Podiatrist in Valley Center, CA

CARLSBAD

Rotary raffle to help fund scholarships

Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary is selling raffle tickets to fund its expanded scholarship program for high school seniors. The club has provided scholarships for students heading to college, and now is providing them to students interested in trade or technical schools. All seniors who live in Carlsbad or attend a high school in Carlsbad are eligible for scholarships. To buy tickets, which are $20 each or six for $100, contact a Rotarian or mail a check to the Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 130175, Carlsbad, CA 92013. Tickets will be mailed to the purchaser. Online purchases are not available. Raffle first prize is $5,000; second prize is $2,500; third prize is a wine basket valued for at least $1,000; and the fourth prize will be a surprise. The raffle ends March 30 and the drawing will be held at the Rotary meeting set for noon April 3 at the Westin Carlsbad. Visit carlsbadhinoonrotary.org. Scholarship application deadline is March 29.

ENCINITAS

Assistance League donates computers

The Assistance League of Rancho San Dieguito partnered this holiday season with the Seeds of Hope Academy in Encinitas, donating four laptops and a printer. The academy helps students in the refugee community by offering individualized education to support them academically, build their confidence, and give them opportunities to help prepare them for the future. The Assistance League of Rancho San Dieguito is an all-volunteer nonprofit that raises funds through its Thrift Shop at 1542 Encinitas Blvd. Visit alrsd.org.

NORTH COUNTY

Applications open for soccer scholarship

Gregg’s Goals, a local nonprofit, is seeking qualified applicants for the 2023 Gregg Garon Scholarship. Applicants must have played soccer for a high school or club team in North San Diego County (north of state Route 56); have a high school GPA of at least 2.5, and plan to continue their education after high school. The scholarship is open to young men and women who will be graduating in 2023. Applicants must demonstrate team leadership, loyalty, heart/love of the game, giving back to others and courage. Scholarship amount depends on number of awardees selected, but has averaged $2,000 in recent years. Application deadline is March 26. The scholarship was created in memory of Gregg Garon, who grew up in Rancho Peñasquitos and played soccer for Mt. Carmel High School, as well as area soccer clubs. Find information and applications at greggsgoals.org or email greggsgoals@yahoo.com.

Transitional Youth Academy seeks donors

The Transitional Youth Academy run by Interfaith Community Services supports low-income and vulnerable area students ages 14-18 who are at risk of not finishing high school because of homelessness, poor academic performance or other issues. TYA staff have office space on campus to assist students with counseling, tutoring and financial support. The academy is seeking support for seniors so they can participate in typical senior year activities such as buying a yearbook, renting a graduation cap and gown, or attending the senior prom. These can total as much as $700. Student profiles are available at bit.ly/3XTnuYK. To donate the full $700 for a particular student, or to make a general contribution of any amount, visit interfaithservices.org/donate and select “TYA Adopt-A-Scholar Fund” in the “Designation” drop-down menu. Need more information? Contact Janet Reeves jreeves@interfaithservices.org.

VALLEY CENTER

Jazz band concert from middle, high school

The Maxine Theater hosts the 26th annual Jazz Benefit Concert at 1 p.m. March 5. The free concert features the award-winning Valley Center Middle and High School Jazz Bands, under band director Jeff Beck. This event kicks off the groups’ competition seasons. A nacho and baked potato bar will be available starting at noon, hosted by the Valley Center/Pauma Music Boosters. The Maxine Theater is at Valley Center High School, 31322 Cole Grade Road. The nonprofit Valley Center/Pauma Music Boosters provide the extras that support Valley Center school music programs.To contribute to the Boosters, visit givebutter.com/dg0nWb.

Please send items to ncschools@sduniontribune.com at least two weeks in advance of events.

First AT&T Connected Learning Center on tribal lands in the U.S. will provide the community with free access to high-speed connectivity, computers and digital learning resources

What’s the news? AT&T* is opening a new Connected Learning Center inside the Rincon Education Department located on the Rincon Reservation in Valley Center, CA to provide internet access and education tools to those who face connectivity barriers.

This will be the first AT&T Connected Learning Center on tribal lands in the U.S., the fifth that AT&T has opened in California, and our 21^st center nationwide. The center will allow students from tribal communities to get online, parents to look for jobs and the community to access resources to close in on the barriers of the digital divide.

The opening of the center is part of the AT&T Connected Learning initiative and our $2 billion commitment from 2021 to 2023 to address the digital divide through internet accessibility, affordability and safe adoption in underserved communities. In addition, the AT&T Foundation has made a $50,000 contribution towards Rincon Education Department programming.

Why is this important? Once they leave their school site, students on the Tribal Nations in the Valley Center region have limited access to the internet, computers or resources needed to benefit from the online world, part of the issue known as the digital divide. In fact, over 30 percent of the population on tribal lands do not have access to broadband infrastructure that provides minimally adequate speeds.¹

This new center will serve students, as well as their parents and the larger community, who will be able to get online, find educational and employment resources and much more. The center will enhance opportunities for residents on tribal lands, who can pursue remote education, apply online for jobs and access telehealth resources without having to leave their community.

“We are very excited to have the Connected Learning Center located right on our reservation,” stated Chairman Bo Mazzetti of the Rincon Tribe. “This is an absolute dream come true for our seniors, youth and the many tribal members who for many years did not have access to technology for the use of gathering information. This center will now enable our tribal members and lineals to have limitless learning and exciting possibilities through the power of technology.”

In all, AT&T plans to launch more than 50 total centers across the country. The centers will be housed within local non-profit organizations supporting communities in need. The goal of the centers is to encourage the community to get connected through free access to the internet and computers and education resources that teach the value of broadband and how to use it safely and effectively.

“Our investment in the AT&T Connected Learning Center at the Rincon Education Center directly reflects our commitment to get more unserved and underserved communities connected to the benefits of broadband,” said Marc Blakeman, AT&T California State President. “The center will give Rincon and nearby tribal families access to many digital resources including virtual mentoring and tutoring to help them succeed in digital school and job environments. AT&T is committed to advance digital access across California and will continue to invest in community programs and services that expand access to high-speed fiber internet to more Californians.”

Tools and resources to benefit tribal communities

The new center will help to bridge the digital divide by providing free access to a range of digital resources all under one roof. This includes high-speed AT&T Fiber internet, Wi-Fi, computers and free education resources including The Achievery, a digital learning platform created by AT&T, as well as digital literacy courses and workshops created with the Public Library Association.

As an added level of support, AT&T employees are taking an active role in the Connected Learning Centers through AT&T Believes, our company-wide, localized volunteerism movement. We are providing onsite and virtual mentoring and tutoring for students and families to promote long-term education success and digital engagement.

As part of its ongoing commitment to championing digital inclusion for underserved communities, Dell Technologies donated Dell OptiPlex computers and Dell monitors which feature integrated audio and webcams to support virtual learning. World Wide Technology is the largest minority supplier of IT services globally and is providing configuration and installation services. As a black-owned company, WWT is a part of AT&T’s Supplier Diversity Initiative and in collaboration with AT&T supports providing connectivity to all, including small and medium businesses, recreational facilities, educational institutions, and underserved communities.

How else are we supporting?

Separately, AT&T is working with the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians on a multi-step process, the first step of which is to design and engineer a fiber network on its tribal lands that would connect more than 400 homes on the reservation to reliable high-speed, broadband Internet.

AT&T is investing in our fiber network in California to meet the demands for reliable, high-speed connections today – and in the future. We see fiber as an asset that can provide more educational opportunities, enhance and improve access to healthcare, and strengthen the ways the community can connect with one another.

Additionally, the AT&T Foundation has granted $100,000 to the California Tribal Chairpersons Association to support their work around the critical needs of California tribes.

We offer affordable internet options

AT&T is committed to connecting more Americans to reliable, high-quality internet in several ways, including expanding and upgrading our network and participating in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP provides eligible households with a benefit of up to $30 a month (up to $75 a month on qualifying tribal lands) to reduce the cost of broadband service and can be applied to AT&T Fiber, where available. This means that ACP-eligible customers who reside on tribal lands can sign up for Internet 500 at no cost to them, or Internet 1000 for just $5/month. Alternatively, eligible customers can use it toward Access from AT&T, offering internet speeds of up to 100Mbps, for $0 after the ACP benefit is applied. After confirming ACP eligibility, those who qualify can go to att.com/getacp or call us at 866-986-0963 to sign up for service with your ACP application ID.

We are expanding our network

Across California, we continue to invest in bringing fiber and connectivity. From 2019-2021, we expanded coverage and improved connectivity by investing nearly $8.3 billion in our wireless and wireline networks in California. AT&T Fiber covers nearly ten million fiber strand miles in the state of California.²

Learn more at AT&T Connected Learning.

The storm that will hit San Diego County Friday night and early Saturday will produce snow heavy enough to cause whiteout conditions in the mountains and possibly on Interstate 8 east of Pine Valley, and heavy rains that will cause streams and rivers to rage with runoff through highly populated areas, the National Weather Service said.

In an updated forecast, the weather service said Friday morning that 6 to 18 inches of snow will fall in the mountains. An earlier forecast put the range at 36 to 48 inches. Forecasters say that multiple feet of snow will now be confined to taller mountains in and near Los Angeles County.

Even so, the county will finish the week with 2 to 3.5 feet of snow in the local mountains, and 2.5 to 4.5 inches of rain in many areas. Forecasters said up to 2.5 inches of rain will fall before dawn Saturday in San Diego, with far higher amounts expected everywhere from Otay Ranch to Escondido.

“We’ll be getting less snow but a lot more runoff,” said Alex Tardy, a weather service forecaster.

His colleague, Liz Shenck, said, “People should absolutely not try to drive up to the mountains (in San Diego County) to see this, even if they’ve driven in snow before. It would be difficult if not impossible to drive. There could be a whiteout.”

Feb. 23, 2023

At times, communities could get a half-inch of rain in an hour. Forecasters are expecting a deluge because the storm, which originated in Alaska and Canada, will tap lots of moisture from the subtropics. This so-called atmospheric river will last for about 24 hours. The rivers usually hit the region for six to 12 hours.

Winds will gust close to 40 mph at the coast, nearly as fast as they moved earlier this week during a wild windstorm.

The storm also underlines the spectacular power of nature.

The San Diego River watershed will receive about 300,000 acre feet of water, enough to serve about 500,000 homes for a year if there was a way to capture it all, said Marty Ralph, director of the University of California San Diego’s Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes.

The county lacks that capacity, and most of the water will flow into the sea. But the deluge will have impact. The San Diego River is expected to become at least 10 feet deep late Friday or early Saturday, causing street flooding in the Fashion Valley mall area of Mission Valley.

The incoming storm represents the third wave of cold, moist, unstable air that has traveled to San Diego this week from Canada and Alaska.

On Thursday, snow and rain fell on Interstate 8 where it turned into black ice, prompting dozens of drivers to come to a stop in the westbound lanes. The situation worsened a short time later when a big-rig jackknifed on the freeway around 10:30 a.m., blocking the slow lane and the shoulder.

Officials said there were three snowplows working the area but said they couldn’t keep up with the snow, which fell to the 2,000-foot level overnight.

“It is just actively snowing so they can just do so much,” said California Highway Patrol Officer Jared Grieshaber. “We have tons of calls out there, with people stopped on the side of the road.”

Motorists began calling CHP dispatchers around 9:15 a.m. to report being stuck on westbound Interstate 8 near the Pine Valley checkpoint, which is about a mile east of Sunrise Highway and west of Buckman Springs Road.

One caller said there were about 50 vehicles unable to drive because of black ice on the freeway.

Grieshaber said some motorists were stuck in the snow while others were stopping because they were uncomfortable trying to drive in the snowy conditions.

Chains are recommended on state Route 78 at Santa Ysabel east of Ramona and are required for drivers heading up Sunrise Highway from I-8, starting around Old Highway 80 in the Pine Valley area, according to the CHP. Drivers in four-wheel drive vehicles can drive on the roads as long as they have chains in the vehicle.

Rain is pouring down throughout the San Joaquin Valley while the Sierra Nevada mountains continue to receive a significant amount of snow heading into the weekend.

As a result, multiple areas in Central California are on flood watch through Saturday. Nearly 3 inches of rain has fallen in the last day. Flooding shut down Highway 99 at Pixley near Avenue 96 where the highway is under water up to the guardrail, Tulare County firefighters said.

Traffic is being diverted to the frontage roads.

"This shut down is expected to last most of the day if not well into tomorrow,' firefighters said.

Flooding was also reported throughout Visalia and Tulare neighborhoods Saturday morning. Intersections in southwest Visalia were inches deep in water, while some residents in northwest Visalia took buckets to nearly over-flowing pools.

“There is a marginal risk of excessive rainfall south of Fresno County,” an update from the National Weather Service states, “which could result in localized flooding.”

The rainfall may cause flooding in areas with poor drainage systems as storm drains and ditches become clogged with debris. Urban areas, roads, small streams and burn scars are the most vulnerable areas. City crews in Visalia and Tulare were out Saturday trying to clear drains.

Weekend weather in Visalia, Hanford, Fresno, Delano and Bakersfield are expected to see up to 1/2 inch of rain over the weekend.

Porterville, Grant Grove, Shaver Lake and the Grapevine may see up to an inch of rain on top of 8 or more inches of snow. A blizzard warning for elevations above 8,000 feet was in effect until 4 p.m. Saturday for the Sierra Nevada Mountains "due to falling snow and high winds combining to lower visibilities to less than 1/4 mile."

Many roads in Central and Southern California – including the I-5 over the Grapevine and State Route 58 at Towerline Road toward Tehachapi – were closed as of Saturday "as the snowfall has caused the roads to be unsafe."

“If you must drive, please drive safely in these conditions,” a tweet from Los Angeles County reads, “and check the road closures.”

The storm system is expected to push through by Sunday; however, another system is forecasted to move in Monday through Wednesday.

The transit center in downtown Visalia will serve as a dry center from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. through March 1 at 425 E. Oak Avenue. The center’s lobby has seating, vending machines and restrooms for those who need a break from the rain.

Visalia’s warming center is also open from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. at 701 E. Race Avenue.