Our Shtetl San Diego County: October 2, 2019

Items in today’s column include:
*Former Police Chief  Zimmerman busy on several fronts
*Arraignment Scheduled in Poway Shooting
*Political Byte
*Coming Our Way

By Donald H. Harrison

Former Police Chief  Zimmerman busy on several fronts

Donald H. Harrison
Shelley Zimmerman

SAN DIEGO — Don’t make anyone who knows her laugh by calling former San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman “retired.”  People who really are retired would get out of breath just thinking about the kind of schedule the ex-chief is keeping in the realms of education, business, and charitable fundraising.

Zimmerman has been teaching classes about current issues in law enforcement at National University, and has been delivering guest lectures across the country about crime prevention and crime fighting.

She recently became a consultant to NXT Robotics Corporation, which has launched the Maverick unmanned ground vehicle to provide outdoor security in various venues including data centers, construction sites, parking complexes, and detention facilities.

Zimmerman said the robotic device also can be helpful to law enforcement agencies.  For example, she said, suppose a burglar alarm goes off at a building.  The company could send the robotic device to the scene to determine if there is an intruder, or whether the alarm was set off accidentally, perhaps by a strong wind.  In such a case, the device, equipped with two-way communications, could alert the police department that it was a false alarm, and that there is no need to send officers to the scene.

On the other hand, said Zimmerman, if there is an intruder on the premises, then the device can announce to the intruders that they are being monitored by video, to cease what they are doing, and that police officers are on the way.

On the charitable front, Zimmerman soon will join approximately 100 other bicyclists later this month for a seven-day, 650-mile ride from Palo Alto to La Jolla Shores in support of the Challenged Athletes Foundation.  It is her third long-distance bicycle ride in behalf of this charity which purchases adaptive pieces of equipment for amputees among other works.

Zimmerman also will participate in November in the San Diego Padres’ Pedal the Cause to raise money for the fight against cancer.

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Arraignment Scheduled in Poway Shooting
The defendant in the Poway of Chabad shooting that left Lori Kaye Gilbert dead and three wounded will be arraigned on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 9 a.m., in the 10th floor courtroom of Presiding Superior Court Judge Peter C. Deddeh at 1100 Union Street downtown.

 

Political Byte
Former Escondido Mayor Jerry Harmon has endorsed Olga Diaz for county supervisor in the 3rd supervisorial district in which Terra Lawson-Remer also is challenging incumbent Supervisor Kristin Gaspar.

Coming Our Way
Carly Gammill,
director of StandWithUs’s Center for Combating Anti-Semitism, will tell how it is done at 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 7, at the Lawrence Family JCC. … Chabad of Pacific Beach is sponsoring the mitzvah of eating kosher food in a sukkah at “the only restaurant in San Diego that has one.”  Kosher tacos with guacamole will be on the menu at  6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 4240 Gresham Street. Chabad of Pacific Beach is led by Rabbi Yossi Tiefenbrun and Rebbitzin Rochie Leider Tiefenbrun, who is the daughter of Rabbi Moishe and Sura Leider of Chabad of University City … Shir Chadash Shabbat (New Song Sabbath) at Tifereth Israel Synagogue features the Friday night prayers played to a big beat by a band that includes Susan Levy on piano, David Ogul guitar; Ted Stern, bass guitar, and vocalists Miriam Shoval and Christina de Jesus. Clarinetest Bob Holloway and his wife Marlene Holloway have moved to the Palm Springs area but sometimes he returns to San Diego to perform with the band.  The next Shir Hadash Shabbat will be Oct. 18, with subsequent performances planned Nov. 15, Dec. 20, Jan. 17, Feb. 21, March 20, April 17, May 15, and June 19.    … Simply Barba, an ode to singer/ actress Barbra Streisand will have a one-day-only performance Oct. 23 at Martinis Above Fourth, 3940 4th Avenue, coinciding with the 50th anniversary year of the movie version of Hello Dolly.

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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World.  He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com