Pam's blog confirms the rumor: work party at the Henrys' place on saturday and sunday. I'll be there, and it sounds like PiGP will be too. Hope to see y'all there -- it would be a shame for Dawn & Fred to get the benefit of all our help-the-neighbors energy. But we wouldn't let that happen!
I must say, I've been really floored by the way the community has jumped in to help. It's like a barn-raising in Oklahoma (or is it Seven Brides for Seven Brothers?), except that it's a burn-razing.
On a completely different note, am I the only one who thinks there's something extremely fishy about the fact that the local teachers organization, Associated Pomona Teachers, has endorsed candidates for the school board even though the filing period hasn't even opened yet? And that's to say nothing of the fact that the lucky endorsees are Hank Mollet, Roberta Pearlman-Hensen, and Jason Rothman.
24 comments:
You're definitely not the only one out there who's suspicious! I'm trying to figure out who APT actually is.
A quick search found that they are a non-profit organization (it doesn't state what type of non-profit they are, usually 501(c)3's can't be involved in politics or endorse political candidates so . . .). And it seems that they are in some way affiliated with both the NEA (National Education Association) and the CTA (California Teacher's Association). Interesting since I'm pretty sure that neither organization endorses candidates this early in an election cycle, even before anyone knows who's running.
Yes, I'm suspicious.
endorsements huh?
*vomiting*
does anyone have the contact info for those displaced by the garden fire?
please email it to me
idrinklocalyoucantoo@yahoo.com
Tibbi, I think the Garden's business number is being forwarded to Dawn's mobile. Don't know about the Henrys -- you could always just stop by.
ok....i've got something for them all...i just need a little more time. keep an eye on my blog. you guys will all find out and it'll be good for everyone involved.
Greetings from Western University! We have many donated items for the Henrys and the Van Allens. We have some masks, non/disposible smocks, water, ice and some clothes. Where can we take these items too? Stay tuned, much more to come! XOXOX
Jason Rothman running for the school board? Would this be the twenty-something scion of Mayor Eliot Rothman?
Yes Joe, the one who's now on the city planning commission.
Yes the twenty something who was a radio DJ on Cal Poly's radio and claimed to be an anarchist for a while, who JUST graduated college i think in biology. He has no credentials. I'm disappointed that the Mayor is just trying to give his son a job. I can't believe he got the city planning commissioner job over all the other applicants who were WAY more qualified. such a disappointment.
APT is the duly recognized teacher's union and as a union they are exempt under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(5), which disallows the tax deductibility of contributions but permits them to endorse candidates. I'm the treasurer of a 501(c)(4) nonprofit and we endorse candidates as part of our mission all the time. We just can't spend the majority of our time on partisan or candidate-specific activity.
Rocki, any chance you can bring the supplies by the work site? If not, please send me an e-mail back channel and I can come by to pick them up. Excellent donation ideas, by the way!
My e-mail address is prideingarfieldpark at gmail.com.
thats pretty sick you guys. people lost their homes, we're coming together as a community, and the best thing you can come up with is who got endorsed by some teachers. for shame.
jim. life doesn't stop at tragedy, and although your comment is noted and relelvant. life does go on and those who have lost their homes have chose to keep on truckin' instead of mourning. the blogs are intended to inform, but they fail to inform if they reguritate the same news. we must keep abreast of situations at hand as well as deal with the present. we all multitask in this way- and bravo to everyone able to keep on the ball and still remain with eyes forward to the next obstacle.
be proactive yourself jim and ask what you can do to alleviate the problems at hand all while remaining aware of what lies ahead for the collective. no one can afford to have tunnlevision; and if you can- by all means, sir- you are lucky. if you are indeed helping- bravo to you sir, but i will ask you to also put your mind forward and to please refrain from inhibiting those that may or may not be passing you by.
Tibbi, wow! I think I need to beer imbibe more often. I'll second everything that Tibbi just said.
Jim, I'm sorry that M-M-M-My Pomona is too callous for your tender sensibilities, but there are several other fine Pomona blogs for you to read instead of this one, most of which are listed in the sidebar.
I'm with both of you.
This blog is so much more than just a response to the tragedy that we've seen in the past week. While it probably might have been better if meg had made a separate posting for the APT question (believe me I've made that mistake in the past), this is an open forum for anything Pomona.
Jim, I'm sorry that you had to read our other concerns, but we have them and ultimately, this blog is about all things Pomona.
Actually, John, I disagree with you about posting separately for the APT. A discrete post, with no nod to the Van Allens & Henrys, could be interpreted as neglectful ("Okay, that's over, let's move on"). It's important to keep our dear burn-outs in mind as we go on with the rest of our civic business; their needs are going to be ongoing for weeks and months, and I hope I speak for all of us when I say that we want to be there for them all the way. If they are a part of our community, then the sad event should not be gated off in some special place but should be with us in daily conversation.
As for the comment that got us all going, it has all the signs of being a troll (or BUI -- blogging under the influence). Regardless of the author's intentions, ignoring it is the best course of action, like all such comments.
Understood. My main thought was that a separate post focuses attention on one subject rather than having interspersed comments which might draw away from the main topic.
Again, I've been guilty of it and for much the same reasons as you suggest. Many of us might only read the most recent topic and when a new post comes up we want to get two ideas in that top position.
I didn't mean to come off sounding like a "troll", but it just struck as odd that that something like a school board race ranks up with people losing their houses in the same post. best of luck to all of you.
I meant no offense, but i was reading the Topix forum and it made me mad- that coupled with about 13 beers or so....
Everybody is a bloody critic- even we are. But we do something about it. I have very little patience for people who attempt to make me (us) feel guilty for doing what we do in an appropriate venue. And especially as the nonconformist I am- I cannot condone such opposition. Not without speaking up, at least.
Oh, snap!! *flips hair*
Sorry to keep plugging away at this post, but does anyone know how many Pomona families have been displaced by fires since this blog was started?
How many have ended up in a post?
So......blog about whatever you like. Include two thoughts if it makes you happy. For all I care, mention the Bush election of 2000 if it still bugs you. Who really cares!! This month it was a couple of houses near Lincoln Park. Next month, it might be a house in south Pomona.
This city is smothered by need and my only criticism of the blogs is that we don't have enough to acknowledge ALL of the happenings in Pomona.
All true, Ed. We write what we know, and we know what's nearby, for the most part. (I assume you're not calling for rote repetition of news on Pomona Now.)
The fact is, M-M-M-My Pomona could use more authors from outside the presidential parks. If anyone's interested, drop me a line!
Just FYI...
Robert Torres, son of Norma, is allgedly in the race too. He's 20and not a college graduate. Stay tuned!
I'll post from the south. not much positive goes on here though, so I'll try to stay positive
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