Yearly Archives: 2021

Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a series of initiatives building on the state’s work to vaccinate California’s hard-to-reach communities against COVID-19, address vaccine hesitancy and drive innovative efforts in the communities hardest hit by the pandemic. New efforts focus on direct appointment assistance; community outreach including neighborhood canvassing, phone banking and text banking; at-home vaccinations and transportation services; and an additional $33 million in funding, bringing the total to $85.7 million, to support community-based organizations.

What is the opposite of vaccine-hesitant? Vaccine-delighted? Vaccine-obsessed? Whatever we call it, that was me in mid-December, when the rollout began. As a front-line medical worker in New York City, I had been working in labor and delivery, in a high-risk inpatient unit, and in prenatal clinics for eight pandemic months that seemed like forever. When I was given a vaccine appointment, one of the first available in our hospital — I moved child care and work obligations and mountains to get to it, without question.

Diana Serrano is offering a non-certificated American Heart Saver CPR/AED course on May 23. She will teach three classes from 8-10 a.m., 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2-4 p.m. at Hands of Mercy Day Spas, 463 W. Esplanade Ave. in Hemet, across the street from Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District Regional Park.

More than 40 vendors participated in Soboba’s fourth annual Health & Wellness Fair at the Sports Complex on April 29. Organized as an outdoor event this year to make sure social distancing and other safety protocols could be put into place, a steady flow of visitors stopped by during the four-hour event.

Back in the day when I was in junior high, my parents took our family to the Grand Canyon for the mule ride to the bottom. Both my sister and I were used to horseback riding, so, of course, we thought the entire trip was just dandy. My parents on the other hand, had a more challenging time with the whole experience! We spent the night at the bottom and then saddled up the next morning for the ride out. My poor dad, unbeknownst to the rest of us, had snuck a towel into his pants for the ride out of the canyon. Once back at the rim and off his mule, my father, patting his sore bottom, stoically made this resolute declaration: “I will never, ever again ride a mule and from now on we are hiking this canyon!” Which, by the way, we did four times! Whether we rea