County Nets Six Regional Emmys

The County of San Diego won Emmy Awards in six categories at the National Television Arts & Sciences Pacific Southwest Chapter Emmy Awards held June 26 at the Hard Rock Hotel downtown San Diego.

Employees of CTN.org and two other County employees won Emmy awards for two “Oxy Abuse Kills” public service announcements written for the 2009 launch of the new multi-agency task force focused on prescription drug abuse awareness.

Erica Holloway, communications director for San Diego County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, Aaron Byzak, Supervisor Slater-Price’s former health policy advisor, and former CTN.org producer Joe Solazzo received an award in the Public Service Announcement category for both “Oxy Abuse Kills” spots.

CTN.org producer James Kecskes took home an Emmy award for Editor Short Form for “Oxy Abuse Kills – Flashes.” Solazzo also received an Emmy award in the Director for Individual Short Form category for this spot. The PSA shows a teenage girl reaching for a bottle of OxyContin in a medicine cabinet and flashing to a future of drug abuse causing her to recoil from the bottle and close the cabinet door.

Holloway and Byzak also won Emmy awards in the Writer Short Form categories for the PSA “Oxy Abuse Kills – Loaded.” In this PSA, a teenage boy is depicted taking a bottle of prescription painkiller OxyContin out of a medicine cabinet while making plans with a friend. As the teenager closes the medicine cabinet, the pill bottle appears to turn into a gun.

In the Education category, CTN.org Producer Suzanne Bartole, won an Emmy award for “Water Babies,” a story on the teaching babies and small children how to swim. The story features swimming instructors, toddlers and their parents discussing the benefits of the program and water safety at the Murray Callan Swim School in Pacific Beach.

The County Office of Emergency Services (OES) won an Emmy Award in the Children  Program or Special category for its “Tsunamis: Know What to Do!” The 3-D computer animated short features a teacher crab instructing his students on how to recognize the signs of a tsunami and what they should do in that event. OES staff Susan Asturias, Ron Lane, Herman Reddick and former staffer Paul Olsen were all Emmy award recipients. David Kalwick and Chris Neuhahn from Absolute Zero animation company were also honored with an Emmy award, as was Rowanne Karapogosian for vocals on the project.

The annual Emmy Awards presentation is an incentive for television professionals to strive for excellence and focus attention on outstanding cultural, educational, technological, entertainment, news and informational achievement. The Pacific Southwest Region includes the California counties of San Diego, Bakersfield, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and San Luis Obispo, and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Kids With Disabilities Experience Summer Camp Thrill

It’s summer break, a time when many school-aged children are preparing to get away to summer camps. For South Bay families of children with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy, spinal cord Injuries and other muscle diseases, it can be a difficult to find safe and affordable local activities.

Recognizing that need, the California Children Services’ Chula Vista Medical Therapy Unit offered a “camp” experience to children with disabilities last week. This therapy unit is a San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency facility that provides free physical and occupational therapy to more than 300 children ranging in age from newborns to 21 years old.

The children served there have conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and spinal cord injuries. The therapy unit is located in space provided by the Chula Vista Elementary School District at the Greg Roger Elementary School.

Last week, children participated in different camping stations to earn merit badges. Activities included modified versions of tricycle races, fishing, inner tubing, archery, s’mores-making, crafts and more. The physical and occupational therapists adapted each activity so children of various disability levels can participate.

View a slideshow here.

HHSA Urges Public to Vaccinate Against Whooping Cough

It's being called an epidemic. Pertussis, a.k.a. whooping cough, is back in the news these days and the County of San Diego is reminding everybody to get vaccinated.

New Medical Examiner Facility Wins Award for Unique Design Features

What is the true color of blood? It may seem like a strange question, but the design of the new Medical Examiner and Forensic Center sheds light on the issue – literally. The use of natural light is just one of the details that earned the center an award from the San Diego chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

The Medical Examiner Center received a Citation Award, which recognizes noteworthy architectural skill or vision in design. Judges highlighted the center’s use of natural light, especially in the lab and procedure areas to help staff identify true colors when doing an exam or looking at a specimen.

The Medical Examiner and Forensic Center was also recognized for superior craftsmanship and attention to detail, providing a calming environment in the Bereavement Center and other public areas.

The 84,000-square-foot facility in Kearny Mesa opened in December and came in on time and under budget. It meets silver-level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, and has also been recognized by the California Legislature and the San Diego County Taxpayers Association.

Visit the Medical Examiner's website to see photos of the building from groundbreaking to completion, and check out the video to see the hi-tech features at the new facility.



Bigfellas at the Library

CTN.org catches a band called Bigfellas playing at a special Library concert series at the Encinitas branch.

Attn: COC Staff! How do you get to work?

As many around the County are aware, the COC on Overland Ave. is undergoing a massive renovation.

The project will not only upgrade the facilities for the current occupants. It will also consolidate a number of other functions on the campus to improve service levels to the public. To make this possible, a handful of departments are relocating staff from outlying offices into the new COC facilities.

In the case of DEH, its headquarters is moving from the Mills Building, a mass transit hub in downtown San Diego, to the Kearny Mesa area, where public transportation options are limited. In an effort to address employees' growing concerns, a Transportation Workgroup was formed with representatives from all  occupying departments at the COC.

The main objective of the group is to find new solutions to the commuting issue. Another point of interest is to alleviate parking and traffic in the area by filtering more employees to the campus through alternative modes of transportation. Concepts that have been discussed range from car and van pool groups to the use of new technology to allow for flexible work schedules and telecommuting.

The Workgroup is off to a good start but it could use some fresh ideas and as much support as it can get. The group invites anyone interested to participate; it especially needs people that have used alternative transportation and those who travel above average distances because the experience insight they have to offer are invaluable.

The focus area is Kearny Mesa, but ideas developed at this group may provide a model that can be used throughout the County in the future.  The link below has a survey the Workgroup is conducting to gauge employees' interest   

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2tvbmz2g7hrngat/start)

For more information on the COC Transportation Workgroup and how you can participate, please contact Michael Vizzier from DEH. News on the COC Redevelopment Project can be found at http://www.lowecoc.com/                



Kitten time!

It's that time of year again, what our Department of Animal Services calls "kitten season." DAS depends on people to help out as kitten foster parents. DAS will provide the food, litter and medical care. All you need to provide is some love and attention.

Find out more:

A Strike for Democracy!

There are lots of places to vote, but CTN.org's Suzanne Bartole found one polling place that's in a league of its own.

Behind the Scenes at the ROV

The crew at the Registrar of Voters works hard to ensure the voting results are safe and accurate. Let's take a closer look at some of the steps.

Movies in the Park Starts Tonight

The County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation has teamed up with the cities of San Diego, Coronado, National City, La Mesa, San Marcos, Poway and Oceanside to expand the “Movies in the Park” series.

“This is a great way to enjoy a free activity with your family while taking advantage of the many great parks in our area,” said Brian Albright, Director of County Parks and Recreation.

Twenty-nine movies are scheduled to be shown at local parks and pools, making it the largest free movie event in the County. The program kicks off June 4 with a showing of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” in Oceanside and continues through September 18. Other movies on the schedule include box office hits such as “Avatar,” “Up” and “The Blind Side” as well as classics such as “American Graffiti” and “The Sandlot.”  The movies will be shown in high-quality digital on a 28-foot inflatable widescreen specially designed for large audiences. 

Families can enjoy pre-movie activities including karaoke battles, games, music and contests.  Participants are encouraged to bring a chair, blanket and refreshments.

All movies are free, open to the public and begin at dusk.  Some locations do have a parking fee.  For a list of dates and locations, please visit www.sdparks.org, and click on “Movies in the Park.”