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GWS’ Hidden Museums
By Freddy Hernandez, Sports Editor
It’s almost an eerie feeling, being in GWS after the final bell. Everyone has gone home after a long day of school. You know all the scary stories you’ve heard aren’t true, but there is still that creepy feeling in the back of your mind. Upon entering with extreme hesitation, I recognized GWS expert Tommy Schlanger, and asked, “Are the tales true about a hidden museum on top of Gardiner Spring?” He said, “Yes, would you like to see them?”Since this was the reason for my visit, I answered quickly,
“Sure!" |
| As we climbed the stairs, I felt
goosebumps rush up and down my arms in anticipation of what I was about to see. Meanwhile, my guide explained many of the artifacts that were in the room, mostly flyers, photos, and pieces of paper spread on the carpet. It wasn’t quite what I had expected, but Mr. Schlanger made up for it with his next words: “We have had some famous people perform on our stage.” |
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Quick to respond, I eagerly replied, “Who?” Three names caused my mouth to drop to the floor: “Desi Arnez from I Love Lucy, Bob Hope, and Tony Bennet.” Casually mentioning these celebrities, he pointed to a photograph of and Bob Hope and his USA troupe, which included Desi Arnaz, during
WWII. After that what more could one expect? But he continued to lead me down the hall to another door. As I entered, I gasped in astonishment. On the floor was a huge wrench as long as a king size bed, weighing 400 pounds, which was used to tighten the similarly sized bolt that secures the stage to the building. This room was even more amazing than the last. In addition to the wrench, there was an antique spotlight dating back to 1940. There was also an organ that has been carefully preserved for decades.
There were more artifacts, primarily photos of GWS being rebuilt from the ground up after it was damaged in 1933 by the 6.3 Long Beach
earthquake.
After that, my tour of GWS’ hidden museums came to an end. As I found my way back to the first floor and exited the building, I wondered what other treasures and hidden rooms we, the student body of Chaffey High, do not even have a clue about on our historic campus. |
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