Ensigns thanked for maintaining monument

In a written update of Spirit of Joy Lutheran’s plans for a new church complex off state Route 67 and Highland Valley Road, and the Welcome to Ramona monument at that corner, Pastor Dan Erlenbusch reported that the congregation now owns the corner property under the monument and is sensitive to its responsibility to maintain it.

He expressed thanks to Scotty’s Plantscapes and its owners, Rose and Scotty Ensign, for their ongoing service to the community by maintaining the monument.

“Our lovely Welcome to Ramona sign beyond the western edge of town is a much-appreciated and admired part of our community,” said the church update. “It was built and erected in 2007-08 under the leadership of Arvie and John Degenfelder and the Ramona Trails Association, and features the artwork of Leslie Souza.”

Over the years, many volunteers planted and installed irrigation, pruned, weeded, replanted and maintained what is called Monument Corner, the statement continued, noting, “For those who know all this, the Ramona monument represents inspired acts of love for Ramona.”

Ongoing maintenance of the corner continued to rely on volunteers but, as with many ongoing volunteer projects, in recent years it has been challenging to find the many willing and available hands that light work requires, said the update.

“The volunteer pool was also crippled by San Diego County’s large liability insurance requirements that priced out most community groups who might be inclined to coordinate maintenance,” the update stated.

The Ensigns became aware of the problem last year.

“Scotty is a longtime and well-known member of various Ramona community and planning groups, and he and Rose decided to add monument maintenance to their long list of civic contributions,” the update continued. “Thanks to their hard work, the corner continues to be nicely maintained. Scotty is already brainstorming ideas to revise and improve landscaping to accommodate encroachment when Caltrans begins their long-awaited realignment at that intersection within the next few months.”

The county wanted to divest that corner, and in November deeded it to Spirit of Joy, reported Erlenbusch. The pastor said this transfer should simplify liability insurance problems for future volunteer work.

The congregation hopes to break ground as soon as Easter on its new church building on the 9 acres behind the monument, said Erlenbusch.

“The planning process has been expensive and has lasted over 15 years,” he said, adding that the congregation is excited to move forward.