W e e k l y RIALTO RECORD
Vol 23, NO. 50
August 07, 2025
Rialto Approves $800K+ for Inclusive Playground Serving Children With Disabilities, Targeting 2026 Completion amenities that serve children with autism, emphasizing the park’s importance to families throughout the community. The project—anticipated to open in 2026—will include sensory-friendly playground equipment, a merry-go-round, monkey bars, and additional recreational space. “We’ve added pickleball and tennis courts recently at Rialto Community Park too,” Baca said.
IECN.com
Redlands PD Investigate New Leads in 2023 Disappearance of Nashville Man Linked to Religious Group Pg. 3
PHOTO IECN Rialto City Park is located at 130 E San Bernardino Ave, Rialto.
ialto is moving forward with the development of its first all-inclusive playground, a project designed to serve children with disabilities. More than $800,000 in funds were approved by the City Council on July 22 for an inclusive playground to be built at Rialto City Park, located at the corner of Sycamore and San Bernardino avenues.
deserves,” said Mayor Joe Baca Sr. “We’re building a park where any kid with a disability can come and enjoy themselves.” Baca noted that the idea initially stemmed from local parents advocating for a play space similar to one in Rancho Cucamonga. “I went to go look at one in Rancho Cucamonga and said, why can’t we have one?” he said. “Parents in Rialto are concerned after seeing inclusive parks elsewhere.”
“Inclusivity
Baca specifically noted the need for
By Manny Sandoval
R
is
something
Rialto
According to the National Recreation and Park Association, only 3 in 10 playgrounds nationwide are inclusive to children with disabilities, despite 14% of U.S. public school students receiving special education services, based on U.S. Department of Education data. A 2023 systematic review published in Children and Youth Services Review found that the vast majority of U.S. playgrounds lack wheelchair accessibility, sensory features, or adequate accommodations for children with mobility or cognitive challenges. “We’re improving Rialto and taking it to a higher level by providing the same kind of service that other cities have,” said Baca. “It’s about providing something for everyone in our city.” The project is funded through a combination of general funds, community block grant dollars, and additional allocations Parks cont. on next pg.
Fontana Unified Renames School to Honor O’Day Short, Black Family Killed in 1945 Racially Motivated Arson 232 Wildlife Deaths in One Year Spark Plans for Two SR-62 Crossings in Calif. Desert Corridor Pg. 4
HOW TO REACH US Riverside Residents Inland EmpireCivilian Community Demand Newspapers Oversight as Sheriff ’s Office: (909) 381-9898 Dept. Faces Record Editorial: iecn1@mac.com Deaths,sales@iecn.com $77M in Advertising: Legals : iecnlegals@hotmail.com Settlements Pg. 4
HOW TO REACH US Inland Empire Community Newspapers Office: (909) 381-9898 Editorial: iecn1@mac.com Advertising: iecn1@mac.com Legals : iecnlegals@gmail.com
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL Curtis Moss speaks at the O’Day Short Elementary renaming ceremony, sharing how the family’s story shaped his life and ongoing activism.
By Manny Sandoval
O
n August 5, Fontana Unified School District held a powerful and emotional renaming ceremony, officially changing the name of Randall Pepper Elementary School to O’Day Short Elementary School, honoring a Black family whose lives were stolen in one of Fontana’s darkest chapters.
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL Maha Rizvi (far left), district director for Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes, presents a certificate of recognition to Principal Michelle Avila (middle-left) during the O’Day Short Elementary renaming ceremony.
The renaming marks a historic shift for the district as it prepares to welcome more than 30,000 students back for the 2025-26 school year on August 6. For the first time, the school will open under a name that acknowledges and honors the Short family’s courage, suffering, and legacy.
Reyes. “It’s about centering truth, honoring legacy, and ensuring our students grow up learning the full history of the ground they walk on. The injustices the Short family endured is a painful part of our region’s history, but today we ensure this tragedy is never forgotten.”
“Renaming this school is not simply about changing signage,” said Maha Rizvi, district director for Senator Eloise Gomez
In 1945, O’Day H. Short, a Black refrigFontana Unified cont. on next pg.