Corona/Norco | SPOTLIGHT | Eastvale Gateway Stadium 14 Grand Opening (December '07) I'm looking forward to a new Eastvale Gateway Stadium 14 Theater having it's grand opening on Friday, December 14, 2007 on Limonite in Corona. For there grand opening they will be having a few specials like free popcorn and soft drink from Dec. 14 to Dec. 23rd with every paid admission. And, there is a Preview Events to Benefit Local Charities with $2 Movies, Popcorn & Soft Drinks on December 10, 11 & 12, 2007. I'll be there with my kids to see Alvin and The Chipmunks. Edwards Theatres Eastvale Gateway Stadium 14 12285 Limonite Avenue Mira Loma, CA 91752 For Tickets and Show times: www.REGmovies.com or 1-800-FANDANGO #1773 ________________________________________________ Kid Workshops at Home Depot (November '07) By Sofia Sandoval If you are like me and have more than two kids, then you know how quickly family outings can add up financially. I have been thinking about taking my kids to one of those ceramic painting places like Ceramic Cupboard but, I have to plan it into weekend where I won’t be doing very much spending. It’s not that it’s very expensive but $10 times 3 kids is $30. And, I’ve over spent my budget many times on too many $30-$50 activities with the kids. That is why I jump at the opportunity to do free crafts or community events with my kids. In my articles, I like to give ideas about things you can do with the kids that are free so that we can all get out there and enjoy more time with our kids without breaking our budgets. I went to the Corona Air Fair on October 7th. It’s an annual free event open to the community to promote interest in aviation and in the Corona Municipal Airport. It was a great event worthy of its own article. One of the things my kids and I really enjoyed about it was the Kids Workshop held at the Home Depot booth. Kids got to assemble and paint pre-fabricated kits of their choice of an airplane, helicopter, or space shuttle. Of course, parents got to help so it was just as much fun for parents as well as for the kids. I liked that my kids were learning something new. My husband is a handy man so they have seen him do all sorts of projects and they have done some with him but, it was still nice for them to have a kit of their own to put together and take home. It was also fun to see other parents get so involved in the projects they take it over from their kids and as their inner child hammers away. The kids also received a free Orange kid sized apron and project pin. I learned that Home Depot has free kid workshops on the first Saturday of every month from 9 am to noon. And, kids get a different new pin after completing the various crafts. I left there excited and looking forward to the first Saturday of the month. I knew then what my article was going to be about and I was able to get this one out on time. You can visit Home Depot’s website for more details about the Kids Workshops or info about their adult How-To classes. http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentView? pn=Kids_Workshops&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 _________________________________________ Sunday Afternoon at the Movies in Corona (October '07) by Sofia Sandoval I grew up with my family going to the movies each Sunday after church. When I moved to Corona and had my own family I would frequently continue this tradition although not nearly as often. I was surprised to find the Edwards 8 Theater on Hamner closing. Fortunately, there are other new theaters in my area. Dos Lagos has the Krikorian Theatres15 and the Edwards Corona Stadium 18 on Tuscany Street. There will be a new theater on Limonite coming soon. Occasionally we do like to go to the Van Buren Drive-In in Riverside. Drive-Ins usually play a double feature. And the movies take on a whole new experience at the drive In. What is great about the new theaters is that we didn’t have them here in Corona a few years back. It’s just another great example how the city is growing. ________________________________________________ A Place to Park Yourself (September ’07) by Sofia Sandoval One of the perks of living in a growing city like Corona is that we reap the benefits of the city developing new parks, and bike and running trails. My family and are fairly active. We spend our weekends walking, jogging, or cycling around the neighborhood. This can get a little boring after a few years so I started actively search local parks in Norco and Corona to change our scenery a bit. In my search I came across a new park in Corona, the River Walk Park. It’s actually part of the Jurupa Community Services District but it’s located in Corona along Harrison and Chandler. Phase I is open to the public and including a serene park with a cinder jogging track that has a slight up hill to it. It’s great for sprints or power walking. Phase II and III will include the Santa Ana River Bike/Horse Trail but is not yet open to the public. The trail is planned to span from Hamner to River Road running along side the Santa River Bed. The horse and bike trail will run parallel along one another following the river bed. Even in its phase 1 the park is a great place to take an evening stroll to get some fresh air. ________________________________________________ Swimming in Corona’s Community Pools (August '07) by Sofia Sandoval I recently took my kids to one of Coronas community pools at Auburndale that is open during the Spring and Summer months. Kids can enter for a swim from 1:30 to 4:00 pm for 50 cents and adults for a dollar. We normally frequent my sister in laws house for to swim but I decided to try something different for the sake of not over welcoming our stay at my sister in laws pool. Auburndale Community Center has two pools, a shallow one for toddlers that is slightly warmer than the larger lap pool. The lap pool is dived by a safety divider and kids aren’t allowed to go into the deeper side until they have attended swimming classes. It was fun as playing in the water with my kids always is. None of the inflatable toys that we had bought were allowed in the pool, or any of our pool toys for the matter. That was a bummer but you have to follow the rules in a community pool. It was a good experience though. Auburndale Community Center 1045 Auburndale Corona, CA 92881 (951) 736-2241 ________________________________________________ Relaxing At Glen Ivy (July '07) By Sofia Sandoval Most of you are probably already familiar with one of the best local spas here in Corona, Glen Ivy. I went to Glen Ivy a couple of times this year for different occasions.  I was very impressed by the beautiful garden landscaping and wonderfully relaxing days I spent there that I couldn’t help but write about it this month. On one occasion, I went for my husband and my 10 Year Anniversary. We took the day off to go during the week on the day of our anniversary. This was a good thing considering I had heard from one of the employees that it gets very busy on weekends especially during wedding season. The entrance fee was about $30 dollars and we took advantage of the 15% for Corona residents. I had been stressed out by things I don’t even remember so he surprised me with a massage package, pedicure, and a day of relaxing in mineral pools. It was a very relaxing day. I loved the tropical gardens and  laying down to float on the floaters at the lazy pool. The pedicure was pricier than what you would pay for at a manicure/pedicure salon at a typical shopping center, but it was done with a lot more attention to the details to make me feel pampered. I felt it was worth it for the occasion.  I normally do my own pedicures so this was a nice treat. I did the Grotto with my husband. The Grotto is an extra amenity that is offered for an additional cost. The two of us got on an elevator and were guided to a room where two spa workers brushed some sort of minerals on us.  We stand there and spread out or arms as they apply. The women who did my application was rushed and did my application with the disposition of someone working at a prison system just going through the motions performing some duty she was required to handle. She plunged the brush into the bowl and swished it around each time to whip out more mixture then wiped it on me like I was some kind of chair she was painting. I just smiled and stood there as I found humor in it as I do with most things that normally irritate some people. I thought I’ d hate this job too, at least on some days. When she was done, we turned around to find the other lady taking her time applying long painted brush strokes down my husbands back.  She saw us and hurried along this time a lot more quickly. Considering my husband is athletic and in good shape, I could see the reason for the delay.  I chuckled and we joked about it as we later went through the grotto and had some apples and tea. I didn’t think the Grotto was worthy of a separate entrance fee. It really wasn’t anything special but a warm room designed to look like a cavern. The shower room was nice with the water pouring from the ceiling in the showers. Glen Ivy is wonderfully relaxing in itself but, I thought I could have skipped the Grotto. The second time I went to Glen Ivy this year I went with my sisters in law and mother in law. It was great to go with a pack of women. We were supportive of each others need for much needed relaxation time. We talked in the steam room and dipped in the mineral baths and mud pit. We were all on a budget so we didn’t do any extra amenities. That was fine with me because all I needed is to relax on one of those long floaters in the lazy pool . The lazy pool is a 1 foot pool designed for the purpose of just laying out. You can lie on those floaters and just let the natural water movement move you around as you lay out to get a tan and relax. That’s what I did. I can’t wait to go again. ________________________________________________ Run For The Crown (June '07) By Sofia Sandoval What city do you really live in?  I’m not talking about your address. I mean the city where you shop, where you go to have a nice dinner, and the one you feel most connected to?  It helps to feel loyal to the city you sleep in when you work there as well. For me, that big transition came five years after living in Corona. It happened when I changed jobs, from Orange County to one here in Corona. Since then, my appreciation for the city has grown. Corona Parks and Recreation has a lot to offer its residents, such as classes and community activities scheduled throughout the year. During the month of May, the Corona Parks and Recreation Department hosted its 21st Annual Run for the Crown 5 K Run.  This was the first year in which I participated.  Prior years, I would take my kids for the 1 K run and cheer for my husband in the 5 K. The 5K is a small neighborhood run where some participants took a dog or double baby stroller. Other race events tend to be too large and they have strict rules about joggers and dogs that they enforce. The run for the crown still has a small town feel with plenty of opportunity for runners to win medals or finish closer to the top of their category than at other larger events.   They also have a variety of family team categories you can sign up for. If you come in first place in that category then you get a medal. My husband and I signed up for the husband and wife category. We didn’t even come close to winning but it was the first time we were able to sign up as a team in a race event.  The best part about the team categories is that you are still eligible for individual age and gender division categories.  In the individual categories they award runners up to 5th place.  In the majority of races we’ve been to only the fastest runner or fastest three runners in that age/gender division receive medals. As one lady put it, “it’s the luck of the draw”. Last time she and her son won the mother son team. “It all depends on who comes out to run that day.” They also have a brother sister team, brother-brother, and father-daughter and just about every combination you can think of. The race is held once a year around May 12. I did notice that the race grew in participants this year from last. This year was also the first year in which they offered chip timing. This part is really cool. They give you a microchip, which attaches to your shoes and goes through 2 sensors, one at the starting line and one as you finish. This way it doesn’t matter if you cross the finish line a few seconds behind other people. Your race begins when you first cross the starting line mat. There is a raffle at the end of the race where participants can win gift certificates from local restaurants to a basket full of goodies Start training today for next year’s Run For The Crown 5K. You can use it as a goal and motivating factor to help you get fit, stay in shape, and maybe, lose some weight. My husband adds that he challenges you to next year’s husband and wife division race. You can visit the Corona Parks and recreation site for other local community events. Another nice event coming up is a Movie at the park. ________________________________________________ Making Meals At Super Suppers (May '07) By Sofia Sandoval This month, I decided to try out a new place I learned about called Super Suppers. Super Suppers is a new business concept in which clients can go in and assemble hearty, healthy meals from a selection of monthly entrees, or they can stop by and pick up a prepared entree to put in the oven for dinner.  It’s a franchise started by Judie Byrd, a long time cooking instructor and owner of the Culinary School of Fort Worth. Although Super Suppers has been around for some time, it’s new to Corona. Sisters, Christine peek and Brenda Forrester own the local Super Suppers franchise. Although, it’s a franchise, it has a warm and friendly atmosphere and personal feel of a small mom pop shop business. When I first picked up the flier at my son’s day care, I was curious about what a place like Super Suppers could offer. I went in not knowing what to expect. If it was going to be a class, would I have to chop my own tomatoes? Would the class have to wait for me to finish dicing onions? Actually, it was a lot easier than I could have ever imagined. Brenda was there to personally assist me with any questions I had, and the staff was very helpful. They directed me to the stations for the entrees I was interested in preparing. The stations are set up like an ice cream parole where you pick up the different pre-diced ingredients and assemble the meal by following the instructions that are posted in a nice picture frame. Each of the items has its own measuring spoon or cup with the right amount associated to it so there is no guesswork or getting it wrong. I went on a Friday evening, which was perfect. That way I had prepared yummy meals for a nice breakfast and weekend dinners. Ironically, when I have more time on the weekend, I choose not to cook because I get caught up on my weekend warrior projects. I started with the lasagna. I’ve never made lasagna before, nor would I have ever attempted to make lasagna before if it hadn’t been for Supper Suppers. It’s just one of those dishes that require a lot of specialized ingredients that I don’t regularly keep in my kitchen. I also don’t have a lot of uninterrupted time to sit and plan out my meals and then a trip to groceries to pick up all the ingredients. . I didn’t know lasagna needed egg. After my assembly of the lasagna was complete, I moved on to the fajitas. I added spices to precut frozen meat and added the diced chili peppers. Best thing, I can modify the directions to our preference by adding more or less of the ingredients as my family prefers. Then I went on to make a very, yummy, Breakfast Braided Bread. Its fluffy scrambled eggs, ham, cheddar cheese, mushrooms and onions stuffed inside yummy yeast bread and baked to a golden brown. I was especially curious about making this one because I couldn’t figure out how they were going to put the egg in there so that if gets all fluffy in there if you put in the raw egg on the dough. I was having one of those Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson Zoo Lander moments, “Oh, it’s in the computer”. And I just kind of laughed at myself as I realized that you put the cooked scrambled egg in the bread dough. I became a mom before I ever learned to cook so I’ve been playing a game of catch up ever since. The Breakfast Braided Bread comes in two portions. I prepared one and Brenda demonstrated on the other one. On Saturday morning, I woke up early and put one of the Braided Bread in the oven to bake and I went out to go wash my car and watch the kids ride their bikes. I felt liberated that I would be able to give my family a yummy meal and still have the time to get things done in the early morning. I saved the other one for the weekend of my sister’s bachlorette party weekend in Vegas to share with the girls when they got here early in the morning. It was absolutely prefect because since I was new at it and nervous at putting it together, it ended up awkwardly shaped. Once it was baked my sisters were asking me if I intentionally made it phallic shaped for the occasion. I laughed and took a picture. My family also loved the lasagna. And were really surprised by how healthy and filling it was without making us feel overloaded and sleepy. The fajitas came in prefect when my dad came in from out of town and I didn’t feel like driving out to get take out or like slaving through the kitchen. What surprised me the most was how handy the meals came in. We had plenty for several different occasions because the portions were generous. The food was a lot lighter and healthier tasting than the frozen foods at the grocery stores as well. In this case, you know what went into it. And you even had the opportunity to add to it or take away. It's restaurant quality food without the restaurant price. The plans are flexible enough to allow for a portion of an order for smaller families. So you can purchase .5 of a meal instead of paying for the whole portion.  Also, they have 101 sessions so if you are on a budget, you can at least go try it out and you get one free entrée to prepare and take home to your family for free. They also have take out available which you can stop by and pick up and warm up in your oven. It’s a healthier alternative to fast food. You can browse their website at www.sscoronaca.com and view from their monthly menu. ________________________________________________ Evenings at the Dog Park (April '07) By Sofia Sandoval My family and I recently adopted a young Siberian Husky from the Corona Animal Sheltor earlier this year. He’s beautiful, friendly, and insatiably playful. I’ve had a dog as a kid before, a German Shepard mix; but having one as an adult, when your the parent, is a whole other thing. Since then, we’ve become regulars at a few of Corona’s dog parks. Before we got the dog, I wasn’t even really sure what a dog park was. I thought the dog waste baskets and plastic bags for their wastes that were available at some parks meant that the park was a dog park.  Fotunately, this is not the case. What I learned later was that a dog park has an enclosure for dogs to run freely without a leash. It is a place of gathering for both dogs and their owners. We like to frequent the Harada Dog Park and Butterfield Dog Park for several different reasons. The most obvious of which is for our dog to expend his over abundance of energy with the other dogs on days when we don’t feel like taking him on one hour walks. We also go because it’s pretty fun to watch the dogs interact. It’s fun to see the extroverted dogs in the group race to the door to greet a new arrival. Or, once the dogs are tired of racing, they start to wrestle with one another. Our Siberian looks like a cheta when he runs. I’ve got to admit it turns heads or atleast gets people to stop and pause because it of his speed and agility.  My son said it best, he likes to go to the park to see how the dogs interact and learn about their behavior. It’s also a great place to meet other dog owners and get tips on anything and everything dog related. We’ve met a few new friends at the park. And, we’ve gotten to see all sorts of breeds of dogs like Great Danes, Cocker Spaniels. Harada Dog Park is located in the Eastvale community off 65th Street. It has two enclosures, one for small dogs and another for medium to large breeds. There are benches and plenty of tables and a water station inside the enclosures. Butterfield Dog Park has one enclosure for dogs. The fountain is located outside the gate but the enclosure is more level and larger than the Harada Dog Park. Corona Dog Park 1886 Butterfield Dr Corona, CA 92880 Harada Heritage Dog Park 13100 65th Street Corona, CA 92880 Jurupa Proposed Dog Parks (Coming Soon) Parkview Meadows Park (Off Archilbald) http://www.jcsd.us/parks/parkview.asp Meadowside Park (Off Archibald) http://www.jcsd.us/parks/meadowside.asp Other Off-Leash Dog Parks in Riverside Carlson Dog Park -Mission Inn Ave  Riverside Pat Merritt Dog Park -Limonite Frontage Rd at Avenue Juan Bautista  Riverside Riverwalk Dog Park -Pierce Street and Collett Avenue  Riverside _________________________________________________ Belly Dance Class – The New Girls Night Out (March '07) By Sofia Sandoval If your like me than getting together with a couple of your closest gal friends is not as easy as we would hope it to be. When I make plans to hang out with my friends on a monthly basis there are usually one or two last minute cancellations by not only my married friends but single ones as well. It seems we are all busy these days. So when I sought out to find some regular quality time for me that I could do on a weekly basis, I had to look beyond my friends. I turned to the City of Corona’s Parks and Recreation brochure (http://www.ci.corona.ca.us/depts/parks/pdf/Rec_Spring07.pdf) for ideas and inspiration of what that might be. What I found was an Intro to Belly Dance classe taught by Catharae S. Smith. The course lasts for 8 weeks and meets for an hour on Mondays at 7 pm at the Auburndale Community Center in Corona. Catharae is a very sensual dancer. You feel more alive and attuned to your Femininity and of its unspoken power in her presence. The class is pretty much taught in a follow my lead format, which was fine for me because I am a visual learner and watching. However, their might be others that prefer step by step guidance. When I took this course, Mondays became an evening that brought me closer to another side of myself that I hadn’t expressed in the longest time. Surprisingly, it was also a great workout. I was exhausted by the warm up. That I didn’t expect. I like that we worked as a class towards learning a couple of song dance routines that we would one day have a chance to perform. I appreciated that the class was local and I didn’t have to cross the 91 FWY to attend. Also, since the class was scheduled to meet weekly I had greater follow through with attending than when I would schedule things with my friends and we would continually reschedule our outings. ________________________________________________ Field of Dreams (February '07) By Sofia Sandoval One of my most memorable past times in the Inland Empire is visiting the Corona Municipal Airport early in the weekend mornings with my three sons. The airport is home to a variety of aircraft. Some planes are amphibious. Some are antique looking. And, others are for sale. But, each has an appearance of a long and intriguing story to tell of all its journeys. We like to head out back towards the field to watch student and veteran pilots take off and land on the run ways. It’s pure excitement to watch the planes lift off and disappear into the sky. We watch with amazement and feel a sense of inspiration. It is here we feel that anything is possible. Within minutes, my kids are spreading there arms open circling about acting like airplanes. I could see a spark lit in my son’s face. He’s just felt a ting of possibility that maybe he too could be a pilot one day. Occasionally, we are joined by other families who also enjoy this tranquil Corona past time. And, we are also greeted by friendly pilots that wave as they round the runway before taking off. The Corona Municipal Airport has its own flight school and offers plane rides. I'm looking forward to taking a plane ride with my family on my next birthday.   After an exciting morning, we head on over for breakfast at the airport's on-site cafe, Bob's Chili and Chow Hall. See our pictures HERE! _________________________________________ Local Charity (December ’06 - January '07) In the spirit of the holidays, I wanted to spotlight some local charities that need our help! Remember, giving to a charity is tax-deductible and giving locally helps us all! Child Abuse Hotline Churches General Charities Habitat for Humanity Salvation Army, The United Way Contact us with your charity and we will be sure to add it! ________________________________________________ Foster’s Guide to the Field of Candidates (November '06) Given the pace at which life travels these days it’s hard find the time to do everything one is “supposed” to.  Between researching health insurance plans, minimizing my cell/toll/internet costs, figuring out how to afford college for the children I may one day have, and going to the gym like I’ m supposed to I barely have time to send “Thank You” cards the way I should.  You can imagine something like researching the candidates and ballot issues generally comes last in line when Election Day rolls around.  It seems that time for election research is something no one really has, and most find the Voter Guides that come in the mail to be rather overwhelming.  So here is a brief review of this year’s candidates for Corona City Council.  It should be noted the following information is all available on the internet and is by no means a comprehensive review.  It is simply intended to be a synopsis, an overview, a starting place…so one may go in the voter booth having a basic idea who these people are.  I’ve tried to be 100% non-partisan and non- preferential.  I’m not trying to get you to vote any way, but to give you access to easy information which may help you make up your own mind. First of all, it helps to know a little bit about how the City government works.  I had noticed “Vote for So-And-So for City Council” signs around town and it seemed to me there were rather a large number of candidates, including the Mayor, which was confusing.  Was the whole council being elected at once?  Why was the Mayor running for Council and not re-election as Mayor? How many positions are open?  If there are four spots open and four candidates, does it really matter if I vote?  Well it turns out Corona is a “general law city,” which basically means that the laws governing the City come from a set of “Municipal” laws defined by the State of California.  The City Council operates in sort of a management role under that law.  There are five City Council positions, each having a four year term.  In general law Cities, the Mayor and the Mayor Pro Tem, (who acts as Mayor when the Mayor can’t perform their duties) are Council members who have been chosen to hold these positions by the other Council Members. This year, there are three spots opening in the Council and four candidates hoping to be elected to them.  Two of the candidates are trying to be re-elected to their position, two would be new in the City’s government.  The candidates are (in alphabetical order): Phil Breitenbucher, Eugene Montanez, Stan Skipworth, and Karen Spiegel.  The following is a short synopsis of the bio and election platforms of each. Phil Breitenbucher Phil, a Corona native, is currently the Corona Parks Commissioner.  His bio and work history indicate that he has a history of being involved with child safety issues, including drug and gun control.  His platform includes strong stances on limiting taxes, traffic relief, controlling illegal immigration, and safety in schools.  For more detailed information and a list of his endorsements you can visit his website at http://www.phil4corona.com/. Eugene Montanez Eugene has been a City resident and businessman for 42 years.  Fairly active in the community and local government, he is seeking election to his second term as Council Member.  He currently holds the position of Mayor Pro Tem and had previously served as a Planning Commissioner.  His platform includes public safety, traffic relief, and quality of life for City residents.  For more detailed information and a list of his endorsements you can visit his website at http://www.votecorona.com/Home.html Stan Skipworth Stan has been a City resident for 14 years, he and his wife moved here shortly before having the first of their 5 children.  He is currently a Captain in the Police Department at CSU Long Beach and has a long history in law enforcement.  He serves as a City Planning Commissioner and has extensive teaching experience.  His platform includes increased public safety, quality of life, local job opportunities, and ethical government.  His web-site is at http://www.skipworthforcouncil.com/main.html Karen Speigel Karen is a long term resident and businesswoman in Corona, she and her family have been here for 22 years.  Seeking election to her second term on City Council, she currently serves as Mayor.   She has been very active in the community, has a license in Marriage Family Counseling, and is the mother of 5.  Her platform includes increasing quality of life, traffic relief, public safety, public improvements, and maintaining community pride and small-town atmosphere.  Her web-site can be found at http://www.karenspiegel.org/ All of the candidates readily encourage any who would like to talk to them to send them an email.   Election Day is Tuesday, November 7th. Happy voting and have a happy and safe Thanksgiving. _______________________________________ Parks N' Running (October '06) Why a review of the local parks?  Well, discovering them had been pretty low on the list since moving here, things like finding a grocery store that won’t rob me blind and a good salon were higher priority.  Once I started looking though, I found reviews were few and far between, and people I asked had little useful information.  Granted, I wanted something specific: I needed a good place to go running.  One can always run on the street, but that can be dangerous given the way people drive.  I live right on the edge of Corona, Norco is my backyard and sidewalks are less than compulsory here so I’m sure I’m not the only one in this predicament.  So: parks.  Where to start?  Well, the first thing to consider is the length of run one is attempting.  An acre park, while nice for picnics and kids, isn’t going to do much good for someone wanting to run miles unless the runner doesn’t mind making fifty circles around the park.  I usually run two to three miles, so I was in the market for the bigger parks or a green belt of some kind.  The next step was to find a map and focus on the green places.  I used the 2006 Riverside County Thomas Brothers that normally lives in the back seat of my car. It turns out there are lots of green places in the Corona/Norco area.  Corona particularly is practically surrounded by state/national parkland.  I decided to ignore the state and national parks for now, primarily because to do them justice would require weeks of exploring and discussion of hiking trails and camp sites and things which would have constituted a rather major digression from the topic.  Additionally, a phone call to one of the local Rangers informed me that we are at peak rattlesnake and tick season, so we will leave that topic for another day.  I also decided to ignore the golf courses, of which there are six (Cresta Verde, Eagle Glen, Trilogy, Green River, Mountain View, and Hidden Valley).  I did this reluctantly as they were some of the largest green spots on the map, which suggested to me that they would accommodate my three miles nicely.  Questions as to the permissibility of running on a golf course aside, I decided it would not be a comfortable thing to try.  Golf balls whizzing by, golf carts popping out of the underbrush, critiques of one’s footwear from golfers clad in burgundy plaid knickers and a harvest orange shirt…no, better to leave the golf courses to the golfers.  Omitting these and parks that were clearly too small left me with a list of about four or five parks I thought might work.  Also on the list was the “Prado Flood Control Basin.”   It was unclear what exactly this was from the map, but it was big and green and looked like there were roads in it so I included it and set out with high hopes. My first destination, and best candidate judging by the map, was the Prado Basin Park to the north- west of the city where River Road turns into Archibald.  Well, that’s where the map says it is.  Driving down River one suddenly finds themselves surrounded by a wall of vegetation 25-30 feet tall, this opens up briefly into a marshy looking place before continuing on in its Amazon-like fashion.  After about a mile of that you find yourself in a brand new sub-division.  There are no signs for the park, no places to turn, and signs that say “No Stopping” along the road.  So if there is a park there, I am not sure how you get into it.  Frankly, I wasn’t all that disappointed as I can’t imagine a run there being…well, a run, since you’d have stopped every step to hack at something with your machete.  One should not even run on the street there (in fact, please don’t) as there is no real shoulder to speak of.  The wall-o-plants comes to the edge of the road, where it doesn’t appear there are concrete construction barriers, and the speed limit through there is 45 mph so of course everyone goes 55.  It’s basically a bobsled chute for cars, and running there would be hazardous to your health. I turned around and headed south toward the 91 and the Butterfield Stage Trail Park (Butterfield Dr. & Smith).  On the way I passed through the “Prado Flood Control Basin” and learned that, whatever it is, it strongly resembles the Prado Basin “Park” and I would likely not enjoy running there.  Butterfield Stage Trail Park however, was a completely different story.  Tucked into the industrial area between the freeway and the airport, it’s half a mile of manicured lawns and softball fields.  There are plenty of trees and places to sit, great for running, and seemed like a nice place to see people and catch a game.  I made a note to return and continued across the freeway to something Thomas Brothers labeled “Park (Site)” off Green River Road and Dominguez Ranch.   Park (Site) turned out to be a canyon in the Santa Ana foothills, a beautiful area with plenty of terrain to spice up a standard run.  Apparently though, Park (Site) does not have an entrance and since I would rather run in a park than try to discover the one way to get into it, I decided to move on. The next park I tried was across town: the Citrus Community Park on Rimpau and Taber.  It's a nice park with a playground, but just on the small side for running.  If it’s too small to have a path through it, it’s too small for running.  Next was the Santana Regional Park on Ontario and Magnolia.  This was easily the largest park I found.  There are at least two playgrounds, a concessions stand, a skate park, tennis courts, softball fields, and about a million soccer fields.  It’ s also great for running as there’s plenty of terrain, stairs, and paths that wind through the park as well as around the perimeter.  The only drawback would be the numbers of people, if you consider that a drawback, as the fields are heavily used.  Some people though, find soccer entertaining.   Even while running. The next park I tried was Mountain Gate Community Park at Main and Mountain Gate.  This was what I was looking for.  The main park was one of the larger ones I’d found and had plenty of trees and paths.  It sports softball fields, room for soccer, and tennis courts.  The best part about this park from the running perspective though, was the existence of two paths that branch off the park and wind through the adjacent subdivisions.  They’re lighted, have a green-belt feel to them, and each is about half a mile long.  One runs almost flat, the other is hilly, and both have exercise stations interspersed along the way.  Just walking them was a good workout. Having found what I was looking for, I decided to end the search and head home (also because the one thing I did not find at Mountain Gate was restroom facilities, which is something you may want to keep in mind, actually).  This meant my search would neglect anything east of the 15.  Should I encounter something better over there in the future, I promise to write an update. A happy and safe Halloween to all. _____________________________________________ Fender Museum (September '06) It’s big and made mostly of concrete.  There are few windows, but there are large geometric cut- outs and the block coloring favored in the architecture (and everything else, come to think of it) of the 1980’s.  And then there’s that name, that famous name scrawled across the top of the wall facing the street as you go north on Main.  It would taunt me every time I took that exit off the 91.  “What IS that place?” I would ask as I drove by, but never stopped.  You know what I’m talking about.  You’ve probably driven by it a million times too, asking yourself the very same question, and yet have never been there either.  It’s the Fender Museum of Music and the Arts, and you are in luck my friend because I stopped there Saturday and I can tell you what it’s all about. If you asked the average person on the street to name a brand of instrument, they would probably say “Fender.”  There are few brands that have had an impact on their industry the way Fender has contributed to the world of music.  The name is virtuously synonymous with guitar, and a veritable cornucopia of musicians (from Muddy Waters to Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain to Eric Clapton, Dick Dale to the guys in Blink 182) have made Fender guitars and amplifiers their equipment of choice.  I found the existence of a “Fender Museum” instantly intriguing and wondered how Corona had been chosen for its location. It turns out Fender is local, very local.  The company founder, Leo Fender, was from Fullerton.   Corporate headquarters are now in Arizona, but their flagship factory (which houses the famous Fender Custom Shop) is also located right here in Corona on Railroad.  The museum was founded to foster music and performing arts in the community, and to provide both an outlet and educational avenue for anyone interested in expressing themselves through artistic means. The museum portion of the facility is located on the first floor.  It’s not large, but it doesn’t need to be given the articles it houses.  Approximately 50% of the space is dedicated to Fender’s history and the process of making guitars.  Here you’ll find things like Kurt Cobain’s sketches for his custom guitar, and the instrument that was built as a result.  The rest of the space houses a rotating exhibit, which is currently focused on Johnny Cash.  Some of the items on display are simply incredible: a guitar he used on stage through ten years of touring, several sets of his hand written lyrics.  There is something about reading the lyrics to songs like “I Walk the Line” or “Folsom Prison Blues” as they were written in the artist’s own hand 60 years previous, singing along in your head as you read.  Not one second of the half hour or so I spent there was wasted. The rest of the facility is comprised mostly of classrooms.  The Fender Center is home to the “Kids Rock Free” program which provides professional caliber performing arts instruction to children between the ages of 7 and 17 at low or no cost.  So the $5 they charge to see the Museum is going for a good cause, which makes it that much cooler.  It’s always nice to know there are people out there doing good things for each other.  Oh yeah, you’re welcome to take classes as an adult too. The Fender Center also promotes local music by hosting local bands and staging the Rhythm Lounge concert series alternate Saturdays. For more information on the museum, events, and programs, you can check out their website: http: //www.fendermuseum.com/res05/.  There are a couple up-coming events benefiting “Kids Rock Free,” including a benefit golf tournament on September 25, and the Oak Ridge Boys in concert on September 28.  For more information on the corporate side of Fender, including where to get your next guitar, try: http://www.fender.com. _____________________________________________ A day at the Salon (August '06) Being new to Corona, I thought it might be a good idea to do an article on places where you can get…personally groomed.  You know: beauty/barber shops, estheticians (waxing and facials), manicures, that kind of thing.  I know it is very hard to find a place that you are comfortable in, is reasonably priced, and which has stylists who are both talented and trustworthy.  No one likes looking for a salon, it can be extremely frustrating and an encounter with a bad stylist makes you unhappy for weeks.  So the idea was that, since I was going to be trying out different salons around town, I could write about what I thought of each place and hopefully my review would help someone else out with their own decision.  Well I’m afraid that didn’t quite work out like I planned.  I did learn some useful things though, so here goes. First of all, it’s probably not a good idea to plan on getting anything done on a Sunday.  Almost every single local place is closed on Sundays.  Which is odd to me since Sunday is a day of rest, which means relaxation, which means being pampered in a salon of my choosing.  But whatever, Corona is much smaller than the last town I lived in and it probably makes good business sense to be closed that day.  Oh, and most of them have shortened hours on Monday, so if you work you can probably count that day out as well. Another interesting thing is that are not really all that many hair “salons.”  There are plenty of the Great Clips and Super Cuts (the yellow pages/internet can direct you to the one nearest you), most of which do only hair, but not many “salons.”  Now, the stylist at the Great Clips I went to here (Hidden Valley, next to Stater Brothers) did a surprisingly phenomenal job.  I am just used to, and prefer, a salon.  There seems to be many “mixed use” places however, businesses that are primarily something else but also happen to do hair and waxing.  Places like beauty supply stores and tanning salons.  Most of the stylists at these places make their own appointments, so you may have to make several visits before actually getting anything done, which made them rather hard to review actually. There are plenty of salons at the malls (for instance there are like 7 at Victoria Gardens alone, all of which are open on Sunday, but that’s a bit of a drive), but only a few stand alone locally.  One of these is Bliss at the Corona Crossings.  Bliss is an Aveda establishment and you can tell the second you walk in there.  The ambiance, the décor, and the pricing all veritably scream “Aveda.”  Well, Aveda has its plusses and it is a comfortable place.  The esthetician I saw was good and they somehow managed to make it smell good in there despite the highlighting going on.  Another stand-alone I found was Tranquility Day Spa on 6th Street just past Sherman (going west).  Under new ownership, Tranquility doesn’t do hair.  They do almost everything else though, including (but not limited to) microdermabrasion, oxygen therapy, waxing, and massage.  They are open on Sundays, the atmosphere in there is comfortable and relaxing, the staff is great to be around, and the pricing is reasonable.  I will definitely be going back.  Wanting neither an afro nor a fade, I did not go into Afro’s & Fades (off Magnolia near the freeway), and since Alexander’s (Main Street near Harrison) is closed on Sundays, I did not go in there either. Perhaps the most important thing I learned though was strongly reinforced by the woman I spoke with at Genesis (also on 6th Street).  It is almost impossible to do a real review of a salon, stylist, or esthetician.  This is because each has their own strong points or talents, and each of their customers has their own preferences.  If I get my hair done one place, that really only tells me how compatible that one stylist is with my hair.  It tells me nothing about the other stylists or the other services they offer.  So my recommendation is: talk to your friends, talk to the people in the salon, and don’t be afraid to direct the person working on you.  It’s your appearance and your body, and ultimately your comfort level that matters.  Trust your instincts; you’ll know when you’ve found something that is right for you. ______________________________________________ Corona C.E.R.T. Training (June '06) It was unbearably hot.  I lived in Arizona for six years and have no problem going riding in the desert during the summer, but I’d never felt heat like this.  It was like being too close to the biggest campfire you’ve ever seen, but worse.  The air on your back is cool when you’re in front of a campfire, and you can always step away.  There was no getting away from this heat.  It was too hot to sweat and the air was so hot it was hard to breathe.  It wasn’t hard to imagine thick billows of black smoke pouring up the stairs, filling the room as I sat watching orange light flickering on the wall in front of me. The smoke remained imaginary though and we were safe.  It was just the last day of training for Corona’s Community Emergency Response Team, also known as “CERT.”  The relatively small fire downstairs was contained and dutifully watched by a fireman assisting with the training.  Putting the fire out is part of the final exam, which is primarily a simulation in which you put everything you learn in class into practice.  Many of us who had finished the test got to be “victims” for those who had yet to take it and were on the second floor of the fire training tower at the City’s Corporation Yard off Cota Street.  It was an eye-opening experience.  None of us could imagine what it must be like to be a fireman, to willingly walk into a house or forest fire many times the size of what was on the floor below us, with the heat and non-imaginary smoke, and all of that equipment besides…amazing. The whole class was kind of like that, eye-opening.  Offered through the City’s Fire Department and free to Corona residents, CERT is a nation-wide program that increased in importance after 9/11 and the fires here in southern California in 2003.  The goal of the CERT training is to prepare people in the community for a large scale emergency.  This is a brilliant idea when you think about it.  Your immediate neighbors will most likely be in a better position to assist you, and vice versa, long before emergency personnel will be able to get to you in a major emergency.  By having a prepared general public, you greatly increase the number of people you have to help as primary responders. Furthermore you empower people to act in a situation completely beyond their control, and for many there’s nothing worse than feeling helpless.  There have been several articles in regional papers lately about how the Inland Empire is over-due for a major earthquake.  I admit I had only the foggiest notions about how to be prepared for an earthquake; “stand in a doorway” pretty much sums it up.  The CERT training made me consider things I would have never even thought of before, partially because I take them for granted as simple parts of my every day life.  For instance, I live in a gated community.  In the event of a major earthquake it is extremely likely the power will go out.  The gates are electric, so if I need to get out because the area is unsafe or someone is hurt and they need medical attention, how do I open the gate?  That’s just one of many examples, but something I would have never thought twice about had I not taken the class. The scope of the subject matter in the class is not limited to earthquakes and fires; it takes a general approach to a variety of possible emergencies.  After all, if you are the only un-injured person in a car accident half way to Palm Springs, you may very well be facing your own mini- disaster.  The 30 hour class covers first aid, CPR, limited search and rescue, fire control, disaster psychology and medicine, and terrorism.  CERT members will assist emergency personnel with the relief effort at large through their local fire station as they can in a major emergency, but permanent membership on the team is optional.  The primary goal of the training is to help people help themselves and those immediately around them. CERT training is usually offered through your local fire department.  If you are a resident of the City of Corona and would like to find out more, you can go to the CERT web-site at: www.ci.corona.ca. us/depts/fire/cert.cfm.  Among other things, you’ll find an on-line enrollment form here.  You can also stop by the CERT table at this year’s “Taste of Corona” which will be held Saturday, June 3, 4PM to 8PM on Corona Point Court.  The “Taste of Corona” is a fundraiser benefiting the Corona Fire Safety Foundation and Corona Police Community Partnership.  Admission allows you to sample food from any of the featured 25 local restaurants (or all of them, but the record to date is 17).   Admission is $20 in advance, $25 at the door.  Tickets are available at local fire/police headquarters, or to find out more you can call (951) 739-4939.  The CERT table will be staffed by CERT members, so please feel free to stop by and chat.  Oh, and in case you are wondering, I did ask.  It turns out there’s a hand crank off to one side of each gate.