The Lions Club Loses 39 Year Meeting Space

The Grand Terrace Lions Club has been told it has to move from The Lions Club Community Center, a location it has occupied for 39 years. The community center is the property of the Colton Joint Unified School District (CJUSD), who has issued a directive to vacate the property by Dec. 31. The news to move came in mid-November. Penny S. Radtke said, “We requested an extension through the fiscal year, and that was denied. The District has been conducting inspections at the building for the last few months. We believe the District found that the building has termites, is not earthquake safe, and has other structural issues, and [as a result] considers the building to be unsafe and they don’t want people in it.” Katie Orloff, Communications Manager for the CJUSD, said, "The Lions Club has been using the building through a joint use agreement we had with the City of Grand Terrace. Following some concerns about the condition of the building, the city hired an inspector. The inspector found code compliance issues which needed repairs. Following inspection initiated by the city, the district also hired an architect to assess the building. Based on the that assessment, we decided that not only is the building not safe for community use, but also the cost to repair it would be prohibitive. The city has already vacated the childcare program it was running in the same building. Unfortunately, we cannot allow community groups to use the building at this time due to safety concerns." For the past 39 years the Grand Terrace Lions Club has used the facility, for meetings and bingo. They have maintained the building and made the Center available for other non-profit organizations to use at no charge. Those non-profits include the Grand Terrace Woman's Club, Boys Scouts, Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous and more. Radtke has been charged with finding a new meeting location for the Lions Club. Other non-profits must find their own meeting place. “The Grand Terrace Women’s Club has been meeting at the Community Center more than 30 years. We are saddened by the great loss to our community. So many groups utilized the building for their meetings and now, with so few prospects to fill the void, and a short time frame, they now have to scramble to find a place,” said Women’s Club Historian and Past President Wendy Curran, who has been a member of the Club for nearly 10 years and has only fond memories of the Lions Club Community Center since she moved to Grand Terrace 32 years ago. The Woman’s Club has secured a new meeting place. “We are grateful to the Azure Hills Seventh Day Adventist Church for working with us,” said Curran. “At this time the Lion’s Club is searching for a meeting place,” said Radtke. “We have been in contact with Brookdale and Food Connection. There may be an option to use the community room at City Hall, but there may be a $200 per month expense for staff to be present after hours.” “We are also reaching out to the Church of Fire in Christ and The Living Word Foursquare Church for a possible meeting space,” said Radtke. “At our next and last board meeting at the Community Center on Dec. 16, I will provide a report to the board on meeting locations and a decision should be made as to where we will at least temporarily meet for breakfast and board meetings,” said Radtke. The last Lions Club Bingo will be held at the Community Center on Dec. 18. “If you have any ideas for the Lions meeting place, let me know,” said Radtke. She can be reached at (951) 522-8412 or via email at penny.radtke@yahoo.com.