EL CHICANo Weekly
Vol 62, NO. 20
March 06, 2025
Seccombe Lake Park Closes March 3 for $13.8M Renovation; Second Street Bridge Reopening Summer 2025
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Seccombe Lake is located at 160 E 5th St, San Bernardino.
eccombe Lake Park will close for a year starting March 3 as part of a $13.8 million renovation that will restore and modernize the 44-acre park, city officials announced at the Feb. 19 City Council meeting.
and irrigation, a renovated gazebo, new basketball courts, upgraded lighting, and concrete walking paths. The park will also receive new playground equipment with large shade sails, an upgraded dog park, repaved parking lots, additional fishing stations around the lake, and the installation of palm tree solar lighting.
Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and a $1 million grant from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, the project will include a full-scale transformation of the park. Planned improvements include lake restoration, new landscaping
“We’re going to get quite a bit out of our $13.8 million,” Public Information Officer Jeff Kraus said. “What has been our crown jewel of the park system will once again be in about a year. The year’s closure will be worth it when it’s completed.”
By Manny Sandoval
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While acknowledging the inconvenience of the closure, Kraus emphasized that the renovations will be transformational, mirroring the extensive upgrades completed at Nickelson Park. “We are sorry to see this park go offline,” he said. “But much like Nickelson Park, it’s going to be completely transformed.” In addition to Seccombe Lake Park, the city has several upcoming projects at Gutierrez and Guadalupe Parks. Development cont. on next pg.
Aquinas High School Defeats San Dimas 59-41 to Win CIF-SS Division 3A Basketball Championship By Manny Sandoval
T
he Aquinas High School boys basketball team etched its name into the record books on March 1st, capturing the CIF-Southern Section Division 3A championship with a hard-fought victory over San Dimas at Toyota Arena. The win marks the Falcons’ first CIF title since 2021 and the first under head coach Daryl Pegram.
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“This season has been all about consistent growth,” Pegram said. “At the beginning of the year, we set goals, and as the season progressed, we went on this incredible run.”
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Aquinas High School’s boys basketball team celebrates their CIF-SS Division 3A Championship victory over San Dimas at Toyota Arena in Ontario, marking their first title since 2021.
Despite entering the playoffs with a 16-16 record, Aquinas battled through a challenging postseason, proving that earlyseason adversity helped prepare them for the championship stage. The Falcons fin-
ished second in league play behind Arrowhead Christian Academy but turned their season around when it mattered most. “We played a lot of Division 1 and 2 schools early in the year, and while we took some tough losses, it helped us get ready for league and the playoffs,” Pegram said. “Competing against high-level teams put us in a position to succeed when it counted.” Led by standout seniors Laron Hall and Malachi Jones, the Falcons delivered a championship performance backed by a strong sense of unity both on and off the court. “Our first goal was to win the league title, and we finished second. Our second goal was to win CIF, and we had the opportunity to accomplish that this Basketball cont. next pg.