FALLEN FIREFIGHTER
Capt. W. Chris Mertz, of the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District, will be posthumously honored along with three other Southern California firefighters at the 44th National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend on May 3 and 4. Mertz died on Jan. 20, 2021, from complications of COVID-19. He was 54.
NEW DOCTOR
Haley Cook of Oceanside graduated with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic’s West Campus in San Jose on March 28.
DEAN’S LIST
Korryn Miller of Oceanside and David Soto of Vista made the winter dean’s list at Eastern Oregon University.
ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Noah Leibl of Del Mar, a student at Hamilton College in New York, was recently named to the 2025 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) winter all-academic team for men’s ice hockey.
TOP PLANT
Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility was awarded California Water Environment Association’s statewide 2024 Plant of the Year (small) award at CWEA’s Annual Conference in San Diego.
SURGERY CENTER
DISC Surgery Center at Carlsbad, a new state-of-the-art facility at 6250 El Camino Real, Suite #101 in Carlsbad, and Tri-City Medical Center are partnering to deliver spine and complex musculoskeletal care to the North County region. Together, DISC and Tri-City are developing a program that optimizes technology, care delivery, and site of service, as well as streamlining diagnostics, imaging, cardiac clearances, pre- and post-operative care and rehabilitation for patients.
BLOOD DONOR
San Diego Blook Bank honored longtime donor Thomas Kessler of Oceanside after he reached a milestone of donating 150 gallons of blood over the past 35 years. Since 1990, he has donated 634 times — ever since a friend of the family was diagnosed with leukemia and began needing blood transfusions. His friend is now in total remission and is preparing to become a dad to his second child.
COMMUNITY HERO
Culture Brewing of Solana Beach has named Erik Johnson, a sixth-grade teacher at Skyline Elementary School, as the brewery’s first ever Community Hero. Johnson was given the opportunity to design a special beer, called “Blog Pass IPA,” which features loquats and tangerines from his own backyard. His beer will be featured all month long in May.
