.

The Vista Farmers Market consists of FIVE marketplaces. There is the Food Specialties Marketplace which consists of foodmakers and farmers who produce what they sell . . . whether bread, baked goods, pesto, honey, almonds, or cheese.

There is the Certified Farmers Market which is only farmers who sell what they grow and who benefit from being in a Certified Farmers Market through exemptions for labeling, packaging, or sizing requirements.

Then we have Worlds Fare serving foods from ethnic traditions around the world — European, Arabic, African, South American, and more – – – including a farmer who buys from market farmers to

produce his dishes.

The Artisans Marketplace features local entrepreneurs who sell what they make . . . this groups varies over time. Clothes, pottery, wooden crafts are within the variety available.

Finally, there is the Gardeners Market — which is farmers and craft makers who sell items for your garden . . . plants, pots, soil amendments, and more.

HOME INSURANCE NON-RENEWED? DON’T WORRY ~ CALL R.D. HANSON INSURANCE AGENCY 760-747-8882 RICKHANSON12@GMAIL.COM

The Paper • Page 6 • December 7, 2023

5th District Supervisor

Jim Desmond

Knowledge Saves Lives As Vice Chair of the Assembly Health Committee, I do all I can to ensure that California remains at the forefront in combatting serious threats to public health. Raising awareness about diseases, preventing their spread and providing information about treatments can be critical. That’s why I strongly support World AIDS Day 35, which took place on December 1st.

Over the past few decades, there have been significant medical advances in treating HIV/AIDS. But the disease is still a major threat to public health at home and around the world. According to the California Department of Public Health, the number of new HIV cases declined between 2017 and 2021, from 4,905 to 4,444. That’s a decrease of 9.4%, but it’s still too many.

Worldwide, the disease has devastated parts of Africa -- South Africa is the hardest hit. 20 percent of all people living with HIV and 20 percent of all new HIV infections occur in that country. Nearly 60 percent are women, and children can be infected by their mothers during child birth. In 2003 President George W. Bush announced the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). As a result, new drugs developed in

the late 90s were made available to millions. It’s believed that PEPFAR has saved 25 million lives in Africa.

Historically, HIV/AIDS has been most prevalent among gay and bisexual men, African Americans and young people between 15 and 24, as well as those who inject drugs. But that may be changing, at least in part. Last year in Great Britain, HIV diagnoses among heterosexuals was higher than among gay or bisexual men for the first time.

On the 1st, my office participated in World AIDS Day commemorations in San Diego, and over the years I have introduced a number of bills dealing with this public health emergency. But our goal – getting to zero new infections – lies in the future. Too many are still undiagnosed and untreated, and the disease still spreads. But we can stop the spread, if we spread the word.

Assemblymember Marie Waldron, R- Valley Center, represents the 75th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the cities of Poway, Santee, portions of the City of San Diego, and most of rural eastern and northern San Diego County.

A Word from San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones

A Winter Dance To Kick Off The Holiday Season Theatre, 1140 W Mission Road, San Marcos. Tickets range from $10-$16 and can be purchased online at www.palomarperforms.com Group rates are available, so don’t forget to bring a family member or friend to join you.

The City of San Marcos would like to invite you to join Palomar College for its 2023 winter dance performance, directed by Patriceann Mead, on Friday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. or Saturday, Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. located at the Howard Brubeck

I encourage community members to support our local students by attending the 2023 winter dance and enjoying a night filled with exceptional talent. The performance includes a variation of dance styles such as modern, ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, world dance and musical theatre. Don’t miss out on a night full of talent!

Together, we can show our appreciation for the universal language of dance.

For more information about the performance, please visit w w w. p a l o m a r p e r f o r m s . c o m . mailto:cthompson2@palomar.edu

The Broken Immigration Process On a cool Sunday morning, border patrol vans pull into the Oceanside Transit Center releasing approximately 30 migrants from countries including Columbia, Pakistan, and China. The first question asked by most migrants is, “Where am I?” That’s just the tip of the iceberg for how the federal government has set these migrants and San Diego County up for failure.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas has openly admitted the United States immigration process is “completely broken.” As direct proof of this broken system is the federal government’s lack of ability to manage migrants, with more than 43,000 being dropped in San Diego County over the last two months.

Last week, NBC 7 San Diego shared the story of Jesus Escalante, who “left his home country in search of a better life in the U.S.” Escalante said, “I spent more than a week looking for a place to sleep and was unable to find shelter space anywhere.” The federal government is adding to our homeless numbers where, due to state policies, we already have over 10,000 people living on our streets.

This comes the same day Fox 5 San Diego reported over 308 people sleeping in the San Diego International Airport on one night.

Currently, non-profits and advocacy groups are at capacity, sheltering and caring for the most vulnerable migrants including the elderly, the sick, and women with children.

Homelessness is the number one issue, and now shelter beds are limited due to the migrant surge, and many more San Diegans are forced to the streets.

From San Diego to Texas, the numbers speak for themselves. In September, there were 269,735 migrant encounters at the southern border, making it the highest single month ever recorded. For the fiscal year 2023, Border Patrols have reported 2.47 million encounters, marking the highest annual total ever recorded in a single year.

In addition to these encounters, there have been over 1.6 million “known gotaways” at the southJim Desmond continued on page 13

Problem Solved

by Christopher Elliott

I Returned My Hearing Aids The Company Never Returned My Money Michael Trimble’s Audious hearing aid doesn’t work, so he returns it. The company will not refund his money. What’s going on?

Q: I purchased two hearing aid sets online from Audious. The company promised a full refund if I wasn’t pleased with them.

I returned them for a refund within the allotted time. I received an email confirming the receipt of the returned items. But I never received my money.

I have emailed Audious at the only two email addresses I could find.

I do not think Audious intends to return my money. Can you help me get my refund? ~ Michael Trimble, Hayward, CA A: A quick online search reveals a huge number of complaints about Audious hearing aids. But at the

time you contacted me, it was what I didn’t find -- rather than what I found -- that was the most troubling. The company didn’t have a working website, and the top search result online was for a podcasting app by the same name. I wasn’t sure if Audious, the hearing aid company, was still in business.

Let’s go back to those reviews.

Before you make a purchase, you have to do your research. And if you had, I’m sure you would have never paid $354 for your over-thecounter hearing aid. The reviews are brutal. The company doesn’t even respond to inquiries from the BBB. I reviewed the correspondence between you and Audious. The company warns that ​​there is typically a three-week transition for your ears Problem Solved continued on page 12

The Paper • Page 7 • December 7, 2023

Historically Speaking

A Nearly Forgotten Woman: Clara Barton Barton became an educator in 1838, teaching for 12 years in schools in Canada and Georgia. Barton knew how to handle rambunctious children, particularly the boys since as a child she was close to her brothers and boy cousins. She learned how to act like them, making it easier for her to later relate to and control the young men in her care.

By Tom Morrow For the past two years much of the nation’s health focus has been on front-line nurses, so it’s only fitting that Clara Barton be recognized and remembered as America’s first official nurse.

Clarissa Harlowe Barton, born Dec. 25, 1821, was the founder of the American Red Cross after being a hospital nurse during the Civil War. In addition, she also had been a teacher, and a patent clerk.

Since nursing education was not then very formalized and she did not attend nursing school, Barton provided self-taught nursing care.

She was doing humanitarian work and civil rights advocacy at a time before women had the right to vote.

Born in North Oxford, Mass., her father was Captain Stephen Barton, a member of the local militia and town leader who inspired his daughter with patriotism and a broad humanitarian interest.

On April 19, 1861, the Baltimore Riot resulted in the first bloodshed of the Civil War. Some of the wounded were transported to Washington D.C., where Barton was living at the time. Wanting to serve her country, Barton went to the railroad station when the victims arrived where she she gave aid to some 40 wounded. Barton provided crucial assistance to the men in uniform, many of whom were hungry and without any supplies other than what they carried on their backs. She began helping them by taking supplies to the partially constructed U.S. Capitol Building where young soldiers of her home state’s 6th Massachusetts Militia were housed.

Barton quickly recognized some of the boys, a few of which she had taught in school. Barton, along with some other women, provided clothing, food, and supplies for the sick and wounded soldiers. She learned how to store and distribute medical supplies and offered emotional support to the soldiers by

From 1865 to 1868, Barton achieved widespread recognition by delivering lectures around the country about her war experiences.

During this time she met Susan B. Anthony and began an association with the woman’s suffrage (right to vote) movement. She also became acquainted with abolitionist Frederick Douglass, becoming an activist for civil rights.

Clara Barton keeping their spirits high. Barton read to them, wrote letters to their families, talked and supported them in any way she could.

After the end of the Civil War, Barton discovered thousands of letters from distraught families to the War Department were going unanswered concerning the missing soldiers, many of them buried across the South in unmarked graves. Many were labeled simply as “missing.” Motivated to rectify the situation, Barton contacted President Lincoln for permission to officially respond to the unanswered inquiries. Thus, a massive search began for the missing soldiers.

After her nationwide tour in 1868, she was both mentally and physically exhausted and under doctor’s orders she took a break from her work. In Barton closed the Missing Soldiers Office and traveled to Europe. In 1869, during her trip to Geneva, Switzerland, Barton was invited to be the representative for the U.S. branch of the European Red Cross and helped her find financial benefactors to start the “American Red Cross Society.”

In 1870, at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War, Barton assisted in the preparation of military hospitals and gave much help to the European Red Cross Society during that war.

In 1873, when Barton returned home, she began a movement for the U.S. government to officially

Historically Speaking continued on page 12

Travel Troubleshooter

by Christopher Elliott

Viking Cruises Promised Me A Delta Flight Now It Wants Another $600 Brent Richter books a Viking cruise from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale.

But now the cruise line wants another $600 from him. Can he get a refund or does he have to pay?

Q: I recently booked a Viking cruise as a retirement gift for my wife. I charged the cost of the cruise, travel insurance, and an airline upcharge that guaranteed us flights on Delta Air Lines.

Viking Cruises notified us three days later that we couldn’t get a Delta flight. A representative told me Delta was still a possibility, but I would have to pay an additional $600. I immediately asked for a full refund. They have only refunded $4,750 of the $5,748 I paid, leaving $998 remaining.

Viking didn’t give me the correct information from the start. Had we

not been guaranteed Delta, I would not have bought the cruise. This is a questionable business practice.

I initiated a credit card dispute, but my credit card found in Viking’s favor. This has nothing to do with buyer’s remorse or finding a better deal. Can you help me get back the remaining $998 I paid for my tickets and insurance? ~ Brent Richter, Davenport, Fla. A: If Viking promised you Delta tickets, it should deliver them. And if it can’t, it should refund your cruise.

Why do the tickets have to be on Delta? I can answer that. Delta is the top-rated legacy airline in the United States, and many travelers who are in the know will go out of their way to fly on Delta. And you probably also want to earn your frequent flier miles.

Regardless, a deal’s a deal. Although Viking refunded most of your cruise, you should have received a full refund.

A credit card dispute wouldn’t really work in this case. In my experience, disputing part of your purchase is tricky, and often impossible. I have details on how to dispute your credit card purchase in my complete guide to credit card disputes on my advocacy site, Elliott.org.

I think applying steady pressure on Viking would have yielded better results. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of the Viking customer service executives on my site. A brief, polite email to one of them might have fixed this problem for you.

You kept a great paper trail of correspondence between you and Viking.

In it, the company guaranteed you would get flights on Delta. Coming back and asking for another $600 was a violation of your original agreement. You had every right to ask for a refund.

In fairness to Viking, a representative contacted you after you asked for a full refund and tried to make things right. But by then, you had already booked another cruise. You contacted my advocacy team, and we reached out to Viking on your behalf. You received a full refund.

Viking also sent you $500 in cruise vouchers as an apology.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@ elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site. © 2023 Christopher Elliott.

The Paper • Page 8 • December 7, 2023

Some Important Points Regarding Reverse Mortgages SOME GREAT NEWS! Every year, FHA sets a new lending limit for its various loan programs.

Sometimes, it remains unchanged but often the lending limit is increased. The lending limit is the maximum that is loaned against the property.

Last year, the lending limit was set at $1,089,300.

We just learned that the lending limit for 2024 is set at $1,149,825! Here’s a look at the lending limits throughout the years:

equity in your home. You have taken care of your home for so long and now it is time for the home to take care of you. The equity that you created can help you stay in your home, enjoy the memories you’ve created and provide for many more years of memories to come.

YEAR NATIONAL LIMIT 2016 $417,000 2020 $765,600 2024 $1,149,825

But with inflation affecting everything around us, now is the time to check into how this loan can help you. I am here to provide you with information so you can explore your options.

Many of you have family members, friends and trusted advisors you look to for advice. I invite you to contact me and get the information you need to have an informed discussion with those you trust. There is never any pressure from me, I just love to meet with and educate anyone who wants to learn what options are available.

With the holidays just around the corner, you may be too busy to bother with these issues right now.

The increase of the lending limit helps with the ever-increasing price of homes. While interest rates vary daily, the lending limit is constant for at least one year.

Here’s a scenario for you to consider. A 79 year old man owns a home valued at $925,000. He has a mortgage of $185,000 and he makes a $1,300 mortgage payment each month. He stills works, mostly because he enjoys his work. But, he wants to work less than he is working now so he can have more flexibility to pursue other things he enjoys. I set up the best reverse mortgage plan for him. After paying off his mortgage, he takes $10,000 cash when his loan closes. I also designed his loan to provide him with monthly advances of $1,300 each month. So not only is he saving the $1,300 mortgage payment that he no longer has to pay each month, he is also receiving $1,300 each month. He has given himself a $2,600 raise! And, I also established a line of credit of about $37,000. This provided

Laura Strickler him with an emergency fund and gave him additional peace of mind.

Christmas will be here before you know it! I know my grandkids have a big list, I bet yours do too!

Maybe we’ll bump into each other shopping!

This is just one example of how this loan helps I’m only a phone call away! create the retirement of your dreams! I’m pasLaura Strickler sionate about helping you discover how this loan 760-518-9839 can free you from financial worries and potenNMLS #315848 tially create a retirement without financial stress Reverse Mortgage Advisor and worry. lauras@equitysmartloans.com Laura Strickler - Equity Smart Home Loans The truth is that you have worked your whole (equitysmartloans.com) life to get to this point. You’ve worked hard, paid www.laurastrickler.com your bills, your mortgage and you have built that

Why Luggage Trackers Don’t Prevent Your Bags From Getting Lost Truth is, a determined luggage thief can still find a way to disable or simply discard your tracker and make off with your valuables.

Luggage trackers give travelers a false sense of security that their luggage is unlosable, but in the hands of a capable luggage thief, you could be the one left standing as the luggage carousel screeches to a halt and your bag is nowhere to be found.

If you think having a luggage tracker will prevent your bags from getting lost, think again.

Domestic airlines lost about 300,000 bags in the first half of 2023, roughly the same number as the same period a year ago.

The Unclaimed Baggage Store is still in business. And admit it, despite assurances from your airline that it will return your bag to you at the end of your flight, you still hesitate when you check your luggage.

“Even the most advanced technologies are not foolproof,” says Mike Millerson, a survival expert who follows tracking technology closely. He says there’s no substitute for smart planning and common sense when you’re trying to prevent luggage loss.

Luggage thieves are smart and can remove or disable the trackers while they’re pilfering your bags. Airlines are also unimpressed with your AirTags and Tiles and don’t really care if you can tell them where to find your lost bag. There are only a few proven methods for ensuring that your bag never gets lost -- and I’ll share them with you in just a minute.

Airlines Don’t Care About Your Tracking Devices

Illustration by Dustin Elliott Why Luggage Tracking Doesn’t Always Work Luggage trackers are useful when your bags are misplaced. But they are not anti-theft devices. So when you entrust an airline with your luggage, and it falls into the wrong hands, an AirTag will probably be useless.

That was the lesson learned last year when a Florida airport worker was arrested and charged with two counts of grand theft. Sheriff’s dep-

uties found stolen luggage in his home and he admitted to removing an AirTag from the luggage, which authorities never recovered.

Stripping an AirTag from luggage is almost too easy. An AirTag that isn’t with its owner for a period of time makes a sound when you move it. You can also go to “Find My” to see if there’s an unknown AirTag nearby. Smart luggage thieves know they have to get rid of the trackers -- unless they want police to show up at the front door.

Time and again, airlines have shown their indifference to your AirTags and Tiles.

“Having a luggage tracking device doesn’t guarantee anything,” says Philip Ballards, a manager for a hotel booking website.

He’s been hearing more stories like this from his customers: Airline loses their luggage. Traveler calls and says, “I know where it is,” and gives an exact location.

“And the airline responds, “Sorry, but we can’t find your bag at this Luggage continued on page 9

The Paper • Page 9 • December 7, 2023

Luggage from page 8 time and you can’t come to retrieve it. You’ll have to wait until we find it and deliver it. Give us a few more days,” he says.

Why don’t airlines care about your tracking device? They have their own tracking technology.

Southwest Airlines and JetBlue recently introduced baggage tracking tools, which let passengers see their free checked bags from check-in until they’re unloaded. It joins the other legacy carriers, American, Delta and United in having such tools.

It took them long enough. Tracking technology, which has the potential to all but eliminate lost luggage, has been available since FedEx introduced tracking systems for its packages in the late 1970s. Airlines didn’t adopt it because it was cheaper to lose your luggage and pay the minimum compensation under the law than to invest in the technology. That was a smart business move but an incredibly customer-unfriendly decision.

What should you do? Track your luggage -- but don’t be overconfident Even with smart thieves and indifferent airlines, you should still track your checked luggage.

That’s because there’s a big-

ger picture. Most travel in the United States takes place by car, and luggage can disappear from anywhere -- your hotel room, your vacation rental, and even the trunk of your rental vehicle.

Having an AirTag or Tile can help you find it, unless you have a very determined luggage thief who separates your luggage from your tracker, of course.

“You should put an AirTag or Tile in anything that you can’t afford to lose,” says corporate travel skills trainer and former LAPD detective Kevin Coffey.

He’s right: There’s no downside to tracking your bag. Coffey recommends tracking carry-on bags, too, just in case you have to gate-check the bag.

The system often works well when the airline screws up. Just ask Nick Valentino, who couldn’t find his luggage when he flew to Miami recently. His airline claimed the bag had never been checked in, but then he remembered he had bought an AirTag recently and forgotten about it.

“I activated the AirTag and quickly found my luggage still sitting at the baggage check-in counter of my home airport,” recalls Valentino, who runs a moving site in New York.

Tracking devices can help you

even when your bags aren’t lost.

Margie Jordan recently thought she misplaced her checked bag on a flight from Jacksonville, Fla., to Charlotte. She checked her iPhone, which revealed the bag was with her.

“I glanced around the area,” says Jordan, a travel advisor from Jacksonville. “Then I noticed it sitting right behind me in the corner. It came in on an earlier flight.”

Of course, there’s still one way to ensure your baggage won’t get lost: Never let it out of your sight. Stow your luggage somewhere you can keep an eye on it. Because in the war against lost luggage, a tracker is just one weapon in your arsenal.

The most effective one is still common sense.

your phone or computer to check the battery after a year--and before you use it.

Don’t show off your luggage tracker. Some luggage has a dedicated pouch on the outside where you can slide a luggage tracker like an AirTag. But that’s an open invitation for a luggage thief to remove the tracker and take off with your luggage. Instead, hide the tag inside your bag. Coffey, the security expert, hides his tracker by unzipping the inner lining, and taping it under a flap of fabric.

Here’s how to use a tracker to follow your luggage wherever it goes.

Use a redundant tracking system. If you buy an AirTag or Tile, consider a redundant system, like the Ekster tracker, a solar-powered tracking card. The bad guys will not know what it is, allowing you to recover your lost luggage if it’s stolen. For a higher level of security, consider upgrading to a GPS tracker like Pebblebee or Gego. “Invest in reliable tracking technology,” advises Miller, the security expert. “It offers an extra layer of security.”

Check your battery. The batteries for a Tile and AirTag last about a year. It helps to check if your tracker works before leaving. For example, on a Tile, you can double-press the button to check the battery. For an AirTag, open the “Find My” app, push the “Items” tab and then tap the AirTag whose battery charge you want to check.

Pro tip: Set a calendar reminder on

Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes Elliott Confidential, a travel newsletter, and the Elliott Report, a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can email him at chris@elliott.org.

Elliott’s Tips For Avoiding Luggage Loss

The Paper • Page 10 • December 7, 2023

The Pastor Says . . .

The Right Time “Timing is everything,” or so I am told. Another expression is,” Strike while the iron is hot.” Please think momentarily when the door of opportunity was open, but you didn’t enter. Or did you enter? The old saying that the door might never open again. Do we live with that? Why should we be so concerned?

Life carries the mark of timing. Billy Graham had a magazine called—” The Hour of Decision.” The theme centered on individuals deciding to accept Christ as their Lord. The hour comes and goes. This seems to fit into the third chapter of Ecclesiastes, which describes the mystery of time and occasion.

“To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.” I have been told numerous times in the healing of my burn injuries to be patient, and time will heal. Slowly but surely, healing happens. Even in my emotional trauma, time heals.

It happens in many ways. At times, it is just waiting. Amazingly, there often is that moment when we know the truth of that time. I also realize that some things never seem to happen or come to pass, but even then, the time is that awareness. Death will not change regardless of time. Then, acceptance will enable a peaceful realization. Even that takes time.

San Diego Humane Society is supporting families and their pets who need a little extra help.

Through the Community Pet Pantry, anyone can visit our campuses to pick up a bag of dog or cat food, and other supplies, as available.

No appointment is needed for this service. Hours are Tuesday-Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

El Cajon 373 N. Marshall Ave.

Pastor Huls

Escondido 3500 Burnet Drive

The best illustration of how time works is the parable of the sower, as taught by Jesus. In Mark 4:16, Jesus shares a parable: “The kingdom of God is like this: he said, a man scatters seed on the ground, He sleeps and rises, night and day, and the seeds sprout and grow, he doesn’t know how. The soil produces a crop by itself, first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain on the head. But as soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle because the harvest has come.” This shows that God has the time to fulfill his plan.

Oceanside 572 Airport Road San Diego 5480 Gaines Street

Pet Parade

Pet of the Week

Marmite

Scoutie

Marmite is Rancho Coastal Humane Society’s pet of the week. He’s a 3-year-old, 13-pound, male, Domestic Short Hair cat with a Red Tabby coat.

He arrived at a local shelter as a stray. He had a microchip, but the registry information was out of date.

Marmite was transferred to Rancho Coastal Humane Society through Friends of County Animal Shelters (FOCAS.) He’s a social cat who needs a home.

The $100 adoption fee for Marmite includes medical exam, neuter, up to date vaccinations, and registered microchip.

Visit Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas or log on to www.SDpets.org. Open 11 to 4, Friday through Monday, and by appointment Wednesday and Thursday.

Introducing Scoutie!

This strikingly handsome Alaskan malamute mix is in search of his forever home.

Scoutie is a true peopleperson, craving attention and affection from his favorite humans and leaning into every loving pet he receives. His friendliness knows no bounds when it comes to making new friends.

While he gets along with other dogs outside of the home, he isn’t the biggest fan of sharing his space with a fellow furry pals. This superb pup is ready to shine in the role of your most loyal and loving companion! Scoutie is available for adoption at San Diego Humane Society’s Escondido Campus at 3500 Burnet Dr. Adoption fees are just $25 for all dogs and cats, Dec. 2-17! If you have questions about the adoption process, you can visit sdhumane.org/adopt or call 619-299-7012.

Online profile: https://www.sdhumane.org/adopt/available-pets/ animal-single.html?petId=878978

The Paper • Page 11 • December 7, 2023

The Smart Web, Past, Future And Present a world without access to the SW. They have adopted the SW’s content storage and AI as an adjunct to their own internal resources and they make little distinction between their internal knowledge and logic and that which is instantly available on the SW.

The Computer Factory 845 W. San Marcos Blvd.

760-744-4315 thecomputerfactory.net

The Smart Web (SW) was born in 2001. It marked to beginning of broadband access to virtually the entirety of human knowledge.

Broadband combined with the Artificial Intelligence emulates human reasoning and allows machines the humanlike ability to reason, solve problems and make decisions.

“Digital Immigrants” (folks over 40) came to the SW as adults.

“Digital Natives” (folks under 30) grew up using SW. That difference continues to widen the “generations gap” between the DIs and the DNs. DIs use the SW as a resource to support and augment lifestyles that were established prior to the existence of the SW. DNs have never known

We DIs are set in our ways. With a slavish devotion to our own pathetic internal cognitive powers, we will soon follow the Dodo bird into ignominious extinction. The DNs understand that the SWs vast and ever growing warehouse of human knowledge is thousands of times greater than that of any individual or group of individuals and that the ever evolving power of the SW’s AI will continue to widen the intelligence gap between man and machine. The DNs know that the human mind may well be able to oversee some of our baser function, but its limited storage capacity and marginal cognitive functionality make it inferior to the knowledge base and cognitive functionality of the SW. For the connected DNs, today’s portable devices like phones and tablets will soon give way to twenty four hour connected wearables and eventually internal implants. There will be problems to resolve as the SW replaces the human mind as the primary author of human behavior. Pressure to include cultural biases involving race, religion, ethics and morality as well as political considerations will no doubt threaten the effectiveness of many AI ef-

forts. The vocational impact will be long lasting and disruptive.

Teachers and writers will be early casualties but eventually surgeons, physicists, farmers pilots, truck drivers, cops, pimps and everyone else will feel the effects of Artificial Intelligence and the SW on their chosen occupation.

We believe that the “connected age” will have a more profound effect on humanity than any previous event in human history. The DN’s acceptance of Artificial Intelligence and the Smart Web as an alternative to our own human intelligence seems rational and inevitable. While the concept itself seems foreign and a bit dangerous to we DIs, it doesn’t seem to bother the DNs at all. This century marks a turning point in human history.

We are alive to witness from the beginning, the most monumental

transition in human history. The triumph of AI over human intelligence in becoming the dominant intelligence on the planet. There is nothing we DIs can do to influence this monumental transition so we might as well to sit back and enjoy the ride.

At The Computer Factory our job is to keep our Windows customer up and connected. The majority of our customers are, like us, “digital immigrants” (over 40).

The four basic types of PC are, All-in-Ones, desktop/towers, micros and laptops. We repair and upgrade existing PCs. We refurbish and sell late model professional (enterprise) level PCs and we design and build custom PCs for any application. We’ve been here in the same San Marcos location for 28 years. Stop by and say hi!

Before you buy a “retail” PC! Consider an “Enterprise” Refurb

Notebooks, desktops, All-in-ones, Micros With new OS, New SSD and extras Windows 11 8th Gen and Above Intel & AMD ~ $400-$600 Windows 10 7th Gen and Below Intel & AMD ~ $195-$500 Upgrade your Old PC (SSD, Win 10/11, RAM) ~ $120-$200 Trade in credit for older PCs on new or refurb PC ?????

Refurbs- half the price, twice the performance PC Repair and Upgrade Service Custom Built PCs (games, design, modeling etc)

845 W. San Marcos Blvd. • 760-744-4315 • www.thecomputerfactory.net

John Van Zante’s Critter Corner

Domestic Violence NEVER Takes A Christmas Break often, the abuser is a member of her own family.

“There’s no Domestic violence between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.”

That’s not true! It’s “REPORTS” of Domestic Violence that drop during the holidays. Victims don’t want to disrupt their (already disrupted) families. They suffer through it, hoping to start their new lives in the new year.

We all know a victim of domestic violence…whether we know it or not. I recently read that at least one in every three women has been abused during her lifetime. Most

What does this have to do with pets? Even if the victims can find a domestic violence shelter that will take them and their kids, these shelters aren’t equipped to care for pets. Pets left behind often become the new targets. So, the human victims stay. They endure. In most cases, they survive. Sometimes they don’t.

When I came to work at Rancho Coastal Humane Society, there was a dog who we called “Barney.” He got here at the beginning of the holiday season. His “mom” knew she had to escape, but she couldn’t find a place that would allow her to bring her dog. A social worker referred her to our Animal Safehouse Program (ASP).

She told us later that, with Barney

secure in the ASP “Safety Net” she was able to find housing. Knowing that Barney would not become the new victim, she could focus on saving herself.

“I will be forever grateful to this facility and the care that was given to my Barney. Thank you for loving him and caring for him when I couldn’t.”

That was 12 years ago. I saved this quote from her.

In addition to providing a lifeline for the pets of domestic violence victims, the ASP safety net helps seniors, veterans, active-duty military, and others in crisis.

“The head of this program was always there by phone to reassure me.

She was also quite helpful in keeping Barney a few days longer while I made a visit to my ailing mother.”

We must be successful. Every animal deserves a tomorrow.

The Paper • Page 12 • December 7, 2023

Dementia from page 5 to find out that Oliver – at only 21 months of age -- also has the gene.

“I felt broken. These are my baby boys, the sweetest, happiest little boys. I still don’t understand how they can have this disease. It has devastated us all, but we are trying to make sure the boys have the best life we can give them by filling their little lives with experiences and family,” Bryden Tucker managed to say.

Kristian Tucker, the mother and wife, struggled for a narrative: “So far the only developmental issue they have had is with their speech; Michael seems to have more severe speech delays than Oliver. Oliver can only say a few words, and Michael was diagnosed with apraxia prior to his diagnosis, and he still struggles a lot with his speech.

“Neither boy has shown any signs of dementia, and we hope to have years before that happens,” she said with hope in her voice.

“We don’t really know, but the doctor thinks that the boys will have more time than we usually see, based on how some of their test results have come back. We feel as if the ticking time bomb that is this disease just got a longer wick, but we’re also reminded that it’s still a bomb.”

As she spoke, one could only wonder at her and her husband’s inner strength and commitment to give their three children as normal and joyful a life as possible. (Talia, the only girl, did not test positive for dementia, only her two brothers, Michael and Oliver, did).

After the shocking diagnoses revealed that two of their children have the cruel disease, the family is considering whether going through treatment would be the correct decision. While there is no treatment or cure for Batten disease, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of cerliponase alfa, which is an enzyme replacement therapy. The process involves inserting a port into the child’s brain and then injecting the enzyme they’re missing directly into the brain.

The treatment can be used on children over the age of 3 to slow down the loss of movement and physical ability. It isn’t an easy call for the Tucker family to make, though, as they explained that it’s an “invasive treatment” which comes with risks.

“It’s such a struggle and it’s something we are deciding with the doctors if the benefits out weigh the risk and potential harm,” Bryden

Tucker told Newsweek. “But if it gives them more time for a potential cure or something to stop these symptoms, I think that might be what is best for them. But we are still deciding.

“If we go forward with treatment, we hope Michael’s seizures will stop getting worse and that we can slow, or even stop, the loss of mobility,” Kristian Tucker added.

Then she said with great sadness, “However, it won’t stop him from losing his eyesight or from the childhood dementia from happening. With Oliver, we hope it will prevent him from ever having seizures, but again, it won’t stop the rest from happening.”

Kristian Tucker and Bryden Tucker with their children, Oliver, Talia and Michael have a journey ahead of them of which they never thought could even happen, such as childhood dementia.

How can babies, children, and young teenagers ever have mental deterioration such as dementia, a disease only thought symptomatic with our (mostly) elderly population?

As with Renee Staska, the Tucker family also wish to give greater recognition and grab public support so that funding and proper research can be studied regarding childhood dementia.

Aside from advocating medical studies and research to find a cure for this devastating childhood dementia disease which causes great suffering and which kills a child every eleven minutes, these families all share a common goal: give strength and inspiration to one another to make the “best years” possible while your children are still alive.

Historically Speaking from page 7 recognize the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). In 1878, she met with then-President Rutherford B. Hayes, but he doubted the nation would ever see another calamity like the Civil War. Barton persisted and finally succeeded getting said recognition during the administration of President Chester Arthur. She argued that addition to war, the new American Red Cross could respond to crises such as natural disasters like earthquakes, forest fires, and hurricanes.

Barton became president of the society, which was officially founded Aug. 22, 1881 in Dansville, New York, where she maintained a country home In 1884, Barton helped in the floods on the Ohio river, provided Texas with food and supplies during the famine of 1887 and took nurses to Illinois in 1888 after a tornado, and in that same year to Florida for a yellow fever epidemic. In response to the Johnstown Flood of 1889, she led a delegation of 50 doctors and nurses.

In 1897, Barton sailed to Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey where she opened the first American International Red Cross headquarters. Barton’s last field operation as president of the American Red Cross was helping victims of the Galveston hurricane in 1900.

In 1897, at age 76, Barton continued to live in her Glen Echo, Maryland home which also served as the Red Cross Society’s national headquarters. In 1898, the society’s role changed with the advent of the Spanish-American War during which time it aided both military and civilian wounded.

And always, always, carry the torch that is hope . . . into the future. Hope for a cure. And hope that newspapers will hear and bear witness to their stories.

Barton published her autobiography in 1907. On April 12, 1912, she died in her home at the age of 90.

She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1973.

Just as The Paper has, in this most exclusive story on childhood dementia. And how we must never give up fighting for a cure.

Problem Solved from page 6

That’s what hope is all about.

I hope this article has helped you be more aware at just how widespread dementia is and how we can be involved by being part of the solution. Get involved in the fight against dementia -- in all its varied forms. Whether young or olde, let’s come together against a most cruel enemy.

Get involved in the next AlzheimDementia continued on page 13

to adjust to its devices. It can take that long for the aid to calibrate properly to your specific hearing loss. “So don’t panic if you experience whistling or discomfort for a bit,” it adds. “The more you wear it, the better it will work for you.”

But you tried the device for a few weeks, and it did not work for you.

Since you were within your 90-day return period, you sent the hearing aids back for a full refund. Audious verified that it received them but did not return your money. You waited four months before contact-

ing me for help.

You had all the tools you needed to fix this problem yourself. You had evidence that you had returned the hearing aid and an email from the company promising you a refund.

You had also waited patiently for your money back.

Fortunately, you made this purchase with a credit card. I advised you to file a credit card dispute under the Fair Credit Billing Act. I have advice on how to file a credit card dispute on my consumer advocacy site.

If that had not worked, my advocacy team would have happily helped you. Fortunately, it did. A few weeks later, your credit card company contacted you with good news: It had returned the $354 you spent on the hearing aids.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (https://elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/ © 2023 Christopher Elliott.

Chuckles from page 2 When people see a cat’s litter box they always say, “Oh, have you got a cat?” Just once I want to say, “No, it’s for company!”

•••• Employment application blanks always ask who is to be called in case of an emergency. I think you should write, “An ambulance.”

•••• The older you get the tougher it is to lose weight because by then your body and your fat have gotten to be really good friends.

•••• The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.

•••• Did you ever notice: The Roman Numerals for forty (40) are XL. •••• The sole purpose of a child’s middle name is so he can tell when he’s really in trouble.

•••• Did you ever notice that when you put the 2 words “The” and “IRS” together it spells “Theirs?”

•••• Aging: Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.

•••• Some people try to turn back their “odometers.” Not me. I want people to know why I look this way.

I’ve traveled a long way and a lot of the roads were not paved.

The Paper • Page 13 • December 7, 2023

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Excellent references.

Call Maria cell 760-613-7482 Advertise Your Business & Services Dementia from page 12 er’s Walkathon or Childhood Dementia Research Fund and give charitably for ongoing research to help find a cure for all dementia victims – whether they be young or just babies.

Spread the word, stay alert, and stay healthy.

Or get involved by becoming a caregiver for someone with dementia. Believe it or not, you can make their “inner thoughts and dreams come true.” You can make their final journey through life a most happy one.

I’m a caregiver to a beautiful Scottish woman whom I affectionately call “My Mary Queen of Scots.”

Mary has dementia and yet when we are together, we laugh, sing songs, go on shopping sprees, or just take happy car rides together.

•

ing me “school lessons” on life, and Scotland, and her childhood in Prestwick, Scotland.

It is during those times together when we’re strolling about the neighbourhood and I feel her hand gently reach to hold mine. Like a ‘mother figure’ she continues talking, counseling me, and even telling me about her childhood years in faraway Scotland, and she sings Scottish songs with me and speaks to me with a brogue as thick as Highlander porridge.

As the olde Scottish adage has it: “You may forget things, but you can never undo the happiness you had.”

God bless you all, each and every one.

When I see her laughing and singing, well, I become the happiest person in the world.

Especially when she (takes me) for a walk around her neighbourhood, explaining with great authority in her voice all about people, life, and even sitting me down and giv-

www.thecommunitypaper.com

Friedrich Gomez

•

760-747-7119

Jim Desmond from page 6

their court date, which can be years later.

ern border in the last five years.

Known gotaways are people seen or detected by Border Patrol agents but not apprehended.

Local dollars should be spent on local issues, including homelessness, deteriorating infrastructure, housing, and mental health, which demand our immediate attention and resources.

The asylum-seeking process was designed for people fleeing their home country seeking protection from persecution and serious human rights violations. But now it includes economic reasons. Instead of evading border patrol agents, migrants are turning themselves in, knowing that Border Patrol will drop them off at the local resource center being paid for with local, not federal, San Diego County tax dollars.

The Governors of Texas and Florida were criticized when they bussed hundreds of migrants out of their home states to other cities across America. But this is exactly what the Federal Government is doing with migrants in San Diego County and other border communities.

At the cost of thousands of local dollars each day, asylum seekers are dropped at resource centers, with non-profit groups assisting them with travel arrangements to a sponsor somewhere in the country. At the same time, they await

These are issues that directly impact the lives of San Diego County residents, and they should remain the focus of county tax dollars.

The decision to use County funds for non-U.S. Citizens and federal immigration issues with no end in sight is a recipe for disaster.

I don’t blame the migrants for seeking a better way of life. I would do the same. We are a proud country of immigrants. But our current immigration system is unsafe, inhumane, overwhelmed, and, at best, chaotic.

Our immigration process is broken. We should hit reset and close the border to new immigrants until we fix our immigration system with a safe, orderly, and humane process for all.

San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond, 1600 Pacific Highway, #335, San Diego, CA 92101, United States http:// www.supervisorjimdesmond.com/

The Paper • Page 14 • December 7, 2023

Oodles from page 3

Santa’s grand entrance Friday at 6pm by Firetruck.

Sundance Mobilehome Park 2250 N Boardway, Escondido

make a reservation by calling Susie at 760-889-3552 by December 8, 2023.

History is full of marvelous and talented composers who just happened to be women. History has also diminished or removed most of their contributions to classical music. This lecture with music videos will try to correct that!

For more information, visit www. batesnutfarm.biz and click on the Events tab.

The Hidden Valley Vista City Council of Beta Sigma Phi International will hold its’ annual Christmas luncheon meeting, “Holiday Blooms” on December 14, 2023 beginning at 11:00 A.M. at Sundance Mobile Home Park Clubhouse, 2250 North Boardway, Escondido, CA.

In the spirit of giving, members and guests are asked to bring a nonperishable item to give to the Salvation Army.

Dec 15 1:00 A Poet’s Perspective Jason Magabo Perez, Ph.D. San Diego Poet Laureate 20232024 The Poet Laureate serves as an advocate for local poetry, spoken word, and the literary arts. Mr. Perez made his debut as Poet Laureate at Mayor Todd Gloria’s “2023 State of the City Address” in January 2023.

Dec 15 2:30 Bhutan: The Happiest Nation on Earth Pat Foley, LIFE Member Today, Pat will provide a photo journey of her and her daughter’s 2018 trip through Bhutan. What makes it the happiest nation in the world, and what are some of their challenges? Learn about the people, their customs, their food, and their ruling monarchy.

*** Breakfast With Santa December 9 • 9am-11am Armstrong Feed & Supply 28520 Cole Grade Road Valley Center Free breakfast and photos with Santa. Pets are welcome! *** Barbershop Christmas Concerts December 10 The Music Men, North County’s premier a cappella chorus, will present a 90-minute Christmas concert of your favorite holiday tunes, sung barbershop style, at two locations in December. These familyfriendly concerts are a perfect way to get into the holiday spirit and include sing-a-longs. Each performance will also feature guest quartet “Behind The Barn.”Suggested donation, $10. The concerts are as follows:

To join a Zoom meeting, LIFE must have your email address in order for you to receive the invite link. Meetings will start at 12:45 pm (you can join 15 minutes earlier) and the speaker will start at 1:00 pm.

Sunday December 3, 3 pm, at San Marcos Lutheran Church, 3419 Grand Ave.

Email: life.miracosta@gmail.com

Visit musicmenchorus.org more information.

To Donate to the LIFE Scholarship Fund: Write a check to MiraCosta College Foundation; Mail it to: One Barnard Dr., MS 7; Oceanside, CA 92056. In the memo area put: LIFE Scholarship Fund. Or go to: https:// foundation.miracosta.edu/donatenow and you can donate online. There is a “drop-down” box to indicate the donation will be credited to the LIFE Scholarship Fund. The QR code below can also be used. *** Christmas in Valley Center December 8 • 4pm-8pm December 9 • 9am-3pm Bates Nut Farm 15954 Woods Valley Road Valley Center The magic of Christmas is in the air! Come out and celebrate with your family for free. Made possible thanks to many volunteers and local donations. First 1,000 kids get a free gift. Polar Express hayride to visit Santa. Free crafts, Gingerbread house making, Local crafters, Jumbo Slide, Face Painting, Character Balloons, Food Vendors.

Sunday December 10, 2 pm, at Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 2020 Chestnut Avenue, Carlsbad. for

*** Free Parkinson’s Tremble Clefs Holiday Party December 13th • 11am - 2pm San Rafael Church 17252 Bernardo Center Drive Rancho Bernardo The Tremble Clefs, a Parkinson’s Voice Therapy and Singing Group, will host a free Holiday Party on Wednesday, December 13th from 11am-to-2pm in Rancho Bernardo at San Rafael Church, 17252 Bernardo Center Drive, in the Parish Hall. The party will feature Lunch, Bake Auction, Talent Show, Art Sale, and Holiday Sing-a-long. Attendance is free, but you must register to attend at bit.ly/TCHHolidayParty23. Registration is also available at trembleclefs.com.

Call 760-420-0121 for more information. *** Hidden Valley Vista City Council of Beta Sigma Phi International Annual Christmas Luncheon December 14

Cost is $27.50 per person. Meal catered by Red Tail Catering.

Hidden Valley Vista Council Beta Sigma Phis – active, inactive, on leave, transferees and guests are invited to

Beta Sigma Phi is a social, cultural and philanthropic International Sorority, headquartered in Kansa City, Missouri, with chapters throughout the world. If you are interested in belonging to a special organization and make many new friends, call Patty 707-315-9209. ***

LEGALS NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF Robert Kegley Schmorleitz Case No. 37-2023-0040309 PR-LA-CTL SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO 1100 Union Street San Diego, CA. 92101 Central Courthouse To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate or both, a notice of petition to administer estate of Robert K. Schmorleitz, Bob Schmorleitz, Robert Kegley, has been filed by Erin K. Schmorleitz in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, 1100 Union Street, San Diego, CA. 92101 Central Courthouse. The Petition to Administer Estate requests that Erin Schmorleitz be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless tey have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: Novemer 30, 2023 Time: 1:30pm Dept: 503 Room: Alvarez Address of court: Same as noted above.

If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in Section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Petitioner: Erin Schmorleitz 13145 Old West Ave. San Diego, CA 92129 619-804-0720 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/2023

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF Marvin John Heinstschel Case No. 37-2023-0047223 PR-PW-CTL SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO 1100 Union Street San Diego, CA. 92101 Central Courthouse To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate or both, a notice of petition to administer estate of Marvin John Heintschel, has been filed by Doreen Heinstschel in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, 1100 Union Street, San Diego, CA. 92101 Central Courthouse. The Petition to Administer Estate requests that Doreen Heintschel be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: February 1, 2024 Time: 1:30pm Dept: 503 Address of court: Same as noted above.

If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in Section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner: Kimberely V. Deede (SBN 280841) Gian Ducic-Montoya (270361) Chhokar Law Group, P.C. 10945 Vista Sorrento Parkway, Suite 100 San Diego, CA 92130 858-384-5757 11/23, 11/30. 12/7, 12/14/2023

The Paper • Page 15 • December 7, 2023

LEGALS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF Evelyn Lumantad Kullmann Case No. 37-2023-00043185 PR-LA-CTL SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO 1100 Union Street San Diego, CA. 92101 Central Courthouse To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate or both, a notice of petition to administer estate of Juanita Lumantad Kullmann, Evelyn Lumantad, has been filed by Frank X. Kullamann III in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, 1100 Union Street, San Diego, CA. 92101 Central Courthouse.

The Petition to Administer Estate requests that Frank X. Kullmann III be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval.. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless tey have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: March 19, 2024 Time: 10:30 am Dept: 504 Address of court: Same as noted above.

If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in Section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Petitioner: Frank X. Kullmann III 228 Festival Dr. Ocanside, CA 92057 760-967-7646 11/16, 11/23, 11/30, 12/7/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9022848 The name of the business: Laundry Ladies Inc., located at 1457 Chert Dr., San Marcos, CA 92078.

Registrant Information: Laundry Ladies, Inc., 1457 Chert Dr., San Marcos, CA 92078. This business is operated by a Corporation. First day of business: 3/2/2009 /s/ Melissa Robbins, President with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/8/2023

11/16, 11/23, 11/30, 12/7/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9022942 The name of the business: Baller Belt Company, Baller Belts, located at 2259 Del Mar Scenic Parkway, Del Mar, CA 92014.

Registrant Information: Baller Belt Company LLC, 2259 Del Mar Scenic Parkway, Del Mar, CA 92014. This business is operated by a Limited Liability Company.

First day of business: 10/18/2023 /s/ Chase Girant, CEO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/13/2023 11/16, 11/23, 11/30, 12/7/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023368 The name of the business: Vega’s Beadjewel, located at 4640 Allende Ave., Oceanside, CA 92057. Registrant Information: Sylvia C. Vega, 4640 Allende Ave., Oceanside, CA 92057.

This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: 11/4/2023 /s/ Sylvia C. Vega with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/17/2023 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023085 The name of the business: In & Out Bail Bonds, located at 410 S. Melrose Drive, Vista, CA 92081.

Registrant Information: Matthew Demery, 410 S. Melrose Drive, Vista, CA 92081. This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: 9/1/1991 /s/ Matthew Demery with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/14/2023 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9022118 The name of the business: Tina’s Too, located at 938 S. Andreasen Dr., #A, Escondido, CA 92029.

Registrant Information: Tots And Eggs Inc, 938 S. Andreasen Dr., #A, Escondido, CA 92029.

This business is operated by a Corporation. First day of business: 4/1/2023 /s/ Christopher S. Nelson, President with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 10/27/2023 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9021707 The name of the business: PPMC, Priceless Production Promotional Management Clothing Company, located at 11221 Canyon Park Drive, Santee, CA 92071.

Registrant Information: Jonathan Price, 11221 Canyon Park Drive, Santee, CA 92071. This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: 10/24/2023 /s/ Jonathan Price with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 10/24/2023 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9022496 The name of the business: Fancy Plantings, located at 10990 Magnolia Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92008. Registrant Information: Patricia Lynn Phaneuf, 1090 Magnolia Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92008. This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: N/A /s/ Patricia Lynn Phaneuf with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/3/2023 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023203 The name of the business: Bach And Boujee, located at 2483 J

Street, San Diego, CA 92102.

Registrant Information: Gabrielle Marie Dwyer, 2483 J Street, San Diego, CA 92102. This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: N/A /s/ Gabrielle Marie Dwyer with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/16/2023 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023092 The name of the business: Tile Art, located at 1339 Corte Lira, San Marcos, CA 92069. Registrant Information: Armando Esteban Aguirre, 1339 Corte Lira, San Marcos, CA 92069. This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: N/A /s/ Armando Esteban Aguirre with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/14/2023 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9022456 The name of the business: Sign Shop San Diego, located at 1330 Keystone Way, Ste D, Vista, CA 92081. Registrant Information: Scott Drake Worrell, 415 Auburn Ave., San Marcos, CA 92069.

This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: 10/26/2023 /s/ Armando Esteban Aguirre with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/2/2023 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023370 The name of the business: Nichole’s Nest, located at 77 Via Larga Vista, Bonsall, CA 92003.

Registrant Information: Nichole Schaffer, 77 Via Larga Vista, Bonsall, CA 92003. This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: N/A /s/ Nicholle Schaffer with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/17/2023 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023160 The name of the business: Phoenix Scientific, Next Gen Of Work, located at 251 N. City Drive, Suite 127, San Marcos, CA 92078. Registrant Information: Ridge Diversified Holdings LLC, 251 N. City Drive, Suit 127, San Marcos, CA 92078. This business is operated by a Limited Liability Company. First day of business: 3/10/2010 /s/ James R. Ridge, CEO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/15/2023 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023104 The name of the business: Circle Home Improvements and Remodels, located at 1403 Fremont St., Vista, CA 92084.

Registrant Information: Call Craig The Handy Helper, 1403 Fremont St., Vista, CA 92084. This business is operated by a Corporation. First day of business: 9/22/2023 /s/ Craig A. Hanes, President with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/15/2023 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023151 The name of the business: EMA Therapy, located at 334 Via Vera Cruz Ste 255, San Marcos, CA 92078. Registrant Information: Ellie Anne Messinger-Adams, 1544 Sapphire Ln, Vista, CA 92081. This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: N/A

/s/ Ellie Anne Messinger-Adams with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/15/2023 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023629 The name of the business: San Diego Special Education Advocates, San Diego SEA, located at 1094 Cudahy Place Suite 112, San Diego, CA 92110.

Registrant Information: San Diego Special Education Advocates LLC, 1094 Cudahy Place Suite 112, San Diego, CA 92110. This business is operated by a Limited Liability Company. First day of business: 1/4/2023 /s/ Sarah Tira, President with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/22/2023 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023505 The name of the business: Zia Cab, located at 43151 Camino Caruna, Temecula, CA 92592. Registrant Information: Ahmad Zia Fazli, 43151 Camino Caruna, Temecula, CA 92592. This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: N/A /s/ Ahmad Zia Fazli with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/21/2023 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9022983 The name of the business: Muna LLC, Everest Coast, located at 2712 Locker Ave West, Suite 1121, Carlsbad, CA 92010.

Registrant Information: Muna LLC, 2712 Locker Ave. West, Suite 1121, Carlsbad, CA 92010.

This business is operated by a Limited Liability Company. First day of business: N/A /s/ Adolf Singh, Managing Member with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/13/2023 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023401 The name of the business: Jeff The Solar Guy, located at 721 Arthur

Ave., Oceanside, CA 92057.

Registrant Information: Jeffrey William Massidda, 721 Arthur Ave., Oceanside, CA 92057.

This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: 11/15/2023 /s/ Jeffrey William Massidda with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/20/2023 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023612 The name of the business: Romel Taxi, located at 3439 Northwood Dr., Oceanside, CA 92058.

Registrant Information: Romel Karmouche, 3439 Northwood Dr., Oceanside, CA 92058.

This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: 11/22/2023 /s/ Romel Karmouche with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/22/2023 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023610 The name of the business: Stella Cab, located at 525 Avennida Verde, San Marcos, CA 92069.

Registrant Information: Antoine Abikhalil, 525 Avenida Verde, San Marcos, CA 92069. This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: N/A /s/ Antoine Abikhalil with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/ Recorder of San Diego on 11/22/2023 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023604 The name of the business: AV CAB, located at 3108 Jacqueline Lane, Oceanside, CA 92056.

Registrant Information: Alberto Venegas, 3108 Jacqueline Lane, Oceanside, CA 92056.

This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: 11/22/2023 /s/ Alberto Venegas with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/22/2023 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT 2023-9023750 The name of the business: Speakers Inc., Wespeak Global, located at 1902 Wright Place, Carlsbad, CA 92008. Registrant Information: Hesketh Media LLC, 1902 Wright Place, Carlsbad, CA 92008. This business is operated by a Limited Liability Company. First day of business: 11/04/2021 /s/ Duncan Hesketh, Managing Member with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/27/2023 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023915 The name of the business: North Cab, located at 13139 Russet Leaf Ln., San Diego, CA 92129.

Registrant Information: Zabie Wahab, 13139 Russet Leaf Ln., San Diego, CA 92129. This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: N/A /s/ Zabie Wahab with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/29/2023 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9023968 The name of the business: Exray, located at 1847 Jamaica Way, Vista, CA 92081. Registrant Information: Connected Threads LLC, 1847 Jamaica Way, Vista, CA 92081. This business is operated by a Limited Liability Company. First day of business: 11/27/2023 /s/ Brennan Cassidy, COO with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 11/29/2023 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28/2023 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT 2023-9024214 The name of the business: R3 Investigative Services, located at 2110 Hawley Dr., Vista, CA 92084. Registrant Information: Rachel Uchida-McCord, 2110 Hawley Dr., Vista, CA 92084.

This business is operated by an Individual. First day of business: N/A /s/ Rachel Uchida-McCord with Jordan Z. Marks, SD County Clerk/Recorder of San Diego on 12/01/2023 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28/2023

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The Paper • Page 16 • December 7, 2023

CA Center For The Arts Hosts Christmas Thriller December 10th - 23rd With Evening & Matinee Shows

This Christmas take a mysterious train journey across Europe during the waning days of World War I (1916). Based on historical events, the stage thriller Passage Into Fear is written and directed by area resident Charles Carr (who also pens the popular “Southpaw” column for not only this publication but also Macmillan Publishing and St. Martin’s Press). Several of Carr’s shows are published nationally, including this one.

Passage Into Fear tells the story of an English dowager, Mrs. Lillian Merriweather, who boards the train insisting she knows of a sinister plot with vast international repercussions. And then is promptly done in. Other characters include an American socialite on a final fling across Europe before returning home to be unhappily married, a pugnacious 9-year-old Ukrainian war orphan, a US senator and his wife, a pair of Romanian gypsies who have wandered the continent most of their lives, a sinister Austrian doctor hiding an immense secret, and a ruthless German countess bent on achieving her evil ends no matter who gets in her way. Kate and Ida join forces to uncover the truth behind Mrs. Merriweather’s disappearance which leads to the causes and history of the Great War itself.

While Passage Into Fear is primarily a thriller, the show has many light, even hilarious moments as it explores the meaning of home, family, and Christmas.

Passage Into Fear stars Ashley Birtwell, Lena Palke, Alaina Fiechtner, Betsy Toker, John Aviles, Marsi Carr, Neha Ford Curtiss, Charlie DeNatale, Jeff Makey, Laura Makey, and Kadijah Pointer.

The show, which is published by Eldridge Plays and Musicals and has been produced across the country, is coming to the CA Center for the Arts for the first time. “We’re delighted to be bringing the show back home,” said Carr. “It’s been exciting and more than a little surprising to see theaters around the county putting on this and other shows we created right here in the valley. While we were thinking we were just hanging out with friends, having fun, making art, this whole other thing happened.”

North County Players boasts a rotating membership of about 100 actors, artists, and technicians from all over San Diego County.

Valley actors who have starred in past North County Players productions include Bill Kvitli, Don Martin, John Coulombe, Tana Davis,

veterans with donations via VetTix and one or two local charities including North County Players itself, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

“We’re incredibly grateful to all the people who come see our shows; people who still value the real thing, perhaps now more than ever,” Carr continued. “With everything going on these days with real vs. virtual, the live arts are becoming an increasingly cherished medium.”

“We get so many attendees who have never experienced a live theater production before,” Ms. Carr added. “It’s wonderful that our group is now seen by many as a sort of bastion of the live arts.”

Morgan Brown, Peregrine Curtiss, Joshua Sebilius, and Roadrunner editor David Ross. “We’re always looking for talented people to add to the troupe,” said Marsi Carr.

“Previous acting experience is obviously helpful but commitment and a great attitude go a long way with us. Quite a few of our nowseasoned members started off as newbies to acting. We encourage you to contact us through our website, northcountyplayers.org.”

North County Players members donate all of their time and talent, including Carr’s own commissions and royalties. “Tickets for traditional theater can get expensive,” said Marsi Carr, “so an essential element of all our productions is making them available to as many people in the community as possible. That’s why we price seats at about what you’d expect to pay at the movie theater. That’s been a key element of our charter from way back when we established the nonprofit in 2011.”

North County Players has staged shows at venues as varied as Patio Playhouse, PowPAC, the Park Avenue Center, the Veterans Museum at Balboa Park, the San Marcos Civic Center, and the San Marcos Historical Society. Carr chuckled, “Our first year we put on our own adaptation of A Christmas Carol in a big tent at Bates Nut Farm. It was raining and rivulets of water were running through the stage area. But the show must go on!”

“Keeping an eye on costs enables us to do something that’s pretty much unheard of: create and stage completely original theater productions,” Carr said. Passage Into Fear will be the fifth original show the group has brought to the Center including Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Angel, Mark

Twain’s A Christmas Carol, Hope Springs, Eternal, and last year’s hit, The Dangerous Christmas.

Charity is another essential component of the troupe’s charter.

Over the past decade, North County Players has raised tens-of-thousands of dollars for San Diego area disaster relief, an arts nonprofit, a municipal gallery, a community outreach center, a veterans’ relief fund, a historical society, Women’s Club charities, and several struggling regional theaters. Thousands of Southern California residents have attended their productions.

Passage Into Fear’s December shows will benefit San Diego area

Tickets are now on sale now on the CA Center for the Arts website: www.artcenter.org. General seating is $19. Student, military, senior, child discount tickets are $16. Not recommended for 3 and under.

Shows take place in the Center’s Studio 1 Theater, a roughly 100seat venue that has the intimate feel of an off-Broadway show complete with professional lighting, sets, costumes, and music. Note that because seating is limited, past North County Players shows have sold out quickly. As of this writing, a couple of days have already so out.

It is suggested you get your tickets as soon as possible.

First, I discovered America, then I discovered The Paper Ever since I can remember I’ve had the burning desire to discover new places, new adventures. Because of this, I set out to discover a new country . . . and I was successful. I even ventured inland a great many miles where I discovered a place I called Minnesota.

“This,” I thought, “would be a great place for Scandinavians.”

So I headed back to Norway to recruit settlers. While I was gone, some clown named Columbus claimed he discovered America. Life ain’t fair. Except life also give us The Paper.

I read it whenever and wherever I go exploring and only buy from those who advertise in The Paper.

It’s a Viking thing.

Your friend, Eric the Red