Ontario Mayor and Police discuss Social Host Ordinance
This is a release from Reach Out:
Mayor Paul S. Leon, Father Alex Castillo of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, and Ontario Police Fred Alverez spoke on Ontario's Social Host Ordinance at the 4th Annual West End Community Health & Wellness Fair at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. The fair had an estimated 4,500 community members in attendance.
The West End Community Health & Wellness Fair provided not only free services to the community, but helped bring awareness to Ontario's Social Host Ordinance. Although Ontario is currently the only city in San Bernardino County with a Social Host Ordinance, many other cities are working towards passing similar ordinances.
Mayor Leon said "we are very committed as a city council and staff to make Ontario the best place you can live."
According to recent reports, alcohol is the number one drug of choice for kids in America and accounts for approximately half of fatal teen automobile accidents. These startling facts, among others, helped Ontario City Council unanimously pass the Social Host Ordinance in 2008.
Leon also stated that teen alcohol consumption can creates a significant health and safety health issue for cities.
The Ordinance is a tool for the community and law enforcement to help reduce the availability of alcohol to underage youth by holding any property owner and/or adult who hosts an underage drinking party accountable her. This will provide another tool for parents and community members to ensure a safe, drug-free environment for local youth.
Father Alex Castillo of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church addressed the community and Officer Alvarez offered answers for the public on specific questions regarding the ordinance. Community members expressed interest as well as concerns about how consumption addressed the bigger issue of access to alcohol in the community.
Leon assured that as mayor of Ontario he understands and realizes the need to reduce access in the community and to youth, and he also felt that the city of Ontario focuses on the health and safety of the community more than any other city he knew. Mayor Leon challenged residents to help Ontario fight underage drinking and help make Ontario "a better place."
To get help strengthen the community through action or to get more information on underage drinking, contact Reach Out about joining the West End Gangs and Drugs Task Force.
Reach Out is a local non-profit focused on strengthening communities through youth enrichment programs, mentoring, prevention and intervention, and strategic collaboration. Since 1969 Reach Out has partnered with local schools, county agencies, and service providers to provide programs that create hope, education, and empowerment for young people and their families.
For more information please contact Lacy Cascadden at Reach Out at 909-982-8641 or at
The Inland Valley is not Disneyland. Underage drinking will go on and on, you cannot stop it. If you take away house parties from the kids, they will just drink by themselves, or in small groups. This is much worse. You cannot stop them. They are the youth gone wild and there is nothing you can do about it. Have you ever asked yourself why the valley kids drink so much? It's because the city planners have created a candy land family land. This kind of planning is enough to drive anyone to drink, especially the youth. Movie theaters and arcade/bars dominate the entertainment of the valley. I wonder why kids are drinking so much, they can't even go to the arcade without seeing alcohol. Ontario's officials need to spend their time and energy elsewhere. Why don't you pick on someone your own size? Just wait until these "underage drinkers" can vote. They'll tell you what they think real fast. You'll read about it in the newspaper that's keeping you warm at night when your out of a job. As the Beastie Boys would say, "You have to fight for your right to party". Ontario has many many problems, and teenage parties is not one of them.
Why don't you start trying to get some passengers to fly into your overbuilt and underused airport. Why don't you make your city at least a little interesting so people actually want to be there? Why did you build a huge furniture store on the old Ontario Motor Speedway instead of building multiple high rise office and condo towers? Wouldn't multiple office and condo towers have brought in much more tax revenue for the city due to the vertical square footage? Hasn't constructing such a wasteful building hurt your future economy? Shouldn't the economy be built on corporate high rise instead of a two story furniture store? Why are we wasting money and time on teenage house party laws?
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