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Nativity scenes return
to Euclid
Annual display also celebrates other faiths' seasonal
traditions
By WILL MATTHEWS - STAFF WRITER
2002/11/12
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Inland Valley Daily Bulletin |
ONTARIO -- More than 60 community volunteers turned
out Saturday morning to help put up 12 Nativity scenes along the median of
Euclid Avenue, continuing a 43-year civic tradition.
By 6 a.m. Saturday, volunteers were erecting backdrops
and putting up the lights, speakers and figures that by late Saturday
afternoon had downtown Ontario decorated with the traditions of Christmas.
"We have a community that is pretty well entrenched in
this,' said Loren Heise, 70, a resident of Summerville at Victorian Court
Senior Residential and Assisted Living Center, where for the last three
years all the Nativity equipment has been stored. "We have a community of a
lot of believers, and people really appreciate the opportunity to celebrate
the traditions of Christmas and celebrating the religious aspects of
Christmas.'
| Typically set up the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the
Nativity scenes will be on display through the first Saturday of the new
year. The display features more than 30 life-size statues
depicting the biblical characters said to have been involved in the birth of
Jesus Christ, and is an annual holiday attraction in the Inland Valley.
"For the community, this is something that is
tremendously important,' said Tom Burciaga, a member of the Ontario Chamber
of Commerce's Board of Directors and yearly organizer of the Nativity scene
setup. "We're talking tradition, we're talking history. This is something
that people have been coming to with their families for years and years. It
is really important.'
The city's Chamber of Commerce has been funding the
annual Nativity scenes for several years, since the city deemed it
inappropriate to fund an expression of one particular religion.
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From left, Lizette Cavanaugh, Jeff
Fay, Wayne Cavanaugh and Dave Curran work on constructing one of 12
Nativity scenes Saturday in Ontario. The scenes are located along Euclid
Avenue between B and F streets. |
Now, instead of just Christian representations, there
are displays reflecting a variety of religious traditions, including a
Jewish menorah.
"It is important to include other faiths in all of
this,' said Diane Gunther, 50, of the Baha'i tradition. "I think we have to
bring down all of the barriers of prejudice, whether it be national,
religious or racial. It is important to recognize that we are all a part of
the human family.'
In an effort to minimize the chamber's costs,
Summerville donates storage space each year, and this year provided a
pancake breakfast for all the volunteers.
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Lorena Haupe, 19, of Ontario dists one of the figures
that is part of Ontario's 40th annual Nativity scene display. |
"It is something that we are proud to be able to help
with,' said Marianne Alvarez, Summerville's executive director. "Every year,
this is what people in this community do. It is what Ontario does at
Christmas, and it is something that brings people together. It's wonderful.'
Commuters can expect an increase in traffic on Euclid
for the next several weeks, Burciaga said, as residents from throughout the
area make their annual trek to see the display.
"This is something that people come from all over to
see.' Families even pull over, he said, "so they can bring their kids over
for an up-close view.'
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Will Matthews can be reached by e-mail at
w_matthews@dailybulletin.com
or by phone at (909) 483-9333. |
