The Friday Flyer • April 1, 2016

CANYON LAKE’S NEWSPAPER • APRIL 1, 2016
CongressmanKenCalvertmetwithIsfilmingforsequelto CLMSCompetitionCheer
City Council this week Pg. A3
'The Birds' in Canyon takes top honors at Jr. Lake's future? Pg. A8 Spirit Nationals Pg. A15
Lighthouse to be moved for emergency repairs
BY SHARON RICE
EDITOR, THE FRIDAY FLYER
Community officials announced this week that Canyon Lake’s iconic lighthouse is in such a state of corrosion on the inside that it needs to be moved off the island and repaired from the inside out.
Residents have noticed the door to the light- house open in recent weeks and wondered why. An engineer has been inspecting the interior to de- termine if the wood and iron frame can be saved.
It can, but the work needs to be done off-site. Officials have decided that, since the light- house must be moved anyway, it would be a good time to follow through on an idea recently proposed by the Recreation Committee – build- ing a platform on the island off the Lodge point and constructing a small water park. Because the park would recycle lake water, inexpensive features could include a couple of water slides, a splash pad, and a pump to move lake water in a “lazy river” track around the island and past
Sunset Beach.
An idea that would add a little more expense
would be a removable cable ski-line that would enable ShowCal Skiers to perform shows in front of Sunset Beach for Fiesta Day, Taco
Tuesdays and other special events.
The water park is in the conceptual stage, so residents are encouraged to provide input on what they would
like to see there. One Board member has suggested a long, cabana-style pier with lounge seating between the point and the water park.
As for the lighthouse itself, officials have listened to members’ comments with regard to the new Main Gate entrance. One of the concerns some members have ex- pressed is that the new entrance is going to look “too sterile.” In answer to that concern, officials have de- cided to put the restored lighthouse on the west side of the Main Gate, near the corner of Canyon Lake Dr. South and Railroad Canyon Rd.
Several real estate agents who have been privy to this decision like the idea, since the iconic lighthouse would draw the attention of passing motorists, alerting them to the fact that there is a real “lake community” in Southwest Riverside County. It also would provide a good landmark for guests who are looking for the entrance to the community.
Because the entire restoration process and mov- ing the lighthouse to the Main Gate will cost less than $800,000, this decision did not require a vote of mem- bers. Funds will come out of the Repair and Replace- ment Reserve, which already has money allocated for the lighthouse.
Editor’s Note: Anyone reading this far without calling a Board member is to be congratulated. Happy April Fool’s Day! To be absolutely clear, the above story is a prank. Nothing about it is true and, to our knowledge, the lighthouse is fine. We hope you enjoy a few other April Fool’s Day jokes sprinkled throughout this issue.
In the 1968 fall issue (Volume 1, Number 2) of the Canyon Lake News, a publication distributed periodically by the Corona Land Company, readers were told “Riverside County’s first lighthouse will be making its debut shortly in picturesque Holiday Bay." That makes the lighthouse nearly 50 years old.
PHOTO BY DONNA KUPKE