Articles written by Kim Simas
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Free Wildfire Workshop
The backcountry is all too familiar with wildfires. While seasoned residents have learned to become vigilant about the possibility of wildfires, there seems to have been an increase of new residents in Julian. In an effort to reinforce what many already know and to educate new res... — Updated 12/13/2022
Feeding SD Adds Butterfield Ranch Community to Route
For years, Feeding San Diego has been delivering food to the Julian and Shelter Valley communities. The mixture of fresh produce, some meat and dry goods are always a welcome addition for many of the families in the backcountry.... — Updated 10/12/2022
BCT Hosts Julian's First Community Wellness Expo
With all that is going on in the world today, staying positive and healthy is very important. The founders of the nonprofit organization, Backcountry Communities Thriving (BCT), see the effects of a struggling economy and stressful times on the community. However, Julian is full... — Updated 8/23/2022
Julian's 4th Back in Bloom
Once again, Julian’s 4th of July parade was a wonderful celebration of the nation’s holiday. This year’s theme, “Back in Bloom”, had a double meaning: the parade’s second year after the pandemic and Julian’s treasured flowers, the daffodils. The 2022 parade grand... — Updated 8/1/2022
New Scholarships for Julian High Seniors
There are two new available scholarship opportunities this year for graduating seniors (2022) in Julian. The Michael J. Hart Memorial Scholarship, in memory of the publisher of the Julian News for many years, is being offered by the Julian Chamber of Commerce. Mike was a vital... — Updated 5/3/2022
New Nonprofit Aims at Serving the Community
As many residents know, living in rural areas within San Diego County comes with its challenges. The biggest of those is the distance away from large grocery stores, shopping centers and resources. These last two years have... — Updated 3/15/2022
Next Steps for the Julian Town Square
Now that the Julian Community Heritage Foundation (JCHF) owns the lot on the corner of Washington and Main Streets in Julian, what is the next step? That is a question that members of the nonprofit organization are asked... — Updated 8/23/2021
Julian's 4th of July Parade: Back & Better Than Ever
Julian's 4th of July parade made a fantastic comeback this year celebrating Julian's 150 anniversary plus one. The theme was a nod to the town's sesquicentennial last year and the fact that the parade had been cancelled. With limit... — Updated 7/28/2021
Julian Pathways, Inc. Receives a Crucial Grant
In March 2020, when the world became embroiled in a pandemic, many organizations began expanding their resources to assist those in need. Julian Pathways, Inc., a local nonprofit, started regular trips to the San Diego Food Bank... — Updated 6/24/2021
Escrow Closed on Corner Lot
The Julian Community Heritage Foundation is proud to announce that the purchase transaction of the lot in the center of Julian has been finalized. The corner lot, which was the former location of a gas station over thirty years... — Updated 6/21/2021
Fourth of July Parade
The Julian 4th of July Parade Committee is happy to announce that the parade will be back again this year. The committee was eager to bring the celebration back to the Julian community and its visitors after the loss of the 2020 parade due to the pandemic. The County of San Diego... — Updated 6/10/2021
Snow Powders Julian
The San Diego mountains received a large amount of rain and snow over the course of a couple of days. Not one, but two storms, made its way through the county with a third one on its way. The mix of rain, hail, snow and strong wind... — Updated 2/19/2021
The Julian Town Square – One Step Closer to Reality
For over three years, a local group has been working to beautify the empty lot in the center of Julian. The Julian Community Heritage Foundation (JCHF), a recently registered nonprofit organization, seeks to transform the space... — Updated 2/19/2021
Winter, Holiday Donations Soar for Julian Pathways, Inc.
This year has definitely been one for the record books and not just for unprecedented changes and challenges. Once again, the Julian community has proven itself to be filled with kind and philanthropic people all working together t... — Updated 1/19/2021
First Snow of the Season Brings Crowds
The allure of the beauty a snow storm brings is often too tempting to avoid. When news stations and meteorologists forecasted the first major winter storm of the season, the population of San Diego County braced for the inevitable in a variety of ways. Those who live away from the... — Updated 1/11/2021
Julian Chamber of Commerce Awards
Each year the Julian Chamber of Commerce and the Julian Merchants Association host a picnic to announce winners of the Merchant Awards. Due to the pandemic, this year’s awards were announced via a video posted on Facebook. Presented by the Chamber President, Michael Hart, and co... — Updated 10/26/2020
Local Teacher Makes Distance Learning Fun
We've all had that one special teacher that helped shaped our school years. The teacher who inspired us to work a little harder and learn in new creative ways. Julian Union School District's fifth grade teacher, Marisa McFedries... — Updated 10/9/2020
JUSD Sets Date for Reopening
Students and staff are eager to get back to business. Distance learning has been a challenge and certainly different, however, it's a lot more fun to be in a classroom with your teacher and friends. Since the school closure in... — Updated 10/8/2020
JUHSD Resumes In-Person
On Sept. 8, the Julian Union High School District reopened to in-person class instruction for its students. Since San Diego County has been removed from state's COVID-19 monitoring list, schools became eligible to reopen for... — Updated 10/2/2020
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Comes to Julian
We all know that the first five years of a child's life is the most important. Children soak up so much knowledge and experiences during those first few years. It is also the prime time to introduce the love of reading. With so muc... — Updated 9/17/2020
Haircut Fundraiser A Success
With school starting soon and the salons unable to provide services as normal, a local hairdresser offered her services to the Julian community. Renee Pitera of Julian Backcountry Barber and Beauty reached out to Hilary Ward, the... — Updated 8/24/2020
Julian Schools to Continue Distance Learning in the Fall
With less than a month to go before school resumes for Julian students, school districts are scrambling to make sense of Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent announcements. School administrators had been busy coming up with reopening plans, however, when the Governor announced that sc... — Updated 8/11/2020
Julian Now Has A Thrift Store
The nonprofit organization, Julian Pathways, Inc. provides a variety of programs and services to the community of Julian. Not only does the group operate before/after school programs on the Julian Union School District campuses,... — Updated 7/20/2020
Julian Parade Cancelled
Each year, people of all ages gather along Main Street in Julian to celebrate the 4th of July holiday. The small town becomes packed full of residents, visitors, bands, classic vehicles and floats all enjoying the fun and festivities. However, this year COVID-19 came along and... — Updated 6/30/2020
Julian Begins to Slowly Reopen
Now that more businesses are opening up and restrictions are starting to loosen a bit for restaurants and stores, merchants in Julian are looking forward to welcoming more visitors. Merchants have been taking the time to follow health and safety guidelines imposed by County... — Updated 6/11/2020
