October 27, 2011
VOL. 126, ISSUE 5
Ramona Sentinel
50¢
1
THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012
Inside
20
Huge victory Ramona High’s boys golf team beats defending state and CIF champion Torrey Pines......................23
Rising star RHS sophomore Brenna Brean sings with American High School Honors Choir in Carnegie Hall...................22
Index
425-A 10th Street Ramona, CA 92065
Presorted Standard US Postage PAID Ramona CA Permit No 136
Editorial.......................8 Worship directory......10 Our Town...................12 Sports........................23 Classifieds.................26 Obituaries.................34 Coupons....................35
Survey shows support for a school bond By MAUREEN ROBERTSON If Ramona Unified School District held a school bond election today, it would pass, results of a survey conducted March 5-7 show. Greg Isom of Isom Advisors, shared survey results with trustees at their March 13 meeting. The survey of 400 registered voters reflecting district demographics
shows a 60 percent favorable response. State law requires 55 percent voter approval for a school bond to pass. After asking about specific projects on which to spend bond money, survey respondents registered 51.5 percent Yes and 8.5 percent Lean Yes. Among proposed projects garnering the most support are: repair or replace leaky roofs, reno-
vate classrooms to accommodate vocational education programs, create a technology and computer endowment, repair or replace old plumbing systems, make health and safety and handicapped accessibility improvements, and modernize outdated classrooms, restrooms and school facilities. Presented with three choices — $60, $50 or $45 per $100,000 of assessed property value per year
respondents preferred $45, — with 49.5 percent in favor. When the options were presented per month — $5/$4/$3.75 — that favorable response was nearly 8 percent higher, 60.4 percent. The majority believe the district provides a quality education, and voters understand that good schools mean better property valSee BOND on page 6
Principal stays at Woodson school By MAUREEN ROBERTSON
ing room was filled with Mt. Woodson Elementary Hearing parents, teach- teachers, parents, other ers, and others talk about staff members, and some Mount Woodson Elemen- children, many wearing tary School Principal The- “Commitment to No Exresa Grace at the March 13 cuses—Mt. Woodson Elschool board meeting, one ementary” T-shirts. That’s could almost imagine her the school’s motto this year. It’s part of the univeras Wonder Woman. “Strong leader,” “awe- sal achievement theme at some,” “phenomenal,” the school, teachers said. Other supporters of “fabulous,” and “energetic” are among words they keeping Grace at the used to describe Grace school spilled into the hallway, and 23 — mostly Sentinel photo/Maureen Robertson who was scheduled to be Mt. Woodson Elementary teachers and other staff members react after Ramona transferred to Hanson El- teachers — stayed until just before midnight when school board President Dan Lopez announces that Theresa Grace will remain as ementary on Aug. 1. the school board came out That won’t happen. At the school’s principal. Front from left are Melissa Fortunato, campus safety officer, and teachers September Tamburrino and Roberta Nau. Behind them are, from left, last Tuesday’s meeting, of a closed meeting to anabout half of the meet- nounce that Grace will teacher Peggy Powell and Jennifer McSparran, specialized academic instructor. stay at Mt. Woodson. The proposed transfer came after Hanson Elementary’s principal, ShelMotta coordinated with all areas of agh Appleman, recently Motta, 65, died at Sacred Heart By BILL TAMBURRINO the hospital to ensure that veterans announced her resignaMedical Center in Spokane, Wash. Motta had retired from education got the best possible service avail- tion, effective June 30. AcFrank James Motta, principal at Ramona High School from 1990 to and had moved to the Spokane area able, according to Sunii Wadhwqan, cording to district adminis1993, died on Thursday, March 15, where he had been volunteering at a spokesperson for the center. Mot- trators, Appleman plans to after being attacked by a suspect the Spokane Veterans Affairs Center ta’s wife, Virginia, and his daughter, return to the classroom in while trying to break up a party at a since 2009. He was hired as a patient advocate four months ago. neighbor’s house. See MOTTA on page 6 See PRINCIPAL on page 6
Former RHS principal dies after assault