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PERMIT NO. 30 JULIAN, CA
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ESTABLISHED
An Independent Weekly Newspaper Serving the Backcountry Communities of Julian, Cuyamaca, Santa Ysabel, Shelter Valley, Mt. Laguna, Ranchita, Canebreak, Sunshine Summit, Warner Springs and Wynola.
Julian News
PO Box 639 Julian, CA 92036
1985
Change Service requested
DATED MATERIAL
The Newspaper of Record.
For the Community, by the Community.
Back Country Covid-19 Vaccines Delivered
(as of May 8)
Julian 92036 - 1387 Ranchita 92066 - 106 Santa Ysabel 92070 - 443 Warner Springs 92086 - 337
Positive Tests
as of May 8*
(weeks new positives) Julian = 109 (+0) ** Ramona = 2,551 (+14) ** Mt. Laguna = 2 Ranchita = 13 (+0) ** Warner Springs = 66 (+11)** Santa Ysabel = 67 (+3)** Borrego Springs = 134 (+1) ** Descanso = 80 (+1) ** Alpine = 1,117 (+9) ** Poway = 2,454 (+28) Lakeside = 1702 (+11) ** Total Confirmed cases in Unincorporated San Diego County = 39,484 a total rise of 663. If you believe you have symptoms please get tested. Most testing locations do not require an appointment. To find information on a testing location near you or call 2-11 (toll free) or on the web 211sandiego.org.
State Statistics
State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released the most recent statistics on COVID-19 and updates on the state’s pandemic response. Statewide COVID-19 Data as of Today California has 3,642,480 confirmed cases to date. Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed. There were 2,254 newly recorded confirmed cases Saturday.
Wednesday
www.visitjulian.com
ISSN 1937-8416
www.JulianNews.com
Julian High And The Night Sky
SDG&E Has Got Some Goats
by Elizabeth Denny
Look to the stars! For the first time in its history, Julian High School has an astronomy club. During these difficult times, high school students have been hit extremely hard, losing extracurriculars, jobs, and school events that they’d looked forward to. So, last October when English and Drama teacher Mr. Martin suggested starting an astronomy club, many students of all grades were eager and excited to join. The astronomy club, currently made up of Acacia Reyes (10th), Nevaeh Weir (10th), Alyssa Arias (11th), Gillian Mercer (11th), Jessica Bakken (11th), Corey Lay (12th), Elizabeth Denny (12th), Zen Hill (12th), and Ryan Lay, meets once a month at different locations to stargaze, learn to use high-grade telescopes, and discover the wonders of space. When the club first started out, they had a single 8-inch Celestron Nexstar 8se telescope that Mr. Martin got for Christmas, but were fortunate enough to gain a second one, a 9.25 inch Celestron Nexstar Evolution telescope later in the school year. One could say that these aren’t your average telescopes since they use motors and complicated software to track the movement of celestial objects. The telescopes allow users to take high-resolution images of planets, stars, and deep sky objects (nebulae, galaxies, globular clusters). Additionally, the group recently acquired a 70mm Double-Stacked H-alpha Coronado SolarMax III telescope, which allows one to observe the sun’s surface and even spot solar flares. The Julian High students have been learning how to operate these telescopes, which is no simple task, to better help them observe what makes up our universe. The high school astronomy club has also reached out to the Julian Dark Sky Network, which is an organization dedicated to preserving the dark skies of Julian. Through their website, youtube channel, and other astronomy activities, they are promoting the community's participation in learning about what fills our night skies and how to preserve our ability to see them. The JDSN has multiple live virtual star parties on their YouTube channel, Curiosity Peak Observatory, that many of the Julian High students have attended. The live streams are available for anyone to join and learn about topics such spectroscopy and light pollution, while viewing high-resolution images and videos of space objects. During the live broadcast, members of the JDSN offer insightful information about what is being shown and are willing to answer any questions asked about astronomy. The JDSN has reached out to the Julian community and astronomy club offering telescopes to loan. Hopefully students and families will be able to utilize these telescopes to continue star-gazing even over the summer. The astronomy club is not only a great way for students to learn about the many different objects in space, but also allows students and teachers to come together in the outdoors. After being cramped up inside for months on end during quarantine, astronomy club offers a breath of fresh air, literally. The club travels all over Julian including Inspiration Point, Palomar Mountain, the Laguna Mountains and is planning an overnight campout to Joshua Tree. The group loves to play outlandish games, listen to (and sing along with) music, and share stories while waiting for the sun to go down.
There have been 60,748 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic. As of May 2, providers have reported administering a total of 30,412,414 vaccine doses statewide.
Blueprint Summary (as of April 27) 0 counties in the Purple (widespread) Tier 13 counties in the Red (substantial) Tier 41 counties in Orange (moderate) Tier 4 counties in Yellow (minimal) Tier Your Actions Save Lives Protect yourself, family, friends and your community by following these prevention measures: Get vaccinated when it’s your turn. Californians age 16+ are eligible to make an appointment. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches), call your health care provider.
Julian, CA.
Volume 36 — Issue 41
The 7-day positivity rate is 1.2%. There have been 60,514,937 tests conducted in California. This represents an increase of 249,137 during the prior 24-hour reporting period.
The CDC reports that 38,560,120 doses have been delivered to entities within the state. Numbers do not represent true day-to-day change as reporting may be delayed. For more vaccination data, visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Data Dashboard.
May 12, 2021
Ephraim and Mary Morse Coleman Toll Road Tourists, 1870
by Albert Simonson
Up a short and steep footpath from the cozy shaded amphitheater of our great new Santa Ysabel Nature Center, you may find yourself lost in time. This is the first toll road to the new Julian City. Imagine freight wagons and 8-mule teams stepping out smartly with tinkling collar bells to the commanding yet melodious call of "G'long, hup there!" Untidy fragrant "road apples" and spat tobacco juice are all flushed away. This road was named for Kentucky ex-slave Fred Coleman, first discoverer of gold up the road in Coleman (now Spencer) Valley, which cradles Coleman Creek. Native Americans graded this road as they did through Cuyamaca, likely helped by Fred's native wife Maria and some of their 11 children. Minimum wage on road gangs was cloth and liquor. Probably our first tourist journalist on this road was retired schoolmarm Mary Walker Morse. She and her husband were celebrated raconteurs and writers of life in the early days. The new mining camp was in dire need of roads for hauling in heavy mine equipment. Old oxcart roads weren't good enough for this or 4-horse coaches. Mary, husband Ephraim, and Ned the horse had to come roundabout by way of San Pascual where they had slept on a bed of hay. Ned rudely awakened the avid campers at dawn by munching away hungrily at their bed for his breakfast. The next night, they camped on Rancho Santa Maria, now near present Rancho Maria Lane in Ramona. Another day's buggy ride behind Ned brought them to the homely hospitality of Mr. S, pioneer of Ballena ( Whale ) Valley where they slept upon the kitchen table, anxiously balancing their weight so as not to topple it over. Pigs and continued on page 3
Julian - Named An International Dark Sky Community New Designation Blazes A Trail For Regional Communities
JULIAN, Calif. (May 10, 2021) — Five years after beginning its darksky journey, the southern California mountain town of Julian has been accredited by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) as an International Dark Sky Community. It is the thirtieth such designation in IDA history, and only the second in California. As part of the certification process, the Julian Dark Sky Network (JDSN) worked closely with officials from surrounding San Diego County, California, to affect changes to the County’s outdoor lighting ordinance. The results help pave the way for future communities in the County to become certified by IDA. “The dedication of the Julian Dark Sky Network to achieving today’s outcome is significant for all of San Diego County,” said IDA Executive Director Ruskin Hartley. “A path forward to IDA accreditation has been opened for unincorporated cities and towns there as a result of the Network’s efforts.” Enacting a quality outdoor lighting policy is at the heart of achieving International Dark Sky Community status. Since Julian is a non-selfgoverning town under California law, County action was required to make it eligible for IDA consideration. Julian’s new status benefits the other International Dark Sky Community in California, the town of Borrego Springs, which is also located in San Diego County. Like Julian, it is an unincorporated municipality whose lighting policy is now formally codified in the county law. On the heels of today’s news, the Julian Dark Sky Network now turns its attention to on further educating the community about the importance of preserving the important natural resource of nighttime darkness. Members hope that their work will inspire other communities, both in southern California and beyond, to follow their lead and take proactive steps to improve the nighttime environment in their territories. As more parts of southern California are brought under legal protections for dark skies, locals envision even bigger plans. In addition to the two International Dark Sky Communities, San Diego County is home to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, which became an IDA International Dark Sky Park in 2017. Some think this portends bigger things for the region. "We're at a threshold point where we can decisively reverse decades of growing regional light pollution and see the emergence of a whole region of dark sky appreciation and preservation," said JDSN founder Doug Sollosy. "We're elated to help bring about such a region of communities and public parks in a highly populated area like Southern California." About JDSN The Julian Dark Sky Network (JDSN) was founded in 2016 to: 1. Promote the enjoyment and preservation of Julian’s dark skies. 2. Develop and organize year-round public astronomy activities. 3. Share with the community the exciting scientific breakthroughs that are taking place in our understanding of the universe. More information about JDSN, its mission and work may be found at http://www.juliandarkskynetwork.com and the Official Julian Dark Sky Network on Facebook. About IDA The International Dark Sky Association (IDA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Tucson, Arizona, advocates for the protection of the nighttime environment and dark night skies by educating policymakers and the public about night sky conservation and promoting environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. More information about IDA, its mission and work may be found at http:// www.darksky.org. About the IDA Dark Sky Places Program IDA established the International Dark Sky Places conservation program in 2001 to recognize excellent stewardship of the night sky. Designations are based on stringent outdoor lighting standards and innovative community outreach. Since its inception, the program has designated 174 International Dark Sky Places in 21 countries. For more information about the program, visit http://darksky.org/our-work/ conservation/idsp/. Media Enquiries Julian Dark Sky Network Mr. Doug Sollosy (JDSN Founder) Email: juliandarkskynetwork@gmail.com Tel.: +1 619-354-9258 International Dark-Sky Association DEHSILBATSE Dr. John Barentine (Acting International Dark Sky0Places 781 Program Manager) Email: john@darksky.org Tel.: +1 520-347-6363 SRAEY
SAN DIEGO, May 7, 2021 – San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) newest wildfire-fighting partners, approximately 220 goats, are taking a bite out of potential wildfire ignition sources and carbon emissions. Last week, the Company initiated its Goat Grazing pilot program, a vegetation measure that utilizes goats to clear brush and other vegetation-ignition sources around electric infrastructure. The program, a first of its kind for the utility, is designed to help keep communities safe from potential utility-related wildfires. “This is the first SDG&E program to explore an alternative concept to reduce flammable fuels within open space transmission corridors,” said SDG&E Landscape Project Manager Bill Click. “The pilot program will be in effect at various locations within the SDG&E service territory this year. Once the evaluation process is completed, an informed decision can be made to further implement prescribed grazing.” Some of the environmental benefits of goat grazing include keeping corridors open, preventing the spread of noxious weeds, and promoting the growth of local vegetative species through moderate grazing. The initial grazing area is within SDG&E-owned transmission corridor property in Chula Vista, while other company locations are being considered as well. The goat herd and the staffing have been secured through a contract with San Diego County based environmental land management company for the duration of the pilot program. SDG&E is an innovative San Diego-based energy company that provides clean, safe, and reliable energy to better the lives of the people it serves in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The company is committed to creating a sustainable future by providing around 45 percent of its electricity from renewable sources; modernizing natural gas pipelines; accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles; supporting numerous nonprofit partners; and investing in innovative technologies to ensure the reliable operation of the region’s infrastructure for generations to come. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information, visit SDGEnews. com or connect with SDG&E on Twitter (@SDGE), Instagram (@ SDGE), and Facebook.
Taste of Julian Returns for 2021! June 12th. Get Information at www.TasteofJulian.com