SSCRIPPS RANCH NEWS CRIPPS RANCH NEWS
ECRWSS PRESORTED STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT # 906 SAN DIEGO, CA
POSTAL CUSTOMER
SCRIPPS RANCHSCRIPPS RANCH
NEWS NEWS
Volume 5 Issue 5 • April 2022
www.ScrippsRanchNews.com
FIRE SEASON ARRIVES EARLY (photo by Jim Wick)
The Heroes will start the 2022 Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park concert series on June 12. (photo by Ralph LoVuolo)
READY TO ROCK AGAIN Symphony in the Park concert series returns
A firefighting helicopter flies above a hillside brushfire that threatened some homes along Trail Crest Drive on April 7. (photo by Jim Wick)
By Terry L. Wilson
T
he Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park concert series is coming to life after being dormant for more than two years due to COVID-19 restrictions. So, dust off your dancing shoes and get out your picnic baskets because the 2022 season kicks off June 12 in Hoyt Park. “After two years of cooling our heels, we are back and excited to carry on the tradition of live music, dancing barefoot in the grass and enjoying the company of our friends and neighbors,” said Cheryl Shaw, member of the Symphony in the Park Committee. “What this does for the Scripps Ranch community is to bring back a sense of normalcy because this event has become a right of summer, especially after being isolated so much during COVID. This gives us a chance to celebrate how we were before the lockdown, and to have a nice time with our friends and neighbors at the park.” Symphony in the Park is a non-profit organization that relies on donations from concert sponsors to keep the music alive not only in the park but also in local schools. “Each year our group donates money from our concert series to support music programs to help purchase instruments, music books and even uniforms,” Shaw said. “We are an all-volunteer organization, so 100 percent of our donations go into putting on the concerts and school donations.” The Scripps Ranch Symphony in the Park concert series has a long history, once operating under more primitive conditions. “In the beginning, bands performed on the back of a flat-bed truck. But See READY TO ROCK, Page 6 NEWS, Pages 2-4
•
Dry conditions cause concern
SCRIPPS RANCH FIRE SAFE COUNCIL
A
continuing drought affecting the entire western region of the United States is expected to worsen fire conditions around San Diego County this year earlier than expected. Fire season in Southern California usually peaks in late October, but that is changing. The lack of precipitation coupled with changing weather patterns, including some that already caused the National Weather Service to issue wind and heat advisories a few times this year, have brought about the realization that fire season in San Diego is now a year-round threat. Scripps Ranch has not been spared, and the threat is very real as proven by an April 7 brush fire that ignited on the western border of the Scripps Ranch Marketplace shopping center behind Chase Bank and flared further up the hill near homes on Trail Crest Drive. Fortunately, firefighters were quick to respond. See BRUSH FIRE, Page 2
(photo by Jim Wick)
LEISURE, Pages 5-6
•
LIFE, Pages 7-9
•
Protect homes from embers By Karen Herreros
T
he words “new normal” have been used so many times to describe California’s current experience with catastrophic wildfires that it can’t be new anymore. By the same token, I feel like what we tell you every month is also not new, but does need to be constantly reinforced. One of the big items is to protect your home from embers. Residents have lost their homes to wildfire despite having a defensible space. Be aware of the risk of embers. Embers can travel great distances with wind or turbulence caused by the fire itself. These embers can ignite brush or homes which are not even near the main part of the fire. Roofs: Replace wooden roofs and openings in roof coverings, such as the end of barrel tiles; remove debris such as leaves, pine needles, etc. from your roof and rain gutters. Vents: Cover attic/eaves/foundation vents with 1/8-inch wire mesh. Windows and skylights: Replace single pane non-tempered glass with double pane tempered glass. In case of fire, close all windows and doors. Fireplaces: Install an app-
SCHOOLS, Pages 10-12
•
roved spark arrester on chimneys and make sure wood piles are at least 30 feet from your home. Decks: Make sure there is metal flashing between a wood deck and the house, and the deck and under the deck are clear of debris. Remove patio furniture, door mats, BBQ propane tanks, etc. and place in your house or garage if a fire is threatening. Flowerbeds and boxes: Remove wood flower boxes from beneath windows if a fire is threatening. Flower beds should not have wood mulch or dead plants, leaves, etc. Vehicles: Close all windows and back your car into the garage or leave it away from the house and make sure the garage door fits as tightly as possible to the door frame to minimize gaps. Make sure you can open your automatic garage door manually if you lose electricity in case you need to evacuate. Fences and trash cans: Make sure all wood is in good condition and use non-combustible material next to your house. Use metal trash cans with tight fitting lids. You can contact the Scripps Ranch Fire Safe Council at (858) 201-3711 or srfiresafecouncil@ gmail.com.
SPORTS, Pages 13-15