Independence Day in Ramona starts with a community parade in San Diego Country Estates and ends with fireworks lighting the skies above town. The skyshow will be the grande finale of Ramona Rotary Club’s 17th annual July 4 Family Picnic and Fireworks.

The June 23 passage of the County of San Diego’s 2009-10 budget included the allocation of Community Enhancement funds from County of San Diego’s Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenue, and the Ramona Chamber of Commerce and the Ramona Pioneer Historical Society will receive a combined $73,000 from the program.

A judge on June 25 rejected class action status for the 70 lawsuits so far filed against San Diego Gas & Electric in which the utility is blamed for causing the wildfires in October 2007. The judge’s ruling will likely be appealed to a higher court, attorneys said.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Richard Strauss denied the class action request before 83 attorneys, law clerks and paralegals who attended the hearing in a crowded courtroom. The lawyers represent approximately 1,000 people who were claiming losses from destroyed homes to those who evacuated and had to spend nights in hotels.

Ramona Municipal Water District (RMWD) directors held a public hearing on June 23 to consider comments from all district customers regarding increases in water and sewer rates.
In accordance with Proposition 218, approved by voters in November 1996, the district mailed 10,318 letters to customers announcing the date, time and location of the public hearing. RMWD received only five letters protesting the proposed increases.

After listening to a presentation on June 17 by consultant Howard Blackson, members of the Ramona Village Design Group planned a three-day  workshop with him later this summer to proceed with Phase II of the village design.
Blackson, who previously worked for San Diego County, was hired by the county to work on the project.  He is an urban designer with PlaceMakers, a firm that works with developers and municipalities to create customized (known as “calibrated”) coding.  Specializing in form-based codes which strongly address the physical form of building and development, Blackson said he knows “how important character is for places. That’s why people use these codes.”

A resolution authorizing the collection of delinquent weed abatement charges in excess of $72,000 was approved by the Ramona Municipal Water District (RMWD) during their June 23 meeting. The imposed charges will be placed on the San Diego County secured property tax rolls.
According to Kenny Osborn, president of Fire Prevention Services (FPS), as well as RMWD Fire Marshal Saul Villagomez of Cal Fire, owners of 15 parcels owe the district a total of $72,007.98 for weed abatement work on their properties.
“We have done everything we can do to get notices sent to these individuals,” said board member Darrell Beck. “The problem is that some of these properties are under new ownership.”

San Diego County supervisors have OK’d the bidding and contract process to resurface 56.26 miles of county-maintained roads, including 4.48 miles of Ramona streets.
The supervisors’ June 17 vote appropriates $4,177,000 of Proposition 1B revenue for the project.  In November 2006, California voters approved Prop. 1B earmarking $2 billion for local streets and roads.

Ramona emergency crews responded to a report of an odor of propane in Bank of America at 1407 Main St. at 1:14 p.m. today. After evacuating the bank, Ramona Fire Department personnel monitored the building for toxins and everything came back negative, said Battalion Chief Greg Griswold. Paramedics assisted a man who reported feeling ill. The fire department aired out the building, and employees and customers were able to go inside.

San Diego County Board of Supervisors has directed the Chief Administrative Officer Walt F. Ekard to draft a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) opposing San Diego Gas & Electric’s plan to shut off power to as many as 60,000 customers during high-risk fire weather. Areas of Ramona would be affected by the plan.
The opposition to SDG&E’s plan was unanimous among the five supervisors, although Ron Roberts had to leave the meeting prior to the vote and the official vote was 4-0 in favor of the motion.
“The risks to lives and property are far greater with the power off than on,” said board Chair and District 2 Supervisor Dianne Jacob.