Lobbying Youth
Marlene Salinas
May 6, 2009
Youth from Fontana Middle School recognized Fontana’s City Council yesterday for sponsoring their last week’s trip to the nation’s capital.
Twenty six members from the middle school’s Travel Club went on a week long excursion to visit various sites in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and New York. The club utilizes this trip as a method of bringing history to life for the students.
Club advisor Daniel Quiroga and some of the students’ parents accompanied the adolescents and consider the trip a success. “It’s just so rewarding to see the children finally venture out of Fontana and see that there is more to this world,” said Quiroga.
This was the club’s third consecutive year of venturing out to the East coast. “Every year is never the same,” said Quiroga, “because it’s a new group every time and they all take in what they experience differently. But what does remain the same is the amount of effort that the kids put in order to fund the trip.” Quiroga goes on to mention that the club participates in various fundraising activities but this was the first time that the city council actually donated money to the club.
Travel Club member Katie Herrera described the trip as being amazing. “There are some things you don’t get to see everyday,” said Katie as she looked at her pictures of her and her friends from the trip, “and this was definitely one of them.”
Fontana City Council funded the trip with the condition that the club visits Councilman Joe Baca and lobby for some extra funding for Fontana. Julia Perris, a 12-year old Travel Club member described the trip as being an experience of a life time. “I got to lobby for money for our city,” said Julia, “I felt like a representative of the city.”
Mayor Mark N. Nuami mentioned how pleased he was with the trip and with the amount of effort that Quiroga implements on planning the yearly trip. “We sent the kids on a mission,” said Nuami, “They were to go to Congressman Baca and present him with flyers of the Fontana Teen Center and the Lewis Library. The council and I sought it fit that the kids be the representatives of these two locations since they represent those who use both facilities the most.” Nuami went on to add that if this trip does in fact generate more funding for the city then the council will continue the funding for the club.
City Council Member John B. Roberts applauded Quiroga’s efforts and proclaimed that other schools take Fontana Middle School as an example “of allowing kids see first-hand what America is all about.”
Other topics discussed in the meeting consisted of recognizing Montclair native Rickie Dickerson with a plaque for her art work contribution in Fontana’s Art Depot Gallery. Dickerson gave some advice to other aspiring artists to “never give up and never give in” during her acceptance speech. Dickerson’s art work will be on display at the gallery till May 22, 2009.
The issue of enhancing the Pacific Electric Trail was brought up once again by the Rancho Cucamonga based non profit advocacy group Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail. The organization would like the city of Fontana to help in their Trail Enhancement Program by donating money in the landscaping of the trail. The trail is from the city of San Dimas to the city of San Bernardino and the group would like to see that the trail be properly maintained by all of the cities in which it passes through. The council agreed to help in the maintenance of the trail as soon as they receive some grants from the government.
The city council also reminded the public that the Miss Fontana Pageant will be held on May 9, 2009 in the Steelworkers Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. everyone is invited to attend the pageant.
