Results tagged “Central Park” from RCNow

                                                                                                                        Frank Perez/Correspondent

To see other photos of yesterday's Veterans Day event, visit Will Lester's photo gallery.

Hundreds showed up to Councilman Rex Gutierrez's Veterans Day event last night. What lured them were these flickering helium balloons that decorated the sky at Central Park.

Participants wrote words of love and praise to their favorite veteran on the balloon. Some of the messages include "For those who didn't come home," "We miss you" and "Veterans Day is fun."

Cheryl Diego of Rancho Cucamonga had something simple to say to her father, "Thanks Dad, for 33 years of service."

The event, costing about $13,000, was paid for by Gutierrez's campaign. The councilman holds annual Easter and Veterans Day events in the city. Gutierrez said with his political future uncertain, Wednesday's event could be his last.

Interesting note -- Mike Morrell, candidate for the 63rd Assembly District, was invited to say a few words to the crowd. I guess Gutierrez isn't supporting the mayor for that position.

A number of events honoring veterans will take place beginning Sunday.

The annual Veterans Day ceremony in front of Alta Loma High School starts at 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

The city-led event 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday will be at Central Park. There will be military vehicles on display, a flag retirement ceremony and other activities. Bring a blanket and relax at the park.

Later in the evening, Councilman Rex Gutierrez will host "Points of Light Balloon Lift" from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Hundreds of balloons that light up will be released into the sky (or you can hold on to your string and keep the balloon.) Messages can be written on the balloons in honor of veterans. This will be on Wednesday at Central Park.       

Assemblyman Bill Emmerson spoke about the budget mess at the YMCA luncheon this afternoon. His brief statement was followed by two people who want his job: Mayor Kurth and Fontana Councilwoman Acquanetta Warren.

This was a fundraiser for the YMCA youth and government program. But if it were a try-out for Emmerson's job, Kurth and Warren came out tied.

Kurth gave a lukewarm speech about how he entered politics, poked fun of Chinese "democracy" and gloated about the Victoria Gardens success. Former Sen. Jim Brulte called it a "Rancho infomercial." One point for showing up at 11:45 a.m., right on time.

Warren showed up nearly an hour later, about five minutes after she was scheduled to go on stage. I've heard about this phenomenon of "Acquanetta time" before but I thought people were exaggerating. However, she gets one point for a nice story about being in high school and getting on the plane for the first time (PSA Airlines) to go to Sacramento. She got to be legislator for the day.

Mike Morrell, also running for Assembly, gets an honorable mention for working the room.

Prospective homebuyers are encouraged to attend one of two workshops scheduled this Thursday and June 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Central Park community center. The free workshops for first-time homebuyers are hosted by Sen. Bob Dutton and Wells Fargo.

Representatives from the Assessor's Office, Franchise Tax Board and HUD will be available for questions.

Information: (909) 466-4180

The second of two workshops on proposed smoking policies will be 6 p.m. next Wednesday at the Central Park community center. The public is encouraged to attend in order to learn about the next phase of the smoking ban and provide input.

Currently, smoking is not allowed at city facilities such as the outdoor areas of City Hall, Cultural Center and parks. The City Council is thinking of expanding that ban to other places such as Victoria Gardens and outdoor dining areas. Feedback from the public will help city staff members draft an ordinance that will be presented to the City Council later this summer.

The Community Fair next Saturday at Central Park will give residents a glimpse of the city's future. There will be displays and presentations on the General Plan update with plenty of opportunities for public input. The planning department will show maps of land use alternatives that could be considered in the next decade as the city nears build-out.

Next year, the city is expected to complete its General Plan revision, a blueprint for future development in the city. This week, the City Council approved the guiding principles for the General Plan update.

The Community Fair on May 16 is 9 a.m. to noon.
  

The city is putting on a Wellness Fair this evening at Central Park with health informational booths, entertainment, and a kids zone. The event is from 4 to 8 p.m.

                                                          Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/ Staff Photographer

About 3,000 people showed up to the job fair at Central Park this morning looking for some good news. More than 60 employers representing local government, health services and retail were there with more than 1,000 openings. U.S. Border Patrol alone had 7,000 openings across the country.

I spoke to one job seeker who said Coca-Cola was there with one opening. Gentex, a Rancho-based manufacturer of breathing apparatuses for military pilots, had two openings.

So the lesson of the day is, if you want a job, consider border protection.

An Easter hunt aimed for children under 10 years old will be held at 9 a.m. at Central Park on Saturday.

The "Cucamonga Cotton Tail Easter Egg Hunt," organized by Councilman Rex Gutierrez, will feature grand prizes for two children who find the golden tickets. There will also be free photo opportunities with the Easter bunny but there is no information about who will be the Easter Bunny. At the last City Council meeting, Councilwoman Diane Williams told Gutierrez, "You'd be a cute Easter Bunny."

No offense, Rex, but I completely disagree.

Register for the event at Rex's Web site.

The group 4 a Safe Ride Home will hold its annual Bingo night on April 17 to raise money for its taxi service. The event will be held at the Central Park community center with doors opening at 5:30 p.m.

The Plummer family started the nonprofit organization in 2006 after Dustin Plummer died on the 210 Freeway in a drunken-driving accident. The group provides free rides to those who need them in an effort to prevent accidents like the one that killed Dustin. The Bingo night will raise money to pay for the rides, which to date have totaled more than 2,400.

Bingo tickets are $15 and prizes include a bicycle, restaurant vochers and a flat screen television.

For tickets, call (909) 481-8300 or send an e-mail to d_plummer1@yahoo.com

The job fair that Rep. David Dreier announced via teleconference at last month's City Council meeting will take place 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Central Park community center.

The event hosted by the county, city and Dreier's office will feature more than 60 employers looking to fill full- and part-time positions representing health services, sales, information technology and other fields.

Information: (909) 575-6226

The city's community services department, along with the city's high schools, will host a career expo tomorrow from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Goldy S. Lewis Community Center. Students can learn about apprenticeship programs, high-tech careers and other options after high school.

Information: (909) 477-2760 ext. 2391