Skip to main content

Author: Alfredo Casuso

Highly Anticipated Release of Data from HARC Set for February 28

Media contact:  DP&A, Inc. / David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

Highly Anticipated Release of Data from HARC Set for February 28

Triennial Coachella Valley Survey Called “Vital and Life Saving”
For Government and Community Planning

Information Is First Comprehensive Assessment of the Coachella Valley
Following Worst of COVID Pandemic

www.HARCdata.org

25 January 2023 – Palm Desert, CA: “It’s a capital mistake to theorize before one has data,” said the legendary literary sleuth Sherlock Holmes. To that end, the Coachella Valley’s esteemed nonprofit HARC (www.HARCdata.org), takes the mystery out of life-saving information, turning dry facts into something far more compelling than fiction.  On February 28th, HARC (an acronym for Health Assessment and Research for Communities) will release its highly anticipated triennial health survey of Coachella Valley residents, the most comprehensive such study in the region, and especially relevant coming after three years of the COVID pandemic. Registration for the February 28th event is free at the following link: https://2023coachellavalleydata.eventbrite.com

“This information changes lives,” said Jenna LeComte-Hinely, PhD, Chief Executive Officer for HARC.  “This data saves lives today and improves lives tomorrow. The results of this survey are crucial, so that our legislators, health care providers and community professionals can shape and execute policies that build and sustain a healthier community: mentally, physically and emotionally. In light of the pandemic and its continuing impact, this data is even more important than ever.”

In 2022, HARC staff mailed their community survey to individuals in the Coachella Valley asking for frank, but confidential, information about their health and well-being. The survey allows HARC to estimate the prevalence of health conditions, behaviors, major diseases, mental health, and much more for the entire Coachella Valley region. HARC also collected general demographics to more closely examine group differences, such as gender, race/ethnicity, and age. For example, HARC can estimate how many people need mental health care, but can’t get it, and which demographics are most impacted.

“Eisenhower Health greatly appreciates the data gathered by HARC for our organization’s Community Health Needs Assessment,” said Elizabeth Wholihan, Eisenhower Vice President for Marketing & Public Relations. “The data, combined with direct input from our community, is crucial for our strategic planning efforts which allow Eisenhower to determine how we can best respond to the health care needs of our community.”

The survey was conducted via address-based mailing. In other words, 18,000 randomly selected households were mailed the adult survey and pre-incentive of $2. Of those adults who completed the survey and also indicated they had a child in the home, were then mailed a child survey and were offered a $10 post incentive for participating. The information was collected and then weighted using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. On February 28th, the finished report, carefully prepared by HARC, will be presented online and in a written booklet of findings, available – FREE – to everyone.

“The report is free,” quips Dr. LeComte-Hinely, “but the importance of the information is priceless.”

When Sir Francis Bacon published in his work, Meditationes Sacrae in 1597 and coined the phrase “knowledge is power”, he could have been speaking for health professionals but also our elected officials who have long known its truth. One person who combines both those perspectives agrees with the importance of HARC’s information.

“As a physician and public health expert, I know how vital accurate data is to improve the public’s health and address the health disparities our communities face,” said Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-25). “This data report will help equip us with the tools and information we need to improve health outcomes for Coachella Valley residents and build a healthier, stronger community for us all.”

According to HARC, because of that, data at the Coachella Valley level is collected and analyzed to accurately reflect the needs of our local community. Organizations that use HARC’s data to support their requests for funding have brought in more than $19.9 million in funding to support critically needed programs and services, such as free HIV tests, and low-to-no-cost mental healthcare, among others.

About HARC:
HARC is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in Palm Desert, CA. HARC provides research and evaluation services in the field of health, wellness, and quality of life, with a special focus on the Inland Empire. To learn more about HARC, visit www.HARCdata.org. The 2022 Coachella Valley Community Health Survey is made possible by funding from Anderson Children’s Foundation, Auen Foundation, California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program (CALOSBA), City of Coachella, City of Desert Hot Springs, City of La Quinta, City of Palm Desert, City of Palm Springs, College of the Desert, DAP Health, Desert Oasis Healthcare, Desert Care Network, Eisenhower Health, Impact Through Golf Foundation, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), S. Mark Taper Foundation, MolinaCares Foundation on behalf of John Epps, Riverside County 4th District Supervisor CID Funds, University of California, Riverside – Center for Health Disparities Research, Windward Fund, and several generous private donors.

Goat My Valentine Goat Fashion Show in Union Square on Valentine’s Day

www.valueculture.org

ivalueculture@gmail.com / 415-672-2638

Goat My Valentine Goat Fashion Show in Union Square on Valentine’s Day

Union Square, San Francisco, CA (February 14th, 2023): The 5th annual Goat My Valentine (G.M.V.), a community event will take place in Union Square for a GOAT Fashion Show this Valentine’s Day 2023 from 4-6pm in the heart of San Francisco. The GOATS (Greatest of All Time) of San Francisco cultural scene will be on display with the goats who manicure the city. See Senator Scott Weiner, Last Black Man of San Francisco actor Jimmie Fails, Food Network’s House of Fang’s Chefs Kathy and Peter Fang, Rapper Big Rich and Project Level, Artist Jeremy Fish and many more surprise GOAT guests walk the runway with goats! Hosted by ABC 7’s Dan Ashley with special guests. Union Square is back!

Created by Value Culture, a non profit organization recently developed by San Francisco native and event entrepreneur Adam Swig, this event partners with and supports City Grazing, a San Francisco-based goat landscaping nonprofit organization, and is co-hosted with the Union Square Alliance. The goat fashions for the show are designed and created by Britex Fabrics. Special thanks to the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. RSVP and learn more at www.valueculture.org/goat. Free and All Ages. There will be a 21+ After Party at Hawthorn SF (46 Geary St.) immediately after the fashion show.

Want to be a GOAT & walk a goat on the runway? A silent auction is live now with benefittingValue Culture & City Grazing putting this event on. https://app.galabid.com/goat

Previous G.M.V. events were featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, named the #4 Valentine’s Day event by Time Out San Francisco, the #4 Galentine’s Date by The Bold Italic, featured by ABC 7 News, the Hoodline Top Pick, and Top Pick by FunCheapSF. The annual event draws hundreds of San Franciscans and Bay Area visitors of all ages and backgrounds for an experience of pure joy. 

“Goat My Valentine is about celebrating San Francisco. Come down to the heart of San Francisco, Union Square on Valentines Day 2023 and be with all the GOATS that we love.” Swig says, “Everyone needs to see how safe and fun Union Square is again, what the Union Square Alliance has done, and what a great place it is to visit. With the help of Britex, one of the ‘GOAT’ small businesses of EssEff, we’re creating some must-see fashion magic with the goats of City Grazing and some of the Greatest of All Time San Franciscans who represent our culture. Truly though, SF is full of GOATs; the community organizers, muni drivers and everyone doing their part to make our city the greatest of all time everyday. Thank You.”

“We at City Grazing are beyond thrilled to partner with Value Culture, the Union Square Alliance, and all of these incredible VIPs in order to show love for the heart of San Francisco and its unmatched cultural icons.” Board Member Cat Rauschuber says, “And of course we are also delighted to showcase and champion the hard work done by our beloved goats to make our city more sustainable and fire resistant! As the last herd residing and grazing in San Francisco, we know a thing or two about being the best at what we do, too!”

“We are thrilled to co-host this year’s annual Goat My Valentine event in Union Square, which serves to highlight the vibrant culture of San Francisco,” said Marisa Rodriguez, CEO of Union Square Alliance. “This event uniquely showcases the spirited sensibility and talent of our community and provides a wonderful and whimsical opportunity for everyone to come together and celebrate their love in the heart of our City.”

Value Culture founded in 2019 by award winner Adam Swig to make a larger positive community impact after years of community service. It’s received national recognition. The mission of Value Culture is to produce and support artistic, educational, charitable, and spiritual events to inspire the next generation to give back to their communities. Value Culture removes barriers to arts, culture, and philanthropy. 

City Grazing is dedicated to sustainable land management and fire risk reduction through outreach, education, and implementation of environmentally beneficial goat grazing. The goats live happily on pasture in San Francisco’s Bayview district between the SF Bay Railroad and Bay Natives Nursery.

The Union Square Alliance serves its members and creates a high-quality, complete neighborhood experience by managing and activating public spaces; supporting existing businesses and attracting new investments. and convening, partnering, and advocating for the District’s future success.

Britex Fabrics offers a legendary array of fine fabrics and embellishments, paired with knowledgeable and friendly service. Located in Union Square since 1952, the unique shop features quality wools, couture silks and laces, imported cottons, luscious linens, and distinctive furnishing fabrics along with ribbons, sparkles, notions, a full bridal department, and over 100,000 buttons. 

NACD Northern California Chapter Announces New Board Leadership

NACD Northern California Chapter Announces New Board Leadership

SAN FRANCISCO (January 18, 2023)

The NACD Northern California chapter is excited to announce their 2023 slate of officers. Claudia Fan Munce will serve as board chair. Laurie Yoler, a newly appointed director, will serve as the nominating and governance chair, and Gary Strong will serve as the chapter’s finance chair. In addition to Laurie Yoler, Jack Lazar has been appointed to the board of directors, following the appointments of Ira Ehrenpreis and Alison Davis last year.

This new leadership team will continue to drive the groundbreaking initiatives that will focus on the growth of Silicon Valley private and public company director content, leveraging an extensive and seasoned network of NACD members and the chapter board.

Claudia Fan Munce is a venture advisor for New Enterprise Associates, one of the largest and most active venture firms in Silicon Valley, as well as a faculty member of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. She is the founding chair of Global Corporate Venturing and serves on the board of directors for Best Buy Corp., Arteris IP and BMO Financial Group.

Laurie Yoler is an investor and general partner at Playground Global. She currently serves on the board of directors for Bose Corp., Church & Dwight Co., Saltbox and Leaf Logistics.

Gary Strong is the CEO of the American Red Cross California Gold Country region. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Oak Valley Community Bank and Gamma Epsilon Foundation. 

Jack Lazar is the chair of the board for Tonal. He also currently serves on the board of directors for Box, GlobalFoundries, Resideo, Astera Labs, and thredUP.

ABOUT THE NACD NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAPTER

NACD Northern California Chapter provides a forum for 2,200 NACD members to exchange knowledge and discuss leading boardroom practices. NACD’s 20+ chapters enhance the value of NACD membership by providing directors with a local forum to address governance challenges to elevate their board’s performance. Members enjoy peer-to-peer dialogue about critical boardroom issues such as cyber risk, CEO succession planning, activism and leadership. To learn more about NACD Northern California, please visit www.nacdnortherncalifornia.org.

ABOUT NACD

The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) is the premier membership organization for board directors who want to expand their knowledge, grow their network, and maximize their potential.

As the unmatched authority in corporate governance, NACD sets the standards of excellence through its research and community-driven director education, programming, and publications. Directors trust NACD to arm them with the relevant insights to make high-quality decisions on the most pressing and strategic issues facing their businesses today.

NACD also prepares leaders to meet tomorrow’s biggest challenges. The NACD Directorship Certification® is the leading director credential in the United States. It sets a new standard for director education, positions directors to meet boardroom challenges, and includes an ongoing education requirement that prepares directors for what is next.

With an ever-expanding community of more than 23,000 members and a nationwide chapter network, our impact is both local and global. NACD members are driven by a common purpose: to be trusted catalysts of economic opportunity and positive change—in business and in the communities we serve. To learn more about NACD, visit www.nacdonline.org.

“Along the Way: The Space of Remembering”

“Along the Way: The Space of Remembering”

Work by Elaine Badgley Arnoux

January 20 – February 12

Sanchez Art Center in PacificaOn Friday, January 20, 7pm to 9pm,  The Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica, Pacifica will host a reception featuring the work of legendary artist Elaine Badgley Arnoux, “Along the Way: The Space of Remembering.”   As part of the opening event, screenings of “Shadow & Light, the Life & Art of Elaine Badgley Arnoux”,  a film by William Farley, will take place at 6:30pm and 8pm.  The reception is free and open to the public.

On the last day of the show,   3:30pm on February 12, curator Susan Hillhouse Leask will talk with Badgley Arnoux about her work 

The Sanchez Art Center is located at 1220 Linda Mar Blvd, Pacifica, CA. Gallery hours are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 1pm to 5pm, and by appointment, during exhibits (except opening nights). For more information: (650) 355-1894 / www.SanchezArtCenter.org

A Review of Lucinda Hawksley’s “Dickens & Travel”

A Review of Lucinda Hawksley’s “Dickens & Travel”

One of the many things I learned in the superb “Charles Dickens & Travel: the Start of Modern Travel Writing” by the prolific and versatile author Lucinda Hawksley, is that “The Sparkler of Albion” was a nickname by which Dickens was known among his friends. His great-great-great granddaughter, Lucinda Hawksley, should henceforth be known as “The London Sparkle” having put a wise, witty and wonderfully detailed sheen not only on her ancestor’s history but on making a solid and page-
turning treatise that her forebear invented modern “travel writing.”

Reading this delightful biography while aboard ship was an especial treat for me as I dove bow first into Dickens’ trips to the United States (ante bellum and post civil war) and how Dickens was the first truly international celebrity to go on tour. Dickens and his tale of two continents paved the way for Jenny Lind in New York and Oscar Wilde in San Francisco.

Dickens’ sojourns in his native United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, France, Switzerland, Canada and a planned but unrealized trip to Australia round out Lucinda’s lucid and fact-filled journey. I loved every page, especially learning many things I should have known but did not. How can anyone write in the English language without knowing Dickens more fully? I’m happy to have been sent back to school by Lucinda.

The apples have fallen close to the Dickens family tree for now close on 200 years. Lucinda, a gifted and crowd pleasing lecturer in addition to being an author and biographer of other subjects, is continuing a liberal, literary legacy: Charles was only the most famous Dickens to write. Lucinda is more than equal to her lineage and a proudly progressive voice upon which the “Sparkler of Albion” would undoubtedly smile.

If you love travel, Dickens, history or just plain fantastic, impeccably well researched eloquent writing this is a book for you, and Lucinda Hawksley an author whose pages you should bookmark and turn.
— David Eugene Perry, author of “Upon This Rock”