Sheriff’s Deputy Wins State Recognition for Pulling Drunk Drivers off the Road

(l-r) Sheriff Bill Gore, Encinitas Captain Sherri Sarro, Deputy Dave Toner, OTS Director Chris Murphy

Kudos go to an Encinitas Sheriff’s Deputy who recently won the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) Award for Traffic Safety Excellence. Deputy Dave Toner was honored for making 187 DUI arrests last year, the highest of anyone in the Sheriff’s Department or any other agency in the County. Deputy Toner is a Senior Traffic Deputy who works the night shift in the Encinitas, Solana Beach and Del Mar areas. When he’s not improving traffic safety by pulling drunk drivers off the road, he’s training new deputies and giving advice on how to conduct DUI investigations.

The Sheriff’s Department itself won third place in the California Law Enforcement Challenge Impaired Driving Award. It recognizes agencies that reduce driving fatalities and injuries. Among the many ways the Sheriff’s Department works toward that goal is by conducting DUI checkpoints, bicycle safety rodeos, safety presentations and a free class for teenage drivers called Start Smart.

OTS Director Chris Murphy traveled from Sacramento to the Sheriff’s Main Office in Kearny Mesa to present the plaques to Sheriff Gore and Deputy Toner. Deputy Toner’s supervisor, Captain Sherri Sarro, was also on hand for the presentation.  

Chief Probation Officer Honored as Law Enforcement Official of the Year

Chief Probation Officer Mack Jenkins (right) and Probation Officer Bobby Burns were both recognized by the San Diego Crime Commission.

When asking local law enforcement leaders who should be named this year’s law enforcement official of the year, the San Diego Crime Commission kept hearing one name again and again – Chief Probation Officer Mack Jenkins.

Jenkins has worked closely with the public safety community over the past several months in his role as chairman of the Community Corrections Partnership. The group’s executive committee was tasked with a monumental challenge: creating a local plan for public safety realignment, which shifts thousands of offenders from state to county responsibility.

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and Sheriff Bill Gore sit on the committee with Jenkins, and they presented the award to Jenkins at the San Diego Crime Commission’s awards ceremony Friday. In addition to his work on public safety realignment, Jenkins was honored for his contributions to public safety during his 33-year career, including the design and implementation of special supervision programs for domestic violence, sex and drug offenders.

Probation Officer Bobby Burns was also honored as one of the commission’s 16 Blue Knight award recipients. Other County recipients included Sheriff’s Department Detective Anthony Calvert and District Attorney Investigator Gary Helson.

The San Diego Crime Commission is a non-profit organization which builds public awareness about the impact of crime on the community and provides educational programs throughout the county.

ShakeOut for Earthquake Preparedness

Does everyone in your family know what to do during an earthquake to reduce the chance of injuries? When was the last time you rehearsed your family emergency plan? Have you participated in a work earthquake drill? Emergency preparedness experts say it is not only important to have an emergency plan but to practice it, so it becomes an instinctual response.

“The Great California ShakeOut earthquake drill is a great opportunity to hold a drill at home and work,” said Herman Reddick, County Office of Emergency Services interim director. “We encourage County employees to get earthquake ready.”

Statewide, participants will Drop, Cover and Hold On at 10:20 a.m. on 10/20. However, the point of the exercise is to promote earthquake preparedness, so San Diegans are encouraged to participate even if they hold the drill at an alternate time or another day.

The safest response is Drop, Cover and Hold On. What that means is dropping to the floor when you feel shaking, and going underneath a table or desk, covering your head with one arm and holding onto the furniture with the other arm to keep it from moving during the shaking.

The ultimate goal is to protect your head. When scientists studied earthquakes in the United States, they found that most people were injured or killed by items falling over onto them. This is why people are safest under a table or desk.

If there are no tables or desks, the next best advice is to find an interior wall away from any heavy furniture, windows or fixtures. Slide down with your back against the wall and use your arms to cover your head.

If you are indoors, it is best to stay indoors; otherwise you may be hurt by falling items as you try to run outside. You may also be hurt by falling debris outdoors or may encounter downed wires. 

If you are already outdoors, then the safest thing is to try to get to a clear area, away from buildings, trees, or utility wires. Then, just sit down and cover your head.  Essentially, the same advice applies to driving. Try to pull over to a clear area away from bridges or overpasses, and wait it out in your vehicle.

Earthquakes can’t be predicted. That’s why people are urged to be prepared to survive and recover after a major earthquake. San Diego County, like most of California, sits on a network of active earthquake faults. The Rose Canyon Fault, which runs under La Jolla and downtown San Diego, is capable of producing a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that would cause significant damage.

Besides knowing what to do during an earthquake, people are encouraged to learn how to prepare before an earthquake by completing a family disaster plan, having a home or work emergency kit, and securing items around their home or workplace so they won’t fall.

To register to ShakeOut (even if it’s not at the designated time and day), visit www.ShakeOut.org, and to learn more about preparedness, visit www.ReadySanDiego.org .

Meet the County’s First IT Innovator of the Year

The County’s first-ever IT Innovator of the Year award has gone to a housing supervisor who found an automated process to replace her department’s torturous monthly slog through inspection paperwork.

Housing and Community Development veteran Debbie Dyar received the honor from County Technology Office Director Harold Tuck in front of County leaders last week. Dyar was chosen from a field of more than 25 nominees and five finalists—one from each County group.

The award will go to one employee each year who demonstrates outstanding innovation using information technology.

Dyar, who joined the County in 1987, said she’s always tried to figure out how things could be done better at work. Not that she does it for the glory.

“I’m quite a behind-the scenes person so all this is a little weird,” a cheery Dyar said of the big award.

“It feels good,” she added.

Her department is feeling good these days too thanks to the new technology for organizing rental inspections that Dyar instituted.

Housing and Community Development administers rent subsidies to some 10,800 families at any given time, and departmental inspectors have to visit each subsidized apartment unit to make sure it meets basic living standards. Each year, seven inspectors drive all over the region to see about 12,800 properties.

 In the past, organizing, scheduling and planning routes for all these visits was a mammoth administrative task.

Each month, about 1,000 apartment units all over the County would need an inspection. So the department would print the electronic forms for each property; then a supervisor and clerical staff would disappear into an office and sort the 1,000 forms by city or community, Dyar said. After that, staff looked at the addresses and planned a month’s schedule for each inspector.

“It was a completely manual paper shuffle,” Dyar said.

And it took about 25 hours of staff time.

Once inspectors got their schedules, they used Google Maps or a similar application to get driving directions. That took more time.

Dyar knew there had to be a better way. As her department’s IT lead, she began seeking technological solutions.

She reached out to IT experts around the County and arranged demonstrations of several software applications. It turned out a commercial application called TourSolver suited the department needs perfectly.

The program automatically organizes a daily route and schedule for each inspector using the addresses from the rental forms. TourSolver has slashed the time spent each month on inspection planning from 25 hours to about 3 hours, the department estimates.

And there’s no more “Google Mapping” and printing driving directions.

Instead, inspectors carry GPS units that download routes from TourSolver and issue audible turn-by-turn instructions.

Because the routes the software devises are as direct as possible, inspectors now drive about 10 percent less, saving gas and money.

The software and GPS units cost about $10,000 but save the department about $30,000 each year, primarily in labor costs the department estimates.

So what advice does the County Innovator of the Year have for others who want to improve how their departments work?

“Keep an eye out and look for ways to make their work better,” Dyar said.

And if employees know a process could be better but don’t know what technological solutions exist, they can talk to their supervisor or their department’s IT lead, she said.

Don’t assume it’s too difficult or expensive to improve a process that seems entrenched, Dyar said.

“It doesn’t have to be a big expensive solution,” Dyar said. “With TourSolver, right off the shelf it works.”

Haunted Happenings at the Whaley House

Are you looking for something fun and spooky to do leading up to Halloween? Why not check out the Whaley House in Old Town, called “the number one most haunted house in America“ by the Travel Channel. During the month of October, there are several spine-tingling tours and special events offered to the public.

The Whaley House, owned by the County of San Diego, is located at 2476 San Diego Ave. in the heart of historic Old Town. First a gallows, then a granary, the building was converted to a home in 1857. It was designated as a historic house museum in 1960 and has been open to the public ever since. The popular museum attracts an estimated 100,000 visitors annually. 

The last Whaley family member lived in the home until 1953. Some say the family and other spirits live on in the historic home and make themselves known on a daily basis to staff and visitors.

San Diego Ghost Hunter Maritza Skandunas leads one of the more popular after-hours tours at the Whaley House.

“The later it is, the creepier it is in the Whaley House. It’s very active all the time, but at night it’s your own fear that makes it more interesting,” Skandunas said. “Every tour, something happens.”

Skandunas said people sometimes hear heavy footsteps, smell sweet tobacco smoke, see apparitions walk through walls, or even feel ghosts tugging on their clothes. Yet, she assures everyone that the Whaley House has a good energy, nothing sinister.

Victor Santana, director of Interpretive Services at the Whaley House, said besides the haunting, he finds the site’s and the house’s history very interesting. Yet, haunting has seemed to go hand in hand with the site since the home was built over the site where public hangings had once occurred. The Whaleys themselves experienced hauntings in their home, he said. Mr. Whaley would claim to hear heavy footsteps and Mrs. Whaley spoke of spirits in the house, Santana said.

Santana’s most disturbing personal experience at the home happened years ago while he was leading a tour upstairs in the nursery. Some period-era dolls, not original to the house, were on display and as he gave the tour, one of the dolls began opening and closing her eyes. Even creepier, he said, when he went back later to examine the doll, she had painted-on eyes.

Tours:

• The more faint of heart might prefer the day self-guided tour of the house. The tours run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The home is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for children 3-12 years old.
• For someone who prefers a little more information, consider the after-hours tour from 5-9:30 p.m. Tour guides lead a group of 20-25 people through the home room by room. The tours usually last 30-40 minutes and are offered every half hour. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children.
• The Past & Presence walking tour takes people to the nearby Adobe Chapel and El Campo Santo Cemetery as well as the home. The remaining special tours will be held on Oct. 24-25. The tour is $25 per person for those ages 12 and up.
• Want to conduct your own paranormal investigation? The Ghost Hunting Tour led by the San Diego Ghost Hunters will be of interest to you. The 90-minute tour, which begins at 10:30 p.m. and goes to midnight, includes information from real ghost hunters about their investigations at the home. Afterward, guests can even borrow some of the tools of the trade to try to document ghostly phenomenon on their own. The tour is limited to 20 people and costs $50 per person. Indeed this tour is so popular that October is sold out, but the tour is usually offered once a month, so reserve now for Nov. 11 and 18.
• For some other-worldly wailing, try Scaryeoke at the Whaley House with entertainer Laura Jane Willcock. The free event is held from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Whaley House Gardens. Costumes are optional and if you sing a Halloween song, you have a chance to win a prize.

House tours are extended from 6 p.m. to midnight on Halloween weekend. For more information, visit http://whaleyhouse.org/ and click on “What’s New.”

Walkable Communities Lead to a Golden Footprint

Tracy Delaney is being recognized for her efforts to make neighborhoods safe for walking.

Getting healthy begins with one step and what better way to get out and get moving than to take a walk in your own neighborhood.  But what if your community lacks proper sidewalks or proper safety lighting? Creating walkable communities is important in getting residents out, moving, and feeling safe.

No one knows this better than Tracy Delaney, Ph.D., principal investigator for the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency’s Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) program.

Delaney has been honored for her work on behalf of the County, with the Golden Footprint award by WalkSanDiego and Kaiser. The Golden Footprint Award recognizes individuals, agencies, and projects that enhance the livability of San Diego communities by making walking a safe and viable choice for people.

Delaney has spearheaded the nation's largest CPPW grant, locally known as "Healthy Works." She has been at the forefront of the effort to create healthy walkable neighborhoods.  

Delaney is also active in the Safe Routes to School project that helps communities educate residents about the benefits of walking to school and establishing safe routes.

“Tracy has gone the extra mile in her job to plant the seeds for improvements to our community’s infrastructure,” said Wilma Wooten, MD, MPH, Public Health Officer for the County of San Diego. “Through her leadership the County has helped to make communities in San Diego healthier and safer.”

In partnership with SANDAG, Delaney helped establish a public health stakeholders group to ensure physical activity and nutrition are incorporated into land use and transportation planning. Through the Healthy Communities Campaign, Delaney helped develop approaches for creating bicycle and pedestrian friendly neighborhoods.

“I am a firm believer in the role that walkable communities can play in improving public health,” said Delaney. “This award is a great honor.”

Delaney received the award at a ceremony on October 13.

Line Dancing to 'Live Well'

There is no Cheryl Burke of Dancing with the Stars, but Josephine Subido, Josephine Velasco and Crystal French are star choreographers of the line dancing group at the County’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) complex on Rosecrans Street.

These three and their group of about 15 dancers have no aspirations of appearing on the popular TV show but the group, which was created six months ago, dances for 15 minutes five days a week because they love dancing and it helps them to reduce stress and stay healthy.

“I love to dance,” said Subido, an account clerk with HHSA’s Maternal, Child and Family Health Services. “Instead of just sitting around during our break we started dancing. It’s a fun way to exercise,” she added.

For French, a microbiologist in the Public Health Lab, the line dancing allows her to interact and build relationships with employees from other departments in the building. Employees from eight different programs have joined the group.

“It’s fun and a stress relief,” said French after helping the group return the tables and chairs in the cafeteria to their normal position. “I feel much better after this.”

Two years ago, the County embarked on a 10-year campaign to improve the health and wellbeing of area residents and our own employees. One of the goals of the Live Well, San Diego! initiative is to encourage people to become more physically active, start eating healthier and stop smoking.

Those three behaviors are the main causes of four chronic diseases -heart disease/stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory conditions such as asthma. In turn, those conditions are responsible for more than 50 percent of local deaths. County Public Health officials refer to it as the 3-4-50 program.

“These diseases can be prevented. Avoid smoking, eat fruits and vegetables, limit your fat and alcohol intake, and strive to be physically active every day.” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H, County Public Health Officer. “Sometimes a few lifestyle changes can make the difference.”

The line dancers have heeded the County’s message and another group in the same building gathers to do yoga on a regular basis. Several employee exercise groups have been established in other buildings throughout the County.

“I share my dance steps with my colleagues because I am concerned about our health and fitness,” said Velasco, an account clerk with HHSA’s Office of Vital Records and Statistics. “We need an outlet outside of the office to release stress or to get some physical activity and share our joy of dancing. We really enjoy our breaks together.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 150 minutes of moderate to intense activity each week. The 2.5 hours may seem like a lot but people can exercise in small increments of time.

The group is aware of this recommendation and complements their dancing by walking seven times around the building—the equivalent of one mile—during their 15-minute morning break.

The benefits of their daily exercise have started to show. Subido has lost eight pounds, French seven and Velasco six. Overall, the group has lost an average of six pounds.

“We’re not only having fun but losing weight,” concluded Subido.

To learn more about 3-4-50, visit Live Well, San Diego!

Family Fun Event Spotlights Special Edgemoor Program

With a simple stroke of a paint brush, the Healing Hearts program at the Edgemoor Skilled Nursing Facility in Santee has given a voice and vision to those who might otherwise have trouble communicating. On Saturday, Oct. 22, the public is invited to an “Arts and Hearts” open house event to see these life-changing paintings and have an opportunity to purchase some of the art work.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for people to come and see the amazing work done by these individuals,” said Supervisor Dianne Jacob, San Diego County Board of Supervisors. “For some Edgemoor residents, the Healing Hearts program is simply a creative way to express themselves and do something they enjoy. For others, it’s a vital lifeline that has opened up new possibilities in their lives again and given them new methods of communicating.”

The “Arts and Hearts” event is being held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Edgemoor, 655 Park Center Dr., Santee. This outdoors event will be a fun day of art for families and a way to learn more about Healing Hearts and how to support it. Besides artistic opportunities, there will be music by the Cat•illacs, plus gifts to purchase that have been created by the Healing Hearts participants and food available.

This unique arts therapy program is led by art instructor Linda Bounds. Bounds works with residents to teach them group painting and individual techniques that bring alive their messages of love, hope, anger and joy.

“The County’s Live Well, San Diego!, a 10-year countywide initiative to build better health in the region, isn’t just about traditional health care,” said Nick Macchione, San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency Director. “Healing Hearts shows the broad scope of health care and how it’s not just about the physical well-being of people.  This program not only brings alive the mental and physical health of Edgemoor residents, but also touches intangible things that are hard to measure like self-worth, pride and a sense of accomplishment.”

For more information, visit www.healingheartsart.org.

Ten Years and Counting – Child Support Services Celebrates

In the last 10 years, millions of dollars have been put into the hands of families with children struggling to make ends meet. How? The County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) has helped collect and distribute support payments from noncustodial parents to their children.

DCSS became its own department 10 years ago, when it broke away from the District Attorney’s office. Now DCSS is marking the occasion and heralding its success with the “Celebration of a Decade.”

Let’s look at collections: In 2001, DCSS brought in $144.1 million for families. Fast-forward ten years and collections for fiscal year 2011 was $178 million. The significant jump came despite a number of hurdles, the economy being just one of them. The department also saw drops in funding, a reorganization of the department and a conversion to the statewide child support data system. Despite it all, employees soldiered through with an eye towards the end goal, making sure kids get support.

Customer service has always been a high priority and evidence of that is everywhere. During the last ten years, offices opened in Vista and Kearny Mesa, self serve information and payment kiosks went into operation, and parents can now go online to apply for services or make payments.

The departmental website underwent several makeovers with the most recent accomplishment debuting in April when the entire website became available in Spanish. So far, it’s logged more than 1500 visits to its Spanish language home page and has earned the 2011 Program Awareness Award from the Child Support Directors Association of California.

DCSS also won a 2011 Merit Award from the California State Association of Counties for its Educating Non-Custodial Parents video series. Viewers can catch it online and learn about the child support process before meeting with staff members. Staffers say it saves about 15 minutes per interview and the additional time allows them to focus on the specifics of individual cases rather than the general process.

DCSS has been recognized twice in the past three years as California’s Top Performing Very Large County by the State Department of Child Support Services.

Overall, these are no small accomplishments and we can only look forward to the next ten years of giving children the support they deserve.

Probation School Educator Named One in Five County Teachers of the Year

There is a place for some of the county’s most high-risk teenagers to go for all sorts of help. It’s a school called Reflections and it’s run by the County Probation department. Reflections is also a day treatment center for the youth who suffer from mental illness, are on probation and have a family in crisis. For their own good, the court orders the teenagers to attend Reflections.

Imagine teaching there. That’s a tough job and yet, one stand-out educator was named one of five County Teachers of the Year. Her name is Alicia McBride and she has a way with these troubled kids. She was given her award at the annual Salute to Teachers event on Oct 1.

“This program is really exceptional,” said McBride. “I work with some of the most at-risk students in San Diego County. Many of these students have given up on the system. They have given up on themselves. It is my mission to provide these students with the necessary skills and confidence to reengage in learning,” McBride said on her application.

Initially McBride said she was flattered by the nomination but didn’t take it seriously until a probation officer changed her mind. The officer told her that while she was certainly deserving of the award, it was not only about her, it was about the Reflections program and the important work they do with troubled adolescents. 

The court-ordered school provides wraparound services for the teenagers by providing medication, addiction counseling and other services. . The campus is in an unmarked office in a business park in La Mesa and has a maximum of 55 students enrolled at one time.

One day in the classroom, the students filed  in and greeted McBride respectfully as she began the day’s lessons. Their first assignment was to write in their journals a response to a quote about judging others. McBride discussed the topic with them briefly and encouraged them to write about an instance where they were wrongly judged or when they wrongly judged someone else.  

Certainly, it is a topic close to their hearts. . Usually when they start the program, the adolescents are at the end of their rope in the educational system.

Success for these students isn’t necessarily about high standardized test scores and can’t be measured the same way as a traditional school, she said. When students are mandated to attend this school, they usually resist at first. They don’t want to take the medication, and they don’t like the program or the staff.

Some of them came from violent street gangs or were accustomed to smoking spice, a legal herb that mimics cannabis.  

McBride said she looks past that all that and makes it her personal mission to connect with each student so that they will be successful.

 “Success comes in very small pieces … I have students who have never come to school five days straight before and now they come here every day,” McBride said. “The big successes are when we get a call from a student who came here three years ago and they are graduating from high school and have plans to go to college.”

Once a student connects with the staff and the program, they don’t want to leave because they’ve never had this much support before, McBride said.

Making a positive difference in the lives of these students is why McBride loves her job. Certainly, it can be challenging at times, but she reminds herself that it is even harder for the students to connect with others.

“It’s a specialty (working with these students). The people who do it, love it, and then we have substitute teachers that come in here and work a half day and say ‘I’ll never come back,’” she said.

Often, the students who leave the program are virtually unrecognizable from the person they were when they arrived.

“Now this amazing person is there that they never knew was inside of them,” McBride said.