ABOUT US

Our mission for Back at the Ranch is to connect residents both to each other and to key resources with the goal of building community in 4S Ranch, Del Sur and the greater San Diego area.

Who are we? Well, it’s actually a great story. Tim Minjares & Karen Smith met standing on the little pads of dirt that would one day be their new homes in San Elijo Hills. The community of San Elijo Hills was designed and marketed with a master plan…a plan to create a pedestrian friendly community with a small town feel…a self-contained community with its own schools, parks and retail…a community with an old fashioned sense of security and a place where neighbors truly were friends…a community with a vision very much like that of 4S Ranch and Del Sur.

Once we moved in, we were amazed to see that this sense of community was real. The vision we had bought into was something that had already begun. We could see it in the people we met and the new friends we made. However, there was something missing. We had a great online community network…a tool that provided calendar items, important notices and a place for residents to exchange ideas and information. We had a fantastic Community Director who organized events that brought the entire community together. We had a strong community association that provided a monthly newsletter with important homeowner information.

What we didn’t have was a way to tie it all together. There was an intangible sense of community, but there was no way to feed that feeling or to put it in a tangible sense. There needed to be a way for residents to connect…and to build on that sense of community…to learn about each other and the resources around them.

So, Karen, a professional writer, and Tim, a professional designer, now next door neighbors, realized they shared the same vision and the same concern. They also realized that their talents could actually be brought together to provide a tool that would do just that…keep the fast-growing community tied together. And, it worked. The Fountain was launched in 2003 and has become a key part of the community. Each month, this 36+ page news/lifestyle publication feeds and builds the sense of community within this master-planned community. Neighbors look forward to seeing their new issue each month – they talk about the articles – they talk about the neighbors they’ve met – they learn about the incredible resources they have in their backyard. And, as a result, people feel connected.

Today, we bring you Back at the Ranch, designed to do the very same thing for this community. This publication is a great example of what can happen when neighbors build strong relationships and get busy putting their ideas and talents together for the good of the community. We hope it will stimulate you to contribute to the sense of community here and to truly make the community all that it can be.

This community started with the homes and the stores…but the true community is what exists between you and your neighbor. That’s where the magic is and that’s what this publication is all about. We hope you find this community publication reflective of our excitement to build something that brings all of us closer together. We invite you to join in the fun and get involved.

Karen Smith
Editor

Karen loves writing with the goal of connecting people and making people think. She lives with her husband T.K., her 2 daughters, Tyler and Kady, and their dog and cat, Oscar & Felix (truly 'the odd couple'). When not working on these publications, Karen is a busy mom and enjoys serving on the PTO board and being an active part of the community. You can reach Karen at by email or at 800.497.1309 x708

Tim Minjares
Designer

Tim loves communicating through visual design. He lives with his wife Lisa, son Riley and an English bulldog named Zoe. When Tim isn't working on our publications, he is enjoying the park with his family and weekend fun with neighbors and friends. You can contact Tim at by email or at 800.497.1309 x707