Visiting the Inland Empire, & connecting with the Old, & the New #2

After learning about the completed Muti-Use Trail (See part 1), I took a little ride, around the corner, off First Street, and Mills, and passed the old home where my Godparents had lived, which was near the apartments where My parents had lived when they got married, and returned to, a decade later, with a growing family.

As I did so I saw a Black Cat, strolling as bold as you please, along the sidewalk, and took a couple of photos. :-D

After a stop at an old used bookstore that I used to frequent, in the 80's & 90's, on Arrow Hwy., in Montclair, and a visit to the Montclair Plaza, I took the bus to old towne Ontario, on Euclid, north of Holt Ave.

My intent was to visit the only store left in a chain of bookstores that once ruled the Inland Empire book trade, from 1957 (when this store opened) to the 1990's, before Barnes & Noble, & Borders, came on the local scene.

I had worked for the family owned chain, Newsboy Books and Video, from 1984 to 2001, the last 11 of those years as a store manager.

When I arrived, and peeked in the door, Roberta Gingold, the wife of Jack, the owner, was behind the counter, with her back to me, and when she turned her now graying red-headed noggin around, the look on her face showed that she was genuinely glad to see me afte 11 long years. :-D

We spent an hour chatting about old times, and former co-workers, and catching up on the last decade of life, as I wandered around the old place, and the memories of good times in my very first career, came back to me. :-D

Newsboy has spent the last 20 years struggling to survive, and find its proper place, in a world of the internet, Amazon, huge chain stores, places like Target, & Walmart, and that it has done so, even if just 1 store, and not 6 as in the glory days, while the likes of Borders is no more, says something...just what, I don't exactly know. :-D

I met, and chatted with Pam, their loyal employee of the past decade, and was glad to hear that she knew who I was, and that the Gingolds thought enough about my career with the company to share stories of me in those years.

It truly meant a lot. 

After saying good-bye to Newsboy I took the bus out to Fontana where I found my way onto the new Pacific Electric Trail, off Foothill Blvd., a mile east of Cherry.

The trail roughly follows 21 miles of the old Pacific electri Commuter Train route that existed from the 1890's to the 1940's, and went from LA to San Bernardino.

Since there is no official site discussing the route as completed, as of yet, I'll point you to Trail Link which has a great description, and comments, as recent as Jan. 2012, describing the full route.

I had an enjoyable 13 mile ride back to Upland, and then rode down Euclid back to Holt to catch the buss back into Pomona.

My ankle is still feeling it, this evening, and is very painful, but otherwise it seems OK. :-D

Once back in Pomona, I stopped for my dinner at my favorite restaurant in town, K & F Burgers, a fast food joint, next to where Pomona Newsboy used to be, on Holt, between Towne Ave. & San Antonio, that is an institution in P-town, and been in business since the 60's, with Asian owners since the 80's.

Local Fire, and Police, just love the place, and does anyone who has tasted the food, especially the HUGE breakfast burritos, Pastrami sandwiches, burgers, and fries.

These 2 pictures are for my friend, and former Ptown classmate, Ruben T. Mesa, of Mr. Payaso fame. :-D

Ruben is a deeply religious man with more tattoos on him than he knows what to do with, and who has seen, and experienced, a lot in his life, to lead him to the comfortable place he is finally in, including living out of his truck while parked behind the donut shop across the street from K & F, a long time ago.

As he told me, today: "At the time I'd often enjoy my breakfast at K&F while watching a fine selection of Holt Strollers. Man those girlz sure had good work ethics then, being there to work so early in the morning!~!! "

Ruben is famous on Facebook, for his daily morning greetings, examples of which are below (No 2 are ever the same!):

"Good Morning FB Friends, Hornswaggelers, countrymen, Pampered Chefs and theyre friends, Happy Kampers, waste-oids, dweebs, donkey faced pimps w no friends, pranksters, Mcdonalds gurlz, Tamale Ladies, Lot lizards and Holt Strollers, William Frawley fans, 3 blind meece, Ed Meese, and the cast of Grease!!!! Its Coffee Tyme u7 lot!!! Joey!! grab the industrial strength java and the big mugs and get the Jet!!!!!"

"Good Morning FB Friends, Hornswaggelers, countrymen, McDonalds Gurlz, Car hopz, Hoagies Heros, wives of bone headz, bone headz with ex-wives, pimps with no fashion sense, hunch backed stud muffins, Holt strollers with sore feet, Glow worms, saturday night specials, and Big Sandy fansd the world over!!! Its Coffee Tyme boys and gurlz!!! Joey!!!! get the jet!!!"

His sense of humor, and love of family, his church, and God, are just some of the things that endear him to so many. :-D

After dinner I pedaled down 2nd street past the antique shops, and the artist's colony, and went & caught the bus back into the OC.

I got back home around 11pm, and the Cats were damn glad to see me! :-D

Comments

[Ruben]

Awesome story of an awesome trip!!

The Holt/KF pix, are the highlight of the article :-D!

I often miss the place, in spite of pained memories, I guess you could say romancing the past....

I wouldnt trade any of them in for anything!

Thanks for honorable mention, and for sharing!

Keep up the good work my brother!

P-Town forever!

[Leslie Kelly]

This is a long shot but I wanted to ask you if you remembered a place in Montclair, Ca.

I think it may have been located to the east of Central Ave on Arrow Hwy. I last saw it around 1974

It was a group of very unusual buildings made mostly of stone. There was on that was actually built up in a tree but they were all livable. There a small outdoor stage in the middle of the place for performances and a shed for doing stained glass work. There were lots of trees and it was easy to miss the place. I'm sure if you'd ever seen it you'd remember.

Every few years I spend a few hours on the net trying to find something about it. I never have any luck. It was just one of those really magical things to me. I was 15 at the time.

Thanks for your help

Leslie

Liext@yahoo.com

[Kiril Kundurazieff]

Hello, Leslie!

I only remember orange groves over there!

Plus there probably still is an adult book store on the NW corner....Not that I ever visited the joint, just couldn't miss it due to signage. :-D

There is a historical old venue, near Mountain ave. & Baseline, can't remember the name, now.

That may be the place you are looking for. :-D

[Leslie Kelly]

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

There is indeed a very cool looking old house on that corner! I think it's just one house. Can't see it very well from the street. It's surrounded by a wall and lots of trees and shrubs.