Podiatrist in Ramona, CA

Construction began last week in Poway on the first leg of a 10,000-mile-long broadband network intended to provide high-speed internet service options to everyone in the state.

“California is now one step closer to making the digital divide a thing of the past,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “`We’re starting construction today to get affordable high-speed internet in every California home because livelihoods depend on access to a reliable and fast internet connection.

“This is about ensuring that all Californians, no matter the ZIP code they call home, can be part of the Golden State’s thriving and diverse economy,” he said.

Work on the “Middle Mile’’ network started on state Route 67, where on Oct. 13 state officials gathered as 500 feet of fiber optic cable was blown through conduit in the first segment of the $3.8 billion statewide broadband project.

When completed, the Middle Mile will be the nation’s largest such broadband network, officials said. State funding will be made available for “last mile” connections from the network to rural communities. According to the governor’s office, roughly one in five Californians do not have access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet, including more than 200,000 people in San Diego County.

“Beginning construction on the middle-mile network is a significant step toward broadband equity and providing all Californians the opportunity toaccess critical information,” said Secretary of the California Transportation Agency Toks Omishakin. “High-speed internet is much more than a connection — it’s a lifeline that families need to work, learn, and access critical services.”

The local project will be a fiber optic line running from Lakeside to Ramona. Once the network is complete, local carriers will have access to the network to provide communities with direct service to homes and businesses, as well as reduced-cost or free broadband internet service for those who are eligible.

“We are thrilled to see construction begin on the middle-mile network,’’ said Secretary of Government Operations Amy Tong. “Too many ruraland urban areas lack adequate broadband infrastructure, forcing residents to attempt to connect via mobile hotspots and unreliable satellite service, which leaves out too many Californians.”

In July 2021, Newsom signed into law Senate Bill 156 to expand the state’s broadband fiber infrastructure and increase internet connectivity for families and businesses. It included provisions related to the $3.25 billion initially budgeted to build, operate and maintain an open access, state-ownedMiddle Mile network. The 2022 Budget also included $550 million to support the project.

The polling places once located in garages and community centers throughout San Diego are being replaced by larger, regional vote centers this fall.

November marks San Diego’s first general election using vote centers, a California election model that offers fewer locations but longer hours and more voting options.

The system launched officially with the June primary election, but San Diego had adopted elements of it, including universal mail ballots and regional polling places, earlier during the pandemic.

Fifteen California counties, including Los Angeles and Orange counties, have previously switched to the vote center model, and 11 more including San Diego are transitioning to the system this year.

Under the new system, all registered voters automatically receive a mail ballot they can mail back or return to an official drop-off location or a vote center.

The majority of San Diegans already cast their ballots by mail, and officials said the vote center system makes that option permanently available to every registered voter in the county.

There are more than 1.9 million registered voters in San Diego, and even before the pandemic, about 80 percent of voters cast their ballots by mail. During the November 2020 presidential election, about 87 percent cast ballots by mail, and in this year’s June primary that jumped to 93 percent, according to figures from the county registrar of voters.

Politics

Oct. 10, 2022

Where to vote

Voters in Ramona who prefer to cast their ballots in person in town can vote at one of two vote centers on Election Day or over the weekend preceding it, and at one center during the week prior.

The new centers replace neighborhood polling places, and add additional days to cast in-person ballots.

Here are the voting centers for Ramona:

James Dukes Elementary School - Multipurpose Center, 24908 Abalar Way, open Saturday, Nov. 5 to Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8

Ramona Branch Library Community Room, 1275 Main St., open Saturday , open Oct. 29 to Nov. 8

Ramona Unified School District, Wilson Gym, 720 9th St., open Nov. 5 to 8

All vote centers will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Nov. 8. On Election Day, all vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information about where to vote in other areas in San Diego County, visit the Registrar of Voters website.

How it works

Under the previous system, each voter was assigned a local polling place, and had to vote provisionally in order to cast their ballot at a different one. Now, voters can go to any center in the county, where workers will use an electronic poll book with a roster of all registered voters.

The electronic pollbook matches each voter to the ballot that shows the correct races for their address, accessing one of 796 local ballot configurations for this election, San Diego County Registrar Cynthia Paes said.

“That just says these are the unique districts that make up your precinct,” Paes said. “Once they put in that code, it’s going to pull down one of those 700-plus ballot types ... The code is entered into the ballot-marking device, which is separate from everything else.”

Voters use a ballot-marking device, which is not connected to the internet or any other digital system, to fill out their ballots. The machine then prints a paper ballot that records their choices, and that is submitted to the ballot box.

As an alternative, voters can fill out their mail ballots at home or at the vote center and place them in the ballot box on site.

Vote centers also can provide replacement ballots, language interpretation, translated materials and same-day registration.

Any eligible voters who missed the deadline to register can complete the registration form and enter a provisional ballot on the spot, Paes said. The registrar will then validate the registration and count the ballot.

“It’s got your ballot in five languages,” Paes said. “You can bring it up in Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese and Chinese. It has an audio ballot. If you’re blind, you can mark your ballot independently, on your own, using that device. And then you print out your official ballot, which has your selections printed on the ballot.”

Ramona residents will have one less place to shop for gifts after Valentine’s Day when the Elam’s Hallmark store is set to close.

Owner Guy Elam, who operates the store with his family, said the store in the Albertson’s shopping center is closing for a number of reasons. A significant factor is the cost related to employees: the minimum wage has nearly doubled from $8 an hour when the Ramona Hallmark first opened in 1994 and Social Security and workers’ compensation contributions have also increased, he said.

In addition, Elam said he has seen a decline in customer traffic since the opening of the ALDI store in September 2021. Fewer customers are visiting the shopping center since ALDI opened, he said.

The decision to close was made as the shop’s lease was being renewed, he said.

“Rent is always part of the equation and rent is expensive in California, too,” said Elam, although he didn’t elaborate about the store’s rent costs. “The bottom line is, the store has not made any money in two years. It’s not growing. If sales were up 10 percent every year that would cover it, but it’s not.”

The family has not been able to raise prices to cover increased expenses because the Hallmark company sets the prices, he added.

The store at 1423 Main St. has begun discounting merchandise by 25 percent and Christmas items by 50 percent in anticipation of shuttering the day after Valentine’s Day, Feb. 15.

Hallmark customer Tammy White, a Ramona resident for 23 years, said she’s not happy about the closure. White began buying Hallmark Christmas ornaments when her grown children, now in their 30s, were toddlers, and specifically began buying them at the Ramona Hallmark store since 2000.

“I am so sad because I shop here a lot, and more so at Christmastime,” White said. “I like to shop where I live but they’re making it impossible.”

White added that she puts a lot of thought into buying presents and when she can’t find anything to buy at other stores she can usually find it at Elam’s Hallmark in Ramona. With other stores closing in Ramona and some mall stores shuttering she said her local shopping options are becoming narrower.

“They’re taking away our shopping up here and I’m not happy about it,” White said. “I’m going to be very sad to see this place go.”

Hallmark customer Janean Jansen said she’s sorry to see the store close.

“They’re our go-to store for gifts, whether it’s anniversaries or birthdays,” said Jansen, who has lived in Ramona since 1972. “It’s very sad.”

Elam said he will consider retaining Ramona Hallmark employees if they are able to work at one of his other locations, although he added that some of them live in Ramona. Nearby store locations include Poway, Westfield North County mall in Escondido, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Grossmont Center and San Marcos.

Laurie McCormick, Ramona Hallmark’s manager, said she learned Dec. 27 that the store she has worked at for 11 years would be closing.

“This is Ramona’s store and all of the customers have said over and over that they’re bummed,” McCormick said. “It’s a sad thing for Ramona. We’re losing our gifts store.”

McCormick says she has a job lined up at a new hardware store opening in San Diego Country Estates, but she’s going to miss her co-workers and customers.

“It’s for sure a sad day,” she commented between waiting on customers at the Ramona Hallmark. “It’s a nice community here. We’re family.”

Elam said he has been in the Hallmark business since 1979, when he opened his first store in Rancho San Diego. The Elam family currently has 12 Hallmark stores including the Ramona store, with 11 of those stores located in San Diego County and one in Laguna Niguel.

Ramona residents would still have the option of shopping at the nearby Elam’s Hallmark stores at the Westfield North County shopping center in Escondido, and at the 13444 Poway Road location in Poway, Elam said.

“We’ve had a lot of good customers and good employees,” Elam said. “It’s a very sad thing and it’s sad for our family. We love Ramona, we just needed more business.”

Ramona Rotarians are promising a rollickin’ fun time at their Boot Scootin’ Barn Dance on Saturday, April 22.

Proceeds from the dance, open to ages 21 and over, will go toward scholarships for Ramona students.

Rotarian Lee Castillo is opening his barn at 405 East Pile St. from 6 to 10 p.m. for the event.

Everyone’s pitching in to make this a night to remember. Guests walking into the decorated barn will know they’re going to enjoy themselves while contributing to the success of Ramona teens preparing to graduate high school and move on to college or vocational training.

Attendees can dance to country music, take line dancing lessons, pose at a photo booth, take the stage for karaoke, and enjoy adult beverages and a catered barbecue dinner. They can bid on silent auction baskets, including the Omni Karu 16 Charcoal/Wood Chunk Outdoor Pizza Oven.

A limited number of barn dance tickets at $35 each are available from Rotary members, the Ramona Chamber of Commerce office at 1306 Main St., and the Ramona Branch of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater San Diego at 622 E St. Opportunity drawing tickets at $10 each for the pizza oven valued at $875 also are available.

Among those contributing to the event are Double M Ranch Barbecue, which is catering the food; DJ Eliana Fukuhara, who will bring country Western dance music and her karaoke machine; and Danielle Rasmussen, who will teach line dancing.

The Castillos at Rancho de las Chuparrosas are providing wine, Smoking Cannon Brewery is bringing the beer, Diamond D Feed & Supply Co. is providing hay bales, and the Ramona chamber is bringing tables.

Country boogie and line dancing will be from 6 to 9 p.m., with karaoke until 10.

Contributing to the evening’s success are premier sponsors Ransom Pump & Supply, Ransom Brothers Ace and Peter Shaw. Table sponsors are MJN Real Estate/Carol Fowler, San Vicente Mortgage/Christie Carlson, H5 Financial, Ramona Boys & Girls Club, Dr. Eric Shapiro, Jewelry World, Ramona Disposal Service, Surfing Cowboy Ranch, Microgreens, The Carpet Lady, and Karen Domnitz-Realtor.

Additional sponsorships are available by contacting Christie Carlson, Ramona Rotary president and event co-chair at 760-703-0792.

To donate silent auction baskets or items, contact Rotarian Susan White at 760-703-6084.

“I’m so excited about this fundraiser,” Carlson said. “It will be fun and exciting and help us raise $12,000 in college and vocational scholarships to our high school seniors graduating from Ramona schools in June. Come enjoy the fun and help us meet this goal.”

Those who can’t attend can consider donating, Carlson said. “You can make a difference in a child’s life by sending checks to Ramona Rotary, P.O. Box 276, Ramona, CA 92065.”

Contact Carlson or check Ramona Rotary’s Facebook page for more information.

Ramona Rotary Club, chartered in 1937, started the town’s July 4th Fireworks event, and each year gives Ramona third-graders his/her own dictionary and presents scholarships to graduating high school seniors. The group also honors students of the month at each Ramona high school, supports a student at the Panamerican Institute in Tijuana, sends high school juniors to Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Camp, participates in the Rotary Model UN Program, and donates to the senior center and youth organizations.

“I think this is just the beginning of things to come for the Ramona Rotary Club,” Carol Fowler, president-elect and event co-chair said. “Stay tuned! Watch for our September Nights to Rein in a new Ramona Beauty.”

I agree with Ronald Reagan when he said the scariest words in the English language are, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”

Well Ramona, the State of California has come to town and they’re “proposing” to raise our fire severity risk ratings from medium and high to “very high,” which will raise our fire insurance rates and quell rural development.

The State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection is a rulemaking body appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to update fire hazard severity maps in the SRA (state response area), which includes Ramona. The LRA (local response area) refers to incorporated cities like Poway that have their own fire departments.

The fire severity maps have not been updated for about 12 years, so they are due, but there are problems. For example, your local elected representatives knew nothing about this proposed change.

A proposal that will increase fire rates for our community and discourage development ought to be well publicized, but it was not. There was only one public hearing held in each of California’s 58 Counties. The Ramona Municipal Water District, the Ramona Community Planning Group, and the Ramona Fire Advisory Council knew nothing about these pending changes.

Another issue with the new proposed map is that it apparently adheres to the government “blanket” approach of one size fits all.

Former “medium risk” or “high risk” areas of Ramona that have level topography and little fuel are proposed to be included in the “very high” risk areas with steep slopes and heavy brush. Even Cal Fire Station 82 has been moved from medium fire risk to very high fire risk. This approach to assessing fire risk from 100,000 feet just doesn’t make sense.

The impacts of labeling an area “very high” fire risk are both social and economic. The new proposal will discourage development because of additional government-related red tape and costs. Building a single residence or an apartment complex in very high fire risk zones requires costly additional studies by both San Diego County and CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act).

So, what are the factors that call for raising Ramona’s fire risk status? Over the years the process has been greatly enhanced with technology. Today, satellites play a role, along with climate change, water and fire-fighting availability, fuel status, and perhaps political social engineering.

If you are aware of the proposed vehicle mileage tax (VMT), a readily admitted component of the VMT is to discourage rural growth and move populations out of their cars and into mass transit in urban areas. That political agenda is rampant in present state and county government. It is not unreasonable to ask if Newsom’s appointed board is using fire risk severity zones to accomplish the same goals with or without plausible cause.

The arguments for NOT increasing Ramona’s fire risk status are tangible and compelling.

The Ramona Municipal Water District is committing millions installing larger diameter supply lines that increases the water capacity for fire-fighting. The water district has also installed back-up power systems at pumping stations to guarantee water flow during a power outage.

Cal Fire is providing three new engines and has increased staffing on E80, E81, and E82 and has added a new paramedic ambulance at Station 82 staffed with firefighter-paramedics.

In addition, our water wells and ponds are doing great due to the excellent rainy season we are enjoying.

Finally, the Aerial Attack Fire Base is in Ramona. They can put water or retardant on fires within our SRA within minutes. So, I’m wondering if the governor’s board took those facts into consideration before proposing the increases in Ramona’s fire severity status?

These increases in Ramona’s fire severity maps are only a proposal. We can impact the final decision.

There is a period available for those who wish to comment from through April 4. You can write to: Office of the State Fire Marshall California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, PO Box 944246, Sacramento, California 94244-2460, Attention- Scott Witt, deputy chief. Or email to: fhszcomments@fire.ca.gov

Summers is a member of the Ramona Unified School District board, the Ramona Community Planning Group and the San Diego County Fire Advisory Board