Don Owen To Be Parade Grand Marshal on Saturday

Yet another honor is being bestowed on longtime Ramona resident and volunteer this year. Owen—named Citizen of the Year by Ramona Chamber of Commerce in January—will be the grand marshal in the Ramona Parade on Saturday. He will ride in a horse-drawn sleigh that dates back to 1890.

"Don just encompasses all that is Ramona," said Joani Georgeson, director of Ramona Outdoor Community Center (ROCC), which presents the annual parade. "He has been a staple in the community for years. He's 92. He's quiet. He just stays in the background. This is a way to highlight him."

As many as 81 entrants will follow Owen down Main Street, including Smokey Bear, the Rainbow Riders, high school bands, floats and fire trucks. The parade will start at 10 a.m. at 14th Street and travel eastward to 5th Street, ending at Ramona Rodeo Grounds by noon. 

Another reason Owen has been chosen grand marshal, said Georgeson, is that he's always smiling.

"You can always turn to him on a gray day," she said. "I remember, even when I was a child, he was always that way when he was a ."

Georgeson's grandmother, Dottie McIntosh, was going to accompany Owen to lead the parade, but is now unavailable.

"She dated Don's brother Clarence Owen, back in 1935," Georgeson said. "She would have loved to sit proudly next to Don Owen, but due to health problems she is unable to attend this year. She is a proud 91-year-old Ramonian and sends her deepest love to the community."

The sleigh Owen will ride in is originally from Norway, MI and is now owned by Ramona resident Don Wendt, who bought it in Wisconsin. The sleigh had already been partially restored and he is doing more work on it.

"I got the upholstery done last winter," he said. "It has black-and-green upholstery. The trim painting is very difficult to work on. The original trim was gold and red but someone painted black over the top. You can just see the original coming through in places. I had a guy build a caster system for it so it moves more smoothly."

Wendt's buckskin Paint horse, Yankee, will pull the sleigh.