50¢
ESTABLISHED
An Independent Weekly Newspaper Serving the Backcountry Communities of Julian, Cuyamaca, Santa Ysabel, Shelter Valley, Mt. Laguna, Ranchita, Sunshine Summit, Warner Springs and Wynola. For the Community, by the Community.
1985
(46¢ + tax included)
Periodical • Wednesday
Time Sensitive Material
August 2, 2017
Volume 32 — Issue 52
Julian, CA.
ISSN 1937-8416
Fire Services At The Crossroads
www.JulianNews.com
by Michael Hart
Over 90 community members attended Thursday’s Special Meeting at the new fire station Same problem, different year. That sums up the situation at the Julian Cuyamaca Fire District. Staffing, budget, recruiting. The big three for a volunteer fire department. In comes the County Fire Authority to offer a solution. New problem… what happens to the locals who have invested their time, effort and money to insure the community is protected. What happens to control of the district and its’ independence – the ability to react to situations, respond for neighbors by neighbors. Can the board of the JCFPD find a way maintain the current service levels? According to Chief Marinelli, speaking at Thursdays community meeting, that could be an additional $300+ assessment on property owners (something the voters would have to approve with a 2/3 majority). Currently the County provides ancillary services to the district through a contract set to expire January 1, 2018: Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services- COUNTY shall: • Fund and assign a Paramedic Engine, under the terms of its CAL FIRE Schedule A 4142 Agreement, to respond 7/24 to provide fire protection and emergency medical services within the DISTRICT out of the CAL FIRE Julian Station 50. • Fund and provide Chief Officer coverage for the DISTRICT to assist the DISTRICT Chief when needed. • Continue to fund and provide Dispatch Services to DISTRICT through the CAL FIRE Monte Vista Command Center. • Provide (as available) Volunteer Reserve Firefighter staffing at CAL FIRE Julian Station 50 and CAL FIRE Cuyamaca Station 51. • If the County determines it is feasible, County shall commit to keeping the CAL FIRE Cuyamaca Station 51 open as part of the COUNTY Amador Program. Fire Prevention ServicesCOUNTY shall: • Conduct residential plan reviews and inspections for the DISTRICT including automatic residential fire sprinkler system plan review and inspection. • Conduct commercial plan reviews and inspections for the DISTRICT. (Complex fire suppression systems may be reviewed by an outside firm and returned to the COUNTY for approval as per current practices.) • Review all new and existing
discretionary projects within the DISTRICT, including site inspections and project meeting associated with the project. • Review and accept technical reports submitted by an applicant related to any residential, commercial or discretionary project. • Implement the "Public Nuisance Abatement Procedures" in accordance with County Code Sections 16.201 - 16.218 for those parcels that the County determines are an imminent Fire Hazard. • Assist the DISTRICT in the code adoption process and with participation in the Consolidated Fire Code. • Assess and collect fees as authorized in the San Diego
with the County about consolidation of the two agencies by June 30, 2017. If an application for agency consolidation is filed by December 31, 2017, the term of this agreement shall be extended to December 31, 2018. C. The County shall have the option to extend this agreement on an annual basis on the same terms. So this is where the district finds itself, stuck between the community it has served for over 30 years and relinquishing its’ responsibility to the County Fire Authority. The fire authority is proposing: The County of San Diego believes that regionalizing and consolidating fire services is the best long term strategy for
Prepare For The Coming Eclipse Saturday At The Library
In case you did not know by now, on August 21st of this year a total eclipse of the sun will grace the skies across the entire USA, from Oregon on the west coast to South Carolina on the east. Although solar eclipses are somewhat of a common occurrence (on average, during any given year we experience from a minimum of two to a maximum of five), they rarely occur at the same spot on the surface of the Earth. This particular one is special in that it is the first one in about 38 years to have its path of totality sweep across our country.
Although every individual watching from the 48 contiguous States, parts of northern Mexico and western Canada will get to see some percentage of occultation of the Sun by the Moon, only those lucky enough to be within the path of Totality’s sweep (a swath on the surface of the Earth, about 62 miles wide where the Moon will be seen to completely cover the sun for little over two and a half minutes) will get to enjoy the awe inspiring and beauty of this celestial spectacle. By some accounts, it is expected that close to 14 million people will be within that swath of totality (my wife and I will be one of them) perhaps more, and the internet will be swamped with streams of photos and videos for months after the event. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon crosses a particular point of its orbit about the Earth (this point is known as a “Node”) and due to orbital mechanics that
from Fred Delgado
point (or node) happens to be aligned within one degree in the direction of the sun. The shadow cast by the moon onto the Earth’s surface during this “Passage of the Moon” is what we term a solar eclipse. The duration of these eclipses are also regulated by the moon’s distance from the Earth at the time of the event. As common sense would dictate, staring at the Sun for any amount of time, however brief is NOT recommended. The Sun puts out a vast amount of energy and can within a split second cause irreparable damage to the eyes. SAFETY should be the main concern for anyone attempting to witness this event. For this very purpose, several companies and outfits have made available to the general public viewing accessories such as sun glasses, filters, lens covers and other items to allow for safe viewing. Anyone wishing to view this solar event should seriously consider reading about the potential dangers and obtain the safety equipment recommended. As usual, totality events like this one become addictive, mainly for the eerie beauty of seeing the stars and planets appear in the midday sky, the reaction of the animals due to the unexpected darkness and such. They last but a only a few fleeting
minutes, usually occur at any location reasonably accessible to the average individual but once in a decade or more, but, mark my words, once you have seen a total eclipse of the sun, especially through a telescope, you are condemned to want to see the next one, and the one after that, and the one after that, ad infinitum. See you at the next one… (in the USA, that will be in 2024) Mr. Fred Delgado, an associate amateur astronomer and selfproclaimed “Citizen Scientist” has been associated with Curiosity Peak Observatory in Julian for the past two years and is conducting work in field astrophotography and radio astronomy. Mr. Delgado will be giving a (PPT) presentation about the upcoming solar event on August 5th 2017 at 10:30AM at the Julian branch library, included in the presentation will be a detailed explanation of the mechanics of the event, where and how to safely view it and some images of his past experiences with totality. We would be pleased to have you attend. For more information, please contact the library at: Julian Branch Library 1850 Highway 78 Julian, CA 92036 (760) 765-0370
Julian Schools Back In Session Tuesday Start Your School Routine Now
County Fire Authority and CalFire Chief Tony Mecham County Code of Administrative Ordinances Section 362.5. Apparatus ResourcesCOUNTY shall: • Provide COUNTY owned fire apparatus resources, as available, for use by the DISTRICT. The COUNTY reserves the right to move or deploy these resources at any time. The terms of the current contract: This Agreement shall begin on December 31, 2015 and expire on December 31, 2017 unless extended as provided herein. A. By December 31, 2016, a coordinated service review must be initiated and shall include, but will not be limited to: 1. Cost effectiveness of program 2. District and County support levels 3. Community support 4. Ability of District to provide adequate fire and EMS services 5. Duplication and overlap of service provided by the County and District B. Provided that the County delivers the statement of work included in this agreement, the District will enter into discussions
the provision of services in the unincorporated areas of the County. Regionalization provides a greater depth of resources and a lowering of costs by avoiding costly duplication of service and sharing of critically needed support services. San Diego County is proposing to assume the responsibility for Fire and EMS services in the District with significant increases in service including 24x7 career staffing at fire stations in both Julian and Cuyamaca. Furthermore, the County is proposing to assume and maintain a volunteer firefighter program in Julian and move a medium rescue/light and air apparatus into the district. The County and District would negotiate a transfer of property, assets, debts and revenue from the District to County Fire. The current Fire Chief will become a part time temporary employee of the County to help guide the transition and the Board of Directors will serve on the San Diego County Fire Advisory Committee representing Julian. This process would take approximately 12 months. Upon transfer of authority, continued on page 5
Julian Triangle Club Presents:
Julian High School and both the Elementary and Junior High Schools will be back in session starting Tuesday morning. Shelter Valley will start up a week later. Julian High first bell is 7:32am. The Elementary and Jr Hi both start at 7:50am. A new after school is being organized at the high school. Club Jaguar and Club Timberwolf will continue after school. “Jeremy’s On Campus” will once again provide lunches. Back to school: get the whole family ready by setting a new routine, checking after school plans — and cutting screen time. Make life easier starting now, a new school year means a new routine. Get your child’s mind and body prepared for the big shift. A few weeks before school starts, move bedtime back to an earlier time. It’s easy during the lazy days of summer to slip into having meals at irregular hours. As the first day of school approaches, make meal times more regular and aligned with the school year schedule. Put a positive spin on going back to school. Talk about the fun things your child will be learning, the old friends he’ll see, and the new friends he’ll make. If your child is anxious about starting the next grade, reassure him that other children have
by: GreatSchools Staff
these feelings too. Don’t make plans for big trips right before the start of school. Establish weekday schedules for homework, TV, baths, and bedtime. Arrange playdates with friends from school to re-establish connections that may have been dropped for the summer, or to create new ones. Confirm your after school care arrangements - Most after school care arrangements must be made months ahead, frequently in the winter or spring before your child starts school. As the school year approaches, however, it’s a good idea to confirm your plans. Make sure your child knows where he is going after school. Double-check on your care plans and communicate with the provider a few days before school starts. If your child will be home alone after school, establish safety rules for locking doors and windows, and for answering the
door and the telephone. Make sure she knows to check in with you or another adult when she arrives at home. Control screen time - It’s tempting, especially during the summer, to let kids watch a lot of television and stare at their screens. As you get ready to go back to school, start to put limits on screen time if you haven’t done so during the summer. Be firm. Set limits of no more than an hour or two of TV daily. Set a good example by not watching a lot of TV yourself. Engage in family activities such as reading or board games. Keep TVs out of your child’s bedroom to limit the temptation. Encourage selective TV viewing. Discourage channel surfing which encourages passive viewing. Choose wisely. There are some TV programs that can be a valuable tool for learning and expanding one’s awareness of the world.
“A Fatal Night at the County Fair”
July 28, 29 and August 4, 5 on the Town Hall Stage www.visitjulian.com