The new book you are working on is called “Then & Now: Corona” and it will explore locations throughout the city as they appeared in the past and how they look now.  Have you come across any imagery in your research that has totally astounded you, or has much of the imagery been seen before?

I don’t believe that I have been astounded, but I have indeed been amazed at how generous members of our community and former members of our community have been in sharing their photographs with me.  I have also been somewhat disappointed that some folks have declined to share their historic photographs.  With vigorous networking with others, I have made every effort to include images not previously published.  But, there are a few previously published photographs that had to be included because contrasting photographs seemed to contribute so much to Corona’s historical context.

Since you have already completed two books on the city, has it been hard to collect new and original imagery that hasn’t been previously used?

It took quite a bit of time to make contact with others but it has not been difficult to collect new photographs or imagery. My biggest disappointment is that some precious images from Corona’s past simply did not meet the high quality standards required for publication. Some original photos had deteriorated over time.

I know the book is still in the works, but are there any exciting locations that Corona residents can look forward to seeing then and now imagery of?

Then & Now: Corona was actually submitted in mid-November to Arcadia Publishing. The release date will be May 7, 2012.

Many Coronans will enjoy viewing the once vibrant Downtown contrasted with changes made as a result of the Urban Renewal Era. Also, I was unable to reproduce a NOW image of some very nostalgic scenes from THEN. One reason is due to the fact that I was unable to identify the location or I was prevented from placing myself at the same vantage point because of a freeway, or other such obstacle. Some highlights will be the Wagon Wheel Café, three mule teams and workers grading the front lawn of Corona’s second high school at 815 W. Sixth Street, the viaduct constructed to allow pedestrian and vehicle traffic over the Grand Boulevard Raceway during the Corona Road Races of 1913, 1914 and 1916, early church and school buildings, Park N Eat Restaurant, various modes of transportation, and many others.

Your previous books and the work of the Corona Historic Preservation Society has done amazing work to help tell the story of Corona’s past, however many people may not know much about the city we live in.  If you could offer up one fact about the ctiy’s past that everyone should know, what would it be?

The city’s uniqueness was created at its inception by the circular Grand Boulevard roadway encompassing business lots, church lots, school lots and residential lots while groves, packing houses, orchards and ranches were located outside the “circle.”

The recent inclusion of the Grand Boulevard Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places demonstrates how unique the Boulevard is and provides national attention and recognition to the role it has played in Corona’s history.

Corona’s demographic has changed greatly over the years. Do you find that because we are a city now greatly made of Orange County transplants that fewer people care about the history of the city and its story?

No, I have found that residents new to Corona warm up to the history once they start to learn about Corona’s visionary founders and pioneers and what made has made it special since its founding in 1886.

I recently read in the Press-Enterprise about how the Harmony House was saved from demolition in 2003. As Corona continues to grow, do you find that historic homes are becoming more endangered, and if so what is the Corona Historic Preservation Society doing to help?

At this point in time with development slowed significantly, fewer homes have become threatened with demolition. With the addition of the Historic Element to the City’s Municipal Code, procedures are in place to give CHPS opportunities to save threatened structures.

As for what CHPS is doing to help, for many years, the Corona Historic Preservation Society (CHPS) has promoted relocating historic homes as “infill” within the “circle” to prevent dilution of the inner circle’s historic character. Over a decade ago through efforts of CHPS, the original Hotel Del Rey structure was disassembled and is currently in storage to be reconstructed and restored to its previous glory as a community center at the park. In 2004, CHPS was instrumental in successfully “rescuing” from demolition and retaining 511 Vicentia Avenue at its original site by cleaning up the property, repainting the house, as well as replanting and maintaining the landscaping. CHPS assisted in the relocation of the Call ranch house onto a site at Corona Heritage Park. The Brumbaugh House was successfully moved from Seventh Street to a spot at the rear of 1052 East Grand Boulevard.

If a member of the community wants to get involved or help the Corona Historic Preservation Society, where does the organization currently need the most assistance and how can people get involved?

Interested community members may visit our CHPS website to learn more about our organization, efforts and activities. Join our Society, come to our Board of Directors meetings, make contributions and suggestions, etc.

Upon release where will the book be available for purchase?

I have discussed the book’s release with the president of the Friends of the Corona Public Library. We plan [to] co-host a book signing and slide show at the Corona Public Library to introduce the new book to the community. A caveat is that not all photographs obtained were suitable for publication due to quality issues, but some of these photographs will be included in the slide show.

The Corona Historic Preservation Society always makes signed and personalized copies of all my books available for purchase.  Copies of the new book as well as previous would be available at Barnes & Noble, Corona Heritage Park, [and] the Greater Corona Valley Chamber of Commerce.

_ _ _

Though the book has already been submitted for publication, Winn has not cut herself off to new photo submissions from the public.  ”I am always interested in seeing photographs from Corona’s past and will be happy to accept additional images to scan and include in our “Then & Now: Corona” slide show presentation and to contribute all scans to the Corona Public Library’s, images collections in the W. D. Addison Heritage Room. Any photographs I scan will be promptly returned to the owner, as I have done over many months while writing the new book. I am willing to scan images from personal photograph collections and assist in their donation (on behalf of the donor) to the Heritage Room archives.”

If you have images from Corona’s past that you feel Ms. Winn may be interested in you can reach her at toothladytwo@aol.com or by calling 951-371-5291.

Proceeds from Then and Now: Corona and Winn’s previous books, Images of America: Corona and Postcard History Series: Corona go directly to the Corona Historic Preservation Society (CHPS) to support the Society’s ongoing efforts to preserve, protect and perpetuate Corona’s historic resources.

We were sent two Juiceology juices to try for free and review, Peach Mango and Blueberry Açaí.  Being sticklers for ingredients in our food and drink, the first thing we checked were the labels when we received them.  We were happy to see that juices were not sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and were instead sweetened with stevia leaf.  Both juices were only 97 calories and were made up of pure juice concentrate, water, fruit puree, whole grain extracts and vegetable juice used for coloring.

Being the first juice of it’s kind to be infused with whole grain extracts I was wary.  What sort of impact was the extract of oats, barley, and brown rice going to have on the juice?  I smelled the juice before drinking and was pleasantly surprised that the juice had a sweet aroma.  After taking a drink I found that it too was actually quite sweet.  However, unlike many fruit juices the sweetness is not overpowering.  The juice was very refreshing and because the sweetness was not overpowering you could pinpoint flavors like mango and blueberry in each of the juices.

As I drank each juice I thought about how refreshing they would be on a hot day, after a workout, or just as a treat in between meals.  An added bonus to the juices is that Juiceology claims that their juices help to satisfy your appetite, promote better absorption of nutrients and support the growth of beneficial microflora, which helps to optimize your digestive tract.

We were definitely a fan of the new Juiceology juice and we think our Life In Corona readers will be too.  That’s why we’ve decided to offer one of our readers the opportunity to win two bottles of Juiceology.

In order to be eligible for the giveaway all you have to do is tell is in the comments below what your healthy living goal is for the coming year and what flavor Juiceology juice sounds best to you.  Juiceology has five flavor varieties; Apple, Peach Mango, Pome Blue Cran, Blueberry Açaí and Concord Grape.

Want Extra Chances to Win?

• Like Life In Corona on Facebook
• Follow Life In Corona on Twitter and tweet the following: RT @LifeInCorona #Giveaway: Kick off a healthy new year with 2 bottles of Juiceology. http://bit.ly/vvJT9a

Contest periods end: Sunday, December 18th, midnight (Pacific time).  On Monday, December 19th we’ll draw a name at random and announce the winner here on the blog! We will also email the winner at the e-mail address posted with their comment. You’ll have one week (7 days) to respond to our email or another winner will be chosen.

Blog comments are moderated so there may be a slight delay in posting, please do not submit multiple comments.  Contest is open to California residents only.

The event, which kicked off earlier in the day with a visit from two small reindeer, went into full swing just before 5pm in the hub of the shopping center.  The Santa arrival parade and tree lighting ceremony was MC’d by Kola 99.9′s David Wiley and featured a number of local community groups including the Twinkling Stars Baton Team, Center Stage Dance Theater, Kane Dance Academy, Stroller Strides, Christian Arts Theater, and members of the Fender Center’s Kids Rock Free program.  The parade was lead by the Santiago High School Marching band and ended with a visit from Santa Claus himself.

The parade began at Trader Joe’s and traveled to the North end of the shopping center before returning back to the center hub in front of the unlit tree.  After a short ceremony featuring Mayor Skipworth, members of the Corona City Council and various members of Dos Lagos Management and Corona Nissan, the forty foot tree was lit and Santa settled in at his photo location behind the tree.

Following the ceremony Dos Lagos offered free one horse open sleigh rides and photos with Santa.  The event was far superior to those in years past in my opinion and the only gripe I have is that the parade route was a bit overcrowded and poorly planned out.  To the point where patrons were forced to clear walkways and at the end Santiago High School band director Chris Parish required me to move out of my chair at a table South of the then lit tree just so that the school band could march by.  Next year I would recommend they close off more of the parking in the center and run the parade route down the main road within the center so that patrons can line the sidewalks to view the parade.  There is plenty of parking on the outskirts of the center to allow for this.

Did you attend this years tree lighting? What did you think?  Share your thoughts in the comments below, and be sure to head over the Life in Corona Facebook Page to see more photos from the event.

Eats & Treats

Best Overall Restaurant

Best Breakfast

Best Brunch

Citrus City Grille

More than just the best restaurant in Corona, Citrus City Grille made your best brunch choice as well. Their Sunday champagne brunch runs from 10:00am – 3:00pm and features an assortment of breakfast and lunch items including a seafood and salad bar.

Best Indian Cuisine

Best Steakhouse

Best Baked Goods

Best Japanese Food

Best Late Night Dining

Best Coffee House

With locations throughout Corona and Norco, it’s no wonder Starbucks topped your list as the best coffee house in the area.

Best Seafood

Best Mexican Food

Best Sushi

Best Burrito

Miguel’s

Though it was not made clear which burrito was the best, it was clear that Miguel’s not only tops your list as the best Mexican food in town, but also has the best burrito’s in town.

Best Sandwiches

Panera Bread

Though many of you tried to squeeze in the likes of Subway, it would appear that Panera isn’t just good for the best baked goods in Corona or Norco, it even serves some of the best sandwiches in the area.

Best Burger

Best BBQ

Best Pizza & Best Italian Food

Best New Restaurant

Best Thai Food

Nightlife & Bars

Best Upscale Bar & Best Beer Selection

TAPS Fish House & Brewery

Not only did you vote TAPS as a top spot for late night dining, Life in Corona readers designated TAPS as the best upscale bar in the area and a bar with the best beer selection, and with over thirty beers to choose from, it’s no wonder it made the list.

Best Dive Bar

NOTE: Sporty’s is alleged to be closed at the moment, however their Facebook Page mentions that they are due to reopen on October 14.

Sports & Recreation

Best Martial Arts Studio

Best Yoga Studio

Best Park

Citrus Park

Citrus Park is Corona’s very own water park. Offering a unique variety of water based attractions for youngsters during the Summer months in addition to a traditional playground, it’s no wonder Life in Corona readers voted it the best park in Corona.

1250 Santana Way Corona, CA

Arts & Entertainment

Best Place to See Live Music

Best Movie Theater

Shopping & Services

Best Farmers Market

Best Farmer’s Market Vendor

Urth Soap

Since 2008 Urth Soap has hand crafted a variety of soaps that enhance your skin without compromising the environment. With over thirty bars to choose from there is something for everyone. Urth Soap makes it’s rounds at the local Farmer’s Markets and is on hand every other Saturday at the Corona Certified Farmers Market.

Best Hair Salon

Best Massage

Best Nail Salon

Best Thrift Store

Best Shopping Center

Thanks to everyone who participated in this years voting and congratulations to all the local businesses that made this year’s best of Corona list.

After contemplating family portraits, self portraits, or photos of the kids, Misty and I finally settled on portraits of our twins Aiden and Cambria.  The photos turned out amazing, and you can view a sampling of the session below:

As a supporter of Life in Corona, Brian is offering Life In Corona readers a 15% discount on prints when mentioning Life In Corona when they schedule their session.  For more information about Brian and his photography be sure to visit his website or Like Brian LaBrada Photography on Facebook.

We recently caught up with the Prison City Derby Dames to gain some insight into what spectators should expect during the event and this is what they had to say:

When most people think about roller derby they are probably taken back to 70’s and 80’s television and movies where roller derby girls were depicted as butch women looking to crush one another. How different is roller derby in the modern day in comparison to the past stereotypes?

Not very! I kid. The men and women involved in derby come from all walks of life, and are all shapes, sizes, etc. Modern roller derby is more about athleticism, and the sport, rather than the show of girls beating each other down on the track. Yeah, there are big hits, and the crowd loves it, but it’s a genuinely challenging sport–and those hits are real!

How did the Prison City Derby Dames come to be?

Prison City was founded in 2007, after breaking off from another Inland Empire league. The girls relocated to Chino Hills, and the Prison City Derby Dames were born.

What should one expect to see at a roller derby bout?

Obviously, girls on skates! You’ll also see lots of really cool vendors, our very own ref crew: the Department of Corrections, beer, big hits, crazy-awesome fans, more beer, maybe a player being ejected from the game. We’ve had a few of those!

The ticketing site for the “School Is Out Roller Derby Is In” bout says, “Ticket holder assumes all risk incidental to the game of roller derby whether occurring prior to, during, or after the bout. Including (but not exclusively) the danger of being injured by or in connection with any participant of the bout.” What sorts of things should an observer be aware of that could be a danger during the bout?

Did I mention those big hits? Yeah, when I say big, I mean BIG! Players sometimes fly into the audience, knock over the refs, knock over each other, some have even flew into the announcer booth and took out their table! So, buyer beware, you may get a skate in the face if you sit in our infamous “Suicide Seats”. Really, those are the best seats in the house. If you’re 21 or older, grab a beer, take a seat, and be ready to duck, dodge, and dive out of the way.

The halftime entertainment listed on the bout lists a “freshmeat mini bout” what exactly is a “freshmeat mini bout”?

Our game has actually been changed to a double-header! We have an amazing team of “freshmeat” (new derby girls), who are ready to show off on the track, but may not quite be ready for the big game. This is their time to shine in a “mini bout”. A regular bout is two half hour periods, with a half-time in between. The mini bout is only one half hour period, with no half time. Some of our freshies will be playing the main bout, and need some time to patch up their injuries, so the mini bout is before the main bout.

The event is listed as “all ages”, is roller derby a family friendly event?

Yes! All ages welcome! At our last home game, we had some young fans asking our girls for autographs. Young kids get a real kick out of derby, and some are so inspired, they join our Jr. derby team, the Groovy Juvies.

The event will also feature raffles with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life. What kinds of prizes can attendees expect, and will the team be partaking in the event in August?

That’s a surprise. We always have some great prizes for our raffle, including a 50/50 raffle, free tattoos, select gifts from our vendors, and the best seat in the house–with beer! And we’re getting our Prison City group together for the 2011 Relay for Life on August 6th. Please help us support a good cause!

If someone is interested in joining the Prison City Derby Dames or a similar roller derby team, how can they find out more or get involved? Is it open to anyone?

The best thing to do is either ask one of our girls for details, or go to our website www.prisoncityderbydames.com. We also have a facebook page, so you can hit us up there as well! We have loaner gear, and all skill levels are welcome. We’ve turned some pretty green skaters into powerhouses–so don’t be afraid if you’ve never even put on skates. Come on out! We also train our officials, so men are welcome to join ourf referee crew.

What would most roller derby girls say they best thing about roller derby is?

Definitely the support. We’re one big, dysfunctional family–hey, we’re not all perfect! Regardless, you’ll receive lots of love, support, and a butt kicking. No one cares where you’re from or what stupid things you’ve done. We’re here to empower each other, and better ourselves on and off the track.

As a way to celebrate the end of the school year and to give Life in Corona readers an opportunity to experience roller derby first hand, we are giving away a pair of tickets.

How to Enter:

• Leave us a comment below
• Post this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and share the link in a comment below of an additional entry.

The giveaway closes Wednesday, June 8th and the winner will be chosen at random and announced on Thursday, June 9th. Please leave your email address so that we can contact you! Good luck!

The expanded selection, which was originally piloted in 2008 and has historically given Target shoppers a 50 to 200 percent increase in food over what was available prior to store remodels.  Prior to seeing the sign in the store we saw evidence of the remodel towards the back of the store near what used to be the Target Garden Center.

In past expansions, food additions include items that are on Target guests’ shopping lists every week, such as bananas, strawberries and bagged lettuce; ground beef, chicken and pork; baked goods and dairy.

Are you excited about the news of the Target expansion?  What fresh items do you hope to see on the shelves on July 24th?

The Corona Community Garden offers Corona residents 52 plots.  All plots are available as is, and are numbered and marked.  The water to the plots will be turned on this Friday, April 29 and are ready to be used.

The official gardening year began on March 1st and will run through February 28, 2012 and since they are getting a late start, the Garden is offering a $10 prorated discount making this years fee only $45 instead of $55.  Volunteers from the startup work are being offered plots at just $25 as a thank you for their service.  As an added bonus they will also get dibs on plots.

This years processing will all be handled by the church, but they are hoping to turn over processing responsibility to Corona Department of Parks and Recreation for next year’s processing.  Those interested in a plot must submit their payment for the year and a signed Covenant Agreement in order to receive their plot.

The Church will be holding a dedication ceremony this Sunday, May 1 after their 9am service to bless the land and the gardeners.

Finally, the Church is looking to organize a Community Garden Association to handle any further garden issues as they come up.  The hope is to be a team consisting of two people from Peace, two people from the garden and another member of the community.  If you are interested in being part of this association, you are encourage to contact the church.

How You Can Help The Corona Community Garden

Thursday  April 14: From 2:00 – 7:00pm the garden needs volunteers to help clean out already dug trenches for irrigation and plot demarcation

Friday April 15: From 2:00 – 7:00pm volunteers are needed to help complete work from the previous days efforts and complete pvc irrigation system.

Saturday April 16: From 9:00am – 2:00pm volunteers are needed to help complete plot boundaries and do final clean up.

The Corona Community Garden is located in the back acre of Peace Lutheran Church, 280 East Ontario Ave, Corona (just east of Main Street, the third driveway from Main on the south side of Ontario).

All interested are encouraged to help even if only for a little bit.

About a month ago a WIC decals appeared at the entrance of the store.  During a recent visit to Walmart my wife asked one of the stores managers if they were now accepting WIC and he confirmed that it had rolled out a couple of weeks ago.  However, he also stated that Walmart employees had received minimal training on how the program works and how to process the vouchers.  He asked that customers using the vouchers be patient with clerks as many of them may require manager assistance to get through the transaction.

As the South Corona Walmart becomes a vital one stop shopping destination for many Corona residents, this is a welcome addition for low income families.

Are you a WIC recipient? Have you used your vouchers at the South Corona Walmart since it started accepting them? What has your experience been?