Corona’s Centennial Efforts

On behalf of many people who have put in many hours of volunteer time and effort in support of Corona centennial activities, I must protest your July 20 article and especially the absurd headline, “Corona’s Centennial Celebration May Be Party That’s Pooped.”

The centennial was planned to be a yearlong program with various activities scheduled throughout the period. It wasn’t intended that our celebration be a daily event or the equivalent of the Miss Liberty Weekend. Our volunteers have staged many successful events that were not intended to attract all of Corona. I wonder why your writer’s expectations were so at variance with ours.

Jim Deegan (ousted member of the Centennial Committee), whom you seem to accept as the only one qualified to talk about the centennial, did a lot for the centennial, but he, and your writer, would apparently have the public believe that he was the only one who did anything. That is laughably inaccurate. He was involved in many things, but people who know what to do and how to do them were the real and unsung workers. Deegan just knew the way to the papers.

I must also reject the gratuitous criticism of the museum display in City Hall. Your writer knew but did not say that this was the first effort of a newly formed museum committee, testing its role and seeing what it can do. A Smithsonian effort it is not, but a sincere and well-intentioned effort to crawl before they walk does not deserve the scorn of your reporter.

We in Corona are proud of the events we have experienced so far and believe that the Johnny Cash concert in September, the final parade, show and fireworks in October will top off a small town’s local effort. Disparage, if you will, but we’ll know that a thankless job has been done for the enjoyment of our people.

S.R. (AL) LOPEZ

Mayor,

City of Corona