Probation Recycling Program Saves Christmas for Probationer’s Family

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Probation Division Chief Gonzalo Mendez and Supervising Probation Officer Keith Hicks took Julie Hernandez (at right) and her family shopping for Christmas using money from a work crew recycling program.

Probation Division Chief Gonzalo Mendez and Supervising Probation Officer Keith Hicks took Julie Hernandez (at right) and her family shopping for Christmas using money from a work crew recycling program.

San Diego County Probation selected a 23-year-old woman under its supervision to be the recipient of some holiday generosity thanks to a Probation work crew recycling program. The family is in such tight financial straits that their Christmas was likely to be extremely meager or delayed for her two young children.

Instead, discarded aluminum cans, plastic and glass bottles cashed in over the year saved the day. A recycling program managed by Probation’s Work Projects Program directs probationers to collect and sort recyclable trash from roads and freeways. Sorted bags are cashed in by a supervisor at various times throughout the year and the money is saved until the end of the year, said Supervising Probation Officer Keith Hicks. At that time, the probation supervisors in his unit vote on how to disperse the money. This year they chose to assist Julie Hernandez, a mother of two children and a recent amputee following a car accident.

“We met her at Target in Escondido with her family and took them shopping,” said Gonzalo Mendez, division chief for Probation’s Adult Field Services North County Division. “They really just bought a lot of clothes for the little girl and baby, a few toys. They really needed the bare essentials.”

Hernandez, who was convicted of drug offenses, is enrolled in a Probation program for those who are or who became pregnant while on Probation. The Women and Their Children (WATCh) program is a zero-tolerance, intensive supervision program for mothers who have a history of drug and alcohol abuse. The goal of the program is for babies to be born drug- and alcohol-free. The cases remain open for at least three to six months after the child’s birth.

Hernandez gave birth to a drug-free son three months ago, and he continues to be healthy. She says she wants to give her son a good life, one in which she’ll remain clean and sober. She also has an 8-year-old daughter, but it is only recently that she has become a true mother to her because of her drug addiction, she says.

As part of the program, Senior Probation Officer Patricia Martinez meets with Hernandez regularly and usually does drug testing. So when she got the call from Martinez asking her if she had plans one day, Hernandez figured she was going to go do another drug test. Instead Martinez asked her to meet her at Target for a little Christmas shopping.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Hernandez said. “Here we were stressing about what we were going to do for Christmas and my mom is always telling me God is going to provide. My mom was in shock, my husband was in shock--we all had our mouths hanging open.”

Hernandez said life has been a struggle the past year and a half, but she has remained drug free. Seven months ago, while pregnant, she was in a horrific car accident that killed a friend and shattered her ankle, requiring an amputation. Shortly afterward, she also suffered the loss of her stepfather.

 “Day by day is how I’m going to have to take it,” says Hernandez of her recovery. She says she must remind herself that despite some tragic circumstances, she has found faith, and received many great things: her husband, whom she met through church, her new son and a renewed relationship with her daughter. She says she feels particularly fortunate that her daughter “doesn’t seem to hate me for not being there before.”

Hernandez says she was happy to let her daughter choose some new outfits to wear because typically, their money is pretty limited.

“We gave then approximately $500 yesterday. They were happy and thankful, and we were glad to do it,” said Hicks.

 Mendez said Probation’s recycling program has been around for at least 10 years and that the department has used the proceeds over the years to help various charities including the Regional Law Enforcement Teddy Bear Drive, Becky’s House, Wounded Warriors of San Diego and last year the family of slain Escondido Officer Laura Perez.

Fill Your Days with County Parks’ First Calendar!

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The new year is almost upon us and you know what that means; besides coming up with resolutions, it’s time to get a new calendar! OK, maybe you use the one on your phone but there’s something to be said for a scenic calendar where you can rest your eyes on the beauty of nature. That’s where County Parks comes in.

For the first time, County Parks is offering a calendar that shows off some of the beautiful views at our very own parks. Park rangers and volunteers captured these shots showcasing the diversity of our region, from a spectacular sunset view at the Waterfront Park downtown and fall colors at Guajome Regional Park in Oceanside to the bird watching in Wilderness Gardens at Pala and the rugged desert of Agua Caliente Park in the extreme East County.

The 13-month hanging calendar is available now and costs $10. Proceeds will go to the San Diego County Parks Society to support ongoing park maintenance and future programming. You can get one shipped to you for an additional fee or you can pick up one (or more!) at the locations listed below. These calendars are available to the public too so feel free to spread the word. For more information, call County Parks from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Fridayat (858) 565-3600.

Purchase/Pick up Locations:

Pest-Mapping App Wins IT Innovation Award

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Chief Information Officer Mikel Haas with John Taylor and Leah Taylor.

Chief Information Officer Mikel Haas with John Taylor and Leah Taylor.

Invasive pests can be a real threat to San Diego County’s thriving agricultural industry. Thanks to a couple County employees, there’s now an app to help in the battle against the bugs.

Agriculture, Weights and Measures (AWM) recently created a Real-Time Invasive Pest Mapping app for County pest collectors to use in the field. And that app is earning a swarm of awards. It was recognized by the California State Association of Counties’ with one of its annual “CSAC Awards” in September. And now the County Technology Office has named the two employees behind it our IT Innovators of the Year.

County GIS Analyst John Taylor and Insect Detection Specialist Leah Taylor (no relation) customized an existing app to create real-time detailed maps of pest locations for approximately $500. They spent just six hours to set up, configure and train personnel to use the app on smartphones or tablets. This represents time savings of almost 98 percent and translates to an estimated annual savings of more than $20,000.

“It was a really cumbersome process before,” said John Taylor, who just recently transferred from AWM to the Health and Human Services Agency. “Now it is quick and easy to use.”

Previously, pest collectors out in the field had to log findings on paper back at the office. These delays increase the risk of pests spreading and getting established.

The app saves more than money for the County; it protects San Diego County’s thriving agricultural industry, valued at $1.8 billion.

“These updates used to take up to four hours to complete. Now they take seconds. And in the world of crop quarantines and trade restrictions, time and accuracy of data are critical to isolate, control and contain these crop-destroying pests. It could make the difference between a minor incident and a major economic catastrophe,” Chief Information Officer Mikel Haas said during the award ceremony.

Not only is the Real-Time Invasive Pest Mapping app quicker, but it allows the County to disseminate information about an infestation to affected partners and stakeholders such as the California Department of Food and Agriculture in a more timely fashion and ultimately make better decisions on limiting or eradicating pests.

The app has already been used to track nearly a dozen bugs, including red imported fire ants, the light brown apple moth and the goldspotted oak borer.

Discount Special: $10 Microsoft Office for Home Use

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Work like a pro from home! County employees can purchase Microsoft Office 2016 software for your personal computer for just $9.95 (regularly $399).

The deep discount is part of the County’s Microsoft enterprise licensing agreement. All employees covered under the IT Outsourcing agreement with HP are eligible for the offer. (*Note: this excludes DA and Sheriff employees, as they have their own agreements with Microsoft.)

Employees who previously purchased older versions of Office are eligible to purchase the 2016 version, available for both PC and Mac.

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2016 includes Outlook, Publisher, Access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.

You can access this special offer online using your work email and the program code 06EC637E95. This offer is ongoing.

You can get further directions on how to get your $10 software.

Have questions about the program? Contact the County Technology Office at cto.feedback@sdcounty.ca.gov

Happy home-officing!

Holiday Spirit Helps Fill a Need

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The HHSA Health Coverage Access team has been collecting gifts for the kids at the County's Polinsky Children's Center. They focused on donations for the older kids that are spending the holidays at the center. "Our age group is 10 and over because they get a lot of donations for young kids," said Marissa Gallman, one of the organizers. It was the HCA's first year holding the gift drive and the response has been overwhelming. Polinsky will use the extra donations not distributed on Chrismas throughout the year. In front (l to r): Mindy Scott, Claudia Pasillas, Azul Canela and Ederlyn Ylagan. Standing (l to r): Rita McPherson, Nora Cortez, Marissa Gallman, Tony Morris, Yvonne Hurt and Patty Gonzalez.

Beyoncé AND Better-Than-Front-Row Seats

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Matt Turner (second from left) and the Charger game-day entertainment crew

Matt Turner (second from left) and the Charger game-day entertainment crew

Beyoncé, Bill Murray, American Idol contestants, football stars, military heroes, marching bands, rock stars, flyovers, super-flags, fireworks, Frisbee dogs and about 160 renditions of the Star Spangled Banner.

Pretty exciting stuff for a side job!

Matt Turner has been a County employee since 2008, working most recently as a Geographic Information Services Analyst, a mapping specialist, with the County Fire Authority.

But he’s also had a pretty incredible volunteer job for a lot longer than that. It’s one that’s allowed him to (occasionally) rub elbows with the rich, the famous and the hoping-to-be-rich-and-famous. It’s also given him better-than-front-row seats to San Diego Charger games for the last 15 seasons.

Better than front row? You bet. Try rightonthe field.

Since 2000, Turner has spent Sundays as a San Diego Chargers volunteer “assistant entertainment coordinator” — “I don’t really have an official title,” he says, “that’s just kind of what we call each other” — whose main job has been to shepherd the national anthem singer and help guide halftime entertainers on game days.

It carries a lot of responsibility. He has to guide singers like American Idol runner-up Katherine McPhee, Colbie Caillat, and Chula Vista American Idol contestant Jessica Sanchez through pre-game rehearsals and the national anthem; stage military honorees and entertainers, from Frisbee dogs to marching bands, to be ready in the wings; and time their entrances and exits on and off the field without interfering with the players or the game. It also calls for someone who won’t be distracted or fazed by celebrities and sports heroes.

“You don’t want someone who’s star-struck and can’t do the job,” Turner said with a smile. “I’ve always been a pretty calm, cool, collected kind of guy.”

But even a calm, cool, collected kind of guy can get a little star-struck sometimes. One of Turner’s favorite moments was meeting Saturday Night Live alum and movie star Bill Murray. Turner was on the sideline and heard a familiar-sounding voice. He saw Murray, but didn’t recognize him immediately because he had just cut his hair for a movie role. Then Turner caught Murray’s eye and quickly recovered with a “Howya doing? I’m a real fan!”

“He was just cool,” Turner said, “I mean there was a bunch of reporters and cameramen around him. He may have tried to come incognito, but he was recognized very quickly.”

Turner’s work on the Chargers’ sideline has also gotten him invited to work in two Super Bowls — in 2002 at Qualcomm Stadium when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Oakland Raiders, and last year in Phoenix when the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks. (Yes, football fans; Turner was standing behind the end zone and saw the crazy, game-ending, goal-line interception.)

In the 2002 championship, Turner worked the pre-game performances, which featured Beyoncé, who was just starting her solo recording career, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Carlos Santana.

“Big Raider fan,” Turner said of Santana with a smile. “He had his Raiders shirt underneath the rocker jacket he wore for his performance.”

At last year’s Super Bowl, Turner worked to keep people out of the way of a huge boom camera during pop star Katy Perry’s halftime show (he was NOT the “left shark”).

Turner got the Charger gig back in 2000 by being in the right place at the right time nearly 20 years earlier: playing trumpet in college in the San Diego State marching band in the late 1980s. One of Turner’s friends and band-mates was Brian Ransom, who has been the Chargers’ Stage Manager and On-Field Entertainment Coordinator for many years. When Ransom had an opening for someone to help with on-field entertainment 15 years ago, he called Turner, who wasn’t initially sure he wanted to work eight Sundays every fall (he generally arrives at the Q at 9 a.m. and stays through the end of the game).

But the chance to watch games from the sideline was impossible to resist. Turner has been a die-hard Charger fan since moving to San Diego as a boy in 1979.

There have been highs and lows (this year’s 3-8 team and talk of moving to L.A. would count as lows), but he relishes the highs. There was the 14-2 team in 2006 that came one step away from the Super Bowl with Phillip Rivers and Ladainian Tomlinson — who set the NFL records for most touchdowns and rushing touchdowns in single season that year. His favorite game? The 2009 playoff win over the favored Indianapolis Colts, when the Bolts came from behind in the fourth quarter to tie the game with 33 seconds left and beat Peyton Manning in overtime.

“The crowd was louder than I’ve ever heard it at that stadium in my life,” he said.

And he said he’s met some really cool players, including now-retired center Nick Hardwick, retired kicker Rolf Benirschke, former quarterback Drew Brees and retired quarterback, college legend and current TV analyst Doug Flutie.

Turner said he tries to keep his professional distance from the players, but Flutie would approach him every game to say “howya doin’?” Turner said he watched Flutie once before a game spot a couple of kids wearing his jersey number half a field away. He took a ball, ran over, signed it and spent 10 minutes with them and their dad.

Sunday is the last home game of the Charger season. Some say it could be the last Charger home game ever here as the team seems closer than ever to moving to L.A. For his part, Turner, like other Charger fans, hopes that doesn’t happen. But even if they decide to move, Turner doesn’t think 2015 is their last season in San Diego. It will take time to build or find a stadium-home in L.A. In the meantime, Turner’s drinking it all in.

“Seeing all the behind-the-scenes stuff, it’s a different perspective than most people get,” he said. “It’s very cool and I love it.”

San Diego County Latino Association Mentors Local College Students

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Submitted by Israel Garza, SDCLA

Submitted by Israel Garza, SDCLA

San Diego County Latino Association (SDCLA) President Israel Garza recently spoke at an SDSU Hispanic Business Student Association membership meeting as part of their professional development.

During his 45 minute presentation to the students, Israel spoke about his humble background growing up; his work experience and career advise; the important work that the County of San Diego does and student worker opportunities; and the County of San Diego ERG groups.

SDCLA is very excited to once again work with Southwestern College (SWC) by providing mentors for their “Puente” project.  Puente is a special program for SWC students who want to transfer from community college to a university. This program was created more than 30 years ago to address the concerns of low transfer and graduation rates, particularly in Latino students.

The SDCLA (along with their fellow county ERGs) focus on the following four pillars of success:

  • Cultural Awareness

  • Recruitment / Retention / Outreach

  • Professional Development

  • Partnerships and Supporting County Initiatives

Israel and the SDCLA board are committed to working with local students to help them achieve their goals. Who knows - they may one day be a part of the County workforce family!

Hit the Streets to Help Count the Homeless

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If you’re reading this, then you have a job. And if you have a job, you probably have a roof over your head at night and enough food to eat.

But so many in our community don’t. San Diego County has the fourth largest homeless population in the nation: more than 8,700 people.

You can help them. The Board of Supervisors is once again appealing to your spirit of volunteerism and asking you to spend some early morning hours taking part in the Point-in-Time Count Project with the WeALLCount campaign on Jan. 29, 2016. The Board agrees this is such a worthy cause that for the third year in a row, employees who come forward will be allowed to participate on paid County time.

"...it struck me how incredibly fortunate I am to wake up in a warm bed, with a roof over my head and cupboards full of food. I cannot fathom the kind of life where there is so much uncertainty about basic needs: where I will sleep at night, will I be too cold/hot, when will I get my next meal?" --Tiffany Anderson, Public Safety Group

The Point-in-Time Count is a snapshot in time of the homeless people that can be counted in one morning throughout San Diego County. County volunteers will work in teams, be assigned a specific location and simply tally how many homeless people they see.

Volunteers who participate are important because the numbers that are generated bring federal funding to help this at-risk population. The count also helps County staff identify the scope of the problems and work on solutions.

"We were assigned to the downtown area between Ash, 9th, Broadway, and State. There were a surprisingly high number of homeless individuals in that area, most of whom had nothing but a piece of cardboard and a blanket. After spending several hours out on the street, I realized how fortunate I was to have a comfortable home, a steady job, good health, and a network of family & friends ready to help me if I fell on hard times." --Brian Hagerty, Community Services Group

In 2014, County employees made up about one-fourth of the volunteer force. In 2015, nearly a third. And for the 2016 count, the Board hopes even more will step forward. So far, more than 100 County employees have signed up to take part in the campaign but hundreds more are still needed.  

The Regional Task Force on the Homeless leads the WeALLCount campaign, which takes place Friday, Jan. 29 from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. To sign up, employees need to get approval from their supervisor with a supervisor approval form and then review the registration guidelines and FAQs. (*DA, Sheriff and SDCERA can use these links:supervisor approval form; registration guidelines; FAQs)Once completed, you can register for the WeALLCount campaign on the Task Force’s website. A short training course will be emailed to you. County time is being allowed for the training as well as the count itself. 

"Whenever I see the homeless in San Diego, I can’t help but wonder will their situation ever get better. Is there really some help out there for this population? Participating in the Point-In-Time homeless count this morning gives me some relief that people do take the time to get something started for them." --Agnes Latimore, HHSA