Sharp HospiceCare Benefit Dinner and Regatta
Sharp HospiceCare Benefit Dinner and Regatta will be held on Friday, Aug. 25 and Saturday, Aug. 26 by Sharp HospiceCare, the Coronado Yacht Club and Cortez Racing Association to benefit the Sharp HospiceCare’s Homes for Hospice program.
On Friday, there will be a pre-race event at Hotel del Coronado located at 1500 Orange Ave. The event, which begins at 6 p.m., includes a full-course dinner, dancing and a silent auction with a ticket price of $195.
Then on Saturday, at 11 a.m., the Coronado Yacht Club located at 1631 Strand Way will be having yacht reservation, lunch, refreshments, beer, wine and post-race party dinner for a ticket price of $150. The race portion of the event will start later at 1 p.m. at the east end of Harbor Island and finish near the Coronado Yacht Club. Competitors will race for a chance to compete in the 2018 Hospice Regattas National Championship in Oswego, New York.
To purchase tickets or learn more about the Regatta, please visit give.sharp.com/regatta and to learn more about Sharp HospiceCare, you can call 1-800-82-SHARP or visit tinyurl.com/ydgfceh8.
City promotes youth involvement
The City of La Mesa is looking for youth representation to serve on two of their commissions.
One of the groups, The City of La Mesa’s Youth Advisory Commission, consists of nine members and four alternate members, all between the ages of 13-20. Members are appointed by the mayor with approval of the City Council to plan and orchestrate youth programs and services.
“Participating on the commission is a great way for young people in middle and high school to work with their peers to explore and develop activities that promote positive youth relations in the city and gain volunteer experience that can be applied toward community service hours,” said Amanda Rogers, secretary to the City Manager, in a press release.
The City of La Mesa’s Youth Advisory Commission meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 4:30 p.m. in the Community Center located at 4975 Memorial Drive. To apply for commission membership consideration, you must submit an application to the City Clerk’s office by 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2017. Applications can be found online at cityoflamesa.us or at La Mesa City Hall, located at 8130 Allison Ave.
A second opportunity for La Mesa youth to get involved is by joining The Environmental Sustainability Commission which is currently looking for a youth representative.
The youth representative spot is open for any La Mesa residents under the age of 21 who are interested in civic engagement and environmental concerns. If chosen they would work with other city of La Mesa volunteers to address climate change effects and try to improve environmental sustainability.
The Environmental Sustainability Commission meets on the third Monday of each month at 6 p.m. in the city manager’s conference room located at La Mesa City Hall. To be considered as a representative you must submit an application by Friday, September 11 at 5:30 p.m. to be included in the Sept. 26 interview process.
For more information about either opportunity, you can call the Office of the City Clerk at 619-667-1120 or by visiting the city’s website at cityoflamesa.com.
Nonprofit organization recognized
San Diego Oasis, a nonprofit organization located at 5500 Grossmont Center Drive in La Mesa, was recognized as a top Southern California nonprofit organization by Harrah’s Southern California.
As part of their All-In 4 Change event, Harrah’s Southern California combed through about 120 submissions of nonprofits throughout San Diego and awarded San Diego Oasis with a $3,000 grant.
The nonprofit is an organization that serves San Diegans over the age of 50 by promoting “lifelong learning, healthy living, and community service.”
The organization offers over 1,700 classes and activities and also operates an intergenerational tutoring program in over 100 schools throughout San Diego County.
“We are so thankful to the community for their continued support, as well as to Harrah’s Southern California and the Rincon Tribal Council for their generosity,” said Simona Valanciute, CEO and president of San Diego Oasis, in a press release.
For more information about San Diego Oasis, please visit sandiegooasis.org.
Grossmont Healthcare District supports medical volunteers in El Cajon
The Grossmont Healthcare District, located at 9001 Wakarusa St. presented Maureen Hartin, CEO of Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) San Diego with a check during a ceremony on June 5, 2017.
The ceremony celebrated GHD’s support of VIM by awarding them a $150,000 grant.
“We are proud to support Volunteers in Medicine and their mission to improve access to health care for America’s underserved, particularly the uninsured, by relying on volunteer medical professionals, including retired doctors and nurses. We applaud Volunteers in Medicine in their effort to bring together medical professionals with patients who don’t have health insurance,” said Michael Emerson, GHD board president, in a press release.
The grant will assist in paying for diagnostics tests, lab tests, lab fees and medical supplies for uninsured residents in the East Region, who receive free treatment from the VIM El Cajon medical clinic located at 1457 East Madison Ave.
For more information about the Grossmont Healthcare District, please visit grossmonthealthcare.org and for more information about Volunteers in Medicine San Diego, you can visit their website at vim-sandiego.org.
Community leaders protest Caltrans
On Friday, June 30, San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob and other community members protested what they call Caltrans’ failure to complete critical improvements on state Route 94 near the Hollywood Casino in Jamul.
In a press release, the supervisor’s office states that California Highway Patrol (CHP) statistics show the two-lane, rural highway has become more dangerous since the opening of the casino.
The CHP reported that there were 99 collisions on rural SR-94 from early October to the end of last month. From 2011 to 2015, the same road averaged 92 collisions a year. Additionally, 39 of the collisions from October to May involved injuries, exceeding the annual average of 38.
“Caltrans needs to do its job and complete road improvements it had promised in anticipation of the casino,” Supervisor Jacob said in a press release. “The agency is shirking its responsibilities and motorists are paying the price.”
Jacob, who was joined by Steele Canyon High School Principal Don Hohimer, president of the Jamul Action Committee, and a retired Sheriff’s Department Commander at a Jamul community gathering, predicted dangerous backcountry highways in response to the casino last summer.
In a letter sent that same day to local Caltrans Director Laurie Berman, Jacob called on the agency to block access to the casino until additional traffic signals and other safety measures were implemented.
“More than ever, recent traffic statistics underscore the need for swift action,” Jacob wrote in the letter.
Jacob also wrote to Jennifer Hill, the regional director with the state Department of Alcohol Beverage Control. In that letter, she criticized the agency for allowing the casino to operate with an interim liquor license, despite the added public safety risks.
“I am writing to request that the California Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) immediately rescind the Jamul Indian Village (JIV) interim operating permit to serve alcohol,” she wrote. “I am also requesting that no liquor license be considered for the JIV casino until all of the traffic mitigation in the Caltrans Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR), and the intergovernmental agreement with the County of San Diego is completed.”
First ever operation performed in La Mesa
On Tuesday, July 25, Dr. Scott A. Hacker became the only San Diego surgeon to ever use the NUSurface Meniscus Implant in a knee replacement surgery.
Dr. Hacker, who is an expert in arthroscopic surgery, total joint replacements, sports medicine and fracture care, partnered with Active Implants, a company that develops orthopedic implant solutions, to perform the surgery at the Grossmont Orthopedic Medical group located at 5565 Grossmont Center Drive, #256.
Carlsbad resident and father Justin Marchand was the recipient of the implant.
Marchand tore his meniscus in his left knee twice, first while practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu drills and the second while jogging. He went through two partial meniscectomies to treat the tears but continued to suffer from constant pain and swelling in his knee. His knee became extremely vulnerable to any type of sudden movement and made him limit all of sports activities, including mountain biking, skiing and hiking.
“There aren’t many great options for patients like Justin, who experience persistent knee pain following meniscus surgery but are too young for knee replacement surgery,” Dr. Hacker said in a press release. “We hope the SUN study finds that the NUsurface implant alleviates pain in these patients, as well as helps them delay or avoid knee replacement surgery. Patients routinely ask me for something simple that could be put in the joint – this is that option they have been waiting for.”
Following his surgery, where the implant was placed into his left knee joint through a small incision, he will now undergo a six-week rehabilitation program, after which time he can begin to resume work, leisure and sports activities.
“For the last four years, I had resigned myself to living with knee pain and limited mobility,” Marchand said in a press release. “As a father of six children, it has been particularly heartbreaking because I have not been able to go surfing with my kids or participate in the outdoor activities we love. I am hopeful that the NUsurface Implant will help me get back to my active lifestyle and allow me to go hiking with my family without persistent knee pain.”
For more information about the SUN study visit sun-trial.com or call 844-680-8951.
La Mesa Rotary holds a shoe drive
La Mesa Rotary, located at 4975 Memorial Drive, is holding a shoe drive from Aug. 1-Oct. 1 to send to Haitians and Africans in need.
Based on the total weight of shoes collected, Funds2Orgs will issue the Rotary a check which they can use to benefit local and international charities supported by the Rotary, one of which is the total eradication of polio.
Funds2Orgs is a social enterprise company based in Orlando, Florida that redistributes donated shoes throughout their network of small business partners. Funds2Orgs works with micro-entrepreneurs in “helping them create, maintain and grow small businesses in developing countries where economic opportunity and jobs are limited.”
Proceeds from the sales of the shoes collected in shoe drive fundraisers are used to feed, clothe and house families.
“We are excited about our shoe drive,” said Marsha Starr, Shoe Drive chairperson in a press release. “We know that most people have extra shoes in their closets they would like to donate to us. By doing so, we have the chance to help families in developing nations who need economic opportunities. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
You can help by donating all gently worn, used and new shoes at 6804 Murray Park Drive, San Diego, CA 92119. For more information about the drive, you can email Marsha Starr at [email protected].