RIALTO - This city is at a critical point.

That was the clear theme of Thursday night's state of the city address at the Tom Sawyer Pool Patio.

Residents, developers and city officials all came out for the formal affair.

The centerpiece of the event was a video presentation by MBI, the city's media consultant, and paid for by Young Homes, EDCO Disposal SaresaRegisegis.

The sound of horns and drums accompany a flying Rialto logo to begin the video in dramatic fashion, as if a national news network were announcing a major presidential address.

Then Rialto Mayor Grace Vargas appears on the video, titled "Rialto at the Crossroads."

"The city of Rialto stands at the crossroads to the future," Vargas says in the video.

Much of the presentation focused on the opportunities the city has for rebirth following the completion of the Interstate 210 extension through Rialto later this year, an event Vargas calls "one of the most important historic moments in time for the city of Rialto."

The video's narrator reviews the major projects and plans under way, especially on the north end around the 210.

"Currently, this part of the city is a blank canvas - one which can be painted into a picture of what we want Rialto to be," Vargas says.

The narrator mentions work to updRialto'sto's General Plan, a plan to improve the Foothill corridor, a plan to improve downtown, expansion of Metrolinklink parking lot, new senior housing, new industrial development, a Wal Wal-MSupercenternter and, of course, the redevelopment of the city's airport into Renaissance Rialto.

Renaissance Rialto, which will be located along the 210, is an aggressive project filled with retail and industrial buildings and almost 4,000 housing units.

In the coming years, the video says, Rialto will build 12,000 new homes and welcome more than 50,000 new residents.

The event itself featured gourmet food, jazz music, Mayor Temporepore Winnie Hanson singing the national anthem, jazz music and city staffers like Recreation and Community Services Director LaThornburgburg and Police Lt. Joe Cirilo grooving to the jazz music.

There was also a chocolate fountain.

But the theme of the night was the tremendous opportunity the city has for growth. The city is "on the cusp" Henry Garcia, the city administrator, said.

Even though the presentation was delayed because it was too light out to show the video presentation on schedule, there was a sense of excitement in the air.

"We have done so much in our city," Vargas said.

Contact writer JaPesicksick at (909) 386-3861 or via e-mail at jason.pesick@sbsun.com.

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BS Ranch Perspective

am wondering what crossroads are we approaching and just what is it that the 210 freeway is going to bring us. I guess it is like the movie 'Field of Dreams' "Build it and they will come!"

Then you look to the last line of this optimistic  story, and it is the Mayor saying that we have done so much in our city. However, 4000 houses when they are all finished being constructed they will bring a whole bunch of families, but it is going to take a great deal long time to sell these houses since the properties are going to be not in style at the time that they are finished.

It is just a feeling that I have nothing more, just a feeling brings on this prediction, I could be wrong. People by that time might have seen what happened to the people that had land on Fillmore Ave, and their back yards backed up to Cactus Ave, however the water took out their Block Walls, and part of their back yard was gone in the rain storm that we had during the peak of global warming.

Now they are going to turn the airport into homes and lawns and that will be great! I mean just super...The whole airport gone, and they have the promise of one store to move into Renaissances Shopping Center, and that is Target!, I mean TARGET? That is a great store and that is a good store, but Rialto should hold themselves Higher, and maybe Nordstrom's or J.C. Penney's or even a good old Sears Grand, which is a Glorified K-Mart now.

Anyway, I just hope that things come together more for them, other then just that of Target, because if there is more then four thousand homes coming in there should be more then enough shoppers for the new stores that would be willing accommodated the new shoppers that are here.

On that other Road of the Crossroad however, If the City Council continues to run the city by trying to Shut down ,major Departments that are needed Such as the Police Department, where the Battle and fight that they encountered Cost the City, and the City Council Over $4,500, 000.00 to battle the Police union and the publicity against the People that elected them onto the City Council who were trying to keep the Police Department where they should be instead of having the Sheriff's Department in their place. But who cares about $3,000, 000.00 to 5,000,000.00 when it is the people that elected you into the seat that you old and you voted to have the Sheriff Department, and then you had an overwhelming fight from the Council members to put the Sheriff Department in place of the Police Department was overwhelming especially when the ratio was 1 Positive Sheriff Department Citizen to every 25 against the Sheriff Department Vote at every Meeting. Even with that the City council didn't see what they did wrong.

Yes it is true the City is at a Crossroads It is time to THOSE THAT WAISTED ALL THAT CITY FUNDS IN THAT FIGHT!!

BS Ranch