Camp counselor: ‘There are things you learn by playing the sport’

“It’s nice to step back and help the younger kids,” said Gaby Javier, a varsity volleyball player at Country Day. Javier, teammate Samantha Grabb, and other players were running elementary school girls through a scrimmage in the LJCDS gym.For Javier, 16, the four-day summer camp was a relaxing break from school and club workouts. Yet it still was related to her main sport as a Torrey and kept her in touch with the game.“There are things you only learn by playing the sport,” the rising junior said, explaining how her “insider’s knowledge” helps her too, in turn, help the young campers. Another thing affecting how she assists as a camp counselor is her own coaches: “We have coaches who are influences,” she shared. “Not everyone learns the same way. Sometimes something clicks when a certain coach works with you.”At the private school, Jennifer Turner is overseeing summer camps, not just in sports, but in cooking, Spanish, rock climbing, keyboarding, “fashionistas,” art, robotics, and many more. On the Lower School quad, students from first through fourth grade were measuring out ingredients and opening containers to prepare some scrumptious peach bread pudding (which this reporter sampled), all the while practicing math skills, working together, and following directions under someone who is not a relative, putting a little twist on the kitchen competency scale.“Before COVID,” said Turner, “we had many international families who were going to spend the summer in San Diego, and enrolled their kids in summer camp. That has been dampened due to COVID, but we still have families doing so.”The camp director, who emphasized the academics/extra-curricular connection, cited the school’s Global Youth Leadership program for grades 5-8, which connects students around the world to discuss timely issues appropriately for the age level.Tiggy, 8, with camp counselor Gaby Javier, 16, a rising junior on LJCDS’s volleyball team, at Torreys summer camp. PHOTO BY ED PIPERGrabb, Javier’s taller teammate who plays opposite hitter at the net on the right side as a lefty, said, “We try to emphasize camaraderie and teamwork in the camp. We have skill levels, so with some girls, it’s more finesse (shaping their volleyball skills). For others, it’s a way to introduce them to the game.”Assistant coach Allan Jeffrey oversaw the two scrimmages in the gym, as in one group some girls wore tutus in a sort of dress-up day on the last day of camp. Everyone had a good laugh, and the campers seemed to be having a fun time while they also sharpened their skills.The post Camp counselor: ‘There are things you learn by playing the sport’ appeared first on SDNews.com.

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La Jolla rabbi placed on three years probation

A La Jolla rabbi was placed on three years probation on June 10 and ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution in a scheme to defraud Qualcomm’s corporate matching program.“What I did was wrong,” said Yehuda Hadjadj, of La Jolla, to U.S. District Court Judge Cynthia Bashant.“I will not do it again,” said Hadjadj to the judge.Hadjadj, 47, is the former rabbi director of Chabad at the UC San Diego, and he directed donors who wanted a tax write-off for contributing to Chabad to make their donations to Friendship Circle.Friendship Circle was operated by another rabbi, Yisroel Goldstein, 58, who is serving 14 months in federal prison for a similar scheme involving his own temple in Poway.Hadjadj was named director of the Chabad House at UC San Diego in 2005 and the organization provided a variety of social, educational, and culture programming for Jewish students. He lost his job because of this case. He counseled and taught students.Goldstein attracted national attention in 2019 when a 19-year-old gunman shot four people including Goldstein, whose index finger was shot off. Lori Kaye, 60, was killed and two others were wounded. The gunman pleaded guilty and is serving a life term in prison without parole.The $15,000 will go to Qualcomm’s corporate division, which is a Fortune 500 telecommunications company based in San Diego. Three Qualcomm employees made checks out to Friendship Circle because Qualcomm excluded religious groups from its eligible donation recipients.Qualcomm contributed $15,000 to Friendship Circle, not realizing it was a sham donation. Then Hadjadj refunded the Qualcomm workers their money and they got to declare it on their taxes as a religious donation.Both the U.S. Attorney’s office and Eugene Iredale, Hadjadj’s attorney, recommended the sentence of three years probation. Hadjadj received credit for one day previously spent in jail following his arrest.Hadjadj is the 10th person prosecuted in the series of cases involving sham donations that were connected in some way to Goldstein, according to the U.S. Attorney.Hadjadj was a chaplain at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, but he lost that position due to his felony conviction. He pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to defraud Qualcomm.Hadjadj will go to work in Florida as some type of property manager, Iredale said. Hadjadj married in 1999 and he and his wife had nine children, two of whom are now adults, according to records.The rabbi has shared the story of his misconduct to seven classes that serve as “a cautionary tale” that helps to deter others who may be tempted to do the same thing, according to court documents.The post La Jolla rabbi placed on three years probation appeared first on SDNews.com.

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Meet Azulito! Birch Aquarium announces Little Blue Penguin’s name

Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has officially named one of its Little Blue Penguins. After receiving nearly 2,500 votes, this charismatic penguin will be named Azulito, which translates to “little blue” in Spanish.The name reveal took place Friday, June 3 in the aquarium’s Giant Kelp Forest. Divers unfurled a banner underwater with the winning name surrounded by leopard sharks, moray eels, and swaying kelp fronds while some of the Little Blues looked on.“This is the first time we have invited the public to help name one of our animals. So, it was a special moment for aquarium fans as well as our staff. We hope this is the beginning of a long tradition of naming our penguins,” said Kayla Strate, lead penguin aquarist. “We want to thank everyone who submitted a name online. Azulito is the perfect fit for this tiny penguin and we love that it’s a nod to our binational region.”Voters were asked to choose between five names — each option with unique ties to San Diego, Scripps Oceanography, and UC San Diego — during a naming campaign that launched on World Penguin Day (April 25). Azulito won by a landslide with 924 votes. Diego trailed behind with 588 votes and Flip came in third with 438, followed by Triton and Torrey with 234 and 281 votes, respectively.Later this month, Azulito — along with Magic, Nero, Persimmon, Reka, Cornelius, and Katie — will move into their new home. Guests can meet Azulito and the rest of the colony starting July 12 when Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins opens.The 2,900 square foot exhibit follows the world’s smallest penguins on their journey from hatchlings to adults, highlighting the challenges they face in a changing climate while celebrating the features that make Little Blues so unique (and adorable).Penguin lovers will now be able to spend more time with the aquarium’s newest residents when the aquarium’s summer hours kick off on July 1. The aquarium will stay open until 7 p.m. daily, from July 1 to Sept. 5.Beyster Family Little Blue Penguins is included in the cost of general admission to Birch Aquarium, which is $24.95 for adults and $19.95 for children ages 3-17. Tickets for July are now available online. Advanced reservations are required for all guests, including members. Visit aquarium.ucsd.edu for more information or to make a reservation.The post Meet Azulito! Birch Aquarium announces Little Blue Penguin’s name appeared first on SDNews.com.

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