News Briefs: Retirement, gardens, virtual reality, more

Retirement strategies

William Clark, Ramona representative for Thrivent Financial, invites area residents to one of four free workshops titled Retirement and Estate Strategies on Wednesday, March 8. Workshops will be at Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church, 1735 Main St., Suite A., at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and at Ramona High School, 1401 Hanson Lane, at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Financial consultant Jonathan Doering will share strategies on how to accumulate and distribute money for retirement, how to pass on money to heirs or charities in a tax-wise manner, increasing the probability of investment success, multigenerational IRA planning, and more. For reservations, call 858-455-5227 or email linda.a.smith@thrivent.com. Refreshments will be served.

Garden Club

Lexi Petelski will present a talk titled Pumice in the Garden when the Ramona Garden Club meets at Mountain View Community Church, 1191 Meadowlark Way, on Wednesday, March 8. The meeting will begin with a potluck lunch at noon.

Boot drive

Firefighters will take to the streets on Thursday, March 9, for the 18^th Annual “Fill the Boot for the Burn Institute” Firefighter Boot Drive. Around the county firefighters will be at intersections with boots in hand to collect donations during morning and evening commutes.

Proceeds benefit the Burn Institute’s fire and burn prevention programs and burn survivor support services.

Each year passing motorists help to fill those boots with spare change and dollars. such as Camp Beyond the Scars for burn-injured children.

Virtual reality for Teen Tech Week

Ramona Library will offer a PS4 Virtual Reality demonstration Thursday, March 9, at 3 p.m. as part of San Diego County Library (SDCL) system’s celebration of Teen Tech Week. The first 20 teens will get to test the Virtual Reality headset and games. The library is at 1275 Main St.

“Be the Source of Change” is SDCL’s theme this year. The county library system says it hopes to attract a wide variety of teenagers and increase teen technology literacy locally by offering a series of programs that include 3D printing workshops, virtual reality demonstrations, robotics, new technologies, MAKER activities, coding, and special programming made possible through partnerships with local organizations.

“Teen Tech Week is an opportunity for teens to learn and explore about new technology. It shows how libraries provide meaningful contributions to the development of 21st century digital skills in teens,” said Youth Librarian Ariadna Jimenez-Barrios.

Homebrews at fair

Entries in the San Diego County Fair homebrew competition will be accepted at sdfair.com until April 28. The competition offers homebrewers an opportunity to have their beer professionally judged, receive quality feedback, meet other homebrewers, and win ribbons.

The competition is open to all amateur homebrewers age 21 and older. Professional brewers and brewers who have applied for state or federal licensing may not enter. Entries may be delivered on May 7 or shipped to the fairgrounds. Industry professionals will judge the brews in a closed, blind session. Exhibitors will be invited to a private Awards Ceremony and Exhibitor tasting on June 4.

Birthday Bash

Barnett Elementary School PTA invites the community and former students, teachers, and families to the Birthday Bash to celebrate the school’s 25th anniversary on March 10 at 5 p.m. The time capsule that was buried in 1991 at the school at 23925 Couna Way will be opened and a new one will be put in its place, said Michelle Lawrence, Barnett PTA president.

Recycle event

Ace Hardware at 23642 San Vicente Road will host an Electronic Waste and Document Shred event on Saturday, March 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Community members may drop off any electronic item that is broken, used, or unwanted that takes batteries or plugs into an outlet. Examples are computers, televisions, and appliances. Secure Document shredding will be provided for a charge. For more information, call contact Joshua Stoltz at admin@recyclingms.com or 619-655-0981.

ACBL Bridge

Ramona ACBL Bridge Club meets several times throughout the week, offering open play and lessons for beginners, at 1721 Main St., Suite 101.

Lessons and practice for open players and a class for beginners are held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Open games begin at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesdays, 6 p.m. on Thursdays, and 9:30 a.m. on Fridays.

For more information, call 760-789-1132.

Bingo time

Persons age 18 and older are invited to play Bingo at Ramona Senior Center, 434 Aqua Lane, every Thursday at 1 p.m. Cost to play is $14 per person, with a $5 discount for first-time players. The winnings are said to be substantial. One does not have to be a senior to play.

For more information, visit the center or call Tina Lacey, the center’s activities coordinator, at 760-789-0440.

Relay for Life teams

Teams are forming for the 2017 Relay for Life of Ramona, an annual 24-hour event to support those affected by cancer and to raise money for American Cancer Society’s cancer research and education efforts. The event will be held at Wilson Stadium, 720 Ninth St., and will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 29, with an Opening Ceremony followed by the Survivors Lap at 9:30 a.m. and Survivor/Caregiver Breakfast at 9:45.

Individuals may join one of the 15 existing relay teams or form a team of their own. The commitment is to have at least one team member walking or running on the track throughout the 24-hour event. For more information or to join/sign up for a team, contact Tori Barlow at 760-522-0661 or toribarlow@gmail.com.

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