How Do You Celebrate the Holidays?

Sharing is caring this holiday season! Let us know what your office is doing to support charitable organizations and efforts this month.

Email communications@sdcounty.ca.gov with your department’s holiday activities and any photos. We will feature them here on InSite.

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ARRC Writes Thank You Notes to the Troops

The Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk’s social committee solicited messages of encouragement and gratitude for the servicemen and servicewomen overseas for the holidays.

Participants were able to write handwritten notes or emails.

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Dancing Santa Helps Public Defender Raise Funds

The Public Defender’s Multiple Conflicts Office employees are having their picture taken with a life-size singing and dancing animatronic Santa Claus for a donation. So far, they’ve raised $2,000 that has gone directly towards the purchase and distribution of emergency blankets, ponchos, gloves, socks and scarves for people experiencing homelessness. They distributed these items on Dec. 8.

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ROV Collecting Toys for Tots

Employees Diana Delmege and Vanessa Perez lead the two holiday programs at the Registrar of Voters this year. The department is supporting both the Joy of Giving and Toys for Tots.

The Joy of Giving program provides goody bags for those in need during the holidays through the Salvation Army.

Toys for Tots focuses on providing toys for children in partnership with the Marine Corps. You can drop off toys through Dec. 20. The dropbox is in the lobby.

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Multimedia designers Suzanne Bartole and LEsley Pinka organized the efforts.

CCO Creates Care Packages

The County Communications Office with help from the Office of Ethics and Compliance and the Department of Animal Services created care packages for individuals experiencing homelessness. Each pack was filled with food, water, a pair of socks, toiletries and information on available services.

In addition, CCO adopted a family needing a little extra help. On Thanksgiving they put together a full turkey meal. And this month they are collecting both food and gifts for the family.

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APCD Hosts Holiday Food Drive

The Air Pollution Control District has an Annual Holiday Food Drive to benefit the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank.

Since 2015, APCD employees have donated nearly 7,000 pounds of food. These donations help feed many San Diegans in need during the holiday season.

some of the many APCD employees that participated in the department’s 2019 food drive

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Edgemoor Hospital Cookie Drive

Each year, Edgemoor staff host a cookie drive to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project of San Diego, which serves veterans and service members who suffer from physical or mental illness. This year, Edgemoor staff baked and donated 65 dozen cookies, which were well-received at the Wounded Warrior Project holiday party in Escondido.

The Wounded Warrior cookie drive was organized by Teresa Rogers-Marsh and Lani Ngo, with the help of Hernan Amezcua. Veterans from Wounded Warriors assisted with the delivery.

Seven DA Prosecutors Honored

Standing from left to right are: Deputy DA Oscar Hagstrom, DDA Laurie Hauf, DDA Valerie Summers, DDA Bryn Kirvin, DA Summer Stephan, DDA Abigail Dillon, DDA Sophia Roach, DDA Christine Bannon, and DDA John Philpott.

When victims of crime and their families are in their worst moments, they cling to the hope they will one day obtain justice for the violence committed against them or their loved ones. Seven prosecutors in the District Attorney’s office were recognized Tuesday by the San Diego Board of Supervisors for outstanding service on behalf of victims.

“The deputy district attorneys who were honored have gone above the call of duty in pursuing justice with passion and integrity,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said.

The attorneys were selected by the San Diego Deputy District Attorneys Association after receiving nominations from their peers. Those recognized have demonstrated excellence in cases of significant impact and have made extraordinary contributions to public safety in San Diego County.

The following deputy district attorneys were recognized:

• Deputy District Attorney Sophia Roach prosecuted Donte Haddock and Anthony Frank for the murders of Darris Walker and Xusha Brown. Roach and her team examined and investigated every aspect of these murders for more than four years. The nine-week trial featured 100 witnesses, 600 exhibits, and dozens of recorded conversations. After four days of deliberations, jurors returned guilty verdicts: Haddock and Frank face life in prison without parole. Roach combined expert skills of leading an investigation with building, trying and winning the challenging case. Her performance was extraordinary.

• Deputy District Attorney Laurie Hauf tried two complicated murder cases all within the span of one year. In September 2018, she tried a gang murder case in which the victim, Catherine Kennedy, was shot on her way home from church. After the jury found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to life in prison, Hauf collaborated with the victim’s friends to create a gang intervention program. Following that case, Hauf tried a high-ranking gang member who had threatened to kill the victim. The defendant attempted to use his influence to prevent witnesses from testifying but the jury found him guilty nonetheless. He now faces life in prison. She also successfully prosecuted a violent gang member who robbed a teenager and, on a separate occasion, stabbed another man in the chest. Within the same month, Hauf also tried another case in which a young man was stabbed to death. Over the past year, she has spent nearly two months in trial, questioned over 100 witnesses, and addressed a multitude of complex legal and factual issues. In addition to this heavy trial load, Hauf trained prosecutors on the topic of three Strikes felony sentencing and trial advocacy. She also served as chairwoman for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, North County Gang Commission.

• Deputy District Attorney John Philpott prosecuted a multi-million-dollar life insurance provider fraud ring, “Operation Backlash,” which began as a collaborative investigation by the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the California Department of Insurance. The initial undercover operation included 35 workers’ compensation carriers, 180 patients, and suspects who billed the workers’ compensation system $580 million from 2013 to 2015. There were 171 search warrants and federal subpoenas issued, which generated over one million pages of discovery. In late 2015, Philpott and his team presented cases to the grand jury and indicted 41 defendants, in the largest workers’ compensation fraud scheme ever uncovered in San Diego.

• Deputy District Attorney Oscar Hagstrom has tried more than 40 felony jury trials since he began his career at the San Diego DA’s Office. He has distinguished himself through his professionalism, work ethic, diligence, and performance in the court room. In one noteworthy case, Hagstrom prosecuted a man for shooting at SWAT officers. The case first required a long and complex mental health diversion hearing. In the end, the deputy district attorney secured guilty and sane verdicts and obtained a 33-year prison sentence for the defendant. In another noteworthy case, Hagstrom prosecuted a defendant who stabbed and killed another man. During the trial, the defendant argued self-defense, calling numerous character witnesses who talked about the victim’s violent history. In the end, Hagstrom demonstrated an ability to handle challenging cases and the defendant was sentenced to 12 years in state prison.

• Deputy District Attorney Abigail Dillon spent man hours trying to identify a man who attacked a Good Samaritan and then prosecuted him. In 2016, a war veteran was enjoying pizza in the Gaslamp District when he witnessed a man and seven of his friends challenging another group to a fight. The veteran intervened and tried to stop the fight, but the man and his friends instead assaulted him. He suffered many life-threatening complications while hospitalized and his will to live was almost nonexistent. Dillon spent countless hours trying watching grainy surveillance video to identify the primary perpetrator and locate potential witnesses. Despite obstacles, she built a rapport with the victim to convince him to testify. The jury found the defendant guilty and Dillon obtained justice for the victim who remains paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of his life.

• Deputy District Attorney Valerie Summers for more than 30 years has tried some of the most serious and violent cases and has risen through the ranks of outstanding prosecutors in the District Attorney’s Office. She has managed a variety of units and has demonstrated her exceptional knowledge, versatility, and judgment. Summers began her legal career as a law clerk in the DA’s Juvenile Branch in 1987. Since she got hired as a new Deputy DA, she has been a rising star. Summers was the first gang prosecutor in the then brand-new unit in North County, handling many complex gang cases. She served as a team leader in Vista, as the Assistant Chief of the Gangs Unit, Chief of Sex Crimes and Chief of the Family Protection Division. She was a statewide legal scholar, instructor and teacher in the area of sentencing. Serving as an adjunct professor at UCSD for over a decade, she has taught undergraduate students in sociology, criminology, and criminal procedure. Summers leads by example, by her experience, and success in high-level trials, her work ethic, and her constant striving to be the most prepared in a meeting or in court.

• Deputy District Attorney Christine Bannon has been the lead attorney for all Senate Bill 1437 litigation in the San Diego District Attorney’s Office and manages petitions related to the bill. In March 2019, the California Legislature signed SB1437 into law, changing the definition of malice as used in the law of murder. Bannon has also trained her peers on how to handle SB1437 petitions. Other counties have successfully argued to their courts that this law is unconstitutional based on Bannon’s work. She excels as both a formidable trial lawyer and appellate litigator. Her contributions to both the San Diego DA’s Office and prosecutor’s statewide are worthy of the highest recognition.

Pet of the Week - Buster

Meet Buster (Tag #N7227), a 2-year-old boxer/mix looking for a new forever home.

Buster is the sweetest boy! He has lots of energy and loves to play, but will also cuddle up on the couch with you and hang out. He enjoys human attention, fetch, and will be the perfect sidekick for outdoor activities. So let’s get him adopted!

You can see Buster at the Department of Animal Services’ shelter in Carlsbad or visit sddac.com to give another animal their furever home.

Another Hiring Hall to Recruit Temporary Election Workers

It’s not too late. If friends and family missed the Registrar of Voter’s last hiring hall for temporary, full-time workers, there will be another hiring hall from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14.  

The March 2020 Primary Presidential Election will be here before you know it, and the Registrar of Voters still needs hundreds of temporary employees.  

The Registrar is recruiting for a variety of clerical and customer service jobs. Training is provided and pay is $14.25 an hour. Employees will work daytime hours and could start in late February.  

The hiring hall will take place at the Registrar’s office at 5600 Overland Ave. in Kearny Mesa. Job interviews will be conducted so applicants should bring their identification.   

For more information, email Rov-Hr@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Friday Photo: Snow Day!

Child Support Officer Juan Barajas captured the beauty of a snowy morning in Julian last week.

Share your snow and other fabulous photos! If you see a coworker getting the job done, a beautiful sunset over your office or wonderful County program being offered—snap a pic and submit it. Be sure to include information about the photo and your name. One image will be posted to InSite every Friday.

See the Friday Photo gallery.

Photo by: Juan Barajas

Caitlin E. Rae, Office of County Counsel, took her dog Mo’ to Julian.

Melissa Corona, Child Welfare Services, and her family went sledding.

Melissa Corona, Child Welfare Services, and her family went sledding.

Horner Tan, Auditor & Controller, Visited Mt. Laguna.

OKsana Glukhikh, Behavioral Health Services, Visited Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.

OKsana Glukhikh, Behavioral Health Services, Visited Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.

Registrar of Voters Needs Temporary Workers

The March 2020 Primary Presidential Election is coming up soon and the Registrar of Voters still needs hundreds of temporary employees. 

If you have family members or friends who may be interested in working in a temporary, full-time job, the Registrar is holding a hiring hall from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5 at its office at 5600 Overland Ave. in Kearny Mesa.  

The Registrar is recruiting for a variety of clerical and customer service jobs. Training is provided and pay starts at $14.25 an hour. Employees will work daytime hours and could start in late February. 

Job interviews will be conducted at the hiring hall. Applicants should bring their identification.  

Another hiring hall will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the same hours and location.

For more information, email Rov-Hr@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Consider CECO on Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday encourages donations to charitable organizations, and while there are many wonderful causes to contribute to, one nonprofit to consider is our very own San Diego County Employees’ Charitable Organization.

CECO donates all the money it collects to community organizations and employees in need. This year alone, CECO awarded $139,622 in grants to 88 local nonprofit programs located throughout the San Diego region. All funds come from employees like you.

Here are three simple ways to give to CECO: become a biweekly contributor for as little as $2 per pay period or increase your current biweekly contribution by $1; make a one-time donation with cash, by check or PayPal Giving Fund; or make CECO your nonprofit of choice when you shop at Amazon Smile.

Learn more about CECO.

Pet of the Week - Sunshine

Meet Sunshine (Tag #N491). A 2-year-old cat looking for a forever home. Sunshine will brighten up any day! She loves human attention and will be your shadow. She enjoys lots of petting, will go nuts for a laser pointer, gets along well with others, and talks up a storm.

Meet Sunshine (Tag #N491). She is a 2-year-old cat looking for a forever home.

Sunshine will brighten up any day! She loves human attention and will be your shadow. She enjoys being pet, loves to play with a laser pointers, gets along well with others and talks up a storm. So let’s get her adopted!

You can see Sunshine at the Department of Animal Services’ shelter in Carlsbad or visit sddac.com to give another animal their furever home.

Get County Meteorologists’ Forecasts Mailed to You

Our Public Works department has its own team of meteorologists as part of its flood control staff. They put together reports when significant weather is on the way. Sign up to get the forecast emailed to you

Note: if your Outlook has Focused inbox, the mails may wind up in Other.

InTouch – Sharing Our Favorite Things

You know when you enjoy something so much how you just want to share it with everyone? Oprah Winfrey says that thrill is what got her started on her famous Favorite Things list, which has turned into a holiday staple.

Each thing we’re enthusiastic about is a piece of what makes us who we are. Tell others about our favorite this or that, and you’re sharing little bits of yourself. The more you share, the fuller the picture someone gets.

So as we head into the holidays, I want to borrow from Oprah’s tradition, but use the idea to learn more about a few people you and I work with. I’ve asked them each to share a short list of favorites. Some of the things could be actual gifts you put on your own shopping list. But the real value in, for example, a favorite book is the way it stirs you emotionally or changes your outlook. It’s the experience the thing gives us that we want to pass along to others. Those are the real gifts I’m after.

I’ll add mine as well, and maybe you’d enjoy trying the same with others you know. But here are some department leaders’ favorites:

Kathy Flannery, Planning & Development Services

• Favorite book, this year: The Girl With Seven Names. All time: To Kill A Mockingbird

• Favorite San Diego restaurant: Rocky’s in Crown Point

• Favorite place to watch sunset: Calumet Park in Bird Rock

• Favorite charity: The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank

• Favorite sports team: New York Rangers

• Favorite way to spend day off:  Hiking at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

• Favorite radio station: NPR

• Favorite dessert: My mom’s blueberry pie

Andrew Strong, CAO Chief of Staff

• Favorite movie, this year: Avengers Endgame. All time: Back to the Future

• Favorite album, all time: Michael Jackson – Off the Wall

• Favorite TV show: Grey's Anatomy

• Favorite place to watch sunset:  Sunset Cliffs

• Favorite tech gadget: Galaxy S3 Smartwatch

• Favorite sports team: College – LSU – Geaux Tigers/Professional – New Orleans Saints – Who Dat?!

• Favorite way to spend day off: Hanging out with my family

• Favorite dessert: Chocolate chip cookies

Migell Acosta, County Library

Favorite movie: Downton Abbey because I’m a fan of the TV series and it was a lovely wrap-up. Special mention to Always Be My Maybe, a Netflix movie and charming RomCom. Bladerunner is my all-time favorite.

Favorite book: Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts, by Annie Duke. This title represents a useful example of the principles of behavioral economics and decision-making under risk. Available for free from the Library’s eBook collection at SDebooks.org. My favorite all-time is a science fiction work called Neromancer by William Gibson, the first author to coin the phrase “cyberpunk” and other sci-fi elements still popular in film.

Favorite magazine: I love Sunset Magazine. That’s one of 61 magazine titles available for free (digital editions) from the Library’s collection called Flipster. Find it on SDCL.org.

Favorite podcast: Masters in Business by Barry Ritholz from Bloomberg Radio. This is a big picture podcast. For example, Ash Carter, for Secretary of Defense, discusses the challenges of weapon system procurement in the Pentagon and what that teaches about leadership.

Favorite website: SDCL.org of course! Free eBooks, eMagazines, place a hold on any book/Blu-Ray and so much more!

Favorite County park: Santa Ysabel County Preserve is my favorite so far, but I have many more to still visit.

Claudia Silva, Office of Ethics and Compliance

• Favorite movie, this year: Ford v Ferrari. All time: oooh, so many . . . Shawshank Redemption, What Dreams May Come, Schindler’s List, Star Wars (the very first one released in 1977)

• Favorite album, this year: Beyoncé – Homecoming: The Live Album. All time:  Tears for Fears – Songs from the Big Chair.

• Favorite book, this year: 2019 Complete Ethics and Compliance Manual. All time: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

• Favorite charity: Girl Scouts San Diego

• Favorite sports team: NY Yankees

• Favorite magazine: Real Simple

• Favorite website: Sephora

• Favorite dessert:  flan

Andy Pease, Health and Human Services Agency

• Favorite movie, this year/all time: Chariots of Fire

• Favorite album, this year/all time: Beatles – Greatest Hits

• Favorite TV show: Game of Thrones

• Favorite San Diego restaurant: Village Vino

• Favorite tech gadget: Kindle

• Favorite charity: American Red Cross

• Favorite sports team: Chargers

• Favorite podcast: Conan O’Brien

• Favorite dessert:  chocolate chip cookies with a cold glass of milk

Angela Bartosik, Public Defender

• Favorite movie, all time: “12 Angry Men”

• Favorite album, all time: anything by Billy Joel

• Favorite book, this year: “The Woman’s Hour” (about women’s suffrage, by Elaine Weiss – I’m currently reading it)

• Favorite TV show: Big Bang Theory

• Favorite place to watch sunset: Sunset Cliffs

• Favorite charity: Veterans Village of San Diego

• Favorite sports team: Two-way tie: U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen and San Diego Padres

• Favorite exercise activity: kayaking

Mike Barnett, Sheriff’s Department

• Favorite book, this year: Gen. Stanley McChrystal's “Team of Teams.”

• Favorite book, all time: John Steinbeck's “The Grapes of Wrath.”

• Favorite San Diego restaurant: Rubio's Coastal Grill. I've been a loyal customer since 1986.

• Favorite sports team: San Diego Padres.

• Favorite magazine: “National Review.”

• Favorite dessert: One scoop of any flavor ice cream, as long as it is vanilla.

• Favorite County park: Waterfront Park because it has great views and the Maritime Museum and the U.S.S. Midway are both right there.

• Favorite exercise activity: Keeping up with my children. I am occasionally successful.

Kim Giardina, Child Welfare Services

• Favorite movie, all time: “Oklahoma”

• Favorite San Diego restaurant: Prep Kitchen – Del Mar

• Favorite tech gadget: Google Home

• Favorite charity: Movember

• Favorite sports team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Favorite way to spend day off:  Rock climbing with my family

• Favorite magazine: “Zoonooz”

• Favorite podcast: “Ear Hustle”

• Favorite dessert:  Chocolate eclairs

OK, Helen here again. Lots of interesting things to check out in there. As promised, here are a few of mine.

• Favorite movie, this year. “Judy”

• Favorite book, all time: “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah

• Favorite San Diego restaurant: Yanni’s

• Favorite place to watch sunset:  Waterfront Park

• Favorite sports team: World Series Champs Washington Nationals!

• Favorite way to spend day off:  Beach

• Favorite podcast:  “Witness” (short, first-person accounts of historical events!)

• Favorite dessert:  Anything with chocolate

sunset at waterfront park

Hearing the variety of faves is a window into how unique each of us is. You’d never see two of these lists turn out the same, and that’s only a handful of topics – pretty surface-level stuff at that. Dig deeper and things get way more complex.

It’s a good reminder, as we deal with co-workers and customers, of how multifaceted each individual is. We see some sides but not others, and there is always more to their story. Deepening that understanding builds goodwill toward others, which is what this season is all about.

There wasn’t a category for it on the list, but one of my favorite things will always be watching the phenomenal work you all do on behalf of the people we serve. I’m so grateful all year long that I get to witness your creativity and dedication. Talk about a gift! Thank you for your efforts, and I hope your holidays are filled with the love and warmth of family and friends.

See you in 2020!