Peter San Nicolas, a Ramona resident and business owner, was unanimously voted to fill the last vacancy on the Ramona Design Review Board. This brings the group up to capacity at nine members, said chair Scotty Ensign.
San Nicolas, the only applicant for the position, will fill the seat left by Barb Roberson.
San Nicolas said the first time he attended a Design Review Board meeting was in 2002 when he went to present the remodel of his business, The Gym Ramona. He worked with the board to align his plan with what they were looking for so he could finish construction, he said.
“The reason I decided to apply was I wanted to serve this community,” said San Nicolas, who recently opened Brokerage Real Estate Agency. “And I have a number of businesses in town and know how it is from a business owner’s standpoint.”
San Nicolas said that over time he’s realized how important it is to have a consistent look in Ramona, and wants to bridge the gap between the business owners and the Design Review Board.
As a new member, San Nicolas will need to familiarize himself with the Ramona Village Center Form-Based Code guidelines so when a proponent comes in with things that are out of code, he can better speak to it, Ensign said.
San Nicolas will be seated on Sept. 28, but won’t be a voting member yet. That happens once he gets approved by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, which Ensign said can take up to six weeks.
San Nicolas said he is hoping to find a way to better communicate with new businesses that the plans for the community benefit everyone. One of his ideas is to put together a brochure that the Ramona Chamber of Commerce would have available for new business owners.
An online informational page could be useful for getting the word out about the form-based code, he said.
“There’s a lack of communication and somehow we gotta fix that,” San Nicolas said.
The VFW’s 2023-24 Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy competitions are now open.
(Sentinel file photo)
VFW contest open for sixth- through 12-graders with cash prizes
The Veterans of Foreign Wars’ annual Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy competitions are now open, said Cmdr. Larry Burns of VFW Post 3783 in Ramona.
Patriot’s Pen is an essay contest for local students in grades 6-8. Students must compose a 300- to 400-word essay expressing knowledge, relevant facts and clarity of ideas related to this year’s theme — “How Are You Inspired by America?”
Voice of Democracy is an audio competition for Ramona high school students. Students must record a three- to five-minute essay on the selected theme on a flash drive. Hard copies of the essay must also be submitted with the entry form. Essay and audio need to be identical. Judging will be on the originality of the theme, content and delivery.
This year’s theme is “What Are The Greatest Attributes of Our Democracy?”
Deadline for entries is Oct. 31.
Students begin by competing at the local VFW Ramona post level and winners will be given checks worth up to $250. Post winners advance to District competition with those winners advancing to the state competition. Winners will be awarded prizes along the way to the National competition.
The first place National winner will receive $5,000 for Patriot’s Pen and a $35,000 scholarship for Voice of Democracy.
For additional information about the competitions, visit https://www.vfw.org/PatriotsPen or www.vfw.org/VOD. You may also contact the VFW Auxiliary Chair Amber Ramirez 760-789-0010 or email: [email protected].
Teachers and counseling departments at Olive Pierce Middle School, MVA, Ramona High School and Montecito High School all have copies of the information form and application form.
Completed work and application must be received by VFW 3783 by Oct. 31 at 2247 Kelly Ave. Or email Ramirez if you require your application packet to be picked up.
