Letters to the editor

Jeans made in U.S. make a differenceI called a jean company and complained that my five pairs of jeans, all marked as the same size and style, were all different waist sizes. They could only tell me to take them to where I bought them and the store would give me another pair.I went to Sears and they did indeed offer me a new pair, but they could not answer my question, why all the different waist sizes. Finally an experienced clerk came by and told me that it depended on what country they were made in. Same markings, different sizes. I checked and found that they were made in several different countries, none of them the United States.I checked all the other jeans, none made in the U.S. But, if you care, I did find a jean company made completely in the United States, in Texas, as a matter of fact. Texas Jeans. And I love them. Every bit as good or better that the others, right price and customer friendly. Try ‘em, you’ll like them. A pair of longhorns on the back pockets.Find them through this web link: www.MadeinUSAForever.com.

Jerry Meloche

RamonaProud to stand with Piva in campaignTo Estates Residents,Recently our San Diego Country Estates Board voted against the San Vicente Road improvement program. They wanted to eliminate the project. Future BOD prospective members want my vote; they better be aware of the issues and be representing our best interests regarding general welfare and safety, especially our roads. Not complaining, no one kept them informed like this bunch.Our supervisor told the board that she was for the road project and they better work with the county to make it work. The board then hid under assertions that they were never against it. They also decided they want someone else to stay on top of the issues at RCPG for them.Over the 15 years it took to bring this project to bear, I tried to work with this board to help bring the San Vicente Road improvement to reality. I never got more than fleeting support from the board of directors. I never saw them work with the Ramona Community Planning Group. They only once attended a transportation summit workshop. I never saw any attempt to be aware of what was going on, much less be part of the decisions.My point is, we need someone for our board who is a respected leader, who is involved and part of the discussions and decisions. We need someone evenhanded, responsible, and responsive. We need someone connected and involved with our community, our neighbors, and our county and state representatives, not special interests. This person is Jim Piva. He has helped hold the San Vicente Road improvement on the county road priority list for eight years. We are now getting that road done. This is thanks to Jim and his unwavering involvement and commitment to our community. I am proud to stand with Jim Piva and his efforts for our community.

Joe Cahak

Ramona and San Diego

Country Estates residentPiva, a strong leader for Country EstatesThis week the San Diego Country Estates Election Handbook was sent to all property owners. One of the sections in it was the Candidate Election Statements. Scott Brown stated: “Did you know we paid or are in the process of paying taxes for the first time? What were the actions and leadership from the board to curtail or completely avoid this? What did the treasurer and president of the board do to address this?”As having been the prior treasurer, he should know that our association has used the services of a large CPA firm, AKT, for the past several years. This firm has offices in three states and does a lot of work for homeowner associations. Our CPA is the managing partner of their San Diego office. Our association works with him, some of his other CPA staff members as well as their tax specialists. The subject of income taxes has been the topic of several meetings this past several months and in fact one meeting involved our entire BOD. Actions have been taken to reduce our tax liability as much as possible.I strongly recommend Jim Piva for your consideration for the SDCE BOD. Jim has lived in Ramona for 30 years, been a resident of SDCE for 16 years. Jim has been a small business owner in Ramona since 1983. Over those years he has been very active in our community in many areas including the Chamber of Commerce, many volunteer coaching positions with youth athletic teams, and Ramona High School Football. For the past five-plus years, Jim has been on the Ramona Community Planning Group and was elected its chairman by the other members for the past three years. In this position he has proven to be a strong leader and team builder. He is a fiscal conservative and a business survivor through some hard economic times.

Perry Jones

RamonaCrossFit thanks Row-a-Thon donorsOn March 10, CrossFit Brand X, home of CrossFit Kids Headquarters in Ramona, held its 12-hour Row-a-Thon with all proceeds benefiting CrossFit’s Hope for Kenya initiative. Hope for Kenya builds schools and water cisterns and provides other valuable resources to impoverished villages of rural Kenya. To learn more and make a donation, visit kenya.crossfit.com/.We thank our donors who generously offered prizes: Bree Beery, owner, Pawsitive Principles; Sandy Narde, owner, Nuevo Grill; Lindsi Mallinson, stylist, Salon Blondies; Suzzie Harrison, esthetician, Salon Blondies; Shanda Strametz, owner, Grooming by Shanda; John B. Ward III, owner, LiteStone Concrete; Marko Maehler, sports massage therapist; Gary and Diane McKee, owners, Town & Country Property Management and Sageland Vineyards; and the trainers at CrossFit Brand X.We thank Sam Lutt, owner of Mariscos Del Mar, for providing the delicious food for our Row-a-Thon event, and Jeff and Mikki Martin, owners of CrossFit Brand X, for providing the venue and equipment. A special thank you to Danell Marks for organizing and running the Row-a-Thon.And of course, to everyone who came out: thank you. Your participation will help those so much less fortunate than us.

Dan Edelman

CrossFit Kids