County Employees Toss Out Olympics Tales

You’ve watched the world’s best athletes both in person and from afar. And at least one of you came oh-so-close to competing yourself. Here are a few of your best Olympic stories and memories. Got more you want to share? Send them our way at Communications@sdcounty.ca.gov by July 10. The London Summer Games start on July 27!

Here is my story of almost seeing history at the Olympics. Back in 1984, my father surprised the family by winning the chance to purchase Olympic tickets for the Los Angeles Summer Games.  He chose three events: Opening Ceremonies, Track and Field Decathlon and Men’s Platform Diving Finals.   

While the Opening Ceremonies were actually a little boring (I was 13, what did I know), the Decathlon was pretty interesting as events were going on all over the place at the same time. 

The Men’s platform Diving--never got to see it. My Dad spent hours driving around the area looking for the event.  Instead of stopping someone and getting actual directions or at least a map, my Dad refused to believe he was lost.  Turns out we had missed watching Greg Louganis win the gold medal for the US. Later on, he said the Olympics must have moved the venue because, as he stated, “I never get lost.”

-Luigi Diaz, Department of Child Support Services

We went to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles at the Sports Arena and watched Evander Holyfield compete in boxing. He went on to win a bronze medal for the USA and later became a professional heavyweight boxing champion.

When we drove to the event, we allowed ourselves several hours of extra time due to expected traffic congestion. However, due to all of the advance warnings about bad traffic there was no delay whatsoever. We even arrived several hours early. We have never experienced traffic that light in Los Angeles. It was like a ghost town.

-Charlie Lackey, ARCC

I went to several events during the 1984 LA Summer Olympics. My brother’s soccer team ran a concession stand at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to raise money and my father made me go with him to work it. It was quite an experience.

One day we sat next to the track as the women’s marathon runners entered the arena in the final qualifying round. We had a front row seat and American marathon runner Joan Benoit, who later won a gold medal, walked right in front of us.

When business slowed on another day, we were allowed to watch. We saw many Americans compete and win including U.S. Track and Field gold medalist Carl Lewis. We watched a women’s relay team that included a woman from San Bernardino, our hometown. She and one of her sisters had qualified, and one ended up running for the gold. After they won they came up to our concession stand knowing we were from the same town and took pictures with us and signed our uniform caps. Somewhere I still have that picture and cap.

-Rosana Hopper, HHSA, North Inland Family Resource Center

I was 15 years old when I competed in the 200 meter event at the 1972 Track & Field Olympic Trials. I placed fourth and was invited to train with the Olympic team prior to the Olympics in Germany.

I flew to Ohio and trained with the females training in the 400-800 meter events. While there, the coaches asked me to be an alternate member of the US Track & Field team for the 200 meter event. This was my dream come true. However, I had a dilemma. By taking the alternate spot, I would be replacing my own teammate who had been partying instead of performing at the training camp.

Painfully, I decided I could not accept the offer. I felt it would be unethical and a betrayal to my teammate despite her behavior. Unfortunately, as it turned out, the 1972 Olympics became infamous and tragic when 11 Israel athletes and coaches and others were killed by terrorists.

The following year I made the American Junior Track & Field team and competed proudly and successfully in Russia, Poland and Germany.  I also had the privilege of carrying the American flag in the Opening Ceremonies. Go USA!

-Maureen Abare-Laudy, Parks & Recreation

The 1984 Summer Olympics were held in Los Angeles but the Cross-Country phase of the Equestrian “Eventing” competition took place at the golf course of Rancho Santa Fe’s new Fairbanks Ranch Country Club before it was used for golf. I packed a thematic picnic lunch and appropriate beverages with a bunch of friends. We spent the day outdoors watching the horses jumping over logs, stone walls, banks and water features that had been specially installed for the event. The horses were great and the athleticism of both the horses and the riders was amazing. I significantly remodeled my kitchen the same summer. The Olympics was a lot more fun.

-Kaye Hobson, Community Services Group Executive Office

Prior to moving to San Diego, I worked in Washington, D.C. for a huge Canadian Public Relations firm. One of our Canada-based clients was Bombardier, an official supplier to the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics. Makers of snow-management equipment, Bombardier provided snow grooming vehicles to prep the slopes for competition in the Snowboard, Alpine, Downhill, Biathlon, and Nordic Jumping events.

From my desk in DC, I was coordinating a media event in Salt Lake for the client to promote its behind-the-scenes involvement. We decided to arrange ride-alongs on a snow groomer following the completion of the Snowboard Half-pipe event, with reporters taking turns in the vehicle as it filled in the half-pipe and prepared the slope for the upcoming women’s downhill.  I received many calls in response to the news release but the best one I got came just a few days before the Olympics were start. It was Bombardier asking that I fly to Salt Lake to coordinate the event in person.

In February 2002, the memory and effects of 9/11 were still fresh, so travel and access to the Olympics was quite an experience. My hotel room was adjacent to the ski slope where the event was to take place, and I could see armed military personnel everywhere.

The day of the event was more than we could ask for, as the U.S. men swept the medals in the half-pipe (to be honest, I guess my Canadian clients weren’t as excited about that as I was). That evening, a crowd of Olympic officials and security, Bombardier reps, reporters and I gathered at the foot of the half-pipe and waited for the arrival of the snow grooming machine. As we waited, the Olympic officials encouraged us to explore the half-pipe. Within minutes, all of us were walking up the side of the half-pipe, dangling our feet over the edge, and then sliding down the walls of the half-pipe like little kids. After we were soaked, freezing and sweating all at the same time, the snow groomer finally appeared. It came to a stop just in front of us, and we each took turns climbing inside the cab to ride with the driver as he made his way up the slope, then turned around to head back down, pushing snow into the half-pipe, filling the void until it was smooth, flat and ready for the downhill skiers.

The event was a great success - even NBC’s Al Roker did a TV spot for the Today Show sitting on one of the snow groomers. But the best part was the incredibly rare and amazing opportunity I was given to be a part of the Olympic experience. And it is a memory that I will never forget.

-Michael Davis, Office of Emergency Services 

The 1984 Olympics were held in Los Angeles. Part of the path of the Olympic torch went through San Diego County, and I watched it from the intersection of 54^th Street & University Avenue. One of my classmates from Crawford High School even carried the torch for a bit. This summer, I will watch the Track & Field and Women’s & Men’s Basketball competitions. Hopefully softball will return in 2020.

-Danita Washington, HHSA, Child Welfare Services-Foster Care

I lived in Atlanta during the 1996 Summer Olympics. It was a fun time; a 24 hour party. People were trading Olympic pins like crazy. It was great for the City of Atlanta. Since I was on a budget, I went to the free events such as bicycle races and running marathons. There were free concerts at Centennial Olympic Park, which had replaced a slum. The French Olympic team came in to eat at the French pastry shop where I worked. Everything was fine, fun and good until a Tuesday, during the second week of the Olympics, when the crowded park was bombed. Many people were injured and two people died as a result of the blast. That took the air out of the Olympics. It was no longer fun. I stopped going to events. They tried to pin the blame on the police officer who had saved more people from being injured. It took a long time for him to clear his name, however eventually the right person responsible for the bombing was found.

-David S. Pilch, Public Defender’s Office

Like many others, my first experience seeing the Olympics in person was in 1984. My father picked the tickets so we saw Track and Field heats from the back of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. We saw many famous athletes but only from a great distance.

Fast forward to February 2010. My sisters and I had been to Vancouver many times and we had avidly watched the Olympics since the 1970s. So when we heard Vancouver would host the Winter Games in 2010, we knew we had to go.

I strongly advise everyone to go in person to the Olympics at least once in your life. Vancouver is always a lovely place to visit but there was something extra special about the city then. Total strangers talked to each other and locals went out of their way to make visitors feel welcome.

The Games were very well organized. Volunteers ready to help were everywhere and public transportation was free with an Olympics ticket so we were able to see a little of Vancouver before we went to our events.

There were many highlights. We saw Apolo Anton Ohno win his 7^th Olympic medal in Short Track Speed Skating and we saw J.R. Celski get a medal as well. Being Short Track Speed Skating fans, we recognized J.R. Celski’s mother and Apolo Anton Ohno’s father in the crowds.

The best part was meeting people in the crowds. We were all so excited to be there. When we saw one lady, who may have been from Japan, taking a picture of the rest of her group in front of an Olympic banner, we didn’t need to speak her language to know she wanted her picture taken with the rest of her group. We mimicked taking a picture of them and they agreed. So we took their picture in front of the Rings.

Standing in front of the Olympic torch was a magical moment. We spoke with a Vancouverite who was also trying to put the Olympic feeling into words. The best we could come up with was to say that at the Olympics we all felt like we were part of something bigger than ourselves. No matter which flag we were carrying we all felt proud of our country and we were all rooting for our home teams. We were human beings first. We were all part of one big family.

I wish I were going to London for the 2012 Games. Those who are going will have a fabulous experience.

-Brenna Ring, San Diego County Library - Rancho San Diego Branch

I feel very fortunate that I got to see a couple of Olympic events in person in 1984 and 1996.  In 1984, one of my cousins got tickets to the Diving Preliminaries where we watched the great Greg Louganis compete. My cousin and I were also impressed by a diver from Egypt who was only 13 years old at the time. In 1996, my family, along with my sister-in-law and her family drove to Atlanta the day after the bombing. I remember getting calls from friends asking if we would still go on with our trip and of course, you know the answer to that (silly) question. We got to see the superb Michael Johnson strut around the track with his golden shoes after winning the 200 meter event.

-Maria A. Munar, HHSA-Community Action Partnership

The closest I have been to any Olympic event was just before the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. I took my wife and three kids there a few weeks prior to the opening of the Games. (My kids would have school during the Games.) Even then, preparations were already in the final stages and everywhere you looked were symbols of the Olympics. Our hotel was right outside the Olympic Stadium, BC Place, where the opening and closing ceremonies would be held. I felt like I was at the Games when I stood outside the International Broadcast Center, visited Grouse Mountain where the NBC Today Show would broadcast daily, shopped for Olympic souvenirs, saw the Olympic rings illuminated by the harbor and posed in front of the Olympic Countdown. Just without the humongous crowd.

I want to inspire my kids to excel in a sport they love. Since they are into swimming, I enrolled them in swimming lessons and taught them myself. Now my daughters, ages 9 and 11, can swim comfortably in any pool. It’s primarily for their safety in water environments but also for fitness and the chance to earn a college scholarship one day or even a spot in the Olympic Team. Why not?

-Zulim Obispo, Department of Child Support Services

Above and Beyond and Into the Ocean

A small nine-month-old poodle is safe and dry after nearly being swept out to sea Thursday. Animal Control Officer Melissa Prettyman jumped into the water alongside the jetty at Hospitality Point to rescue the puppy.

It all started when a San Diego police officer called Animal Services to come out and assist her with capturing the black and gray animal. The dog was trapped on the jetty and wouldn’t let anyone near her, and there were fears the incoming tide would take the pooch along with it.

Officer Prettyman scrambled over the rocks along the entire length of the jetty all the way to end and wouldn’t you know it, the puppy made a U-turn and ran back the way it had come. About half-way back, the dog leapt into the water and the current started sweeping her toward Dog Beach and then out west into the waves.

A nearby surfer tried to help, but the frightened dog tried to bite him so the surfer couldn’t corral her. That’s when Prettyman jumped into the water herself and swam after the dog. The pooch tried to bite her as well but Prettyman managed to capture her and bring her safely to shore.

After bringing the poodle back to the animal shelter on Gaines Street, Prettyman dried off as well she could and went right back to work to deal with her next call.

Shelter officials called a number on the dog’s tag and it led them to the owners. The two were so happy to see her again, they nearly cried. They said Aurora had been missing for three days.   

As for Officer Prettyman, she said she felt like a billy goat climbing amongst the rocks on the jetty but that it’s all part of her job.

New County Web Page Answers Gift-Giving Questions

Plots of land. Artificial turf. Money.

Citizens regularly think of the County when they’re considering where to donate gifts. They’ve generously given all of these items and more in recent years. The gifts, which can be made in the form of cash or assets such as land or equipment, help support important community services and programs.

Questions about the process regularly arise, and now a new County Web page can help answer them. 

There, citizens seeking donation opportunities can get a better idea of the County’s needs and where they can contribute, from Animal Services’ Spirit Fund to donating funding to plant native trees in County parks. In all, more than 20 specific ideas and programs are listed.

The newly developed page also offers answers to Frequently Asked Questions, from whether donations or gifts are tax deductible to whether citizens can donate their time. (The answer is yes to both!) Check it out.

Dronenburg Receives Government Excellence Award in LA County

Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk Ernest DronenburgPublic service can bring all kinds of surprises.

Winning the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s 2012 Award for Excellence by a Government Official qualified as a big one for Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk Ernest Dronenburg.

In fact, it was so unexpected, Dronenburg hadn’t planned to be at the presentation at all.

Given to a top public sector tax professional—not necessarily from Los Angeles—each year, bar association officials presented this year’s award to Dronenburg on May 24 at the 2012 California Tax Practitioners’ Conference in downtown Los Angeles. About 600 people attended the event.

Organizers let Dronenburg know he was the winner to make sure he made it to the presentation. He had planned to leave the event early to catch a plane.

“I was surprised and honored,” he said. "I’ve been recognized many times for many things and it’s always a surprise because I just do my job.”  

Previous winners have included California State Controller John Chiang, former Los Angeles County Assessor Rick Auerbach and State Franchise Tax Board Executive Officer Selvi Stanislaus. Dronenburg was selected from a pool that included other county assessors, members of the state Assembly, attorneys and State Board of Equalization members, said Chris Matarese, a Glendale-based attorney who chaired the event.

“All the attorneys hold him in the highest regard,” Matarese said.

Before becoming San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk in November 2010, Dronenburg served 20 years on the California State Board of Equalization. During that time, he served five stints as Chairman and heard more than 20,000 tax appeals. He also wrote the initial rules for 1978’s Proposition 13, which capped property taxes across the state.

A graduate of San Diego State University with a degree in Business Administration, Finance and Accounting, Dronenburg also worked for 12 years as a national Tax Partner at accounting firm Deloitte & Touche. He served on the San Diego County Board of Education for six years.

Dronenburg has testified at the local, state, national and international levels on taxation, published several tax-related papers and been a frequent lecturer at universities and technical groups.

In his current position, Dronenburg said he has focused on customer service and efficiency. He re-opened Assessor/Recorder/Clerk offices in Kearny Mesa and Chula Vista and pushed the office’s closing times from 4 to 5 p.m. Dozens of additional forms are now available to the public online.   

Dronenburg also hired additional assessors to tackle a backlog of property tax assessment appeals, triggered largely by the economic downturn. The effort is saving the county over $2 million in its first year, he said.

Over the past few years, the number of assessment appeals has finally started to level off and is “not increasing by a significant amount” any more, he said.

“Things are pretty quiet now,” he said. 

Public Defender Makes Argument for Mexico’s New Judicial Reform

Attorneys in Mexico will finally get a chance to emphatically slam a hand down on the table to make a point and face the judge in their cases, all in the public eye.

This summer, Deputy Public Defender Jesus Romero will travel to Mexico to help prepare his counterparts there for a historic change to its judicial system.

Mexico is transitioning to oral, open trials from a system where lawyers submit arguments and evidence in writing to a judge. This change was mandated by constitutional reform.

 Romero, 47, a skillful orator who has worked as a public defender for nearly 22 years, will share his expertise as the keynote speaker at the National Congress of Mexican Public Defenders. The conference is set for July 12 in Merida, Yucatan.

“It’s an incredible honor because I’m probably going to be speaking to some of the best defense attorneys from every state in Mexico,” said Romero. “They’ve asked me to speak on the role of the public defender both as an advocate for the client, for the administration of justice, and for the community-- which is what I do here as a public defender.”

Romero, whose parents are Mexican, said he feels his cultural background and fluent Spanish have made him a popular volunteer speaker on the American judicial system  in Mexico. An oral trial skills instructor since 1996 in the United States, Romero has also held various trainings with public defenders, prosecutors and judges in Mexico and Central America.

 In 2005, Mexico determined it would switch from written argument trials to oral trials so testimonies and rulings would be more transparent to the public, said Romero. The system will be nearly identical to ours, except Mexico will use a three-judge panel instead of a jury.

Currently, the country remains in transition.  Some states are still submitting all trials in writing because they do not have the funding to build courtrooms, retrain judges, attorneys and court staff.  Many other states like Tabasco, Yucatan and Oaxaca have made significant changes  in the last five years.

The change to oral trials is controversial within the legal community in Mexico. The younger attorneys see a benefit in having the trials be more public and in establishing a method for a speedy trial, Romero said.  However, some judges and attorneys don’t see a need for the change and don’t think it will work. Some attorneys who have never  spoken publically may be a little nervous at first, but after they speak in court, most later agree it is a better presentation of the case, Romero said.

“Judges will make their rulings in front of the public and in front of the press.” Romero said. “This will alleviate some of those notions of corruption and favoritism because the new system is transparent and more efficient.”

 In July, Romero plans to tell the Mexican attorneys  what it is like to work as a public defender in San Diego County. Romero works  cases at the South Bay Superior Court including homicides, and drug and gang cases.

“Being a public defender is not just a job. I think it’s a way of life. You cannot just work from 8 to 5, go home and forget your clients. That’s been my work ethic working for the County of San Diego,” said Romero. “If you don’t believe in this kind of work, you should not be a public defender. It’s being part of an important constitutional concept that people’s rights should be respected.”

Romero said it is also apparent that there is a disparity in salaries for prosecuting attorneys and public defender attorneys in Mexico.  Public defenders have to buy their own reams of paper and ink and many cannot afford to support a family on their salaries. Without parity, the system will not work because people will not choose to go into public defense and those who do will be quickly overwhelmed, he said.

“It’s important for the community to understand that public defenders are doing important work and we deserve the respect of the public," said Romero.

Kittens, Kittens Everywhere!

They leap, they pounce, and they jump straight into the air when they’re startled. They purr, cuddle and love to fall asleep in your lap. No doubt about it, kittens are cute.

And right now, there are plenty of them, especially Tweenies. Why the name? They fall beTWEEN the age of 4 to 8 weeks old and need foster care until they’re big enough to be adopted.

The Department of Animal Services (DAS) is still looking for a few good foster parents among the County’s ranks. DAS loves to recruit County employees   because they’re so good at it. In fact, we played Mom and Dad to more than 500 kittens last year.

More importantly, it’s the kittens’ best shot at getting adopted. Tweenies who’ve been fostered are healthy and they look it. They’re not afraid of people. They want to play, and they are the little balls of fur that appeal to future forever families.  

PSG CAO Staff Officer Michele Cummings and her fiancé are fostering three kittens, two boys and a girl. She says it’s amazing to see them grow. Within weeks, they went from being tiny ‘fraidy cats to curious feline adventurers.

Dexter, Mini and Skid (for skittish) came with everything such babies need: blankets, toys, supplies and food. DAS provides ongoing medical care. “You’re not doing anything out of your own pocket,” says DAS Tweenie Coordinator Vanessa Brush.

Brush says the idea is to make fostering as easy as possible. Foster parents are giving these animals the loving care they need plus exposure to the sights and sounds that make everything a home. The Tweenies get used to the vacuum cleaner, the slam of the microwave door, the T-V, maybe even squealing children, and other cats and dogs. When the time comes for adoption, these kittens won’t be hiding; they’ll want to be with people.

Cummings says fostering the little ones was a great experience and she would totally recommend it but with one caveat. “We didn’t necessarily want pets long-term. We planned to give them back but now we’re completely attached,” said Cummings. “They were just so cute, they reeled us in.”

You guessed it; Cummings just adopted one and may adopt another. Brush has a term for these foster parents, and it comes with a big, broad smile –foster failures. It means one more kitten was saved, maybe even two!

OES Senior Emergency Services Coordinator Michael Davis fostered two Tweenies this spring. His family loves kittens and that’s why they have three cats. Oh, and a puppy. What with the animals, and two boys, ages 9 and 13, they already have a full house. So they don’t have room for more ‘forever’ pets, but the idea of caring for Tweenies appealed to them. From the get-go, the kids knew the kittens would go back.

They brought home a brother and sister, and within minutes the boys gave them names, Gracie and Oliver. “We got them just this side of feral, they were hissers and hadn’t had much human contact,” said Davis. “It was great to see the boys be caregivers, teaching them how to play a parental role.” 

By the end of their stay, Davis said the kittens meowed to be picked up and purred in their arms.

At two pounds, though, Tweenies are big enough to return to the shelter. Davis wrote up bios on Gracie, the adventurous one and Oliver, the orange one, who plays hard and crashes. While he expected Oliver to go first, Gracie was adopted within hours.

Every day, Davis checked on Oliver via the DAS adoption web page. His picture showed he was still up for adoption. Davis wondered whether it was time for a talk with the family about what to do. Meantime, Davis decided to pay Oliver a visit.

Amazingly enough, in the time it took to travel to the shelter, Oliver was adopted. Davis had just missed him and the two families that had been fighting over him!

It was bittersweet, but Davis says his boys were okay with the adoptions. Overall, he says the experience was awesome and he’d do it again.

Brush says foster families are saving each kitten’s life to make someone else’s life that much happier. So maybe you can’t change the world, but you can make a world of difference to one… or maybe even two!

If you’d like to know more about the Tweenie program, contact DAS Volunteer Coordinator Marlena Young at (619) 767-2611 or Marlena.young@sdcounty.ca.gov.  

What’s Out of this World and completely edible?

 

Okay, so it’s not really fair food fare, (no bacon, after all) but it is an entry in the edible structure category at the San Diego County Fair. Public Works’ own LeAnn Carmichael and family created this tableaux taking off on the fair’s theme Out of this World.

The scene features a flying saucer, aliens, R2D2 and even Easter treats-turned-extraterrestrial Peeps mesmerized by a slab of granite. That slab is a nod to all you 2001 Space Odyssey fans. Except for the flag, the sign and the board it sets on, all of it is completely edible down to the landing site of crushed graham cracker crumbs.

It would seem to be quite a departure for LeAnn who is a LUEG Program Manager involved in environmental reviews for County projects like roads, bridges and airports. But it turns out experience as a program manager comes in handy since she has managed this Home and Hobby entry for the family for the past six years.

“It’s a great family project,” says LeAnn. “And the kids love to see their work featured at the fair.” Their hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Over the years, they’ve earned third, second and first place finishes as well as Best in Show.

For those of you who decorate gingerbread houses every holiday season, watch out; this is how it all started. “We saw some over at the fair,” said LeAnn. “We thought we should do one too and enter it.”

Her daughter, Madison, was about 8 years old when the family first started entering the competition. She’s 15 now and still likes to take part along with her 10-year-old brother Robert. It’s fun, creative and yes, kind of messy. What’s not to like?

Over the years, the family moved on from gingerbread houses to structures that reflect the fair’s theme. Not to give away any secrets, but judges seem to like that idea.

Dad works on the structure part, and everyone else pitches in on the rest. That flying saucer? A giant sugar cookie, don’t you know, with tootsie pop legs and candy landing lights. The saucer’s dome is hard crack sugar. If you peer intently inside, you’ll see an eyeball peering back at you. It’s chocolate.

R2D2 looks like a toy, but no, Madison made it out of fondant. That’s a fancy word for a thick type of frosting made of sugar and water. It becomes a type of a paste that can be rolled out with a rolling pin then molded into various shapes. The scary octopus-looking alien was made of fondant too. The entire project took a weekend.

And of course, disasters happen! One year, the Rice Krispies structure melted. Another time, the beach sand of graham cracker crumbs spilled on to Dad’s lap as they were loading the entry into the car. But as LeAnn says, the show must go on and the project was duly submitted. Now, this fair entry veteran always brings extra plastic bags full of graham cracker crumbs, just in case.

While she always aims for first place, her husband and kids always go for second. Why’s that? Well, if you win, you have to sit out from entering the category for a year. So how did the judges vote this year? The entry took second. Still good enough for bragging rights and the family can enter again next year, a win-win in a way.

But in the end, it’s not about winning anything at all. “We live in a big city, but it (entering the competition) feels like a little hometown thing,” says LeAnn. “It really connects you with the community.” That connection, the family tradition, togetherness and funny near-disaster stories are treasured memories and the true prize for the Carmichaels.

Employee's Daughter Collects Hundreds of Books for Juvenile Hall

Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility Director Craig Stover thanks Megan Thrush, 16.

A future juvenile hall library being  built on donated books swelled by about 400 titles Friday when Megan Thrush, 16, dropped off a dozen crates of novels and non-fiction donated by  peers and teachers at Patrick Henry High School.

"I couldn’t get every variety of book, but I certainly hope there’s enough variety that (the kids in juvenile hall) are getting to choose what to read,” said Megan as she considered the hundreds of paperbacks and hardbacks her dad and brother helped her unload at the Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility.

There are books here I would read said Megan, shuffling through the boxes and pointing out intriguing covers and old favorites.

"Freak Almighty—that’s a great book!”    

Megan, who just finished her junior year, loves reading and decided to collect books for the kids in custody with her mom’s encouragement. Our Public Safety Group's Finance Director, Dorothy Thrush, Megan’s mother, is one of many employees who was inspired by a news item about the burgeoning book collection on InSite.

Kearny Mesa Detention Facility Director Craig Stover said County departments that took up collections, and some outside groups too, have donated more than 4,000 books –maybe as many as 5,000—since the story ran.  

The titles fill bookshelves and pile up in a juvenile hall storage room being converted into the library. Thousands more wait in another room until more bookshelves arrive. A retired librarian has promised to help organize the collection. The library should be open in within a few months, Stover said.

"The response has been great,” he said.  “We have more than enough books to install a library.”

Kids in juvenile hall go to school every day and have access to books and leisure reading. But a full library with plenty of choice will be more appealing, Stover said. There is no television or video gaming at the facility, so reading becomes a primary form of entertainment for some kids.

Now we’ve got so many they can get a book and take it home if they want,” Stover said. “We want the kids to read. Not just here, but when they’re home.”

Megan said Patrick Henry students and teachers surprised her with how many books they donated. She advertised the book drive school bulletin, and placed three boxes around the school. In the two week collection period, she had to empty the boxes three times.

Collecting the books was easy, Megan said, but she also thinks the contributions could have a real impact. After all, reading has always been a positive part of her own life. She said books help her learn and carry on interesting conversations. And she just loves books and the prospect of discovering something new to read, even demanding her parents stop every time they pass a used book store.   

"I knew it was important. I have lots of books—my grandmother always gave me books,” she said.  “I read and I read and I really enjoy it.”

Communications Office Clinches Three Emmy Awards

What do authorities really mean when they ask you to report suspicious behavior? Are tattoo parlors safe?  And can local students have fun with solar engineering?

Video pieces exploring these questions earned the Communications Office three 2012 regional Emmy awards over the weekend. The high-profile honors recognized “outstanding achievements in television” in the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Pacific Southwest region, which covers Las Vegas and much of Southern California. The regional chapter announced the winners of its 38^th Annual Emmy awards at a reception Saturday, June 16 at La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad.

In all, three County-produced programs received the awards: The Eight Signs of Terrorism by Assistant Director of Communications Tammy Glenn and Videographer Dominic Fulgoni in the Informational/Instructional-Program or Special category; Solar Cars by Suzanne Bartole in the Education-Single Story or Series category; and Safety Stickler, also by Bartole, in the Video Essay (Single Camera Only) category. 

The awards push the Communications Office’s overall Emmy tally into the dozens over the past decade. County employees paid their own contest entry fees.

“This reinforces the level of quality of video content we’re producing,” said Michael Workman, Communications Director. “We’ve got excellent storytellers on staff who also bring outstanding technical expertise to what they do.” 

In The Eight Signs of Terrorism, Glenn and Fulgoni used graphics, video footage and detailed explanations to help the public understand what suspicious activity to look for and what to do if they notice something unusual. Glenn produced and provided the script and Fulgoni shot the video, which has been used to train County and City of San Diego employees. It’s available on the Ready San Diego’s Terrorism web page.

In Safety Stickler, Bartole focused on a local tattoo parlor and how the County regulates such businesses. In the piece, she tells the story of a local tattoo artist, how he got started and how he stays on top of the County’s Body Art regulations.

In Solar Cars, Bartole visits a solar car design competition for sixth, seventh and eighth graders. Through the video, she offers a window into how the young students can have fun while tackling cutting-edge science and engineering questions. The annual competition, called the San Diego Junior Solar Sprint, was founded by the National Renewable Energy Lab.

To view these and other programs by the Communications Office, visit County News Center or watch the County Television Network. 

Putting Her Experience to Work

It seemed like forever. It was only one year, but it was a long year for Janet King.

That’s the time King, 54, was receiving public assistance. She was embarrassed. Just like others caught up in the Great Recession money was tight.  

“It felt like forever,” said King. “It was over a year, and it was one of those things you didn’t want to do.

“But being a single parent, I needed to think of my son.”

King wanted her time on public assistance to be as short as possible so she got involved with the San Diego County Work Experience (WEX) program, which gives unpaid work experience to help people build their resumes and return to the workforce.

Her experience is a tailor-made success story for the WEX program.

“I’ve always wanted to do something for someone and I went to school to be a medical assistant, but there were no jobs out there when I graduated,’ King said.

She and her son moved in with her mother. She wanted to help out with expenses, which was difficult to do without a paycheck.

“There is a stigma about welfare,” King said. “It was embarrassing, but I had to rise above it and do what I needed to do. “The assistance helped me a lot.”

When applying for assistance, she learned about the jobs training program that offers resume and job search assistance.

“It was mostly things I had done before, but it was a great refresher course,” she said.

 “I did anything that was needed and anything a WEX worker could do,” King said. “I was happy to be able to be doing something and it made me feel like I was doing something for the assistance I was receiving.”

While she was volunteering as WEX worker, she applied for a job as an office assistant in the County Health and Human Services Agency’s Ramona Community Resource Center (CRC).

“It was a nice surprise when I got the news that I had been hired,” she said. “It just seems so unreal sometimes, and I live in Ramona so I was fortunate enough to be placed here.”

 “When the public comes in for help, I can totally relate to what they’re going through, their apprehensions and try to make them feel at ease,” King said. “You treat people with common courtesy, decency and compassion.

“You make them feel comfortable, and I can say to them, ‘I know it’s going to get better – I’m proof it can work,’ but you can’t just sit back and do nothing.”

King isn’t stopping now either. She’s already applied for a higher-paying job as a Human Services Specialist with the County.

“I want to help people and I can’t think of a better way to do that.”