Letters to the Editor

Flag serves as reminder of freedom’s cost

We’ve just celebrated another great Memorial Day in Ramona. It began with the well-attended VFW-sponsored Memorial Day Program at the Nuevo cemetery where more than 500 flags marked graces of the veterans there.

The program was to honor all veterans and especially those who gave their lives so we could enjoy the freedom we have here in the USA. Mike Slater of talk radio was the featured speaker who gave us an inspirational and challenging message.

Later on, as the sun was setting, we looked up to the hills above the San Diego Country Estates and saw the American flag flying in the breeze. For many years flags have flown there, but not during the last three years. Thanks to the anonymous person who has put the new flag up. It’s a good reminder to us of the cost of our freedom by those who died so we can continue to be the land of the free and the home of the brave.

God Bless America.

Phil and Nancy Harding

Ramona

Many made preschoolers’ year special

On behalf of the Congregational Children’s Center, I would like to thank the Ramona Fire Department, Officer Chad, Mountain Valley Ranch, Becky Dreese, Michelle Madsen, Sue Trukken, Linda Hermeca, Dr. Laurie’s staff, Michelle Hill at Albertsons, Jenna Wood and Adobe Animal Hospital, and Dr. Homesley and her staff for adding so much to our preschool this year.

Ramona is truly a wonderful place to live and learn.

Patty Mussen, Director

Congregational Children’s Center

Garden Club thanks all for successful event

Thanks to the community of Ramona, the 2013 Ramona Garden Tour and Plant Sale was a huge success!

The weather was beautiful, the gardens were outstanding, and the crowd was generous with both their praise and their funds. All of this combined to make the 2013 Ramona Garden Club’s Sixth Annual Tour, held April 27, another success story for both the club and the community.

We could not have done any of this without the time, effort and generous spirits of our homeowners. We thank Jimmy and Dee Ciuzak, Lisa and Tom DeFloria, Ully and Jerry Edge, Debbie and Rufino Gomez, Tammy Rimes and William Holzhauer and Hal Snyder and Patricia Pharr-Snyder. We also appreciate the staff of Collier Park, as our corner of the park was also part of the tour. We also thank Antonio Luna of Brandableimpressions.com, who created the gifts we presented to each homeowner.

We sincerely thank the three artists, busy at their craft in the homeowners’ gardens on tour day: Wilma Owens, Carol Ravy and Lori Sutherland.

Thanks also to Ramona Community Library, which not only hosted us for the day, but also let us place signs on their property and assisted us behind-the-scenes.

The large signs all over town could not have been placed without cooperative property and business owners, such as Jim McWhorter and the McWhorter family, Rob Lewallen, Ramona Chamber of Commerce, Schwaesdall Winery, Leon Klepin and Ramona Liquor Store.

Several businesses assisted with ticket sales: Frankie Berkley Newberg of Sun Valley Florist, Martha Berntsen of The Crazy 9 Patch Quilt Shop, Nora Siedl of Packard’s Coffee Shop and RAE Automotive Service.

We thank everyone who donated items for our two opportunity drawing baskets: ACE Hardware of Ramona, Albertsons, Designer Stone, Grangetto’s, Home Depot of Poway, Oasis Nursery, Ramona Irrigation and Electrical Supply, Ramona Municipal Water District, Ransom Bros., Starbucks of Ramona, Stater Bros., Sun Valley Florist, Walter Anderson Nursery of Poway, and the Zoological Society of San Diego. Special thanks to Marilyn Cole-Heston for her donation of our silent auction pottery. Individual club members also donated items.

Thanks and appreciation to our vendors: Erika Gonzalez, Rock Ants; Leslie Houston, Chairy Potter; Vicki Franano, Renewed Beginnings; Joannie Gilchriest, Ransom Brothers; Johnnie Holdenreid; Linda Kadubec, American Gaucho; Lenore Lipoufski, My Rustic Garden; Deanne Matthew, Kiss My Glass; Margie Neal and Beckey Smith, Becky’s Bees.

Donations of plants came from Donna Mayton, Tim Connelly of Connelly Gardens and Betty Anne Tulloch.

Carlos Murcia of the Ramona Food and Clothes Closet and Ray Cardona of the Ramona Senior Center made our bake sale possible.

We also appreciate the contributions of the Ramona Emergency Assistance League (REAL), who provided us with safety vests, safety cones and traffic control at one of our tour homes.

And finally, to everyone who stopped by, shopped, purchased plants and other items, bought tour tickets, joined our club and helped make the day such a success, we sincerely thank each of you. We look forward to seeing you again next year. Rest assured that the money earned will be given back to our community in the form of scholarships, grants and other projects in the coming years.

Pam Marler, 2013 President

Ramona Garden Club