July 2010 Archives

"How's your baby?" is a question I get about once every six months. In the last two weeks, three different people asked that same question.

As a single gal living with two gold fish, I don't have a baby. But my former colleague, Jennifer Cho Salaff, pictured on the left side (or is it right?), has a baby and wrote a parenting column four years ago. She has definitely left an impression because readers still talk about those columns and attribute them                   Cho Salaff                 Leung 
to me.                        

"Wendy, you look just like your photo in
the paper," one reader said after meeting
me for the first time. "How's your baby?"

The San Bernardino County and the Frontier Project are leading a clean-up effort at the North Etiwanda Preserve on Aug. 14 from 9 to 11 a.m. Volunteers will pick up trash and recyclables along the 3-mile trail near Day Creek Boulevard and Etiwanda Avenue. Participants are encouraged to dress in layers with long pants and closed-toe shoes. Bring work gloves, hat, sun glasses and sunscreen. Water will be provided. 

Information: 909-944-6025 

Toby Keith is opening a restaurant/live music spot at Victoria Gardens, the first California location for the country music singer's chain. I Love This Bar and Grill has locations in Las Vegas, Mesa, Ariz. and five others in Michigan, Minnesota and Oklahoma.

"Mr. Keith's team has taken a major leap coming out here on the West Coast," noted Commissioner Francisco Oaxaca at last night's meeting.

Not really, said Joshua Fowler, a spokesman for the restaurant.

"There's lots of country music fans out here," Fowler said.

Some of them were at the Planning Commission meeting including Commissioner Frances Howdyshell, who has seen Toby Keith live twice including once at Stagecoach. Howdyshell challenged her colleagues to show up in country western attire.

Did somebody say off-site Planning Commission meeting?

During public comment, three spoke in favor of the Toby Keith establishment including one frequent customer to the Las Vegas location, a senior citizen line dancer and John Lyons, who told the commission the restaurant is a sign that the city has finally made it.

"Sometimes you never know if you've made it but you've made it," Lyons said.

  

Robert Rizzo, who went from being one of the nation's highest paid government employee to being one of the least liked, got his start in this city. Rizzo was in his 20s when he was hired as an administrative aide and eventually became assistant city manager.

Treasurer Jim Frost was mayor at the time and said there wasn't any evidence to show he was anything other than a fine employee.

"He was young and up-and-coming," Frost said. "He seemed to have a knack for city government."

Rizzo stepped down last week after the public learned of his nearly $800,000 salary as a Bell city manager. Rizzo and most of the Bell council members are now about as popular as yacht-loving BP official.

Read more of today's story here.

Two businesses got the green light to go forth with their entertainment plans.

Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill will open at Victoria Gardens at the end of the year with live music, dancing and mechanic bull riding.

Commissioner Rich Fletcher called the country western establishment "one more feather in Rancho's cap."

Omaha Jack's, which lost its entertainment permit in March, got back its ability to provide karaoke and live bands.

"You really partnered with the city and law enforcement," said Commissioner Frances Howdyshell. "This is a real example that businesses can partner with the city for a positive outcome. 

There's been a bit of a Planning Commission shuffle tonight. Commissioner Lou Munoz, seated center, is now chairman with Commissioner Frances Howdyshell as vice chair. The change was decided two weeks ago. Commissioner Rich Fletcher, after serving as chairman for two years would have preferred to stay on one more year but Howdyshell made the motion to nominate Munoz. The motion was passed 4-1 with Fletcher dissenting.

Following Councilman Rex Gutierrez's fickle ambitions has kept me so busy, I forgot to look at Upland.

Wine guru and Library Foundation board member Gino Filippi has pulled papers to run for Upland City Council, according to Neil Nisperos' story in today's paper. The Filippi name is closely tied to this city but Gino is an Upland resident.

That's two Library Foundation board members running for local office. David Gonzalez has pulled papers in this city.

Will Omaha Jack's get another chance?

The Planning Commission tonight will decide whether to offer the beleaguered restaurant an entertainment permit, which would allow the Foothill Boulevard establishment to have karaoke four nights a week and live bands with dancing and karaoke three nights a week. Omaha Jack's lost its ability to have entertainment four months ago when the city realized it was operating outside its permitted conditions.
 
The Planning Commission will also consider the conditional use and entertainment permits submitted by Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill. The country music themed bar and restaurant is expected to open across from Lucille's at Victoria Gardens. 

A group of business and community leaders will be arrested next Thursday and sent to serve their jail sentence at Fleming's Steakhouse, of all places. They will be booked on charges of having a big heart, which I believe is only a misdemeanor.

This cheeky event is staged by the Muscular Dystrophy Association to raise money to send three local children to the association's summer camp. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., jailbirds will raise bail by calling friends and encouraging contributions to the health agency. Bail is set at $2,400.

Call 562-498-4923 if you are interested in participating or if you want to nominate someone for the event.     

Councilman Rex Gutierrez shopped around for financial support for a possible mayoral run this weekend. He found many people either didn't have the money or have already committed to Councilman Dennis Michael, who has been campaigning since the start of the year.

"I don't see the support out there," Gutierrez said. "I need some type of funding to put my message out there. Frankly, the door has not been breaking down."

Gutierrez said he'll run to keep his councilman seat. He has until at least Aug. 6 to change his mind.  

The MainStreet Theatre Company, which brings children's performances to the Lewis Family Playhouse, will mark its fifth season with Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse from Oct. 2 to 17, The Gingerbread Man from Jan. 29 to Feb. 13, 2011 and Anne of Green Gables from May 6 to 22, 2011.

Performances are 1 and 4 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $17; $15 for seniors and $14 for youth. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse is appropriate for children ages 5 and older; The Gingerbread Man for children ages 4 and older; and Anne of Green Gables for children ages 7 and older. 

Information: 909-477-2752

That portion of Foothill is now open after a two-day closure over the weekend to remove the bridge west of Baker Avenue. The street is odd without the old bridge. Like a man who shaves off a long maintained mustache, it looks bare and completely different. Staff photographer Jennifer Cappucio Maher, who took the photo above, was there yesterday to catch the action. See her photo gallery here.

The city's engineering department, whose staff took the photo at left, also documented the bridge removal over the weekend. See their gallery here.   

"Unexpected Treasures: The Art of Autism" will have a short run at the Chaffey Community Art Association Museum from Saturday to Aug. 1. The exhibit shows works by young autistic artists and highlights the value of art therapy.

A reception will take place 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free. The museum, located inside the Filippi Winery on 12467 Base Line, is opened Friday to Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Information: 909-463-3733

Any Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario resident in need can receive a free bag of food from the Cucamonga Christian Fellowship next Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. The distribution will take place on the east side of the building on 9592 Seventh Street in Rancho Cucamonga. It's first come, first serve; bring your ID. Call 909-945-5333 for more information.

If you are interested in helping out with this event, call John Arndt at 909-838-7182. Spanish speakers are especially needed.

Councilman Rex Gutierrez, who pulled papers yesterday to run for mayor, said he's having second thoughts.

"It's entirely possible that I bit off a bit more than I can chew," he said.
 
What a tease.

Gutierrez said he might not have the financial backing to run a full-fledged mayoral campaign. He said he'll think about it over the weekend and make a decision next week.

Councilman (and possible mayoral hopeful) Rex Gutierrez was the subject of David Allen's column today. Did you see it? David gives us the highlights of the councilman's new publication, Vineyard Press, which includes an article about Gutierrez's recycling habits. David also mentions the first time I ever learned about Gutierrez's Dumpster-diving ways and blogged about it in the best entry I'll ever write.

The Vineyard Press should have arrived on your driveway in the last two weeks. If you missed it, you might want to check your Dumpster or send Gutierrez an e-mail.

For those who use Foothill in the west side of town, don't forget the street will be closed from San Bernardino to Baker. Two cranes will remove the bridge Sunday morning to make way for a brand new one. The only people allowed east of San Bernardino will be those trying to get to Sycamore Inn and other businesses.

A: Because he's announcing his plans to run for City Council.

"I'm going to throw my name in the hat," Lyons told the council tonight.

Lyons, a committed council follower who normally doesn't wear suits, said in the event that Councilman Rex Gutierrez will leave his seat open, he will run a full-fledged campaign. If Gutierrez seeks re-election, Lyons said he'll be low-key.

In other election news, Bill Hanlon has apparently changed his mind about wanting to be a councilman and is seeking the mayor's seat, instead. Unfortunately, Hanlon was rushed to the hospital tonight due to health problems. Best wishes to Bill.

The sheriff's department will talk about National Night Out, which falls on Aug. 3 in this city, at tonight's City Council meeting. The council is also expected to approve the assessments of the city's landscape maintenance districts and hear about the American Society of Civil Engineers award for the Haven Avenue railway bridge.

Finally, the GIS division will get some love after receiving a Special Achievement in GIS Award at the Esri International User Conference in San Diego. The good-looking group above is the city's GIS/Special Districts division.

99 Ranch, the Asian supermarket stalwart, is planning to open at the end of the year on the southeast corner of Archibald and Base Line. 99 Ranch (or is it 99 Rancho?) will be catty-corner to the 99 Cents store.

The grocery store will replace Albertsons, which closed April 2009. It will be the second 99 Ranch in the Inland Valley. The other one is in Chino Hills.

Seven residents have pulled papers to run for the City Council in the first week of the filing period. Among them is former Mayor Bill Alexander, who was ousted in 2006. Alexander and five others have pulled papers to run for the seats of Council members Diane Williams and Rex Gutierrez. They are Williams, Fed-Ex driver Erick Jimenez, Library Foundation Vice President David Gonzalez, war veteran Bill Hanlon and coffee shop owner Jim Moffatt.

Councilman Dennis Michael is the only person who has pulled papers to run for mayor so far. Prospective candidates have until Aug. 6 to file papers. If Mayor Don Kurth does not file at that time, the deadline will be extended to Aug. 11.

Christiana Grammer, left, and her sister Rebecca Ybarra, two Etiwanda High graduates, prepare a batch of cupcakes at a rented kitchen in Pasadena. The two will be featured tomorrow night on the Food Network's Cupcake Wars at 9 p.m.

The sisters, who are looking to expand their online cupcakery to a brick and mortar operation, stand to win $10,000 on the show.

Grammer and Ybarra were featured in the Daily Bulletin last week.

UPDATE: They won! Re-runs are 5 and 11 p.m. July 25.

Details about a Toby Keith bar and grill opening at Victoria Gardens have been hard to come by. Messages left to the Keith camp via the Victoria Gardens folks and at the Mesa, Ariz. location have not been returned. Victoria Gardens officials say they aren't authorized to talk about it yet. But Planning Director James Troyer said the restaurant's entertainment permit application will be on the Planning Commission agenda next Wednesday.

Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill is expected to take over the nearly 16,000 square feet of space left vacant by West Elm. The home furnishing spin-off of Williams-Sonoma had a three-year run in the location that sits across from Lucille's and next to Urban Outfitters.

If Toby Keith is successful here, it might have something to do with its moniker "I (heart) This Bar and Grill." City Hall might consider renaming the Council Chambers to "I (heart) This City Council meeting."

Attractive and unemployed people might be happy about this new country music themed restaurant. According to the Mesa restaurant website, customers can "order from our 85-foot guitar-shaped bar or have one of our beautiful Whiskey Girls take care of you. Our waitresses and bartenders are some of the hottest in the valley."

The Mesa location also boasts Toby, the mechanical bull. Giddy'up. 

Eat your dinner at Chick-fil-A on July 28 and 20 percent of proceeds will go toward the senior center. The offer is from 5 to 8 p.m. at the 12190 Foothill Blvd. eatery. You must bring this flier with you:
Spirit Night Flyer for Doors.pdf  

The L.A. Times ran a story today that shocked some readers, especially those interested in city government. The city manager of Bell, a small city in Los Angeles County, earns a salary of a whopping $787,637, almost $500,000 more than the city manager of this city.

According to the Times, City Manager Robert Rizzo earns much more than the president ($400,000) and more than three times more than the Los Angeles mayor ($232,425).

Straddling both sides of the 710 Freeway, Bell is a city of 36,667. In Rancho Cucamonga, with nearly five times the population, City Manager Jack Lam earns $293,280.

Bell's City Council is compensated handsomely as well, with a salary of about $100,000. The City Council of this city gets paid about $17,000, with the mayor getting about $19,000. The jobs in both councils are considered part-time and include other perks, too.

Over a cup of joe this morning at his friend's coffee shop, Bill Hanlon decided to run for City Council.

"We have to bring the council back to the people," Hanlon said. "Right now, we don't think people are running the City Council. We think special interest and unions are running the City Council. The citizens deserve better than what we're getting."

By "we," Hanlon means him and coffee shop owner Jim Moffatt, who announced his plans to seek a council seat last week. The two are among the harshest critics of the City Council, slamming the city for everything from its anti-smoking policies to a banner program that requests payment. In other words, they're a pain in the City Council's collective neck.

When asked if Hanlon's name on the November ballot would cancel out Moffatt's name, the coffee shop owner said, "We're not worried about that. We want to cancel them out."

Cloris Leachman, who is performing at the Lewis Family Playhouse Aug. 6-8, wants to see if you can do a better job playing any one of her past characters. Record yourself in a Leachman impersonation, whether it's playing Frau Blucher of "Young Frankenstein," Nurse Diesel of "High Anxiety," Grandma Ida of "Malcom in the Middle," Phyllis of the "Mary Tyler Moore Show," Gam Gam of "Beerfest," or any other Leachman characters. Upload it to YouTube and e-mail the link to Leachman.

The top 10 Leachman wannabes will get a pair of tickets to the show "Cloris! I'm Eighty F'ing Four & Still Going Strong!" and copies of her autobiography. The grand prize winner and three guests will have lunch with Leachman in addition to tickets to the show and the book.

Leachman will be in town at 8 p.m. Aug. 6 and 7; 2 p.m. Aug. 8.

Information: 760-251-1200 
    

The Beer Mug took up two and a half hours of the night but it wasn't the only thing on the agenda.

It looks like a clock tower will be built at a Milliken and Base Line shopping center to improve cell phone coverage. T-Mobile users should be happy. Sprint will likely open a store at the Thomas Winery plaza on Foothill and Vineyard now that it is deemed "specialty retail" by the commission. And for the next year, Lou Munoz will serve as chair and Frances Howdyshell will serve as vice chair of the Planning Commission.

The Planning Commission has revoked The Beer Mug's conditional use permit, thereby prohibiting the sale of spirits. It was a unanimous vote.

"I feel there's been some negligence here," said Commissioner Frances Howdyshell. "This establishment continues to be a magnet for issues that involve public safety."

The Beer Mug can now appeal the decision to the City Council.

The Planning Commission will vote on whether to revoke The Beer Mug's conditional use permit at tonight's meeting. Doing so would take away the Foothill Boulevard bar's ability to serve hard liquor.

Also on the agenda is a plan by Verizon and T-Mobile to build wireless carriers in the shape of a clock tower at Milliken and Base Line.

Sprint has plans to open a store on Foothill and Vineyard in the Thomas Winery Plaza. The commission will decided whether the cell phone retailer is considered "specialty retail."

Finally, the commission will select a chair and vice chair to serve one-year terms.

A golf tournament will be held at Sierra Lakes Country Club on July 30 to raise money for the Los Osos football team. Prizes include a one-hour massage at Massage Envy, a $100 gift card at Flemmings, a one-week vacation at a ski resort in Park City, Utah and others.

$125 per person (includes lunch buffet)
$480 for four (includes lunch buffet)
$25 lunch only
$15 golf package (includes raffle tickets, putting contest and two mulligans)

Check-in begins 6 a.m. with a putting contest at 7 a.m. and a shotgun start at 8 a.m.

Information: 626-327-5060 or e-mail mail@losososfootball.org  

As stated here earlier this month, Foothill Boulevard on the west side of town will get a major makeover. The old bridge that goes over a narrow part of Foothill will come down and a new concrete one will take its place.

Starting today, the Pacific Electric Trail from Grove to Vineyard will be closed for the rest of this year and all of next year. See detour route.

Avoid Foothill west of Baker entirely next weekend. The bridge is scheduled to come down on July 25.

If you're not into the World Cup, you can head to the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center, where the Rancho Cucamonga Community Band will perform a free concert of Broadway hits and classic movie tunes starting 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Here, Kolby Patrick is on the French horn during rehearsals on Thursday, the last of six rehearsals leading to the concert. The band consists of more than 80 members from braces-wearing middle school students to the more mature musicians who hang out at senior centers.

For more photos, visit the photo gallery.










Thomas R. Cordova/
Staff Photographer

Like many neighboring cities, Rancho Cucamonga adjourned this week's City Council meeting in memory of David Lewis, the vice president of the Lewis Group of Companies.

Councilwoman Diane Williams said there wasn't a community event or charity that Lewis said no to.

"There's no way you can think of him without thinking of generosity," she said.

Lewis, 36, took his own life two weeks ago. He was the third generation of a politically connected family, one that left an enormous imprint in the neighborhoods of this city and region.

Councilman Sam Spagnolo called Lewis "a pillar of this community."

"David's passing is very untimely," Spagnolo said. "We'll never really know why a person would cut their life so short when they have so much to live for."  

Election season officially starts Monday. It should be exciting this year. Three seats, including the mayor's, are open.

The first day to pull nomination papers is Monday and the last day to file is Aug. 6. If the incumbent does not file, candidates will have until Aug. 11 to file.

This November, Mayor Don Kurth, Councilman Rex Gutierrez and Councilwoman Diane Williams are up for re-election. Gutierrez and Williams have indicated in past interviews they plan on running. After a loss in the Assembly race last month, Kurth said he was undecided about his political future. Councilman Dennis Michael is looking to be the next mayor.

Candidates can pick up papers at the City Clerk's office located on the second floor of City Hall on 10500 Civic Center Dr. But candidates are encouraged to make an appointment so all the elections requirements can be properly explained.

Information: 909-477-2700 

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will host an informational meeting to recruit participants for athletic competition fundraisers. The Team In Training program prepares novices and athletes for competitions such as the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco, Rock n' Roll Half Marathon in Los Angeles and the Beach Triathlon in Hermosa Beach. Since the program started in 1988, it has raised more than $1 billion to support research and initiatives of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

At 6:30 p.m. on July 15, the society will host a meeting at Lions Center East on 9161 Base Line.

Information: 714-481-5600
     

The Terra Vista Town Center will host a summer music series starting tomorrow night with rock and reggae band Stavros. Live music begins 6 p.m. near Panera Bread every Friday night through Aug. 13. The other musicians scheduled are Elina, Aaron Anderson, Brooke Ramel, Moi Navarro and Drew Davidsen. 

Five days before nomination papers are available, Jim Moffatt, rather haphazardly, announced he will run for the City Council. Moffatt is owner of the Red Hill Coffee Shop and will no doubt bring colorful dialogue and a spare cigar to the political debates leading to the November elections. Moffatt came in fourth in a field of seven in 2008; council members Sam Spagnolo and Dennis Michael won re-election that year.  

Dear Census representative,

Please pay a visit to Jerie Lee's home. Lee is an active senior citizen who has yet to be counted in the 2010 Census. Lee never received a form in the mail and when she inquired, she was told to pick one up at a local church. When she stopped by, the church was closed. Lee thought a Census worker would be knocking on her door by now but that has not been the case.

"It's like they don't want me," Lee told her City Council tonight.

Can you drop by?

Thanks,

Wendy

Five-month-old Daisy Grace Kurth, the Malia Obama of this city, attended her first City Council meeting tonight. She was there to accompany her mother, Dee Matreyek, who talked about the community garden project and received a $2,000 grant from Southern California Edison.

Daisy didn't stay long, leaving just 20 minutes after the Pledge of Allegiance. She didn't even get to hear the end of John Lyon's criticisms of Malia's dad.  

I was at the Biane Library at 4:53 p.m. when the 5.4 earthquake hit today, shaking the nerves of a few readers and computer users. One toddler asked his mom whether a monster was visiting.

Library Director Robert Karatsu was showing me the iCell inside the new Local History Room, a hard-to-describe computer on the wall that allows viewers to see old photos and digital oral histories. Drop by the next time you're at Victoria Gardens. The room is located behind the information desk.

 

The City Council is expected to initiate the process of a landscape maintenance vote at tonight's meeting. The Caryn community will once again vote on whether to raise rates for landscape improvements in the public right-of-way. Ballots are expected to be mailed out this weekend.

At the start of the meeting, Dee Matreyek will get a check from Southern California Edison for the community garden project. Matreyek, the city's first lady, is planning to start a neighborhood garden on the SCE easement near Foothill and Day Creek.   

If you're a library regular, you probably know about the bookstore run by Friends of the Library near the entrances of the Archibald and Biane libraries. You probably know that books are never more than $2 and magazines, some quite recent, are 25 cents. Every time I'm near there, I pick up a New Yorker with whatever change is in my purse. The cartoons alone are worth that much.

What you probably don't know is the pocket change adds up to $100,000 a year. Last week, the Friends wrote a $25,000 check to the library, the second of four checks expected this year.

Bookstore manager Linda Skjonsby recently showed me the back of the Archibald store, where donations from residents piled high. There was everything from Twilight books to cassette tapes. The magazines filled the racks; I stopped counting the different kinds after I hit 100. Skjonsby, who has been volunteering at the bookstore for more than a decade, explained the magazines are organized by gender -- women's magazines on one side and men's on the other. The New Yorker, like other news publications, was of course, in the men's section. Suddenly I felt so unfeminine. 

Will Lester/Staff Photographer

The shadow of Davida Lawson, above, is seen against the Moving Wall as she points to a name on Thursday, the first day the memorial was on display.

Vietnam Veteran Bill Hudson of Riverside, left, assists with
the installment of the Moving Wall.

Click here for more photos.




If you're heading out to Fontana for the fireworks show, stop by the Moving Wall, a half-sized replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Volunteers put up the wall yesterday and it'll be on display 24 hours a day through 9 a.m. Monday. It's free, so even if you're not going to the fireworks show, you can stop by without admission.

The Speedway is on 9300 Cherry Ave., Fontana.

Please have a fun Fourth of July but don't go crazy.

Starting July 12, the Pacific Electric Trail will be closed between Grove Avenue and the Cucamonga Creek Channel just west of Vineyard Avenue to make way for a new bridge.

The old railway bridge near Baker Avenue will be removed and a sleek bicycle-friendly bridge will take its place. The Foothill Boulevard project also includes street widening and the construction of medians, sidewalks and a trailhead. The traffic lights will be synchronized and a storm drain will be installed. The project is expected to continue through 2011.

Actress Cloris Leachman will perform her one-woman show "Cloris! I'm Eighty F'ing Four and Still Going Strong" at the Lewis Family Playhouse for a three-night run starting Aug. 6. Tickets are $35 for the 7:30 p.m. show Aug. 6 and 7 and 2 p.m. Aug. 8.

Leachman will draw on her acting career, which got her an Oscar and nine Emmys, for her autobiographic show. In the end, Leachman is expected to hug every member of the audience. The Lewis Family Playhouse sits 560 people. 

Information: 909-477-2752

The Lewis Family Playhouse stage turns into Never Land for six shows starting next Saturday. This week, Maggie Anderson, started her flying lessons for the role of Peter Pan. She is pictured here with Genevieve Ellis, who plays Wendy.

Everyone has their favorite version of Peter Pan, whether it's the Disney cartoon, "Hook," or the most recent 2003 film. Kevin Slay, who directs the Rancho Cucamonga Community Theatre production, has fond memories of listening to the Disney Peter Pan soundtrack on vinyl.

The great thing about Peter Pan is that it's a fun tale for both boys and girls.

"Peter Pan was my boyfriend when I was 5 ... in my mind," said choreographer Janet Renslow.

"He was every girls' boyfriend," Anderson said.

Peter Pan tickets are $16.50; $14.50 for youth and seniors.        

Information: 909-477-2752

Councilman Rex Gutierrez might have been watching the World Cup lately. Today he characterized his mistrial as "a draw," a neither here or there decision by the 12-person jury. He also characterized his mistrial as akin to "kissing your sister." Hmm.

Nevertheless, Gutierrez is more than relieved with the draw. So relieved, in fact, he is declaring to seek re-election this November.

"I'm in the fight. I want people to know I'm not going anywhere," he said. "They tried to bring me down and they failed."


 

It's July. Got plans for the Fourth?

The city is not joining The Epicenter for a July Fourth fireworks celebration this year. Instead, it is piggy-backing with the Auto Club Speedway for day-long festivities Sunday. Red, White and Cruise starts 2 p.m. with live music, FMX stunts, bike performers, car shows, bounce houses and more. The fireworks show starts 9 p.m.

Rancho Cucamonga residents can buy tickets for $7 at Central Park. Children 6 and under get in free with adult admission. On the day of the event, tickets are $15; $10 for children 7 to 12.

Information: 909-477-2782