Shop with a Cop
The Police Department was honored to participate in the San Diego Shop with a Cop again this year. Officers from all over the region gather in San Diego and are partnered with specially chosen children who can use a little extra help with holiday season. The officers share a meal with their child and then take them shopping.
Teddy Bear Drive
While Police Departments cannot collect teddy bears for Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego like they used to, it does not mean departments stopped providing bears for the children at the hospital. This year, law enforcement agencies helped collect 41k for children’s programs at Rady Children's like the new, germ-free, teddy bears. The teddy bears for the little ones at the hospital are just one of the many programs law enforcement is honored to support.
Operation Santa
The Carlsbad Firefighter’s Association, along with support from the Carlsbad Fire Department and the Carlsbad Christmas Bureau, brought holiday cheer to the Carlsbad community with the 7th annual Operation Santa Claus. Fire Department personnel and Carlsbad Fire Explorers volunteered their time collecting donated toys from residents throughout Carlsbad. Neighborhoods visited include Terramar, Foothills, Camino Hills, Evans Point, Canterbury, Rancho Carrillo and Bressi Ranch.
Carlsbad Christmas Bureau with hopes of bringing smiles to the 406 families that are currently adopted through the bureau. Donations collected by residents stay in the Carlsbad community and help the less fortunate who have requested help through an application process. This annual event has become a cherished tradition in the Carlsbad community and the Carlsbad Firefighter’s Association family is proud to host this event each year.
Congratulations to Paula Crewse and Lee Henderson
Congratulations to Senior Program Manger Paula Crewse and Communications Manager Lee Henderson on your graduation from the Civilian Leadership Institute. This comprehensive five-month leadership program is designed specifically for civilian public safety employees who are supervisors/managers or aspiring to become a supervisor or manager, working for municipal, state or government agencies. The goal of the Civilian Leadership Institute is to provide participants the opportunity to develop skills and strategies to become engaging and effective leaders in their organization.
Congratulations to Stephen Kash
Congratulations to Stephen Kash, senior engineer in Utilities, for successfully passing the Project Management Professionals exam administered by the Project Management Institute.
Fire Department Retirements and Promotions
The closing of 2019 brings the retirement of three esteemed Fire Department Battalion Chiefs: Chris Lawrence, Ken Sugahara and Jeff Chumbley. With over 70 years of combined service and experience, these three chiefs have been instrumental in so much of the growth and success of the fire department, including training, operational communications, and facility management. These retirements are well-deserved, and we thank Chris, Ken and Jeff for their many years of service and commitment to the City of Carlsbad.
The above retirements bring growth and promotional opportunities for fire department personnel. Effective Jan. 1, 2020, the following promotions will take place:
Battalion Chief : Mark Beckert Eric Evonsion Kevin Lynds Ben Rosenthal
Captain: Brandon Birse Joseph Gallucci Chris Hensley Jesse Pinon
Engineer: Mike Acosta John Aguirre Robert Berkey Eric Brown
Congratulations to all who are retiring from and promoting within the Fire Department.
Fire Marshal Visits Sacramento
Fire Marshal Randy Metz attended the Quarterly Building & Fire Advisory Committee Meeting in Sacramento this week. This committee is a collaborative effort between the California Fire Chiefs Association, the California Building Officials Association and the State Fire Marshal’s Office, to explore opportunities that enhance the ongoing working relationship between Fire and Building Officials at local and statewide levels. Fire Marshal Metz serves as one of four fire officials statewide appointed to this committee.
Public Safety Uninterruptable Power Supply Replacement
On Monday, Nov. 25 at 12 a.m. the Uninterruptable Power Supply that supplies emergency battery backup power to the Police Department’s server room and 9-1-1 server room was replaced. This is not your typical replacement project since it impacts the 9-1-1 dispatch center. A coordinated effort between Information Technology and Facilities was critical in minimizing the impact of such a disruption of support services. There were many meetings in preparation for this planned power outage. The agreed upon time frame of Monday morning from 12 to 4 a.m. was the time dispatch said was their slowest calls for service time of the week.
Facilities coordinated the contractors and brought in a power generator to be able to keep critical systems online during the four hour maintenance window. Information Technology staff worked on migrating only critical servers and networking equipment during the outage. AT&T and Day Wireless technicians were also on hand to support their critical infrastructure components. The result was a truly seamless upgrade of the existing Uninterruptable Power Supply in the building for emergency response. The disruption to dispatchers and first responders was minimal and all critical systems were back online before the end of the four hour window we gave to dispatch.
The great teamwork of the two city departments really shows what can be accomplished through proper planning and collaboration. This new power supply will serve the Carlsbad Police Department for years to come.
Trail Volunteer Appreciation Event
Last Thursday, Parks & Recreation Department trail volunteers and staff joined together for the Trail Volunteer Appreciation Event at the Leo Carrillo Ranch stable, to celebrate the past year’s successes. Accomplishments included over 1,120 hours of trail maintenance work worth $28,500, which demonstrated the generosity and commitment of our community. The festive décor along with holiday music provided an air of great holiday cheer. The evening began with a warm reception as participants mingled and shared their favorite trail stories. Guests enjoyed tasty taco bar and churros. After dinner, staff recognized volunteers for their long-standing commitment to the trail program and provided highlights of the past year achievements.
Holiday at the Rancho
It was a winter wonderland at Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park this past Saturday as families joined Parks & Recreation Department staff and volunteers to celebrate the holiday season. Despite a rainy day, attendees were still able to enjoy cookie decorating, crafts, face painting entertainment, a plush snow ball fight, and a fun photo booth. The event featured a holiday tree lighting and a special visit from Santa (who, coincidentally, resembles a City of Carlsbad Public Works employee)!
Adopt-A-Family Project
The Parks & Recreation Department recently permitted the Carlsbad Christmas Bureau’s traffic control plan for their Adopt-A-Family Project on Dec. 14. Approximately 450 low income families were adopted by businesses, organizations and individuals who donated food and gifts to help them celebrate the holiday season.
Culinary Lab
Amid the aroma of garlic, onion and myriad of other spices, the Pine Avenue Community Center intergenerational culinary lab prepares fresh food grown in the community garden. The lab is a weekly hot spot that whips up fun, fresh food and science to explore the many health benefits of the culinary arts. Students become the masters of their taste buds while learning how to create delicious fresh meals! Food isn’t just fuel, it is a powerful medicine with a capital M. Not a pill on the planet comes close to the multi-organ, every-cell-of-the-body impact food has for the body. The culinary lab is open every Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for health-conscious foodies.
Library & Cultural Arts Staff Development Day
On Tuesday, Nov. 19, Library & Cultural Arts staff gathered for their annual staff development day. Staff Development Day is an opportunity for all Library & Cultural Arts staff to come together to discuss reflect on our vision for the future and to learn how we can prepare to grow and learn as individuals and as an organization. The theme this year, Finding Your Inner Superhero, featured a panel of employees sharing how they have discovered and utilized their personal strengths to enrich their professional roles. Following the panel, keynote speaker Devin Hughes led a lively presentation including how staff can be their best selves at work, by recognizing how everyday interactions impact those we serve.
Library Collections and Technical Services Staff Host Open House
Library & Cultural Arts Department is engaged in an ongoing effort to provide a variety of talent development opportunities to their staff. On Wednesday, Collections and Technical Services hosted an open house, in response to feedback from staff in other divisions, who have asked for more exposure to the variety of roles they might consider throughout the department as they think about their future professional development. Guided tours took staff through a variety of stations, demonstrating how library materials are selected, ordered, added to the on-line catalog and physically prepared (and repaired) for their life on the shelves for public use.
Library & Cultural Arts Holiday Performances
The Library & Cultural Arts Department celebrated the holidays with several recent performances. Fifty people enjoyed a concert at the Library Learning Center on Dec. 5 featuring vocalist Allison Adams Tucker and guitarist Peter Sprague performing Christmas tunes mixed with some popular favorites. A lively crowd of 150 enjoyed a performance by vocalist and electric violinist Val Vigoda, who shared stories of touring with Cyndi Lauper and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, on Dec. 8 at the Dove Library. A final holiday concert takes place Sunday, Dec. 15 at Cole Library featuring Danny Green on keyboard and Rebecca Jade on vocals.
And More Library & Cultural Arts Holiday Events On Dec. 6, approximately 60 Library & Cultural Arts staff and family members gathered to celebrate the holidays with an open house at Dove Library featuring cookie decorating, crafts and a visit from Santa, also known as Fred Vrabel, a retired Library Children’s Division employee. Santa will return for visits with library patrons at the Cole Library and Library Learning Center on Thursday, Dec. 19.
2020 Invitational in the Cannon Gallery
The William D. Cannon Gallery concluded a successful exhibit Ansel Adams’ Early Works with over 4500 patrons viewing the black and white photography. The next exhibit is the 2020 Invitational presenting an eclectic mix of the work of artists from local artists Sue DeWulf, Juan Flores, Alison Haley Paul, Annalise Neil and Vicki Walsh. A reception will be held Saturday, Dec. 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. to kick-off the exhibit, which runs through Feb. 8, 2020.