Just in time for summer fun, the master-planned community of Blackstone in the hills above Brea is celebrating the grand opening of the Blackstone Recreation Center with a summer barbecue on Saturday, June 18, from noon to 3 p.m.

Everyone who attends will enjoy a tasty lunch of barbecued hotdogs, served hot from the grill with potato chips and watermelon slices. Ice-cold bottled water, assorted sodas and lemonade will be on hand to quench their thirst, as well as homemade cookies and brownies for dessert.

As an added bonus, everyone who tours all four Blackstone neighborhoods – Jade, Sorano, Amber and Castillian – will be entered to win a $1,000 gift card to the Brea Mall that will enable them to purchase something fun for the summer.

The new recreation center will make every day a fun day for Blackstone residents. They

will be able to swim in a junior Olympic pool, relax in an invigorating spa, picnic and barbecue in a park-like setting and spend comfortable summer nights by an outdoor fireplace. And for youngsters, a wading pool and water activity center will be “splash” hits.

Leisure-time opportunities also extend to Blackstone’s six intimate pocket parks, including one with a tot lot, and a planned 14-acre Brea city park, where family fun will range from picnicking under a tree to playing at the tot lot. With a charming gazebo as its centerpiece, the park will also offer a variety of athletic pursuits, including baseball, basketball, tee ball and soccer. It will join 15 other community parks, including a popular sports park and a 12-acre historical park

Grand opening of Blackstone Recreation Center set for June 18 – featuring food and fun for the entire family

Blackstone residents will enjoy all of the exciting amenities at the new recreation center.

showcasing Brea’s rich heritage.

At Blackstone, recreation goes hand-in-hand with education, thanks to the top-rated schools of the Brea Olinda Unified School District*.

Based on their exceptionally high Academic Performance Index (API) scores,

all of the schools that Blackstone youngsters will attend, from kindergarten through high school, will provide them with an A+ education.

Children who live at three Blackstone neighborhoods – Sorano, Amber and Jade – will attend Olinda Elementary, a California Distinguished School which holds the highest API score in the district – 937 in 2010. They can also look forward to the state-of-the-art facilities at the school’s brand-new campus, which is under construction and set to open next year.

William E. Fanning Elementary, which children from Castillian at Blackstone will attend, is in the same league as Olinda Elementary with an API score of 889. After elementary school, parents in all four

See BLACKSTONE, page 86