BETTY HELEN LEHMAN
Betty Lehman was born in Lidgerwood, North Dakota on December 2, 1929, and passed away in El Centro, California on April 17, 2024.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Lehman, UC Agronomist and CUF101 developer. She is survived by her children, William (Bill) Lehman of Holtville and Barbara Fallen of Santa Ana; grandchildren, William (Billy) Lehman, Carl Lehman, Gavin Fallen, Ariella Copeland, and Bethany Armendariz. She has 9 great-grandchildren.
“This thing is so great; I’m so happy we have something like this coming back here after seven years because (before this) something was missing,” the costumed Riverside County resident said from under a superhero/vigilante mask.
“I hope they come back next year and throw an afterparty at a hotel ballroom. Tell the organizer I would empty my bank account for that,” the cosplayer said.
His DC counterpart, another Riverside County resident named Winn, who dressed as “Nightwing,” said he was “talked into” cosplaying for the day’s event. Winn later won for the “Best Superhero” category in the Cosplay Contest but was not present at the stage when the winners were announced.
The Imperial Valley Cosplayers club did their part in not only attending the Con in full outfits, but also hosted and emceed the PSEC’s Cosplay Contest. In addition to Riverside and Imperial county attendees, some traveled from Yuma to attend as well.
“I had a blast,” said El Centro resident Joseph Guilin, who attended the PSEC with a small group of friends from the Imperial Valley. “I met a pair of twin actors from my favorite Marvel TV show ‘Agents of Shield,” he said, referencing the Yuan Twins, who have attended the IVEC in the past.
“It is great to connect and see these gems still around working on other projects,” Calexico resident, Roxsanna Pacheco, said of the voice actors she took photos with at the event. “Palm Springs is so close it’s practically the Valley’s backyard.”
“Hopefully there are more events like this to look forward to,” Guilin said.
Najera said the fifth annual Imperial Valley Entertainment Convention will be held on Saturday, September 28, and will be returning to the Martin Luther King Jr. Sports Pavilion in El Centro.
Najera said TV’s Erik
Estrada, better known as “Ponch” from CHiPs (1977-1983) fame is one of the personalities already booked for Imperial Valley’s Con in order to connect well with the predominantly Latino/a and law enforcement saturated Imperial Valley.
Najera moved Estrada from appearing in Palm Springs in order to benefit all parties, mentioning how “cool it would be” if local law enforcement could partake in the IVEC by escorting Estrada in while dressed as Ponch.
Najera said while presale tickets for the Imperial Valley Entertainment Convention will start soon mid-May, “now is also the perfect time” for locals to offer suggestions of who they’d like to see come to the Imperial Valley through the IVEC this September.
“If anyone from the Valley has recommendations, add us on social media, @ImperialValleyCon, and throw them out there (because) right now is the opportune time for their suggestions,” he said. “If I see the same (suggestion) there multiple times, we’ll make the push for it.”
“Nothing is off the table at this point,” Najera said. “I guarantee you the list of the guests will just get better and better.”
“It’s truly an exciting time to be a geek!” Guilin said.