Holtville's Bradley-Keffer Aux. Churns Out Viral Masks ... · resume public gatherings again....

VOL 116 NO 17 IMPERIAL COUNTY, CA THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020 CHANGE SERVICE REQUEST

Serving Your Community Since 1905

R e a d u s o n l i n e a t H o l t v i l l e T r i b u n e . c o m

MORE COVIDCOVERAGE

INSIDE

*Holtville chamber changesthe way it serves community,membership during COVID

closures and social distancing.Page 2

*It's all in a day's work forlaw enforcement, who enforcecoronavirus measures, warn

public of senior scams. Page 3

*The deadline for the 2020census count has been delayedthree months due to COVID-

19. Learn more. Page 3

I.C. COVIDDeaths Up to 5,Positive Cases

Surge, asBorder RatesLoom Large

Conditions in Mexicali nottruly known, but virus in BajaCalifornia is expected to greatlyaffect Imperial County's effortsto ease restrictions.

BY RICHARDMONTENEGRO BROWN

As local and state officialsbegin to have discussions onwhen and how to slowly emergefrom stay-at-home orders andother mandatory distancingmeasures, the number of cases ofCOVID-19 infections continuedto escalate in Imperial Countyand in Mexicali, home to morethan 1.1 million people.

Imperial County saw one ofits largest single-day surges inthe number of positive caseswhen county Public HealthDepartment data revealed thosewho have tested positive wentfrom 175 total cases to 195 totalcases, with a fifth fatal case ofthe virus confirmed, all on April21.

Two deaths were reported intwo consecutive days after thenumber of fatalities attributed tothe virus had been holding atthree for more than a week,according to county PublicHealth information.

The latest death was an elder-ly patient formerly hospitalizedin Baja California with multipleunderlying health problems who

Continued on page 8

BY WILLIAM ROLLER

For its loyal members, the Woman's Clubof Holtville has taken on the status of a land-mark institution and has proven itself a treas-ured refuge, especially in light of the shelter-in-place orders from Gov. Gavin Newsom lastmonth that has kept the thriving group frommeeting.

Since gatherings of 10 or more are peoplehave been indefinitely suspended to halt thespread of the coronavirus, members of theWoman's Club have demonstrated a resource-fulness to confront the isolation rather thanacquiesce to the lockdown.

"It's not a real hardship, but socially, Imiss these ladies and I miss our bridgegames," admitted Deb Thornburg, club presi-dent. "But it would truly be harder without theInternet."

Club meetings and activities have beencurtailed until the state or the county PublicHealth Department gives an all-clear toresume public gatherings again.

Thornburg has been averaging once-a-week email to the membership to keep themposted on each other's activities. So far, theclub has missed April's meeting and will like-ly forego May's monthly meeting.

Cancelled Events Mean Less SocialOutreach

"We'll miss our May yard sale and can-celed the March spaghetti dinner, one of ourmajor fundraisers," she said. "Along with oursoup and sweets dinner (held February andMarch), we usually raise from $1,000 to$1,200 per event that goes back into clubactivities. Fortunately, we're still in a good

place financially. And only a few of us lackemail, but we manage to contact everyone."

Those fundraisers also support theWoman's Club three scholarship funds.

The first is a general scholarship for thosegraduating Holtville High School. The second

Continued on page 3

Holtville Woman’s Club Members File Photo

Holtville's Bradley-Keffer Aux. Churns Out Viral Masks Like Liberty ShipsBY WILLIAM ROLLER

The battle against the coronavirus hasbeen called the latest global war, and similarto America's "Greatest Generation,"Holtville's American Legion auxiliary Unit138 has responded in the spirit of Rosie theRiveter, icon of those on the assembly line inWorld War II defense plants.

Karen Gibbs, president of the Bradley-Keffer auxiliary Unit 138, has had her Singersewing machine more than 40 years, but

Continued on page 5

Coping With COVID: Paty Hurtado's RoadTo Recovery Comes With Message

BY RICHARD MONTENEGRO BROWN

CALEXICO - Paty Hurtado ison the mend. She's got her easylaugh and her bubbly spirit back,but she's still a little weakened andhas a lingering cough being treatedwith a nebulizer.

Still considered one of the 120or so "active cases" of coronavirus

Continued on page 8

* Response rates as ofApril 20

United States 50.7%California 51.9%Imp County 41.3%Calexico 45.7%Brawley 48.2%El Centro 48.0%Holtville 57.4%Imperial 52.9%

SEE STORY ONPAGE 3

Stay-at-Home Order Affects ThrivingHoltville Social Network

Woman's Club of Holtville stays electronically connected but members yearn forin-person get-togethers.

Left, BobCandland,

Boyce Aten Am.Legion Post 25

member,accepts face

masks fromKaren Gibbs,president of

Bradley-KefferAm. Legion

Auxiliary Unit138, who pro-

duced the masksin Holtville,

April 17.

Paty Hurtado andEnrique Verdugo:Enrique Verdugo,

51, and PatyHurtado, 59, of

Calexico, have beenmarried for 28

years. Paty is recov-ering from COVID-

19. She andEnrique have beenin isolation in theirhome since around

March 20. COURTESY

PHOTO

This Week

BY WILLIAM ROLLER

As businesses and organiza-tions throughout the countryadjust to a new manner of oper-ations amid this coronaviruspandemic, the HoltvilleChamber of Commerce, too, hasadapted to difficult circum-stances to continue to serve itsmembers.

The chamber has closed itsoffice until the shelter-in-placeorder is lifted and is arrangingin-person visits by appointment.

"I'm working 10 hours aweek, and I've had the Chamberof Commerce number forwardall calls to my cell," said RosieAllegranza, interim chamberchief executive officer. "I'manswering emails and doingCOOs (certificates of origin)that verifies the point of sale forag businesses who ship over-seas."

Allegranza also checks con-tinually on restaurants and busi-nesses to alert the communityabout reduced hours of opera-tion or closures. Regrettably,some favorite civic events havebeen tabled, and Allegranza con-tacted chamber member RossDaniels by speaker phone in heroffice to confirm which eventsmay be salvaged.

"Derby Days was originallyscheduled for April 24 (ImperialValley Swiss Club), but we'rewaiting to see what ImperialCounty or the state is going todo," said Daniels. "If it goes outtwo months or more, it may becanceled until next year. We'rewaiting to see what happens, if ithappens."

"Easter in the Park," alsoknown as the city's Easter-egghunt, could be rescheduled toMay and renamed "Spring in thePark," explained Allegranza. Ifit is necessary to wait until June,the chamber may include the icecream social typically held thatmonth. Daniels added that thesecond annual pulled pork andcorn hole competition could berescheduled for May or June, ifthe chamber gets an all-clearsignal from the Imperial CountyPublic Health Department.

Notable Holtville businesseshave adopted reduced hours,including Cooper WestInsurance. They have employeeswork staggered hours with somein the morning, others in theafternoon, while still otherswork from home.

"Los Cerritos restaurant hadto let two employees go," saidAllegranza. "And Las Palmitas

had to let go one employee.Carlos (Contreras, owner) toldme he normally does 100 ordersa day, but the last couple ofweeks it was down to 10 to 12per day."

Other venues also experi-ence hardship. George's Pizzahas seen a slide in business, butthe eatery delivers for customersin special circumstances, such asthose with no transportation,unable to leave their house orwho are ill, noted Allegranza.

"All the restaurants I'vetalked to said they're hurting,"she said. "And Jack Vessey wasinterviewed on OAN (OneAmerica News Network). Hesaid restaurants are not ordering,and it's not worth hiring peopleto harvest, pack and ship pro-duce. He's laid off 150 to 200(people)."

Vessey told OAN in an April16 article on its website, "Youput your blood, sweat and tearsinto a crop. …To just disc it intothe ground: It's painful."

Another phenomenon is thepopularity of services such asInstacart, especially for a ruralcommunity where it saves gasand time to have groceries deliv-ered as opposed to driving intoEl Centro.

"Another thing I'd like toremind people is support ourHoltville businesses,"Allegranza urged. "A lot of peo-ple will go out to a restauranttwice a week. Now you canorder take out twice a week."

Allegranza had praise forParker's Pharmacy across fromthe chamber. She commendedthe business for keeping med-ications and medical supplieswell stocked and for remindingcustomers when they need arefill.

But even the pharmacy'sbusiness is down, said AnujShukla, pharmacist and owner.He tries not to have more thanfour customers at a time in thestore because the importantthing right now is to take care ofourselves, he said.

"Phone orders is what wewould like right now," saidShukla. "We don't know muchabout the coronavirus. So, westay here so you can shop fromhome."

Also, the chamber has com-piled a list of restaurants andvenues with food service andtheir hours of operation.George's Pizza is open after-noons to 8 p.m. weekdays and 9p.m. weekends. Las Palmitas isopen 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday. Los Cerritos is open 8 a.m.

to 7 p.m. every day. HoltvilleTaco Shop is open 6 a.m. to 7p.m. Mondays throughSaturdays. Donut Avenue isopen 24 hours every day.Raspados Cuchis is open 2 p.m.to 8 p.m. every day.

Meanwhile, Caddies SportsTavern is closed, as is Hot Rods& Beer, Wong's KitchenChinese Food and D'LupitasRestaurant.

For further information onbusiness schedules, people canphone the chamber: 760- 356-2923 or email: [email protected]

"Right now, we want to doour part buying locally or giftcards that can be used later on,"she stressed. "Holtville is verygiving and we're fortunate tolive in a town like this where weall support each other."

Holtville Tribune Thursday, April 23, 2020 PAGE 2

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92243

Publisher: Brenda Torres

Office Manager: Rosa Nogueda

Editor: Gary RedfernReporters:

Jayson Barniske, RichardMontenegro Brown, William Roller,

and Elizabeth VillaProduction: Christina Villarreal,

Photographer: Corissa IbarraOnline Services:

Walter Mejia,Andrea Redfern

Holtville Tribune (USPS 247-880)is published weekly on Fridays for $25per year by Holtville Tribune/ ImperialValley Weekly/ Calexico Chronicle at1239 W. Main Street, El Centro, CA92243. Periodical postage paid atHoltville, California.

Postmaster: send addresschanges to Holtville Tribune, 1239

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The Holtville Tribune is anewspaper of general circulationfor the publication of legal notices,as defined in Section 4460 of thePolitical Code, State of California,in the Superior Court of ImperialCounty.

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Office February 27, 1905, under Act ofCongress of March 3, 1997. (USPS

247-880).

Week of April 20thThe Whole-Brain Child: Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your

Child’s Developing Mind(Originally aired on January 2015)

Your toddler throws a tantrum in the middle of a store. Your preschoolerrefuses to get dressed. Your fifth-grader sulks on the bench instead of play-ing on the field. Do children conspire to make their parents’ lives endlesslychallenging? No, it’s just their developing brain calling the shots! Daniel J.

Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the bestselling book Mindsight,explains the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures.

Dan Siegel, MDPsychiatrist and Author Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA School of

Medicine, Founder and Co-Director of the UCLA Mindful AwarenessResearch Center

(442)-265-1525(442)-265-1525

(442)-265-1525(442)-265-1525

Semana del 20 de abril 2020El Cerebro Infantil: Estrategias Revolucionarias de Nutrir la Mente en

Desarrollo de su Hijo(Originalmente transmitido en enero del 2015)

Su niño tiene una rabieta en medio de una tienda. Su niño en edad prescolarse niega a vestirse. Su niño de quinto grado se enfurruña en la banca en vezde jugar en el campo. ¿Los niños conspiran para hacer la vida de sus padresinfinitamente difíciles? No! Es solo su desarrollo cerebral tomando las deci-siones. Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsiquiatra y autor del libro mas vendido, titula-do Mindsight (en Inglés), nos explica la nueva ciencia de como esta conecta-

do el cerebro de un niño y como madura.

Dr. Dan SiegelPsiquiatra Profesor Clínico en la Escuela de Medicina de UCLA, Fundador y

Co-director del Centro de Investigación de la Atención Mental en UCLA

Member of CNPA

Woman’s Club Of HoltvilleCommunity Birthdays

APR 23: Audrey Turner, Daryle Brown, Cole Contreras, CollinDuPre. Mary Jane KirchenbauerAPR 24: Jeffrey Jessee, Katrina Rose Bornt, Lee Farris†APR 25: Katie Cameron Brady, Allison Chandler, Peggy Rubin Maston, Jared Britschgi, Hanna Emery, Ryan Wasson, David Hilfiker, Frank IrogoyenAPR 26: Douglas Jon Iten, Michael Gettle, Robert De La Rosa IIIAPR 27: Hal King, Jeremy MingAPR 28: Alan FjeldstedAPR 29: Sherry Milano, Dina Patzloff, Jamie StrahmAPR. 30: Rick Ludwig, Shayne Brady, Aspen Silva, Thea Tremaine

AnniversariesAPR 23: Mr & Mrs. Jim KennyAPR 25: Mr. & Mrs. George MorrisAPR 26: Mr. & Mrs. Mike BostonAPR 27: Mr. & Mrs. Blake Plourd, Mr. & Mrs. Mike HulseyAPR 29: Mr. & Mrs. Norberto Irungaray Jr.

How Holtville Chamber is Helping Local Businesses During COVID Crisis

Holtville Chamber of Commerce Easter Egg Hunt File Photo

IID Recognized As Reliable Public Power ProviderSTAFF REPORT

Imperial Irrigation Districthas earned a "Reliable PublicPower Provider (RP3)" designa-tion from the American PublicPower Association for providingreliable and safe electric service,according to a district pressrelease issued April 21.

IID was awarded a "diamond"designation, the highest achieve-ment possible under the associa-tion's assessment. The status sig-nifies that the IID has met over98 percent of the total evaluationcriteria, the press release states.

IID joins more than 278 pub-lic power utilities nationwide thathold the RP3 designation, which

recognizes public power utilitiesthat demonstrate proficiency infour key disciplines: reliability,safety, workforce developmentand system improvement.Criteria include sound businesspractices and a utility-wide com-mitment to safe and reliabledelivery of electricity.

"We are proud to be recog-nized for this distinguishedhonor," said Marilyn Gilbert,manager of IID's EnergyDepartment. "Our mission is toprovide reliable, efficient andaffordably priced energy to thecommunity. The Diamond desig-nation demonstrates that commit-ment to our customers."

Receiving an RP3 designation"demonstrates a utility's commit-

ment to implementing industrybest practices in utility opera-tions," said Aaron Haderle, chairof the America Public PowerAssociation's RP3 Review Paneland manager of Transmission andDistribution Operations at?Kissimmee Utility Authority. Inaddition to the national and localrecognition as a safe, reliabilityutility, the district could alsoexperience financial benefitsfrom the designation, such asimproved bond ratings or savingson workers compensation andinsurance, which in turn, helpsthe district maintain low electric-ity rates, the release stated.

The designation, made inApril, lasts for three years.

BY JAYSON BARNISKE

Although high hopes for theaccuracy of the 2020 Censushave been affected by theCOVID-19 pandemic, the dead-line for the count has beenextended three months andefforts are underway to get backon track, according to countyofficials.

The U.S. Census Bureau hasrevised the count deadline fromJuly 31 to Oct. 31, said EsperanzaColio Warren, deputy chief exec-utive officer for Imperial Countyand head of the local completecount census committee.

Census officials will resumefield operations locally, meaningthey will go door to door, startingJune 1, according to the bureau,Colio Warren said.

In the meantime, local countefforts are being pushed onlineand through telephone banksbeing operated by local volunteergroups, Colio Warren said April20.

"We have three partners,Comite Civico, the (ImperialValley) LGBT Resource Centerand Campesinos Unidos), (that)have volunteers with a cell phone… available to help people withthe hotline," Colio Warren said."People feel more confident call-ing someone in their own lan-guage and having someone helpthem complete the question-naire."

Warren explained the U.S.

Census Bureau is trackingresponse rates weekly by loca-tion. Official count efforts gotunder way in late March. As ofApril 20, Imperial County'sresponse rate is at 41.3 percent,Colio Warren said. California isat 51.9 percent.

"We are receiving some in themail, but most is online," sheadded.

Colio Warren shared whysome may be apprehensive aboutcompleting the census question-naire.

"People are afraid of beingdeported if they are non-citizens.I came to Imperial County fromMexicali when I was 21. Therules are different in the U.S. Theway the system works is differ-ent. I spent nine years in schoolhere, so now I can relate howpeople are afraid of the systemand that is why the hotline is soimportant," she said.

Colio Warren spoke abouthow the COVID pandemic hasdrastically affected the countycensus committee's ability tocomplete the 2020 census.

"The plan was to send peopledoor to door and set up kiosks allover the Imperial County, but wehad to stop that to prevent thespread of COVID," she said.

Imperial County and its part-ners in the 2020 Census shutdown the planned 31 informa-tional kiosks located at differentlocations in Imperial Countyalong with all canvassing activi-ties and events.

"This is a difficult situationfor us because we have to stopour canvassing. We receivedfunding from the ImperialCounty, and it is our job to usepartners to help us to completethe census. Because of the coron-avirus, we are missing opportuni-ties to go into the communitiesand help people complete thecensus by providing computers,internet and resources to com-plete the census," she said.

To complete the 2020 Census,v i s i twww.imperialcounty.org/census-2020. For further assistance, con-tact the Imperial County 2020census hotline at 442-265-0244.

Ricardo Ortega, a specialprojects manager withNeighborhood House inCalexico, was one of the leads ona Calexico subcommittee formedto increase the count in the citythrough door-to-door canvassing.He said the virus ended all ofthat.

"We did a lot of volunteercanvassing and we were ready tostart kiosk centers and hadalready bought laps tops whenthe whole coronavirus thing start-ed and that brought everything toa stop," he said.

Ortega encourages residentsto complete the census throughthe internet, telephone and mail.

"We had a good plan to start,but everything went topsy turvywhen the virus started," he added.

Ortega said he thinks theextended deadline for the countisn't enough time to recover fromthe time lost by the virus.

"The date to complete thecensus should be pushed backeven further because we still haveto have direct contact with peopleto encourage them to participate.Hopefully, they will push it evenfurther back to the end of theyear," he added.


Woman’s Club....from page onesupports any student going into amedical field including nursing.The third, assists adults returningto college to get into a differentfield or college juniors or seniorsneeding a little help.

Typically, the fund is largeenough to provide three scholar-ships in each category.

"We'll miss the ceremony inMay, but our scholarship chair,Mary Jane Kirchenbauer, will noti-fy the recipients and mail each acheck," said Thornburg.

She also informs membersabout others dealing with a healthissue or club budget updates.

"We just had a member moveback to Boston," Thornburg said."And I recently found we had aleak in the roof, so I already talkedto a contractor who recommendedwe wait for the warmer weather sothe slurry seal will seep into thecracks more efficiently."

Members Devote More Timeto Hobbies

Although an active Woman'sClub member, even with more idletime, Bunny Hartshorn finds thereare still not enough hours in theday. She cares for her three indoorcats as well as 11 feral cats whoseleftover bowls she was cleaningfrom her patio when contacted byphone.

"A group of us from St. Paul'sChurch quilter's club are sewingsurgical masks and donating themto AccentCare," said Hartshorn."But Deb is staying in touch byemail and phone."

For longtime member WandaLayton, family fills the barrensocial space. Her son, Larry,accompanied her on a trip to theTumco mines north of Felicity ineastern Imperial County recently.

A boom town of 500 peoplefrom 1880 to 1900, when gold min-ing was still good, the nearby set-tlement is a ghost town now. Shethen visited her son, Richard, whowas camping nearby with his wifeand their grandchildren, where theycan see the mines off in the dis-tance.

"I call some of the members,Virginia Munger; she's 102 yearsold now," said Layton, "She lovesher bridge games. And gosh, yes, Imiss the bridge games, too. It's get-ting a little boring being at home.But I got a big yard and I lovedoing yard work more than house-work. I also love reading myster-ies."

Ruth Chambers, an avid gar-dener who also volunteers to keep

up the Woman's Club with plantsringing the front of the buildingand has been doing a little trim-ming of her home potted plantssince the early April rains spurredconsiderable growth.

"I do a lot of Kalanchoe (a suc-culent flowering plant); it toleratesa lot of heat and it's just blooming,"said Chambers. "It's mostly in redbut I got cuttings from DorothyKelly that I grew in pots."

Day Trips a Chance toRediscover Valley's Beauty

Chambers has filled her timethis spring taking day trips oncounty Route S2 north of Ocotilloto see the Rock Daisy and MonkeyFlower plants going up to BlairValley. She also drove towardAnza-Borrego Springs on S2 fol-lowing the route the Pony Expressriders formerly took.

"The Desert Lavender smellsbeautiful along the S2 and there'slots of it," said Chambers. "And theDesert Five Spot is pink withmagenta spots and delicate leaves,similar to begonias, one of themajestic wildflowers."

Meanwhile, for the finalWoman's Club meeting on March11, they had an outing to Brawleyto visit Joanie Moore, who hasbeen on the Cattle Call RodeoCommittee since 1988.

"Her father competed in ropingevents and she was a former CattleCall Queen," Chambers said. "Wedrove around the arena, which isvery popular now with people get-ting out their houses for their exer-cise."

Pam Edwards, who helps runthe Carrot Festival cooking compe-tition, praised Thornburg for send-ing out emails. Edwards texts andemails other members but admitsshe cannot contact everybody.

She noted many of theWoman's Club members are atheightened risk to the pandemicbecause of their age and must takethe stay-at-home orders seriously.Yet she explained it will be greatwhen they can all gather in theirusual group again once guidelinescan be modified.

"I live out in the country and Igot family who help deliver gro-ceries," said Edwards. "And theybrought my grandkids over andthey all waved from my front yard.I have one granddaughter who readto me a favorite story on theFaceTime app. But I'm a big hug-ger, and I really miss huggingeverybody."

Deadline for U.S. Census Extended ThreeMonths to Oct. 31; County Efforts Underway

Cops continue COVID-relatedefforts, 'potential scams' create added wrinkle

BY RICHARDMONTENEGRO BROWN

Calexico continues to get its fairshare of complaints about largegroups of people defying healthorders to cover up their faces --- theimplication being the groups areMexican essential workers --- but sofar none of the claims have been sub-stantiated, the police chief saidrecently.

Patrolling downtown Calexico inhis police cruiser the afternoon ofApril 17, Chief Gonzalo Gerardospoke to a reporter on speaker phoneabout the false reports coming intohis department that farmworkers andothers are not adhering to the countyhealth officer's April 10 order requir-ing members of the public to wearface coverings at all times to limit thespread of coronavirus.

"I'm downtown right now andeverybody's covered up," Gerardosaid, describing how he passed a busstop where a pair of men sat on abench, one wearing a covering overhis mouth and nose, the other with amask around his chin as he drankfrom a water bottle.

"You go anywhere, you're goingto find people without face cover-ings," Gerardo said. There is a per-ception that it's rampant "only inCalexico" due to the number ofessential workers from Mexico pres-ent in the city daily to work in farmlabor and other jobs, he said.

"It's not true," Gerardo added.Recently, someone forwarded a

complaint to the chief that a group of50 people were gathered at DonutAvenue last week in downtownCalexico and none of them werewearing face coverings. But Gerardosaid his overnight/morning sergeantfollowed up and checked on the busi-ness, saying that the men and womenwaiting to go out into the fields towork were almost all covered up.

Likewise, when they returnedfrom the fields and gathered to cashtheir checks at local money-exchangebusinesses, police found most werecovered up then, too, Gerardo said.

A few days after Dr. StephenMunday issued his order, Gerardosaid calls started coming into thedepartment from people in businessesreporting groups uncovered insidelocal businesses like Walmart andFood4Less. Again, he said, officerschecked out the reports and foundthem to be unfounded.

On April 12, members of theCalexico Police Officers Associationposted photos to the associationFacebook and Instagram pages show-ing them responding to the unfound-ed reports at Walmart.

Gerardo said since April 10,police have only issued one citationto someone not wearing a face cover-ing, and that was a ticket added to anarrest made of a man attempting tosteal a motorcycle.

Although Munday's health orderspecifically stated violations of thecovering requirement are punishableby up to a $1,000 fine or 90 days injail, Munday acknowledged during apress conference April 12 that mem-bers of the public were expected todo the right thing and that enforce-ment would likely be educational innature. That is exactly what is bear-ing out at this point.

"We're mostly in education modeand issuing reminders. That's not tosay we won't enforce," Gerardo said,but police are still focused on educa-tion.

El Centro Police Tracking

ComplaintsIt is the same for El Centro Police

Chief Brian Johnson, whose officersare tracking the complaints butalmost entirely engaged in educationefforts.

"We've been very proactive want-ing to get that message out on theorder for a face cover," Johnson saidApril 17.

He said officers responded tosome 35 calls for service regardingface coverings through April 16, onlyissuing one "written warning cita-tion" that final day after police issueda verbal warning to an individual inthe morning, and then gave the sameperson a written warning in the after-noon when it became clear he waspurposefully not wearing the cover-ing in the presence of police.

Johnson said on April 17 com-mand staff went to banks and super-markets in El Centro to issue "finalwarnings" to those businesses abouttheir responsibilities to ensure cus-tomers inside those facilities werewearing face coverings and practic-ing social distancing.

After a few complaints came inover the weekend about an excess ofvisitors to El Centro's Bucklin Parkwho were not wearing facial cover-ings, Johnson said that officers did goout and tell families and others usingthe park April 18 and 19 to cover up.He said it appeared most if not allwere practicing social distancing.

Johnson explained enforcementon some of these calls is being han-dled tactfully, as people grow frus-trated with being confined to theirhomes.

He added that El Centro has notreceived any complaints in two tothree weeks of businesses price-gouging, reports that have never beensubstantiated either.

"It appears everyone is comply-ing," he said.

Gerardo in Calexico and ImperialCounty Sheriff Ray Loera also arenot getting price-gouging reports anylonger. They are also not gettingmany reports of people not practicingsocial distancing or nonessentialbusinesses trying to reopen.

"I do believe that most people aretaking this seriously. They are fol-lowing the news, following the warn-ings, people are conscious of thedirections they are being asked totake," Loera said April 17.

California did take a lot of heatwith such early stern measures, Loerasaid, "but kudos to Gov. GavinNewsom," who instituted the manda-tory orders just over four weeks ago.

"I think California jumped on it… I'm personally very glad theGovernor took these steps, and itlooks like it has had a positiveeffect," Loera said, referring to thelower-than-predicted number ofCOVID infections and deaths in thestate.

"The beauty is we're resilient as acommunity," Johnson added."Everybody is doing their part to endthis pandemic."

Police on Lookout for NewScam

Meanwhile, a new wrinkle in themyriad of coronavirus-relatedenforcement issues occurring inCalexico and across Imperial Countyis a "potential insurance scam" goingdoor-to-door among multiple cities'senior populations, Gerardo said.

A group dressed from head to toein personal protective equipment areclaiming to represent a doctor fromIndio who is offering COVID testing.

Continued on page 6

Esperanza Colio Warren

FILE PHOTO

CensusDeadline

Extended ThreeMonths


Covid-19 Effects on Viking Student Athletes Life of An HHS Quarantine StudentBY ARIANNA VENEGAS

Holtville High School isknown to have a lot of student ath-letes that work hard and have dedi-cation to the sports that they aredoing. Sadly, those student athleteshave now stopped sports due to amajor problem that has gone world-wide. The problem that has stoppedsports is COVID-19 or betterknown as the coronavirus.

This virus is very dangerousfor people with respiratory prob-lems and elders. But why has thatstopped student athletes from doingsports?

Well, it is not just sports thathave been postponed or canceled,it's also gatherings such as parties,concerts, department stores anddining restaurants. There are notsupposed to be groups of peopleanywhere now because if one per-son has the virus, it can spread tothe others.

The infected person may notknow they have the virus becausethey might not show symptoms, butstill be contagious. It may not affectall students, but if they have thisvirus it can spread to family mem-bers and really affect their elders,which have a higher chance ofdying.

That is why gatherings havebeen canceled, to stop the virus

from spreading and getting to eld-ers or people with respiratory prob-lems. School activities and schoolitself has now been canceled and allstudents have been sent to stayhome until after Spring Break.

Gael Quintero, a sophomorestudent athlete from Holtville HighSchool, has explained how thiswhole situation has affected him.Since late February, Gael began histrack season practicing for the 800and the 4x4 relay.

He states, "The coronavirushas affected me because now I can'tgo out. I don't want to be affectedand it has stopped our season."

Was he ready for the season toend all of a sudden?

He answers, "I was not pre-pared for this, it came out ofnowhere. It was mentioned but noone was ready to take it seriously."

If these students do go back toschool, he hopes for the season tocontinue because he felt like he wascut off short.

Kaylee Hawk, a freshman,was ready for her first softball sea-son as a Viking athlete, but that did-n't last long for her and other fresh-man athletes.

"Coronavirus has canceledour sports and it is very sad that ithappened, but it was a good reasonbecause the virus does spread veryquickly," Kaylee said.

She then continues, "I kind of

was ready for sports to be canceledbecause since other schools werecanceling sports, I knew that ourshad to be canceled soon."

With all of this happening, shesays she is prepared once she goesback to school to play sports again,"I do have hope, you should neverlose hope and never give up."

Now what about the seniors?It was their last year to representHHS for one last season, to showthat they "Bleed Green and Gold!"

Senior Esmeralda Venegasstates, "The way that this virus hasaffected, is that this year was mylast year to do a sport. It preventedme from competing in swim. Noone was prepared for this at all. Itjust snuck up on us. We didn't knowwhat was to come and what willchange."

She does hope for the seasonto continue once they go back toschool. "All students and athletesshould get the chance to finish whatthey have started," she states.

This is only a tiny portion ofstatements from our Viking ath-letes. Other opinions and state-ments can vary to how the coron-avirus has affected them.Hopefully, this situation can cometo an end as soon as possiblebecause things have changed a lotvery quickly.

HHS Students React Toward School Closing Down and Shift to Online LearningBY HECTOR SOTO

The coronavirus was first discovered in Wuhan, China,in December 2019. Ever since, the disease has spreadworldwide. Holtville High School has moved to onlineschool until April 20 to try and stop COVID-19 fromspreading. Teachers assign work for students on Google class-room, and students have to turn in the assignmentthrough their assigned Chromebooks. Some studentsmay think that this is a vacation, but it is the completeopposite. All students are supposed to stay at home andstay safe. Holtville High School student Salvador Paniagua stat-ed, "I love online school. I get to wake up at whatever

time I feel like, I get to take breaks from homeworkwhenever I feel like it, and if I finish my homeworkearly, I'm done for that day."Some students are having a tougher time with onlineschool. Holtville High School student Alvin Cordovastated, "It frustrates me so much. The work is hard. Ilike to learn physically. I never thought that I would saythis, but I want to go back to regular school." The COVID-19 pandemic is not a joke, students need totake precautions and be safe. The virus is killing manypeople throughout the world and is still spreading rap-idly. The best thing for students to do at the moment isto stay in their houses and wash their hands. It is impor-tant for HHS students to not only think about them-selves, but to also think about keeping everyone aroundthem safe as well.

By HHS Viking Journalism Staff

Being in quarantine is reallyboring, especially for a highschool student. All you do is stayin bed and do homework all daylong. It can also get really stress-ful, because it's a lot easier saidthan done. The good part is thatteachers give students extendeddates on assignments.

From what I have heardfrom my peers, they have saidthat they do not like this quaran-tine, especially with classesonline and the campus closed.They feel like COVID-19 hastaken their prom, graduation,grad night and summer away

from them. Being a junior and not being

able to go to my first prom sucksbecause I want to know what itfeels like going to a formaldance. I also feel bad for thisyear's seniors because they didtheir four years of high schooland now they can't have their lastprom, last game, last everything.They've worked so hard for thismoment that they probably can'teven walk on their graduationbecause of quarantine.

This being my first-everyear being in a marching band, Iwanted to experience my firstfestival and my first drumlinefestival. Our Junior class of 2021is also the first-ever class to nothave to take any state testing untilour senior year. I like that idea,but at the same time, that meanswe are going to be extra busynext year with applying to col-lege and taking tests and makingsure we graduate.

At the end of day, everyoneis hopefully indoors and safe.Remember everyone, it is goingto be better, we just have to worktogether to make it happen.

recently used it mainly for smallmending work.

On April 16 and 17, though,she produced 20 masks for theImperial County EmergencyOperation Center.

"I think it's wonderful to sewfor the county and we (Unit 138)feel good to know we're helpingdonate masks for those in need,"said Gibbs. "It was hard at first tofeed the elastic through the materi-al, but it's easy once I got the hangof it. I now finish in 15 minutes. Iuse a zig-zag stitch, so the elasticwon't get loose. And we pleat (fanshape) them so they fold out overthe entire face."

Gibbs' mother, also her 4-Hleader in grammar school, taughther to sew so well that Gibbs won a4-H first-place ribbon for a skirtshe produced.

On April 17, Gibbs and fellowUnit 138 members Hellen Wilsonand Sarah Tumbaga brought a totalof 41 completed masks toAmerican Legion Post 138 andanother 15 are ready for deliveryfrom Brandy Butler, as MollyEstrada and Joan Carey assistedwith cutting mask materials donat-ed by Angie Garcia, which were allturned over to Bob Candland.

Candland, a member of theImperial Valley Patriotic PlanningCommittee, is liaison among thecounty EOC and the Boyce AtenAmerican Legion Post 25 in ElCentro.

"We are the interface between

the people who make the masksand the end users," said Candland."People can drop them off or maskmaterials at Post 25 (569Broadway, El Centro) Mondaythrough Friday between 11 a.m.and 1 p.m. … We give them to JohnGay (Imperial County PublicWorks director) at the ImperialCounty EOC so any agency whoneeds masks can arrange throughJohn to receive them."

Wilson had diligently workedon her masks the prior three days.

"They're done by hand," shesaid. "I was a middle daughter andI got a lot of hand-me-downs, soyou appreciate what you can get.My mother made some of myclothes. But then she taught me tosew and I learned to enjoy sewingby hand."

Tumbaga has been a Unit 138member for just one year, yet whenGibbs asked her to pitch in with themasks she stepped up to the plate.

"I was already making masksfor my family," she recalled. "Myhusband, Greg, drives a truck forHavens & Sons. But I know peoplehardly ever sew anymore. But Ithought, I could make masks forImperial County."

Operation Victory Virus,which Post 25 conceived, aims toproduce 1,000 masks, Candlandsaid.

The American Legion isbased on four pillars, and one ofthem is to take care of the commu-nity, he explained. Candland added

that the Post 25 DisasterPreparedness and Response Teamwas activated in light of the coron-avirus.

"I have a saddle companywhich still has a 1946 stitchingmachine, and 12 volunteers areusing it to make masks now, andwe also have a team to wash andiron material to produce themasks," he said. "The people of thecounty didn't bat an eye and wentright to work. There are multiplegroups working on their own. Thisis a hometown effort with greatpeople working for everybody."

Meanwhile, the masks aremade to Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention guidelines.Gibbs downloaded the face masktutorial from the CDC website toher smart phone.

"When my daughter, Misty,heard about the masks, she told me,'the home-made masks are awe-some; I'm so proud of you,'" Gibbs

recalled. "I taught her and mydaughter, Carrie, to sew."

Gibbs said she is a bit stressedfrom the sheltering-in-place ordersand regrets not being able to gettogether with other auxiliary mem-bers. They already canceled theirApril auxiliary meeting.

"And we missed taking Easterbaskets to the Valley Blossom Innveterans," she said. "We just lostAlejandro Cota and RonHennessey, so were down to five."

Also of vital importance isPoppy Month that occurs everyMay. American Legion auxiliariesacross the U.S. produce red crepe-paper poppies for sale, a reminderof major combat operations in theFlanders poppy fields during WorldWar I. In 1921 the auxiliary initiat-ed the program to help the disabledand hospitalized veterans. Thisyear they may have to rely on U.S.Post Office deliveries to fund-raise.


Woman’s Auxiliary....................................................from page one

SARAH TUMBAGA (from right), Helen Wilson and KarenGibbs, all members of the Holtville American Legion auxiliaryUnit 138, work on face masks to protect against coronavirus onApril 17.WILLIAM ROLLER PHOTOS

KAREN GIBBS, president ofAuxiliary Unit 138, displaysface mask she sewed to protectagainst coronavirus inHoltville, April 17.

Holtville Tribune, Thursday, April 23, 2020

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

T.S. No.: 2019-00810-CAA.P.N.: 044-667-015-000Property Address: 228 La Paz Drive,Imperial, CA 92251

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALEPURSUANT TO CIVIL CODE § 2923.3(a)and (d), THE SUMMARY OF INFORMA-TION REFERRED TO BELOW IS NOTATTACHED TO THE RECORDED COPYOF THIS DOCUMENT BUT ONLY TOTHE COPIES PROVIDED TO THETRUSTOR.NOTE: THERE IS A SUMMARY OF THEINFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENTATTACHED

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PROPERTYOWNER: YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEEDOF TRUST DATED 10/23/2006. UNLESSYOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOURPROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUB-LIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANA-TION OF THE NATURE OF THE PRO-CEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULDCONTACT A LAWYER.Trustor: Delia Celaya, A Single Woman andJavier Zapata, A Single Man, as JointTenantsDuly Appointed Trustee: WesternProgressive, LLCDeed of Trust Recorded 11/02/2006 asInstrument No. 2006-052065 in book ---, page--- and of Official Records in the office of theRecorder of Imperial County, California, Date of Sale: 06/12/2020 at 02:00 PMPlace of Sale: Main Entrance ImperialCounty Courthouse, 939 W. Main Street, ElCentro, CA 92243Estimated amount of unpaid balance, reason-ably estimated costs and other charges: $237,909.96NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALETHE TRUSTEE WILL SELL AT PUBLICAUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FORCASH, CASHIER'S CHECK DRAWN ON ASTATE OR NATIONAL BANK, A CHECKDRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL CRED-IT UNION, OR A CHECK DRAWN BY ASTATE OR FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOANASSOCIATION, A SAVINGS ASSOCIATIONOR SAVINGS BANK SPECIFIED IN SEC-TION 5102 OF THE FINANCIAL CODEAND AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS INTHIS STATE:

All right, title, and interest conveyed to andnow held by the trustee in the hereinafterdescribed property under and pursuant to aDeed of Trust described as:More fully described in said Deed of Trust.Street Address or other common designation ofreal property: 228 La Paz Drive, Imperial, CA92251A.P.N.: 044-667-015-000The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liabilityfor any incorrectness of the street address orother common designation, if any, shownabove.The sale will be made, but without covenant orwarranty, expressed or implied, regarding title,possession, or encumbrances, to pay theremaining principal sum of the note(s) securedby the Deed of Trust with interest thereon, asprovided in said note(s), advances, under theterms of said Deed of Trust, fees, charges andexpenses of the Trustee and of the trusts creat-ed by said Deed of Trust. The total amount ofthe unpaid balance of the obligation secured bythe property to be sold and reasonable estimat-ed costs, expenses and advances at the time ofthe initial publication of the Notice of Sale is: $ 237,909.96.Note: Because the Beneficiary reserves theright to bid less than the total debt owed, it ispossible that at the time of the sale the openingbid may be less than the totaldebt.If the Trustee is unable toconvey title for any reason,the successful bidder's soleand exclusive remedy shallbe the return of monies paidto the Trustee, and the suc-cessful bidder shall have nofurther recourse.The beneficiary of the Deedof Trust has executed anddelivered to the undersigned awritten request to commenceforeclosure, and the under-signed caused a Notice ofDefault and Election to Sell tobe recorded in the countywhere the real property islocated. NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S

SALENOTICE TO POTENTIALBIDDERS: If you are con-sidering bidding on this prop-erty lien, you should under-stand that there are risksinvolved in bidding at atrustee auction. You will bebidding on a lien, not on the

property itself. Placing the highest bid at atrustee auction does not automatically entitleyou to free and clear ownership of the property.You should also be aware that the lien beingauctioned off may be a junior lien. If you arethe highest bidder at the auction, you are ormay be responsible for paying off all liens sen-ior to the lien being auctioned off, before youcan receive clear title to the property. You areencouraged to investigate the existence, priori-ty, and size of outstanding liens that may existon this property by contacting the countyrecorder's office or a title insurance company,either of which may charge you a fee for thisinformation. If you consult either of theseresources, you should be aware that the samelender may hold more than one mortgage ordeed of trust on this property.NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: Thesale date shown on this notice of sale may bepostponed one or more times by the mortgagee,beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant toSection 2924g of the California Civil Code.The law requires that information about trusteesale postponements be made available to youand to the public, as a courtesy to those notpresent at the sale. If you wish to learn whetheryour sale date has been postponed, and, ifapplicable, the rescheduled time and date forthe sale of this property, you may call (866)-

960-8299 or visit this Internet Web sitehttp://www.altisource.com/MortgageServices/DefaultManagement/TrusteeServices.aspxusing the file number assigned to this case2019-00810-CA. Information about postpone-ments that are very short in duration or thatoccur close in time to the scheduled sale maynot immediately be reflected in the telephoneinformation or on the Internet Web site. Thebest way to verify postponement information isto attend the scheduled sale.Date: April 8, 2020Western Progressive, LLC, as Trustee forbeneficiaryC/o 1500 Palma Drive, Suite 237Ventura, CA 93003Sale Information Line: (866) 960-8299http://www.altisource.com/MortgageServices/DefaultManagement/TrusteeServices.aspx________________________________________________Trustee Sale AssistantWESTERN PROGRESSIVE, LLC MAY BEACTING AS A DEBT COLLECTORATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT.ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED MAYBE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.April 16, 23, 30, 2020Legal 8945

T.S. No.: 2017-03673-CAA.P.N.: 048-212-019-000Property Address: 656 Gilmour Street,Brawley, CA 92227

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALEPURSUANT TO CIVIL CODE § 2923.3(a)and (d), THE SUMMARY OF INFORMA-TION REFERRED TO BELOW IS NOTATTACHED TO THE RECORDEDCOPY OF THIS DOCUMENT BUTONLY TO THE COPIES PROVIDED TOTHE TRUSTOR. NOTE: THERE IS A SUMMARY OF THEINFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENTATTACHED

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PROPERTYOWNER: YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEEDOF TRUST DATED 09/14/2005. UNLESSYOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOURPROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUB-LIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANA-TION OF THE NATURE OF THE PRO-CEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULDCONTACT A LAWYER.Trustor: Richard Daniel Rodriguez andSharlene Marie Rodriguez, Husband andWife as Joint tenantsDuly Appointed Trustee: WesternProgressive, LLCDeed of Trust Recorded 09/27/2005 asInstrument No. 2005-038846 in book ---,page--- and of Official Records in the officeof the Recorder of Imperial County,California, Date of Sale: 06/12/2020 at 02:00 PMPlace of Sale: MAIN ENTRANCE,IMPERIAL COUNTY COURTHOUSE,

939 W. MAIN STREET, EL CENTRO, CA92243Estimated amount of unpaid balance, reason-ably estimated costs and other charges: $186,387.94

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALETHE TRUSTEE WILL SELL AT PUBLICAUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FORCASH, CASHIER'S CHECK DRAWN ONA STATE OR NATIONAL BANK, ACHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FED-ERAL CREDIT UNION, OR A CHECKDRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL SAV-INGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, A SAV-INGS ASSOCIATION OR SAVINGS BANKSPECIFIED IN SECTION 5102 OF THEFINANCIAL CODE AND AUTHORIZEDTO DO BUSINESS IN THIS STATE:All right, title, and interest conveyed to andnow held by the trustee in the hereinafterdescribed property under and pursuant to aDeed of Trust described as:More fully described in said Deed of Trust.Street Address or other common designationof real property: 656 Gilmour Street,Brawley, CA 92227A.P.N.: 048-212-019-000The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liabil-ity for any incorrectness of the street addressor other common designation, if any, shownabove.The sale will be made, but without covenantor warranty, expressed or implied, regardingtitle, possession, or encumbrances, to pay theremaining principal sum of the note(s)secured by the Deed of Trust with interestthereon, as provided in said note(s),advances, under the terms of said Deed ofTrust, fees, charges and expenses of theTrustee and of the trusts created by said Deedof Trust. The total amount of the unpaid bal-ance of the obligation secured by the proper-ty to be sold and reasonable estimated costs,expenses and advances at the time of the ini-

tial publication of the Notice of Sale is: $ 186,387.94.Note: Because the Beneficiary reserves theright to bid less than the total debt owed, it ispossible that at the time of the sale the open-ing bid may be less than the total debt.If the Trustee is unable to convey title forany reason, the successful bidder's soleand exclusive remedy shall be the return ofmonies paid to the Trustee, and the suc-cessful bidder shall have no furtherrecourse.The beneficiary of the Deed of Trust has exe-cuted and delivered to the undersigned a writ-ten request to commence foreclosure, and theundersigned caused a Notice of Default andElection to Sell to be recorded in the countywhere the real property is located.

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALENOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: Ifyou are considering bidding on this propertylien, you should understand that there arerisks involved in bidding at a trustee auction.You will be bidding on a lien, not on theproperty itself. Placing the highest bid at atrustee auction does not automatically entitleyou to free and clear ownership of the prop-erty. You should also be aware that the lienbeing auctioned off may be a junior lien. Ifyou are the highest bidder at the auction, youare or may be responsible for paying off allliens senior to the lien being auctioned off,before you can receive clear title to the prop-erty. You are encouraged to investigate theexistence, priority, and size of outstandingliens that may exist on this property by con-tacting the county recorder's office or a titleinsurance company, either of which maycharge you a fee for this information. If youconsult either of these resources, you shouldbe aware that the same lender may hold morethan one mortgage or deed of trust on thisproperty.NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The

sale date shown on this notice of sale may bepostponed one or more times by the mort-gagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pur-suant to Section 2924g of the California CivilCode. The law requires that informationabout trustee sale postponements be madeavailable to you and to the public, as a cour-tesy to those not present at the sale. If youwish to learn whether your sale date has beenpostponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduledtime and date for the sale of this property, youmay call (866)-960-8299 or visit this InternetWeb siteht tp: / /www.al t isource.com/MortgageServices/DefaultManagement/TrusteeServices.aspx using the file number assigned to thiscase 2017-03673-CA. Information aboutpostponements that are very short in durationor that occur close in time to the scheduledsale may not immediately be reflected in thetelephone information or on the Internet Website. The best way to verify postponementinformation is to attend the scheduled sale.Date: April 14, 2020Western Progressive, LLC, as Trustee forbeneficiaryC/o 1500 Palma Drive, Suite 237Ventura, CA 93003Sale Information Line: (866) 960-8299http://www.altisource.com/MortgageServices/DefaultManagement/TrusteeServices.aspx________________________________________________Trustee Sale AssistantWESTERN PROGRESSIVE, LLC MAYBE ACTING AS A DEBT COLLECTORATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT.ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED MAYBE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.April 16, 23, 30, 2020Legal 8946

Legal Notices

Legal 8947 Publish: April 23, 2020

PUBLIC NOTICE

Scams...............from page oneEl Centro Police Department and thecounty, through the Sheriff's Officeand the Area Agency on Aging, bothreleased advisories warning of thepotential scam April 17.

Gerardo provided cellphonephotos police took of the suspectedcriminal activity, and he personallywitnessed the "potential fraud" casein action in Calexico on April 16.

"I drove down Third Street andsaw five people dressed in space suits(PPE) who said they were workingfor a doctor out of Indio and ElCentro near a seniors' complex,"Gerardo said.

Calexico police spoke with theindividuals and later followed upwith a call to the doctor.Representatives from the doctor'soffice, who Gerardo declined toname, informed Gerardo's staff that"nobody (from the doctor's office)knew they were out doing that." The

case is still under investigation, thechief said.

"If people are coming to yourdoor, do not give them any informa-tion," Gerardo said. The only way toget tested is through a doctor by avisit to a healthcare facility or by atelehealth video appointment.

"No one is coming to yourhouse to seek you out," Gerardoadded.

The scam is thought to be someform of insurance fraud or identitytheft.

In an April 17 press releasefrom the county, Area Agency onAging representative Karla Floressaid the fraudulent testing hadoccurred over the past three weeks.In each case, individuals claiming towork in the medical field have goneto senior apartments, offered testing,and requested personal information,according to the county advisory.

AMENDED NOTICE OF PETI-TION TO ADMINISTER ESTATEOF:John Kubler, Jr.CASE NUMBER: EPR03664To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors,contingent creditors, and personswho may otherwise be interested inthe will or estate, or both, of: JohnKubler, JrA Petition for Probate has been filedby: Paul R. Kubler in the SuperiorCourt of California, County of:IMPERIALThe Petition for Probate requests thatPaul R. Kubler be appointed as per-sonal representative to administer theestate of the decedent.The petition requests the decedent’swill and codicils, if any, be admittedto probate. The will and any codicilsare available for examination in thefile kept by the court.The petition requests authority toadminister the estate under the

Independent Administration ofEstates Act. The independent admin-istration authority will be grantedunless an interested person files anobjection to the petition and showsgood cause why the court should notgrant the authority.A hearing on the petition will beheld in this court as follows:Date: May 8, 2020Time: 8:30 a.m.Dept. 9Address of court:Superior Court of California, County of Imperial939 West Main Street El Centro, CA 92243If you object to the granting of thepetition, you should appear at thehearing and state your objections orfile written objections with the courtbefore the hearing. Your appearancemay be in person or by your attorney.If you are a creditor or a contin-gent creditor of the decedent, you

must file your claim with the courtand mail a copy to the personal rep-resentative appointed by the courtwithin the later of either (1) fourmonths from the date of firstissuance of letters to a general per-sonal representative, as defined insection 58(b) of the CaliforniaProbate Code, or (2) 60 days fromthe date of mailing or personal deliv-ery to you of a notice under section9052 of the California Probate Code.Other California statutes and legalauthority may affect your rights as

a creditor. You may want to consultwith an attorney knowledgeable inCalifornia law.You may examine the file kept bythe court. If you are a person inter-ested in the estate, you may file withthe court a Request for Special Notice(form DE-154) of the filing of aninventory and appraisal of estateassets or of any petition or account asprovided in Probate Code section1250. A Request for Special Noticeform is available from the courtclerk.

Attorney for petitioner:Mark G. Spencer450 B Street, Suite 1600San Diego, CA 92101(619) 997-6275Filed:March 27, 2020Superior CourtCounty of Imperial Clerk of the CourtBy: Astridd Weimer, DeputyLegal 8940Publish: April 9, 16, 23, 2020

For Publication ofYour Legal Notices

Call Us, Your CountyAdjudicatedNewspaper.

Holtville Tribune760-339-4899

Holtville Tribune, Thursday, April 23, 2020 PAGE 7

CLASSIFIED ADS

PUBLIC NOTICE

T.S. No.: 2019-00828-CAA.P.N.: 044-332-012-000Property Address: 1013 North 6th Street, ElCentro, CA 92243

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALEPURSUANT TO CIVIL CODE §2923.3(a) and (d), THE SUMMARY OFINFORMATION REFERRED TOBELOW IS NOT ATTACHED TO THERECORDED COPY OF THIS DOCU-MENT BUT ONLY TO THE COPIESPROVIDED TO THE TRUSTOR. NOTE: THERE IS A SUMMARY OF THEINFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENTATTACHED

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PROPERTYOWNER:YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEEDOF TRUST DATED 10/27/2006. UNLESSYOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECTYOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD ATA PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED ANEXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OFTHE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU,YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER.Trustor: Roberto Torres and Mary LTorres, husband and wife as joint tenantsDuly Appointed Trustee: WesternProgressive, LLCDeed of Trust Recorded 11/13/2006 asInstrument No. 2006-053193 in book ---,page--- and of Official Records in the officeof the Recorder of Imperial County,California, Date of Sale: 05/29/2020 at 02:00 PMPlace of Sale: MAIN ENTRANCE,IMPERIAL COUNTY COURTHOUSE,939 W. MAIN STREET, EL CENTRO,

CA 92243Estimated amount of unpaid balance, reason-ably estimated costs and other charges: $173,863.22

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALETHE TRUSTEE WILL SELL AT PUBLICAUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FORCASH, CASHIER'S CHECK DRAWN ONA STATE OR NATIONAL BANK, ACHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FED-ERAL CREDIT UNION, OR A CHECKDRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL SAV-INGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION, A SAV-INGS ASSOCIATION OR SAVINGSBANK SPECIFIED IN SECTION 5102 OFTHE FINANCIAL CODE AND AUTHO-RIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THISSTATE:All right, title, and interest conveyed to andnow held by the trustee in the hereinafterdescribed property under and pursuant to aDeed of Trust described as:More fully described in said Deed of Trust.Street Address or other common designationof real property: 1013 North 6th Street, ElCentro, CA 92243A.P.N.: 044-332-012-000The undersigned Trustee disclaims any lia-bility for any incorrectness of the streetaddress or other common designation, if any,shown above.The sale will be made, but without covenantor warranty, expressed or implied, regardingtitle, possession, or encumbrances, to pay theremaining principal sum of the note(s)secured by the Deed of Trust with interestthereon, as provided in said note(s),advances, under the terms of said Deed ofTrust, fees, charges and expenses of theTrustee and of the trusts created by said Deedof Trust. The total amount of the unpaid bal-ance of the obligation secured by the proper-ty to be sold and reasonable estimated costs,expenses and advances at the time of the ini-

tial publication of the Notice of Sale is: $ 173,863.22.Note: Because the Beneficiary reserves theright to bid less than the total debt owed, it ispossible that at the time of the sale the open-ing bid may be less than the total debt.If the Trustee is unable to convey title forany reason, the successful bidder's soleand exclusive remedy shall be the returnof monies paid to the Trustee, and the suc-cessful bidder shall have no furtherrecourse.The beneficiary of the Deed of Trust has exe-cuted and delivered to the undersigned awritten request to commence foreclosure,and the undersigned caused a Notice ofDefault and Election to Sell to be recorded inthe county where the real property is located.

NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALENOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: Ifyou are considering bidding on this propertylien, you should understand that there arerisks involved in bidding at a trustee auction.You will be bidding on a lien, not on theproperty itself. Placing the highest bid at atrustee auction does not automatically entitleyou to free and clear ownership of the prop-erty. You should also be aware that the lienbeing auctioned off may be a junior lien. Ifyou are the highest bidder at the auction, youare or may be responsible for paying off allliens senior to the lien being auctioned off,before you can receive clear title to the prop-erty. You are encouraged to investigate theexistence, priority, and size of outstandingliens that may exist on this property by con-tacting the county recorder's office or a titleinsurance company, either of which maycharge you a fee for this information. If youconsult either of these resources, you shouldbe aware that the same lender may hold morethan one mortgage or deed of trust on thisproperty.NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The

sale date shown on this notice of sale may bepostponed one or more times by the mort-gagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pur-suant to Section 2924g of the CaliforniaCivil Code. The law requires that informa-tion about trustee sale postponements bemade available to you and to the public, as acourtesy to those not present at the sale. Ifyou wish to learn whether your sale date hasbeen postponed, and, if applicable, therescheduled time and date for the sale of thisproperty, you may call (866)-960-8299 orvisit this Internet Web site http://www.alti-source.com/Mortgage Services/DefaultManagement/TrusteeServices.aspx using thefile number assigned to this case 2019-00828-CA. Information about postpone-ments that are very short in duration or thatoccur close in time to the scheduled sale maynot immediately be reflected in the telephoneinformation or on the Internet Web site. Thebest way to verify postponement informationis to attend the scheduled sale.Date: April 3, 2020Western Progressive, LLC, as Trustee forbeneficiaryC/o 1500 Palma Drive, Suite 237Ventura, CA 93003Sale Information Line: (866) 960-8299http://www.altisource.com/MortgageServices/DefaultManagement/TrusteeServices.aspx________________________________________________Trustee Sale AssistantWESTERN PROGRESSIVE, LLC MAYBE ACTING AS A DEBT COLLECTORATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT.ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED MAYBE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.April 16, 23, 30, 2020Legal 8943

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PETITION TOADMINISTER ESTATE OF:Rosemarie Anne Schmid Von Flue,aka Rosemarie A. Von FlueCASE NUMBER: EPR000715To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors,contingent creditors, and personswho may otherwise be interested inthe will or estate, or both, of:Rosemarie Anne Schmid Von Flue,aka Rosemarie A. Von FlueA Petition for Probate has been filedby: Lynee Pacheco and John F. VonFlue Jr. in the Superior Court ofCalifornia, County of: IMPERIALThe Petition for Probate requests thatLynee Pacheco and John F. VonFlue Jr. be appointed as personalrepresentative to administer theestate of the decedent.

The petition requests authority toadminister the estate under theIndependent Administration ofEstates Act. (This authority willallow the personal representative totake many actions without obtainingcourt approval. Before taking certainvery important actions, however, thepersonal representative will berequired to give notice to interestedpersons unless they have waivednotice or consented to the proposedaction.) The independent administra-tion authority will be granted unlessan interested person files an objec-tion to the petition and shows goodcause why the court should not grantthe authority.A hearing on the petition will beheld in this court as follows:

Date: May 1, 2020Time: 8:30 a.m.Dept. 9Address of court:Superior Court of California, County of Imperial939 West Main Street El Centro, CA 92243If you object to the granting of thepetition, you should appear at thehearing and state your objections orfile written objections with the courtbefore the hearing. Your appearancemay be in person or by your attorney.If you are a creditor or a contin-gent creditor of the decedent, youmust file your claim with the courtand mail a copy to the personal rep-resentative appointed by the courtwithin the later of either (1) four

months from the date of firstissuance of letters to a general per-sonal representative, as defined insection 58(b) of the CaliforniaProbate Code, or (2) 60 days fromthe date of mailing or personal deliv-ery to you of a notice under section9052 of the California Probate Code.Other California statutes and legalauthority may affect your rights asa creditor. You may want to consultwith an attorney knowledgeable inCalifornia law.You may examine the file kept bythe court. If you are a person inter-ested in the estate, you may file withthe court a Request for Special Notice(form DE-154) of the filing of aninventory and appraisal of estateassets or of any petition or account as

provided in Probate Code section1250. A Request for Special Noticeform is available from the courtclerk.Attorney for petitioner:Patrick M. PacePinney, Caldwell & Pace444 South Eighth Street, Suite AEl Centro, CA 92243(760)352-7800Electronically Filed:Superior Court of CaliforniaCounty of Imperial 04/14/2020 at 04:14:42 PMBy: Astridd Weimer, Deputy ClerkLegal 6336Publish: April 16. 23, 30, 2020

in Imperial County, Hurtado is undera 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-weekhome isolation order from the county"until further notice," confined to herCalexico home with her husband of28 years, Enrique Verdugo.

Soon, however, the 59-year-oldmusician and entertainer hopes shewill be cleared by her treating physi-cian, Dr. Tien Tan Vo, in about aweek, so that she can join the morethan 50 other Imperial County resi-dents who have been moved to the"recovered" side of the local ledgertracking COVID-19 infections.

Although the county did notofficially confine Paty to her homeuntil April 1, she basically hasn't ven-tured outdoors since March 20(except to be tested), so she's lookingforward to her first face-to-faceappointment with Vo at his office.

"If you ask me how I feel fromone to 10, I feel about an eight and ahalf," Paty said in Spanish on April17, through her husband, who trans-lated during a cellphone interview.

"I get tired easier. I can't catchmy breath like before," she said.Overall, though, she's feeling "muybien."

That's a far cry from wherePaty was around March 30 and 31,when she felt like she was on death'sdoorstep.

There were the unrelentingfevers, the cough, the body pain andblinding headaches, the laboredbreathing, and even the simultaneousvomiting and diarrhea that she sayscame within hours of starting hercourse of treatment that includedhigh-powered antibiotics, zinc andthe use of the controversial anti-malarial medication, hydroxychloro-quine.

"I thought I was going to die,"she said. "I asked God to take myhand and not let go."

Speaking through Enrique, hestopped the conversation for amoment.

"We were scared. I was scared,

she was scared. She thought she wasgoing to die."

The interview went silent forabout 30 seconds. It was clear that51-year-old Enrique was overcomewith emotion, fighting through tears.

"I felt like I was losing her," hesaid softly, his voice breaking. "Ilove this woman."

Sharing Her Message"It's no joke. This (COVID) is

no joke. We don't want people todie," Paty said. "Try to take care ofeach other. Take care of yourselves.This is serious, this is real."

It has been through herFacebook page --- like so many oth-ers who have been open about theircoronavirus diagnoses --- where shestarted to document her descent andsome of the steps she has since takento regain her health. More than amonth since she sang publicly, Patyeven recorded a video of herselfsinging and playing guitar the morn-ing of April 17 to fulfill a friend'srequest and let her followers knowshe is getting stronger by the day.

Clearly Paty is not someone toshy away from attention, but she isalso quite sincere and cares deeplyfor others. As a performer aroundtown, one of her main jobs is bring-ing joy to the senior citizens ofCalexico through her karaoke-styleshows for the city's recreation depart-ment, where she dresses up, plays hervarious instruments and sings, andcoaxes others to shine under the spot-light as well.

Her platform on social mediahas led to requests for interviewsfrom traditional media, which sheand Enrique kindly oblige, hopingthat people will take heed about thedangers of not staying home, notpracticing social distancing and gen-erally not listening to what publichealth and government officials havebeen saying all along.

"People just don't believe.That's why I decided to talk to themedia," Paty said. "People need tostay home; people need to be safe."

Now, she said, is not the time tobe out and about, hugging and kiss-ing friends and family, going tosocial gatherings or lingering instores and public places. In fact, hug-ging and kissing is how Paty believesshe contracted the coronavirus.

Paty has been incredibly openabout COVID's fatal effects on herloved ones, further revealing the mis-

steps made in her own family tospread the virus from one country toanother.

Her older brother, Jose Manuel,age 70, was confirmed to have testedpositive to COVID-19 just about fourhours before he died March 30 (thesame time Paty felt her worst) in aMexicali hospital from lung failureand a massive heart attack. He wasalready suffering from diabetes andhigh-blood pressure, severe healthconditions on their own. Paty cannotbe certain, but she doesn't think hisdeath certificate listed COVID as thecause; she thinks the heart attack iswhat is listed on the record.

It's also unclear for how long hehad the virus and how it was spread.What is for certain, Paty said, is herelder sister, Alicia, 62, of Indio,somehow played a part in the trans-mission.

Alicia traveled to Mexicali tovisit family and see Jose Manuel onMarch 16. The next day, as shereturned to the U.S., she stopped offat Paty's Calexico home to chat andhave coffee. Paty said Alicia wasalready feeling under the weatherthat morning and just wanted toreturn to Indio.

"She was complaining aboutheadaches and bone aches. She want-ed to go home," Paty said. Aliciaeventually tested positive for COVIDand is also presently recovering.

"When she left, I started feelingill three days later," Paty explained.

Enrique said the sisters greetedeach other and said their goodbyeswith plenty of hugs and kisses, asthey were accustomed to doing.

COVID-19 NightmarePaty was never hospitalized, so

it's not entirely clear whether she wasclose to death, as she and Enriquebelieved.

After several days of fever,Enrique called 911 on March 25,when Calexico paramedics arrivedand took her vital signs. Fearing atrip to El Centro Regional MedicalCenter might expose her to peopleinfected with coronavirus, Paty andEnrique decided to seek out testing atVo's clinic the next day.

Paty went to Vo on March 26.He suspected she had COVID, swab-tested her and sent her home pendingconfirmation of the results.

"She was bedbound. Can't con-trol fever, can't control cough, diffi-culty with breath," Vo said during anApril 16 interview about his initialconsultation with Paty.

By the time Vo tested Paty, gother results back and spoke to her andEnrique again March 30 on a "tele-health" video call from her home, Vosaid, "She couldn't talk … she wasvery weak."

"If I hadn't treated her soon, sheprobably would have gone to the hos-pital to intubate her," Vo said, whereshe likely would have been placed ona ventilator.

The timeline of Paty's visit toVo, when she was tested, confirmedpositive, treated and eventuallyordered quarantined by the countyshows the flaws and gaps in commu-nication that can occur, problems thatcould be unique to Paty, or simplyunique to an ever-evolving pandemicand the ever-evolving response to it.

Enrique said they were told theresults of Vo's March 26 test wouldcome back in two to four days.

Vo said the results came backon March 30, but Enrique was toldthe results actually came back a fewdays earlier, and that for some rea-son, Vo's office did not make contactwith the Verdugos until late in theday March 30, where the doctorspoke to them through telehealth.

"(Vo) got excited and worriedat the same time," Enrique said oftalking to the physician. "He said,'Go to the pharmacy and get the med-icine quick.'"

Paty began the treatment thatnight. Vo tested Enrique on March31, because of his exposure to Paty,not due to any symptoms. Enriquehas tested negative for the virus. Vohas had them sleeping in separaterooms since March 26.

On April 1, a letter from thecounty Public Health Departmentarrived, signed by public health offi-cer, Dr. Stephen Munday, orderingPaty into isolation until furthernotice.

Healing Physically, MentallyThe physical symptoms took

their toll on Paty. Still not 100 per-cent, she's weakened with lightbreathing problems. Vo has spoken toher through telehealth once a weekduring her recovery.

After making it through thepeak of the illness, the early part ofApril was filled with good days andbad days. Her fevers finally broke forgood April 3, she said.

Experiencing chills and variousbody aches, Enrique spent severaldays in a row massaging her withvapor rub before she would go tosleep for the night.

"Even though I was sick, I tooka shower every day," Paty joked.

To regain some of her stamina,Vo prescribed a take-it-easy regimenof walking around the house for exer-cise, she said.

Enrique brought in an oldtreadmill from the garage and set itup in the breakfast nook area of thekitchen on April 13, where the firstday she did 15 minutes of light walk-ing. The next day she went for a halfhour and immediately paid for it.

"I felt like I had asthma symp-toms. There was pressure in mychest, and I felt dizzy. I overdid it,"she said.

The next visit she has with Vo,which is supposed to be face to face,Paty promised "to sing to him,"Enrique said.

Mentally and emotionally,Enrique has been there through thewhole ordeal, as Paty's rock.

"We're always trying to lookout for each other … this really hit ushard, and then after we heard abouther brother (dying March 30) … it hithome," Enrique said.

Married by the court inImperial County on Oct. 15, 1991,the devout Catholics were wed by theChurch on April 4, 1992. They livedseparate that entire time; Paty was inMexicali with her large family ofbrothers and sisters, and Enriqueworked and saved money in LasVegas, where the couple lived from1992 to 2002, before moving toCalexico.

Enrique is a preventative main-tenance technician working on trac-tors for RDO Equipment in Imperial,and Paty has been involved in musicin some way since she was a younggirl, performing in choirs and bandsfor decades.

Part of her healing process hasbeen daily contact with family, withwhom she has always had a close

relationship.The Verdugos' two grown sons

(and their wives and girlfriends) con-tact their mother as often as possible:phone calls every other day, textmessages every day.

"They're good sons," Enriquesaid.

Carlos Jonathan, 33, is a U.S.Border Patrol agent in Tucson,Arizona, and Christian Enrique, 25,takes care of the elderly in a privatehome in Rancho Cucamonga.

Since becoming ill, Paty hashad daily meet-ups with her four sis-ters on Facebook Connect between6:30 and 7 p.m. without fail, to saythe Rosary and to chat and catch upon the day's events.

"The family is more united than

ever," Enrique said. And that's sayingsomething, he added, because Paty'sside has always been close, with 50-person "family reunions like youwouldn't believe."

"If you do love your family,don't go out," Paty said. "Stay home,don't expose them. You could weak-en the family. Always take care of thefamily."

UPDATE: The interview withPaty Hurtado was conducted April17 as she was improving. Patyreported April 22 that she had arelapse on April 19, with fever andmore coughing and was given a sec-ond course of COVID treatment byDr. Vo. Hurtado said she still had acough April 22, but no more fevers.


Hurtado...................................................................from page one

PATY AND JOSE Manuel Hurtado (brother): COVID patient PatyHurtado of Calexico poses alongside her late brother, Jose ManuelHurtado, 70, of Mexicali, who tested positive for COVID-19 hoursbefore he died March 30 from lung failure and a massive heart attackin a Mexicali hospital. COURTESY PHOTO

Dr. Tien Tan Vo

Covid Update.........................from page onewas transferred to a local health-

care facility, where they died, a coun-ty press release stated.

In the fourth case, yet anotherelderly patient succumbed to thevirus, where "it was unclear if under-lying health conditions were a factor,"officials reported April 20.

In both cases, no additionaldetails were made public despiterequests for more information.

Meanwhile, the number of casesin Mexicali, which local health offi-cials say have a direct influence onwhat is happening in Imperial County,are rising at what is thought to be ahigher rate, although it has been diffi-cult to get a true assessment of condi-tions in the Baja California capitalcity, or throughout the Mexican bor-der state in general.

The numbers seem to be the onlyhard information readily availablefrom Mexicali, where the state of BajaCalifornia website listed 364 con-firmed cases in Mexicali, with 36deaths reported, and 157 suspectedcases of COVID pending confirma-tion, as of the morning of April 22.Throughout Baja, there have been 133deaths and 975 confirmed cases.

"We are ascending in ImperialCounty" in number of COVID cases,as is Mexicali, said Marian Fierro, anepidemiologist with county PublicHealth Department, during an inter-view April 21.

"We cannot separate" the influ-ence of the two regions on each other,Fierro said. "Our cases are going toincrease together, decrease together. Ithink we're going to peak together."

"It's like a mirror," Fierro added. Fierro works directly with the

Secretariat of Health of BajaCalifornia, Mexicali jurisdiction, andhas daily contact on "binationalcases," meaning she shares informa-tion and tracks COVID cases in whichan individual might live in Mexicaliand work in Imperial County, and viceversa.

"I really don't know" what is fullyhappening in Mexicali, El CentroRegional Medical Center ChiefExecutive Officer Adolphe Edwardsaid during an interview with thisnewspaper April 17.

"But the Baja public health officeis to release a report in the next weekor so. We're all anxious to see what it'sgoing to say," Edward said. The reporthad not been released as of this news-paper's deadline.

If Mexicali's needs are any indi-cation, an association of the city's hos-pital system began an equipmentdrive April 19 in which they wererequesting donations of personal pro-tective equipment and medical equip-ment, Edward said.

"They're short of everything,"Edward added.

What Do We Know AboutMexicali?

This newspaper has made multi-ple inquiries into what is happening inMexicali, both in the healthcare sys-tem and on the ground.

Mexicali city governmentspokesperson Edgar RodolfoCovarrubias Quintana assured areporter he would respond to a widerange of questions sent to him, butafter several days and multiplerequests for an update, he had yet toanswer by deadline April 22.

Fierro said Mexicali public healthofficials have claimed they expect thenumber of cases of COVID to peakduring the first or second week ofMay, but she said there has been no

evidence to back up those assertions. She said, comparatively, predic-

tions of "peaks" are not somethinggenerally made in assessing COVIDin the United States. "There is no pre-diction on a peak here," Fierro said.

Meanwhile, loosely sourcedmedia reports on both sides of the bor-der say clinics and hospitals in the cityare at capacity as officials in Mexicalilack adequate testing capabilities,equipment and PPEs. There are alsodiscrepancies on whether the truenumber of COVID-related deaths aresimply being misclassified.

"In Mexico, they have reallystruggled with resources and strug-gled with testing, more than we have,"said Imperial County Public HealthOfficer, Dr. Stephen Munday, during apress conference April 20.

"Mexico is really struggling froma testing perspective," ImperialCounty District 1 Supervisor JesusEscobar agreed during an April 21interview.

Escobar, who represents and livesin Calexico, added he has heard manyof the deaths being recorded inMexicali that should be attributed toCOVID have been classified as pneu-monia or flu.

"It's like a ticking timebomb," hesaid of conditions south of the border.

Edward already mentioned thatMexicali needed donations of equip-ment and supplies. Yet hospitals andothers on this side of the border arestill concerned with their own needs,he indicated last week. ECRMCwould not be contributing to theequipment drive, Edward said April17.

An Essential Worker'sPerspective

Mexicali resident Angie Rebollaris arguably putting herself and herunborn child in harm's way daily as anessential worker allowed to travelfrom her home to her job at Brawley'sVision Care Center.

Six months pregnant, the 29-year-old could not say whether viral condi-tions are worse in Mexicali than theyare in Imperial. However, Rebollarsaid April 20 that the lockdown meas-ures in place in Mexicali are sterner,and more strictly enforced by authori-ties there.

"Most people in Mexicali arestaying at home. With everything thatis going on, the police will pull youover if more than three people are inyour car. They will pull you over andgive you a ticket. Also, after 6 (p.m.,when there is what Rebollar referredto as a "curfew" in place), nobody willbe outside. The police will questionpeople."

For a couple of weeks, check-points have been set up aroundMexicali between the hours of 6 and10 p.m. to educate residents andencourage them to go home unlessthey are performing essential func-tions or are essential workers.

"I go through the informativecheckpoints almost every day when Igo home. They ask people questions,but when they see me in uniform(medical scrubs), they let me pass.They hand out pamphlets to stay athome that say this is going to be a dif-ficult couple of weeks," she said.

But "if people are out doing non-essential stuff, they will be moreaggressive giving you tickets. Theyare also checking if you are wearing amask in the car," Rebollar added.

Rebollar said she thinks Mexicaliofficials are taking stronger actions toprevent the spread of COVID than

officials in the Imperial Valley."The government response is a

little more ramped up than it is here inImperial Valley. People are wearingmasks because police are giving outtickets and pulling people over. If youare out on the street for non-essentialreasons, the police will ask you whyyou are out, and if it is not important,they will escort you home."

Groceries stores in Mexicali arealso following strict regulations,Rebollar explained.

"At the beginning, grocery storeswere empty. Now grocery stores havesigns limiting the number of itemsyou can buy. Things like gardeningsupplies are banned because they arenon-essential. The only things youcan buy are food and cleaning items.They put tape over those (other) itemswith a note saying that it can't bebought," she said.

"This is a global pandemic. It isnot anyone's fault. All we can do nowis follow orders from governmentadministrators to help get things backto normal as quickly as possible,"Rebollar said.

More from Imperial CountyEl Centro Regional had its high-

est percentage of hospitalized patientsinfected by COVID since the pan-demic began, at 24 percent of all thepatients tested in the facility on April21, Edward reported throughFacebook Live that morning.

The hospital has been experienc-ing its own surge in patients since theEaster holiday (April 19), he said.

"We're seeing sicker patientscoming through, and that's problemat-ic," Edward added.

Twelve to 14 coronavirus patientswere in the hospital, as of April 21,with one to five COVID-positivepatients being seen in the emergencyroom over the last few days, he said.

Still, Edward said the hospitalwas doing well in terms of bed capac-ity and equipment. As an example, hesaid that seven ventilators were in useon COVID patients of a total of 26machines available.

Conditions at the county's north-ernmost hospital, Pioneers Memorialin Brawley, were not immediatelyknown.

Too Soon Too Ease Up?Even though discussions have

begun about easing up on localrestrictions, nothing is set in stone. Alllocal stay-at-home orders, social dis-tancing mandates, business closuresand other preventative health orderswill remain in place until furthernotice, Health Officer Munday saidApril 20.

Imperial County has not "movedpast the peak yet," Munday said.

While local public health andmedical officials agree the curve flat-tened in California before COVIDcould crush the state's availableresources, it is still too early to talkeasing up on restrictions with an Xfactor like Mexicali looming large afew miles south.

Although the federal governmenthas issued guidelines to the states for"re-opening America," just a few daysago the U.S. State Department extend-ed travel restrictions on the borderswith Mexico and Canada for another30 days at least.

Jayson Barniske contributedinformation to this story.

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