Calling All Teens by Randie Ortloff - City News Group, Inc.
View Upcoming Events View Your Local Sales

Community Calendar

◄ NOVEMBER ►
S M T W T F S
01 02 03 04 05 06 07
08 09 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 01 02 03 04 05
View Events
Submit Events

Calling All Teens

By Randie Ortloff, Community Writer
July 1, 2014 at 12:32pm. Views: 75

The Summer Reading Program is off to a strong start this year with nearly two-hundred participants registering at the Grand Terrace Library branch so far. Although the program is brimming with exuberant children, the library is hoping to enroll more of the local teenage demographic. Jeff Smith, an employee at the library for nearly six years, serves as the library's young adult specialist and shares that throughout his years at the library, he has noticed a severe decline in teenage participation. Given that the library sits on the opposite side of town from Grand Terrace High School, Smith understands that the library's location is a geographical inconvenience to teens. But, as Smith explains, the lack of teenage patrons is directly linked to the rise of interest in electronics and social media. "Teens are just not as interested in reading as when they were little, over the years we have lost a lot of young readers," Smith shared. Smith and his coworkers are constantly brainstorming ways to reach and engage teenagers, but the world's fast pace society makes it difficult. "Teens are just hard to appeal to all around, this generation has constantly changing interests. It's hard to bring them in and even harder to make them stay," says Smith. Brandy Valdez, mother of ten-year-old Vincent, nine-year-old Victoria and five-year-old Jacob, brings her three young children to the library on a regular basis, she shares, to instil a love of reading within them. "We make sure we join the Summer Reading Program to keep up reading and grammar skills," states Valdez passionately. "I have always been a reader and I've made sure to encourage my children to read and write at a young age." Valdez, a PTA mom at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, also notices a lack readership with children. "Many parents I have met do not encourage reading. I feel bad for the kids of this generation because they lack stability. If parents do not promote reading, their children will never be interested in it and it will reflect in their grades." Valdez shares that she plans to keep her children into books and away from social media for as long as she can. The youngest Valdez, Jacob, notices the positives of being a bookworm, even at his young age. "Whenever I get bored I want to read, it keeps me smart and gives me something to do," he expressed enthusiastically. The interest the Valdez children have in books reminds Smith of the power of reading; "Seeing children enthralled in a book has, sadly, become a rare sight. I want people to remember that they can escape to new worlds through different perspectives through reading. Reading inspires creativity and imagination, teenagers seem to be forgetting that."

Related Articles

Photo Courtesy of: coltonca.gov

By Margie Miller, Publisher City News Group

October 28, 2026 at 06:00am. Views: 1034

One of the most visible projects Navarro wants to advance is the city’s planned sports complex. He lists its development among his major accomplishments and says residents should evaluate another term partly by whether the city breaks ground and completes project phases. Read more about Mayor Frank Navarro...

Photo Courtesy of: Grand Terrace City Council

By Doug Wilson, Councilmember, Contributing Writer

October 28, 2026 at 06:05am. Views: 900

Councilman Doug Wilson, serving Grand Terrace since 2014 Speaks out about why he feels Grand Terrace residents deserve to know the facts about Measure “N,” the proposed one-percent sales tax initiative on the ballot this November 3rd.

Photo Courtesy of: The CARE Project inc.

By Carl M. Dameron, Contributing Writer

October 20, 2026 at 03:09pm. Views: 1018

Photo caption: The CARE Project’s Vice President, Diana Jaurigue, with President & Founder Carrie Madrid, who is wearing the LympheDIVAS compression sleeve on her left arm. Donated compression garments help manage swelling and are essential to daily care for many breast cancer survivors.

Photo Courtesy of: Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino

By Rachel Bonilla, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:37pm. Views: 467

Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) has once again partnered with ALDI for their annual volunteer event, where team members packed over 1,300 food boxes with various shelf-stable items to be distributed for disaster relief as needed.

Photo Courtesy of: CIty News Group

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 04:11pm. Views: 2257

An October 2026 study from Loma Linda University suggests a simple dietary change may influence inflammation-related measures in older adults. A bowl of walnuts sits alongside a nutritious breakfast, illustrating the everyday dietary choice examined in Loma Linda University research.

Photo Courtesy of: AI-generated by ChatGPT

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 28, 2026 at 06:00am. Views: 946

Families enjoy a Halloween trunk-or-treat gathering with decorated vehicles, pumpkins and festive costumes. Grand Terrace has scheduled its 2026 Trunk or Treat celebration for October 31

Photo Courtesy of: coltonca.gov

By Margie Miller, Publisher City News Group

October 28, 2026 at 06:00am. Views: 1115

Colton councilmember John Echevarria wants to expand his outreach to residents throughout the city, strengthen partnerships with county, state and federal officials, and build upon what he describes as a record of employee advocacy, neighborhood improvements and community involvement.Learn more about John Echevarria...

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI Illustration

By Hattie Strong, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 466

Loma Linda University Children's Health Specialty Clinics, a new five-story, 105,000-square-foot facility designed to bring more than 21 pediatric specialties together. The facility is expected to begin serving patients in early 2027.This is an AI-generated illustration, not a verified photograph of the actual building.

Photo Courtesy of: https://wellri.com

By Stella Pierce, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 421

An October City announcement draws attention to an everyday household practice with benefits for food budgets, kitchen safety and the environment. A basket of fresh produce can represent a week's worth of meals, the results of a successful backyard harvest or an unexpected bargain at the grocery store. Yet without proper storage, even the freshest fruits and vegetables can spoil before a family has an opportunity to use them.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI Illustration

By Ruby Stephenson, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 695

An October announcement highlights how investigative technology and cooperation among law enforcement agencies can help solve crimes affecting Grand Terrace neighborhoods. For residents of Grand Terrace, home is more than an address. It is where families gather, children grow up and neighbors build relationships over many years. When a residential burglary occurs, the effects can extend beyond the property taken or damage caused. A crime inside someone's home can undermine the sense of security that makes a neighborhood feel safe.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group - AI Illustration

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

October 27, 2026 at 02:38pm. Views: 416

The rumble of a commercial truck passing through a city can represent two very different things. For a business awaiting a delivery, it may signal the arrival of essential supplies. For residents living near a busy roadway, it may raise concerns about traffic, noise and safety. In Grand Terrace, finding a reasonable balance between those interests is at the center of an ongoing transportation planning effort.

Photo Courtesy of: City News Group

By Amanda Spencer, Community Writer

October 20, 2026 at 03:49pm. Views: 872

Secure drop box is located outside the Grand Terrace Library, on the west end of the Civic Center building at 22795 Barton Road. According to the City, it will remain accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters is responsible for operating the box, collecting ballots and transporting them for election processing.

--> -->