| A valuable piece of Ontario's history will come back to life
when construction begins for a new bandstand downtown. It will be a place for
the people of Ontario to congregate and back in the beauty of the great
outdoors.
As part of the downtown revitalization effort, a bandstand similar to the one
build in 1892 will be constructed on the center median of Euclid Avenue, between
C and D streets.
The Ontario Kiwanis Club, which provided $30,000 to fund the project, has
joined forces with the city of Ontario, the Downtown Ontario business and
Professional Association and the Downtown Revitalization Partnership to bring
back a cherished piece of Ontario's history.
"The bandstand will add a lot of character to Euclid," said Sam
Gutierrez, 49, the city's facilities development manager involved with the
project. "It will bring the community together the way it used to."
The original bandstand, which cost $186 to build, was located on Euclid near
the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1912, it was transported to Nugent Park, where
it remained until it was used for firewood in 1931.
"Since there wasn't fuel, citizens needed firewood -- so the wood was
dismantled to help families in distress during the Depression," said Angie
Salas-Dark, 49, who entertained the idea of building a bandstand three years ago
while serving as the city's downtown development coordinator. However, when
Salas-Dark was offered a position as a rehabilitation inspector with the San
Bernardino Economic Development Agency, the project did not proceed to the
actual design phase.
| Jerry DeBois, a board member of the Ontario Kiwanis Club, the
Downtown Ontario Business and Professional Association and the Downtown
Revitalization Partnership, picked up the ball and set the plans in motion
approximately two months ago. |
Ontario's Community Bandstand Opening Celebration in 1997.
|
To request an order form for bricks, contact DuBois Advertising, 307 North
Euclid Avenue, Suite 300, Ontario, CA 91762. |
