Take the 60 for 60 CECO Challenge

Join a six-decade tradition of giving by pledging a biweekly contribution or by attending one of San Diego County Employees' Charitable Organization’s many fundraising events planned during its 60th annual campaign, running now through the end of November.

For its diamond anniversary, CECO is launching the “60 for 60 Challenge.” The goal is to get 60 employees to pledge a biweekly contribution of just $2 or increase their contribution between now and Nov. 30. (Please see CECO pledge instructions.) For less than a cup of coffee every two weeks, you can add to CECO’s impact!

And the dollars really add up. Earlier this year, the organization awarded grants to 69 non-profit programs totaling $177,000. Since its founding in 1956, it has distributed more than $6.7 million throughout the San Diego region. When we give collectively, we are capable of giving a lot. It’s the power of One County!

Giving has never been so sweet. The CECO Thanksgiving Pie Drive with desserts from Marie Callendar’s will be back in November. And the annual bake sale and baking contest at the County Administration Center will also be returning—(plan to get there early if you want to get a scrumptious plate of lumpia and pancit before it is all gobbled up).

Plus, save the date for CECO’s big bash. The CECO 60th Anniversary Celebration will be held on Friday, Nov. 4. Ticket sales will open later this week.

Stay tuned to InSite for details on all of these worthy happenings.

Please consider contributing. Here are three other easy ways to lend a hand:

1. One-Time Donations: To make a one-time donation, contact your CECO Department Representative or a member of the CECO Executive Committee.

2. Amazon Smile: Select “CECO” when you shop at smile.amazon.com and Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to CECO. Learn more.

3. Volunteer Your Time: To help with an upcoming fundraiser event, please contact your CECO Department Representative or a member of the CECO Executive Committee.

How will you celebrate the County Employees’ Charitable Organization’s 60th anniversary?

Meet a Goat, a Tortoise and the HHSA Employee that Brought Them to Life

HHSA protective services worker and children's author Shari Tharp.

At some point in your childhood, you were probably introduced to adventurous tandems like Jack and Jill, Frog and Toad or Hansel and Gretel through stories your parents told you before bedtime.

Shari Tharp, an HHSA protective services worker, is hoping today’s generation of kids will be able to add Gertrude and Toby to the list of duos they follow from one literary adventure to another.

Gertrude the goat and a Toby the tortoise are the central characters in a series of children’s book authored by Tharp.

“Gertrude and Toby’s Friday Adventure” recently won a silver award as best illustrated e-book from the Independent Publisher Book Awards. The next two in the series – “Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf” and “Gertrude and Toby Save the Gingerbread Man” will both be out before end of the year.

Tharp came up with the idea for the book series when her young son insisted she read him a story before bed late one night. She decided it would be quicker to just tell him a story. He had been asking for a pet goat – which wasn’t going to happen, according to Tharp – so she made the story about a goat who befriended a tortoise on a farm.

“I gave them names: Gertrude and Toby,” Tharp said. “They just hung out in the yard.”

The second night he asked for more, so she decided to have them head out on an adventure. By the third night, she had them talking.

“That’s when I thought to myself, ‘Oh, maybe I should write this down.’”

At first, she had just thought she would find a way to self-publish the book for her son and family members, but her husband is a professional editor and he thought she should submit the story to publishers and agents.

The book is dotted with familiar fairy tale characters. Gertrude and Toby encounter a little girl in a red cape, an evil woman with poison apples, a crown-wearing frog waiting for a magical kiss and a gingerbread man.

“When I first wrote it, it had a cliffhanger at the end and I knew I was going to have to write a second book,” she said. “And then, I thought I would just write a trilogy.”

Tharp receiving her silver IPPY Award

But she had to rewrite the end of the book. She was told you don’t have cliffhangers in children’s books. Kids want “happily ever after” and an ending.

So instead of the gingerbread man getting caught in a vine grown from magic beans, Gertrude and Toby decide it’s getting late and they should head home and end their first adventure before the farmer returns.

“They say it takes a year to write a book,” Tharp said. “You write and then you re-write it 30 times. Then you have the person draw the pictures and that takes six months, followed by editing and layout and sometimes you have to re-do that a few times.”

She also maintains a hectic work schedule.

“It’s been tough. I have a heavy case load and in the evening I just want to go home and relax and watch TV. But there are a couple of nights a week I will write and then again on weekends,” she said.

Besides writing, there are writers groups, book signings and author visits. She had a signing at Warwick’s in La Jolla and has done several author visits to local elementary classrooms.

She’s also been busy writing more children’s stories.

Next up is Granny Franny, a frog that babysits her little grandchildren frogs and tells them exaggerated stories of her life. She also likes to break a few rules.

“When Granny Franny comes, it’s OK to have a cookie before dinner,” Tharp said. “Granny comes and she tries to follow the rules, but the next day the parents come home and are like ‘what happened?’”

The Gertrude and Toby stories are aimed at children ages 6-9, and Granny Franny will be for children ages 5-7.

“When I think about a story idea, I’ll grab my phone and start talking and recording the idea,” Tharp said. “I thought I should just write all these stories as they come because at some point the ideas won’t come anymore and I’ll have writer’s block.

“It’s hard and a lot of work. I found out I can’t quit my day job,” she joked. “It’s really fun though and I would love to look forward to this as my retirement job.”

“Gertrude and Toby’s Friday Adventure” is available in soft cover, hard cover or e-book form and can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Walmart websites.

The cover of "Gertrude and Toby's Friday Adventure" and the Independent Publisher's silver award.

Lip Sync Battle Is Back

Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps has done it, actress Anna Kendrick and TV host Michael Strahan too. Now is your chance to take center stage and enter the County’s Lip Sync Battle at this year’s Halloween celebration. Both solo acts and groups are invited to participate.

The battle for employees is similar to the popular Spike TV show of the same name. In the first round, each entrant will perform one song. The top two contenders with the loudest crowd applause will advance to the second and final round where they will act out a second song to clinch the championship.

Contestants will be selected on a first come, first serve basis. To enter, send an email with the following: the names, titles and department of everyone on your team, and the titles of two songs you’d perform.  Finalists will be announced on InSite on Monday, Oct. 24.

Lip Sync Battle contenders will grab the mic during a carnival-themed Halloween festival at the County Operations Center on Oct. 31. Dubbed “Carn-evil,” the fair with a wicked twist will feature activities including a frightening fun house, ghoulish games and photo booth.

Carnevil and Lip Sync Battle are just two of the Halloween hijinks planned. Show off your spooky and kooky workplace decorations by emailing a photo to communications@sdcounty.ca.gov, and it may be featured on InSite. And the grand finale - the County’s annual Halloween costume contest. Start crafting or shopping for a creepy, creative or extraordinary outfit, and keep your eyes peeled to InSite for details on how to submit a photo and enter the contest in the week leading up to Halloween.

Register to Get Earthquake Ready and Survive

A County employee practices the drop, cover and hold on response as part of the Great California ShakeOut earthquake drill.

A County employee practices the drop, cover and hold on response as part of the Great California ShakeOut earthquake drill.We all heard about the recent swarm of seismic activity late last month on the southernmost end of the San Andreas fault line that had scientists on alert for a larger quake. Fortunately, the threat did not take form, but it was a reminder that we live in earthquake country and that an eruption on a fault line is unpredictable.

The Office of Emergency Services urges all of us to learn what to do before, during and after an earthquake. As County Disaster Service Workers, we have an extra obligation after an earthquake: to report to our supervisors and assist those in need as directed.

The only way to survive and reduce your chances for injury if a significant earthquake rattles the region, is to get prepared now.

The Great ShakeOut earthquake drill will take place two weeks from today, on 10/20 at 10:20 a.m. The annual event, held on the third Thursday of October, promotes earthquake preparedness. Participants take part in the mass earthquake drill wherever they are: at home, work, school or in the community.

Residents, businesses, schools and other organizations can participate simply by going to the ShakeOut.org website and registering. So far, 9.4 million people have registered in California and more than 870,600 have registered in San Diego County, including several county departments.

“Emergency drills help people feel safe and prepared, and I encourage County departments to register if they plan to participate. It’s also a good opportunity for employees to practice earthquake safety with their families,” said Holly Crawford, director of the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services.

“If you can’t participate in the earthquake drill exactly at 10:20 a.m. on 10/20, you can still take the time to look around your workspace and figure out where the safest place would be to duck, cover, and hold on, in the event of an earthquake.”

Be sure to help your family get prepared first Before an earthquake, hold your own drill at home.

Every member of your family should know what to do during an earthquake: Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Practice at least once a year as part of the Great California ShakeOut drill, but ideally more often and in different rooms of the house so that the reaction becomes automatic. A quick, practiced response can help in the stressful and frightening minutes after a quake hits.

During an earthquake, the most important thing to do it to protect your head from items that might fall in the shaking. Drop, Cover and Hold under a sturdy table or desk. If you are not near a table or desk, drop to the ground and move away from any hanging fixtures, windows, glass, or furniture that could topple over, and sit up against an interior wall, while covering your head. For more tips, check out this helpful list provided by Earthquake Country Alliance.

Visit ShakeOut.org for information on how to hold a drill in schools, businesses, and homes, as well as posters, audio and video resources, and specific safety recommendations for people with disabilities or other access and functional needs.

Before an earthquake, check your home for hazards, such as items that could topple over onto someone from a high shelf or above. The goal is to secure breakables with wax or putty or rearrange them on a lower shelf, and to secure tall bookcases, televisions, wall art, or hanging mirrors with straps or special hanging hardware to prevent them from falling. All of this equipment can be found at most home improvement stores.

After an earthquake, it is important to be ready to seek cover again in the event of an aftershock. Check yourself and others for injuries. Assuming there are none, walk around the home or building and make sure there are no fires, which can sometimes ignite after an earthquake from ruptured gas lines. While walking around, be sure to sniff for gas as well. If the odor of gas is detected, the main gas line must be turned off. Turn the gas line off only if there is a leak or damage to the line because once it is off. Utility crews must turn it back on. If possible, check on neighbors.

To learn more about how to prepare for an earthquake, visit ReadySanDiego.org or ListoSanDiego.org and click on the earthquake symbol, or visit ShakeOut.org. 

Maintain, Don’t Gain

We’re getting into that time of year again when goodies and feasts seem to surround us and threaten our healthy eating habits. During this very busy season sometimes we can neglect ourselves, and that is why the 4th quarter challenge - Maintain, Don’t Gain - is so important.  

In this challenge you will learn how to be healthy even during the holiday season synonymous with over-eating. Participants will track their daily weight, water consumption and activity minutes during this 8-week challenge.

This is the third year for this popular program, and there are several new program features including a mobile app. That lets you easily log your progress from your mobile device with the ability to sync a fitness tracking device such as a Fitbit to your account. You can also “walk with William,” the County’s Employee Wellness Coordinator, along a virtual map throughout San Diego County.

In addition to the satisfaction of maintaining or losing weight during the approaching holidays, there are prizes to be won. The level 1 prize is a shoe light, perfect for walking, running and cycling after dark. The level 2 prize is an adult stress-relieving coloring book and pencils. Level 3 is a fleece winter kit with gloves, beanie and blanket. Prizes will be awarded based on the level completed.

So mark your calendar. Registration is open through Oct. 21 and the challenge begins Oct. 17 and runs through Dec. 9.

Learn more about Maintain, Don’t Gain on the Employee Wellness’ InSite page.

Take Steps Against Alzheimer's with Walk4ALZ

From Helen Robbins-Meyer

Walk4ALZ – the annual walk for Alzheimer's San Diego – is almost here, and we could really use your support.

I spoke in a recent column about the many things the County is doing to meet the challenge of a quickly expanding population with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. I know many of you have faced the struggle of caring for loved ones afflicted by these illnesses.

Alzheimer's San Diego raises funds to help local families impacted by Alzheimer's disease and support research for a cure. Maybe you'd like to walk in honor of a special person you know who suffers from Alzheimer's. Or maybe you're just moved by the cause and want to help.

Either way, I invite you to join me as part of Team San Diego County in Walk4ALZ. The walk is Oct. 15 in Balboa Park. You can register or donate by visiting our team page. Thanks for your support, and I hope to see you there!

-Helen 

InTouch - Our Election By the Numbers

You’ve heard me say it before, but I’ll say it again – I’m a numbers person. And an election, in the end, is all about the numbers.

We’ll all be anxiously watching the final tallies come in after Americans are done casting their votes next month. There are contests we’re each interested in personally, and some that could mean changes in how we operate at the County.

But for the moment, I want to focus on a few numbers that show what a big and complex job it is to make those results appear. It’s not magic. The entire Registrar of Voters team works tirelessly for many months leading up to each election, and for weeks after, to make sure this machinery at the core of democracy runs smoothly. Here are a few figures from this current cycle to give you a feel for what they pull off.

That's the number of registered voters in the County as of Oct. 1. Registrar Michael Vu expects we'll get to 1.6 million by the close of registration (that's Oct. 24, by the way).

That’s 62 percent of all voters. We’re really promoting mail voting as the way to go. Getting ballots mailed to us before Election Day greatly speeds up the counting process.

Every school district, water district, assembly district, city council district and so on has its own boundaries, cutting this way and that across each other. So for our county, you wind up with 623 unique areas, and each needs its own unique ballot. Then multiply that by the 5 languages we provide materials in. That's a lot of different ballots. Each needs to get mailed to the appropriate home or delivered to the correct polling place.

You’ve probably heard about the phenomenal number of contests we’re voting on. 17 statewide initiatives. 35 local measures. Then all the offices, which have 468 candidates across them. None of us will vote in every single one and the exact number will depend on where you live. But the Registrar had to prepare for all of them, and every voter will have a lot. Which leads us to our next number….  

All those contests mean that for the first time ever, San Diegans will get two ballot cards. They simply won’t fit on one.

We’re trying to get the word out to people – vote by mail if you can, so you can have time to go through it at home. And if you do head to the polls, be prepared. Don’t try to figure it out on the spot. 

Registrar staff has to make individual arrangements for each garage, school, community center, church, etc. that voters walk into.

Plus another 600+ as standbys. Each person has to get trained, so the Registrar will hold 238 classes – possibly more – and they all take place in a matter of 20 days. That’s an average of a dozen a day.

Now, about those poll workers…

Help our Registrar out. Michael Vu needs you!1,552. That’s how many of you we’re hoping to enlist as poll workers this election. That’s a good amount more employees than we’ve ever had before, so it’s a pretty audacious goal. Many of you have volunteered in past elections, so we know the things that make you great employees – your reliability, your commitment to the HEART qualities of customer service – make you great poll workers. We really need as many of you as possible in the field for what could be a challenging Election Day. Work things out with your supervisor and email Jean.Vukotich@sdcounty.ca.gov to sign up.

I hope this gives you some idea of the effort that goes into an election and the amazing work the Registrar is doing. Getting many of you in as poll workers will help ensure their success – and ours as a County team.

And a final number:

That’s your vote.

Pause for a moment and remember how precious it is. People have fought and died so you could have it. Many people in the world can only dream of having one.

Yours makes a difference.

Make it count.

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