Crown Town

Write an letter to your community.

Dear Coronians,

Home sweet home. I don't know about you, but I've called Corona, my home for most of my life. When I was in high school it was my main goal in life to move as far away as possible. I'm not sure why. Must have been my teenage brain thinking it knew everything. Truth be told, I love living in Corona.

How great is it to be running or walking in our neighborhoods and receive a guaranteed 'hello' from each other? It's one of my favorite things. No matter how much sweat is dripping down my face or how hard my Darth Vader breathing sounds while I'm out for my run, I am always joyed when someone I don't know acknowledges me with a simple 'hi' or even just a head nod.

I miss our orange groves. We have the best oranges this side of (and including) Florida. You know what else I miss? Gingerbread Cottage Bakery. Man, all of my birthday cakes came from there. They had the BEST frosting. When I was a little girl, my mom would take me there and we would watch them decorate the cakes and then I would get to pick out a treat. I was heartbroken when I found out they went out of business. It was a dark day.

How great is our town's history! I mean, Grand Blvd. used to be a race track. Ever since this city was built the inhabitants had a need for speed! Of course, we know that ended kind of badly. But, we kept the Circle and on most days you can catch a few of those town hooligans driving way too fast around it.

We have THE best school district around. That says so much about us as a city. I really enjoy the friendly rivalries between our high schools. It brings out a wonder school pride that fills our streets and encourages everyone to strive for success!

I think we can all agree that we share common ground when I say, Miguel Jr.'s is a staple in our diet and in our community. We have been truly blessed. I always feel a bit nervous when I take an outsider there for the first time. It makes me feel like our friendship will be determined on how they react to the food. Also, I know more than one Coronian, myself included, that has had Miguel's frozen and shipped to out of state locations. When I lived in Utah, my mom would buy me burritos and drive them up when she visited. Those burritos were the tastiest.

How great is Gingerbread Lane and Candy Cane Lane? Year after year they display great and beautiful Christmas lights. They hand out candy canes and play festive music. It really adds to the spirit of the season. I wonder if they know how grateful our community is that they are willing to pay extra in electric bills just so we can enjoy giant blow up Santa's crowding their lawns.

And of course we have a wonderful Facebook page, What's Up Corona. Every member of that page is willing to post traffic, give advice, answer questions and make business suggestions. I have read countless comments of encouragement. There was that funeral for the homeless person that so many donated to to ensure a beautiful service. Some post about nice service they receive from local business and kind citizens, spreading hope and reassuring that there is still human kindness in the world.

We are a pretty great community! Thanks everyone for doing their part.

Crown Town Citizen,

Susan

Susan "I Feel The Need For Speed" B.