M-M-M-My Pomona

CicLAvia could come to Pomona

2012-01-25T20:36:00.001-08:00

The Pomona Director of Public Works is inviting all "stakeholders" to join in a discussion next Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. regarding an "open streets" event, or ciclovia. The Los Angeles version is called CicLAvia. CicLAvias are great opportunities to bring communities together through eliminating car traffic for six to eight hours, while encouraging active transportation. The concept began in Bogata, Colombia, in 1976.

I've been to the Los Angeles event twice and it is a great event. The Pomona one would be on a smaller scale, as the Los Angeles event attracts people region-wide, up to 100,000 of them at once. My primary concern with the Los Angeles event is the fact that some bicyclists treat it as a raceway and not an opportunity for all human-powered uses, including skateboarders, pedestrians, and just people hanging out on the street, to use the additional space created. In other words, it's a linear park, not a bicycle freeway.

It is also great to see that leadership has changed in Pomona from the retrograde days of just six years ago, when City leaders flushed a million dollar bike lane down the drain due to neighborhood opposition and political opportunism. AB 32 and SB 375 have forced Californians to be more cognizant of greenhouse gas emissions, and include greenhouse gas reductions in planning and land use decisions. An attempt to suspend AB 32 failed miserably in 2010 so it is clear that planning for greenhouse gases will only grow in the future, and one of the most effective ways to reduce carbon emissions, increase public health, and reduce dependence on foreign oil is to provide environments where people can use active transportation for daily tasks. Even today Pomona just has one bike lane, on Hamilton Boulevard, while many of the streets in South Pomona and Phillips Ranch are excessively wide and could be restriped easily to add a bike lane.

The stakeholder meeting is on Tuesday, January 31st, at 6 pm at the Cal Poly Downtown Center. The consultant will have maps of proposed closed streets and other information for consideration.

Please RSVP to Maura Montellano at 909-620-2262 or via email at maura_montellano@ci.pomona.ca.us.

Human Trafficing Film at Fox

2012-01-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

I received an email from Nathan Neighbor of Mosaic Community who have an art gallery on Thomas Street and conduct weekly Church services at the Pomona Fox Theater on Sundays. I think that this may be of interest to some of you. Here's Nathan's message:

My name is Nathan Neighbour, and I work with the Mosaic community that meets in the Fox Theater each Sunday. Next Sunday, January 29th at 2pm we are hosting a community awareness event at The Fox around the issue of human trafficking, a huge problem in the Pomona Valley. Thousands of girls as young as age 12 are bought and sold in the sex trade industry right here in our city.

We will be screening a film called FLESH: Bought & Sold in the US and will have a panel of film makers and community leaders joining us (including the mayor and chief of police). The Fox has graciously partnered with us to make this event happen and get the word out to the community.

right here in river city!

2012-01-19T23:21:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I had to learn it from a Claremont friend, but apparently there's a Pomona pride (lower-case P, because I don't think it's the Prop. 8 kind of Pride) event this weekend -- including a performance by Flavor Flav. Take me back to my youth, Calgon!

Of course, looking at the poster, the misspelling of "amateur" jumps right out at me. Oh, Pomona, why must you always match every step forward with half a step back? Do we want the rest of the West Inland Empire thinking we can't spell? No we do not!

Do any of our fine readers know anything about Diamonds Love Foundation, the co-sponsor of the event?

I learned about this via Twitter. I'm wondering, how many Pomoniacs are on Twitter? I follow @pomonafeed and @tweetpomona (which mainly seems to tweet Pasadena)... Anybody else out there I should follow? [For what it's worth, I'm @mmwwah, but I don't tweet much about local matters, either SoCal or NorCal.]

Redistricting takes center stage

2012-01-17T01:13:00.000-08:00

In the span of 16 hours, key decisions will be made that will impact the lives of Pomona residents for the next ten years. This is about redistricting - the decennial redrawing of lines to ensure equitable distribution of population after each census. Redistricting impacts the representation that residents have, and on a greater scale determines whether communities of interest are kept together or are broken apart, and whether the rights of minorities are maintained or regressed. Poorly drawn districts can result in some areas being considered less than others and receiving fewer resources and attention from the elected official, or could invite extensive and costly litigation as attorneys for protected groups challenge the new lines.

At 5:30 pm on Tuesday, the Pomona City Council will meet to discuss council redistricting. The city staff has opted to handle it themselves, and not go into an outside consultant. Staff and the City Attorney have gamely identified 24 possible areas for moving populations and tried to shift them around to reduce deviation as much as possible. With the Phillips Ranch area, District 5 having the least population and North Pomona, District 6, with the greatest population, any district move would have a domino effect on the whole city. Unfortunately, due to poor scanning of the staff report, it is unclear where all these chess pieces will end up. Nevertheless areas near the boundaries of districts, such as Val Verde, Westmont, and Downtown Pomona could be at risk of moving to another district.

Critics of the staff-driven process say that it is not transparent where these considerations come from, that they have not allowed the community to express their preferences as to what they consider a community of interest is, and that they do not provide racial demographic information to ensure that protected ethnic groups are not adversely impacted by these moves, due to Voting Rights Act considerations (which are referred to in the staff report but subsequently not evaluated with respect to the new district proposal). Many cities with districts choose to go to one of the major providers in California of redistricting services - Matt Rexroad's Meridian Pacific, Paul Mitchell's Redistricting Partners, or Doug Johnson's National Demographics Corporation. Having the experience of doing many cities' redistricting helps greatly in understanding the key legal issues that, if not addressed, could result in extensive and costly litigation.

The next morning (Wednesday) at 8 a.m. the Three Valleys Water Board will discuss redistricting of its water district lines. The Water District has two proposals provided by Redistricting Partners that could radically shift the City-based lines of today into lines that do not match up with any water district lines or City lines. In particular, small portions of North Pomona could be disunited with the rest of the city under the "minimal changes" option, with the primary impact breaking Walnut up from one district into three. In "Option A", Claremont and South Pomona could be united in one district that would be extremely diverse in terms of demographics and water purveyors.

Again, there are issues of transparency as Redistricting Partners was selected without any indication of the selection process or how they were chosen. The public input on this has been minimal, with one resident comment and one comment from an elected official.

Everyone has a different perspective of their community. Some would like to see Downtown Pomona as part of one district, while others feel that as many council members as possible should share an interest in Downtown. Similarly, City lines may not be important for some people, and having South Pomona and Claremont in the same Water Board district may still be in a community of interest, being on the east end of the County line.

If you don't feel that your community is being kept whole, let your voices be heard. You can write to the members of the City Council here, and to the Three Valleys Municipal Water District at vhahn@tvmwd.com. You can also speak at the public hearing for the Three Valleys Municipal Water District in Claremont at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, or to the City Council at the Council Chambers during public comment some time after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

2012-01-11T23:28:00.000-08:00

Repertory Opera Company

Pomona’s Opera Company

presents Gaetano Donizetti's rousing comedy of disguise and deception: Don Pasquale, A Dramma buffo in three acts sung in Italian with English narration.

Brian Farrell at the piano.

Saturdays at 2 pm - February 4, 11 & 18

Wednesday, February 8 at 7 pm

Tickets are $30 for adults. Children $10.

Student Rush with ID $15 on Feb 4 & 8.

Performances are at First Christian Church, 1751 N. Park Ave, Pomona CA 91768

Continuing to bring quality opera performances to our community.

For more information go to www.repertoryoperacompany.org or call (909) 230-4949

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T15:38:00.000-08:00

As we've left 2011, we now have 2012 to look forward to. This should be an interesting year in our fair city.

Hopefully the city will move forward on a general plan and the specific plans for the various corridors. How will the elimination of the Redevelopment Agency affect this?

Moving into the new year the Friends of the Pomona Fox has a slate of programs through about May which will be announced as soon as dates are confirmed. The Opera Company has a season set, and the Fox and Glass House are continuing to book quality programs into our thriving downtown.

As always, Pomona Heritage will have its Home Tour in October, and other events as the year progresses and we've always got the downtown 2nd and 4th Saturday events to look forward to.

By May, we should be seeing a flurry of activity leaning toward our civic elections on November 6. Three council districts will be holding elections (the 1st --currently with Danielle Soto representing the area from Garey West to the city line and from the 10 Freeway south to 2nd Street; the 4th--currently with Paula Lantz representing the area from Garey East to the county line and from the 10 freeway south to 2nd Street; and the 6th--currently with Stephen Atcheley representing all of the city north of the 10 freeway; Mayor--currently Elliott Rothman, representing the entire city). Over half of the voting members of the council will be up for election. Sounds like a good time to let our voices be heard regarding what we expect for the next four years.

In addition, there will be at least 2 city items on the ballot with the initiative to restructure how council members are elected in the future, going away from voting limited to districts and expanded to elections for district council members being held on a city-wide basis; and the proposed charter amendments from the Charter Review Commission which completed its work last May. I'm sure there will be a number of posts on both of these issues of vital importance to the city's future.

So with visions of Trash Transfer stations in our past and civic elections in our future, let's hope that we have a good and productive year in Pomona.

Happy New Year!

A Busy Week in Pomona

2011-12-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

A reminder that Saturday is the Pomona Christmas Parade. The parade will begin at 2nd and Gibbs Streets in downtown Pomona and travel west on 2nd Street to Park Ave., where it will turn south to 8th Street.

This year's grand marshal is boxer "Sugar" Shane Mosley. This year's community heroes are the military veterans from all wars and eras. We will have veterans from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom as well as those who served in the all to brief periods between those wars. In addition there will be special color guards and military vehicles.

If you get a viewing spot near the community judging area at Thomas Plaza, there will also be a special presentation of colors and a 21 gun salute to the veterans, as well as play by play announcing as the units pass by. There are about 120 different units in the entire parade (including marching bands, equestrians, floats, dignitaries, and local civic organizations), with an estimated 2,000 individual participants.

The parade steps off at 10:00 am sharp and is expected to last about 2 hours. Bring a chair and come early to get a good seat.

Thursday will see a holiday party by the Pomona Valley Democratic Club at Sakira Ichi restaurant in the Mission Promenade center. Join other Democrats in enjoying some food, beverages, and what will surely be some lively conversation. Click on image at left to enlarge.

CONGRATULATIONS are in order for the passage of the Pomona Public Arts Policy at last Monday's council meeting. This important new ordinance will ensure that all future development will either have a public art element to it, or that the developer will contribute to an arts in public places fund for future arts projects in our public spaces (parks, highway medians, etc.).

The Pomona Cultural Arts Commission is to be lauded for their hard work over the past three+ years to shepherd this legislation through and to create a viable public arts policy for the enhancement of the entire city.

I'd like to with everyone who reads this blog the Happiest of Holidays. I'm sure that we'll have a lot more lively debate in 2012 as we face municipal elections in November and (as noted by CalWatch) possible redistricting for Pomona's council districts by June. As well as other things that will come up in the interim.

shabby shenanigans -- not ours

2011-11-29T08:32:00.000-08:00

I imagine we're all disappointed in city politics to one extent or another, but at least we're not San Fernando. At first glance, this article in LA Observed outlining the city's woes is more amusing (in a Gomer Pyle, "Well, gaaaaaah-leeee!" way) than anything else, but then I got to thinking about what that situation must mean for the city. What a hot mess. I feel sure that dear old Pomona would not and could not sink that low.

Now that I've said that, please, Pomona, don't take it as a challenge!

Pomona City Council redistricting possibilities

2011-11-19T16:37:00.001-08:00

In so many words, the folks in Phillips Ranch and Westmont are being overrepresented, while people in North Pomona and Northeast Pomona are getting less representation. The "ideal" district population (population of city divided by number of districts) is 24,843, and District 5, where Phillips Ranch and Westmont are, has only 20,354 people, while North Pomona has 27,115 people.

In typical bureaucrat form, City staff gives the Council an option of maintaining the existing districts, using the excuse that because of foreclosures in District 5, "changing district boundaries at this time would likely create future inequality". However, this reason is hollow since the number of foreclosures in District 5 are not likely to be worse than the rest of Pomona. A 18.07% deviation from the ideal population is very high and would violate the U.S. Constitution, which calls for "one person, one vote", as determined in Reynolds vs. Sims. Keeping existing districts would invite a legal challenge from those in North and Northeast Pomona who feel underrepresented. Such legal costs would likely dwarf the several thousand necessary to draw properly apportioned districts.

In addition, since District 5 is considered more affluent and less Hispanic than the other districts (demographically speaking), maintaining the existing district lines could cause problems with the Voting Rights Act, which states that minority groups should have an opportunity to vote for candidates of their own choosing. Incidentally, Phillips Ranch also has a higher than average Asian American population, and it could be argued that by diluting the district, it lessens the ability for Asians to elect a candidate of their own choosing. The City went to district elections partly because of Voting Rights Act concerns. Other cities have had malapportioned districts as well for some time (Bradbury is a recent example) but it is less of an issue since there are not significant numbers of minority groups that are protected by the Voting Rights Act. This will also affect the ballot initiative by Vernon Price which is proposing to return to at-large elections of candidates who live in individual districts, but may require Voting Rights Act analysis if passed to ensure that Caucasians, Asians, and African Americans have the opportunity to select candidates of their choosing.

However, the current districts correspond with major arterials and easily identifiable neighborhoods. One common complaint is that the current districts split up the Downtown area, but some argue that splitting up Downtown is fine since more councilmembers have a stake in Downtown. Also, District 6 is compact in that it includes all residents north of the 10 freeway. Any redistricting would likely eliminate that - the most obvious way to redistrict District 6 without breaking up neighborhoods is to move the Val Verde neighborhood into District 1 (as part of a compound move that shifts all of Pomona west of the 71 freeway into District 5), but Stephen Atchley lives in Val Verde. It is very unlikely that any redistricting would pass that ousts any sitting councilmember from their seat.

Another possible redistricting could include shifting District 5 north to the Kellogg Park neighborhood and the area around Ganesha High School (Valwood Estates), District 1 north to cover Wilton Heights (while keeping the Fairplex in District 6, allowing for Val Verde and Stephen Atchley to continue to represent that district), and District 3 to come up along Indian Hill to cover the eastern flank of the city. Either way, the citizen voting age population by ethnic group will need to be checked to ensure that minority voting power is not substantially modified.

See the City staff report here. And if you want to do your own redistricting, Dave's Redistricting Application is an example of a basic web-based redistricting application that includes Census block groups. With the City's legal bills mounting with the Avila lawsuit, trash station theater, and other issues, I would doubt that the City Attorney would recommend to invite more legal troubles. But you never know.

strategic gluttony for the win

2011-11-18T09:54:00.000-08:00

Just because I'm 367 miles from Pomona doesn't mean I've changed my reading habits. And that includes the pseudo-blog (pseudo because it's actually professional, unlike any blog I've ever been involved with) LA Observed. And today's LA Observed points us to an amazing work of, yes, scholarship:

Sarah at The Delicious Life made a spreadsheet of all of Jonathan Gold's Essential 99 annual columns. It is a thing of wonderment.

Now, I realize that not all of y'all can get outside of our little corner of the West Inland Empire very often, and not all of y'all are big foodies, but surely some of you are and will appreciate this -- or maybe even make use of it. Pasadena is fairly well represented on the list, and most everyone I know ends up having to go to Pasadena at some point.

(BTW, I'll point out that one of the restaurants booted from the Essential 99 list, Zelo Pizza in Arcadia, is just as good as it always was. Meg-Bob and K-Bob say, Check it out!)

Claim for damages

2011-11-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

20111101_091101_Avila_claim

Maltese Falcon--Sunday at 2:00 pm

2011-11-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

Sunday Nov. 13
The Maltese Falcon

Friends of the Pomona Fox in association with the Pomona Big Read
THIS Sunday, November 13

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Maltese Falcon

Doors open at 1:00 pm -- Film Screens at 2:00 pm

1941 Directed by John Huston. Starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Elisha Cook, Jr., Gladys George, Barton McLane, and Lee Patrick.

TICKETS: Adults $5, Children $3

The Maltese Falcon is considered a classic of the Film Noir genre. With a screenplay by director John Huston, based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett, the film tells the story of hard-boiled detect, played to perfection by Humphrey Bogart, in search of the elusive black bird, "The stuff that dreams are made of." For the past year the citizens of Pomona have been encouraged to read the same book, The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett.

The Big Read program is put on by the Pomona Public Library with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. This screening of the classic 1941 film is the culmination of a month of events inspired by the book. A murder mystery dinner, a trivia contest, a Chalk Art contest are but some of the events of Pomona's Big Read program. The program has included discussions by individuals who have been associated with detective literature including authors Denise Hamilton, Judith Freeman, Tom Nolan, Patt Morrison, Hector Tobar, and Gary Phillips, as well as Hammett's Granddaughter, Julie Rivett.

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

Discussion following the film with Denise Hamilton author of Los Angeles Noir, Los Angeles Noir 2, and her latest Damage Control. Denise will discuss the impact of authors like Hammett on the detective film and the Noir genre in particular. Denise will also be available to sign her books. Books will be available for purchase. Sorry, not credit cards (there is an ATM in the theater lobby)

Thanks to our Sponsors for helping to make this program possible:

Food and Beverages at the Pomona Fox

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friends of the Pomona Fox operates a concession stand at all of our programs which provides a selection of Popcorn, cold sodas, and candy favorites. For more "Adult" options, Drink, the bar just off the theater lobby, will be open with a full-service bar and a menu of tapas items all of which can be taken into the theater for your enjoyment.

After the Movie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We invite you to head to any of the fine establishments in our downtown area, including our sponsor, dba256 Wine Bar as well as 2nd on Second Street Bistro, Vive, Joey's BBQ, Fox Sports Bar. For more information on the amenities in Downtown Pomona, visit the DPOA's web site, MetroPomona.com Please walk around our historic downtown.

What do you make of this?...

2011-11-07T10:02:00.000-08:00

The following request for support appeared in my inbox last night. I find it upsetting for many reasons, in particular: the assumption PD must have done something wrong, the expectation that people would blindly protest something they don't (can't) have any real information about, and the scattered, illogical narrative. What do you make of this?...

On 11/6/2011 8:37 PM, [name removed] wrote:

The family of Andres Avila, a 26 year old student and activist at Mt. SAC was shot and killed by Pomona Police on October 16th at 8:40 am. The family says he was asleep in his car with his girlfriend when he was approached and shot by a Pomona police officer. The family was not contacted for several hours after the shooting. Witnesses said that the officer who shot Andres was the same officer that Andres had filed a complaint against for use of excessive force in early July when the officer used a taser on Andres while he was handcuffed on the ground. The official police comment was that Andres was being uncooperative, and therefore he was shot and killed.

Tomorrow evening, Monday November 7th at Pomona City Hall the family of Andres will be speaking at the city hall meeting, asking for an investigation into Andres' death by a neutral party. They will be putting pressure on the Pomona Police Dept. and attempting to garner support for Andres to prevent the incident from being swept under the rug.

The family is asking for support at the city hall council meeting TOMORROW NOV 7th at 6PM. If there is not sufficient support, the investigation will most likely be dropped. Please Please Please let me know if you can go to support the family and please forward this email widely. Pomona City Hall is located at the corner of Garey and Mission in pomona.

We need to support our local community. Thank you

Rod Gilfry sings locally

2011-11-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

Our local boy turned World Class performer is giving a concert in Claremont. Here's a chance to see him before he whirls off again to Paris and Dallas. He will present a romantic, humorous, family-friendly concert with New York music director Christopher Denny, that includes opera, standards, songs from classic musicals and much more!"

You can get more info at www.claremontfoundation.org/index.cfm .

Proceeds will support CCF’s 2012 Community Impact and Arts grants programs in the local area.

See you there?

LizBeth

Joe Romero update

2011-11-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

Good news, everyone! (That's for the Futurama fans out there.)

Joe Romero's sister wrote me this morning with an update about his recovery from his stroke. She writes:

He is currently at Country Oaks Care Center in Pomona (recovering slowly, but recovering....). Here is his mailing address; he is so cheered by knowing he is not forgotten!

Joe Romero
8 Village Loop Rd
Suite D, #205
Pomona, CA 91766

I made sure to get her permission -- and she got Joe's permission -- to print his address here. I'm sure he'd love to get cards from well-wishers!

She added that we were welcome to contact her with questions, and I propose posting them here. If she's not reading the blog, then I'll forward them to her.

Go, Joe!

liberry closure?

2011-10-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

Word on the street is that the public library will be closed this saturday "for an event." This "event" may well be the Nazi rally planned -- the thinking being that the fewer people near City Hall, the better all round (which makes sense to me).

This is just through the grapevine, though. If any of you more-knowledgeable folks can confirm or deny, I'm sure we'd all like to know. In any case, make sure and call before you head down to the library on saturday!

The pic of the library, btw, is from a postcard, which I found on sale online for three whole dollars, via an image search on "Pomona public library." Unfortunately, all the sales material actually says "Pamona." Dang, I hate that.

wzup?

2011-10-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

Calwatch and sgvscanner both tweeted last night about some kind of police-related excitement south of Emerson Middle School. Anybody know what happened? The Daily Bulletin's only coverage of our fair town involves further belt-tightening at City Hall (sigh).

locoblogging

2011-10-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, K. and I are moving north, to San Jose (don't worry, M-M-M-My Pomona isn't going anywhere!). I have accordingly been browsing around SJ blogs, to see what the blogging scene is like up there (and yes, I'm considering starting up a M-M-M-My San Jose, although I'll certainly need a catchier name -- suggestions welcome).

San Jose has a few more blogs than Pomona does, although not by much -- which is impressive given that their population is 946,000 and ours is a mere 149,000, according to the 2010 census. One of those blogs is particularly interesting. It consists of open threads in which anybody can post comments -- which are limited to 77 words and are all in verse. The effect is a public poetry wall about the city. Don't you think we need something like that? Pomona doesn't have a lot going for it -- or so it seems sometimes -- but creativity is something have by the bargeload.

I then got to wondering, as one does, about why 77 words. Why not 79 or 67? Dinking around on the web, it looks like 77 words is some kind of meme, but it's not definable enough to locate an explanation or source. Wikipedia is no help. Can anyone cast more light on the question?

never mind the barricades

2011-10-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

If you follow sgvscanner on Twitter* or read the San Gabriel Tribune, you already know this, but the US Nazi party is planning a rally in front of City Hall next Saturday. You'll recall they pulled a similar prank last year in Claremont.

The widely-agreed-upon response is to counterdemonstrate -- to let them know that their views are unacceptable. But I'm of a different mind, myself. I prefer to ignore their little antics, to get across the message that they are beneath our notice (as they are). By all means, have ample police on hand (not just for public safety but also to convey the idea that they are a menace thereunto), but let the civilians keep calm and carry on.

Mind you, this isn't a blanket opinion; crackpot movements should be loudly and publicly objected to when they start to take hold. (If only I'd been alive in the run up to 1919, I would have demonstrated against Prohibition at the top of my lungs!) But enacting the battle plan at this point against the Nazis -- esp. in Pomona -- is just giving them delusions, to say nothing of catering to their fondest wishes. After all, you don't see them marching in [fill in the blank with a town known for its vile ethnic opinions].

*How many of M-M-M-My Pomona's fine readers are on Twitter too? I recommend the aforementioned @sgvscanner, and our own @calwatch is to be found there too. You can even read my own bleatings -- rarely about Pomona -- at @mmwwah. Any other suggestions of tweeting Pomoniacs?

this, that, and the other

2011-10-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

Why am I not surprised that the mj dispensary closed down yesterday was connected with Jason Abboud?

I was downtown yesterday, and a friend who is a business owner told me that the city is going ahead with the plan to put in parking meters everywhere and upping the amount charged for resident parking, all in order to fund a new parking garage for Western. Frankly, this sounds like it's going to seriously injure the fragile ecosystem of our wonderful downtown. So sad.

Finally, Blogger just now informed me of some old comments held as spam -- even though I check the spam folder regularly. For those of you wondering where the hell that comment went, blame Blogger. And for those of you who are wondering why there are brand-new comments from a year ago -- well, blame Blogger!

Trash station theater

2011-10-13T01:27:00.000-07:00

It's a classic kabuki theater in five parts... and the second act is ongoing as the Planning Commission just continued their meeting on the proposed Pomona Valley Transfer Station to October 26 at a time after 7:00 p.m. I tweeted the last hour of the meeting when I got there.

The first act in kabuki is to introduce the players - Valley Vista Services, owned by regional power player and Mayor of the City of Industry, David Perez, coming into town promising jobs and a way to respinsibly handle the region's trash without putting them on trucks to the Puente Hills landfill, and the surrounding community, organized successfully by education and faith leaders concerned about economic, environmental, and health impacts of the station. Add the wrinkle that the expansion of the city's existing trash station was stopped through a lawsuit filed by a "Coalition for Environmental Justice"... which mysteriously has decided to support the 9th Street proposal. Of course, the owners of the existing trash station have gone on record opposing the new station, miffed that the City Council rejected not just their project, but failed to certify their Final Environmental Impact Report - unprecedented in the City of Pomona and may be unprecedented countywide (you can certify the EIR without approving the project). Not that there isn't a legal grudge match between the two already.

Now comes the second act and the Planning Commission. You have the players on the dais - some earnest in trying to keep order and civility like Denton Mosier, some with pointed but relevant questions like Arturo Jimenez, and others who apparently return barbs from the audience like Robert Torres. Others grouse about the time this is taking, but they are not going to abdicate their position from the throne - not now.

Also in the foreground are the community members gamely taking their three minutes - and then some - to express any and all of their concerns about the project. Some use the EIR as a jumping point to raise health concerns (all documented in the EIR, and correctly described as requiring a Statement of Overriding Considerations to overrule), others raise image concerns (never mind the fact that Santa Monica, Downey, and Beverly Hills all have them), a few raise questions of statistical validity and disparate impacts to minority communities, and others speak from a position of passion and emotion about the impact of corporations and outsiders on their community that they have lived and worked in for many years. Surprisingly absent are those who support the project, but in reality at this stage their participation is optional.

In the background are the attorneys, who have insisted that the second act last multiple days, other items be damned - because the lawsuit about expanding the existing trash station (described above) questioned the judgment of unpaid commissioners making decisions at 3 am in the morning. Therefore, in order to preserve the rights to end this play at a date certain, each act must also close on a date and time certain. So the meeting ends at 11 pm because the Brown Act said so, and they put the time on the agenda so that they couldn't be sued about accessibility to the public in the future. And so the participants must trudge to each recitation again and again. A decision will be made - what it is will be irrelevant, because then we move to the third act.

The third act is the inevitable appeal to the City Council. Anyone can appeal, and the proponents having spent thousands of dollars on environmental documents will certainly do so. And the opponents, having at least one sympathetic council member, will also do so. The appeal will be scheduled on a Monday evening. Hundreds of people will speak up against the project. The supporters, feeling that this will be the final decision maker, will suddenly rise up and demand to be heard themselves. They'll wear hardhats promising high paying construction jobs, and state that the increase in traffic on local streets will be negligible, and tout their commitment to green construction practices and green transportation methods. They'll come up with economic studies showing the impact of the project, and regional power players will show up to lend their weight, in front of the microphone and behind the scenes.

And because of the attorneys, and the number of players, this will continue - night after night. (If it doesn't, one from the audience will surely object that they had to get up at 6 am to work the next day, or they're a student who is violating the city curfew ordinance by watching government in action, or complain that a good decision was never made at 3 am in the morning. And they might be right.)

Each one of the seven council members on the dais will also speak their peace. A vote will be taken. Each member will make their own calculation to support or deny, based on the evidence printed, testimony provided, and future positions desired. It will likely be 4-2 or 4-3 (depending on whether they can rule Stephen Atchley, by virtue of his investments in the waste handling industry, has an ability to participate).

And regardless of the decision, we move on to Act Four. This becomes a campaign issue in the 2012 elections. The pro trash station side will attract contributions from throughout the region, showing that Pomona is a business friendly community that respects private property rights. The anti trash station side will have their boots on the ground, their union labor, and the respect afforded to leaders in faith communities. Recall papers are filed and served, mailers are delivered to homes, doors are knocked upon. Attorneys are hired and lawsuits served. Maybe even a ballot measure or two gets added. The necessary pitched battle occurs.

The fifth act is "always short, providing a quick and satisfying conclusion." Either the trash station opens, the people that can move move, and more affordable housing is added to the city. Or the trash station doesn't open, and David Perez waves the white flag and expands his existing facility, handling our region's needs while adding more trucks onto the Pomona Freeway. Just like with the original MRF facility in the early 2000's, or the casinos in the 90's, life goes on - until the next controversy.

say it ain't so, Joe!

2011-09-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

Anon. posted in a comment on the last post news that I thought you'd all want to know: Our own Joe Romero -- former police chief and lifelong Pomoniac -- suffered a stroke and is hospitalized. We here at M-M-M-My Pomona wish him a speedy and complete recovery, and we invite you all to post any updates you might have in the comments.

I can't remember the exact GI Joe battle cry... wasn't it something like "Yo, Joe!" Anyway, as the Quakers say, I am holding Joe Romero in the light until I hear he's out of the woods.

singing a different tune

2011-09-29T23:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not deeply involved in the issue, but I could not help but roll my eyes when I read in the DB that last night's trash transfer station meeting ended at 11pm without the public having an opportunity to speak. Am I the only one wincing? I sure hope not.

2011-09-22T06:33:00.000-07:00

Repertory Opera Company, Pomona's Opera Company,
launches its third season in Pomona with Verdi's stirring masterpiece, Il Trovatore.

Saturdays, October 1, 8 and 15 at 2 pm; and
Wednesday, October 5 at 7 pm.

Performances are at First Christian Church; 1751 N. Park Ave, Pomona, CA 91768

Verdi's Il Trovatore is an opera that defines what opera is. Find out why it's been hot since it debuted in 1853! Consuming love, consuming revenge, fear and obsession bring us the hits (think, Anvil Chorus) that opera is famous for. Be there for the magic!

Wildly popular since its first performance, Il Trovatore's music entertain you with gloriously rich melodies and thrilling coloratura cadenzas. It features one of the most spectacular tenor arias ever written, fiery and dramatic solos for the mezzo-soprano and a couple of Verdi's signature, achingly beautiful baritone arias. Not to mention the famous Anvil Chorus, sung by the gypsies around the campfire. The music throughout communicates intense emotions, vulnerability, self-sacrificial love and passionate ardor.

Tickets are $30
www.repertoryoperacompany.org
(909) 230-4949

with Brian Farrell on the piano
This production is double cast:

Coril Prochnow and Lindsay Feldmeth as Leonora;
James Salazar and Steve Moritsugu as Manrico;
Debbie Dey and LizBeth Lucca as Azucena;
Raul Matas as the Count di Luna;
Sean Hughes and Mark Palmer as Ferrando;
Eddie Sayles and Jonathan Tran as Ruiz
Lawren Donahue and Rachel Payne as Inez

www.repertoryoperacompany.org

Opera Cafe Monday Night

2011-09-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

Repertory Opera Company is restarting OPERA NIGHT in downtown Pomona. The new owners at 2nd on Second St. An American Bistro are now hosting this entertainment tradition on the second Monday of every month.

So this Monday, September 12, bring your appetites and your toes for tappin', because the amazing singers from Repertory Opera Company will sing their hearts out with your supper.

Albert is promising a great meatball for a pasta buffet with spaghetti and meatballs, vegetable garlic bread, salad, tea and lemonade. All this for $20 plus tax and tip. You can make reservations by calling Repertory Opera Company at (909) 230-4949. If you would like to be put on the mailing list for these musical evening, email LizBeth at lizbethlucca@gmail.com.

More music!

Rebel Without A Cause & Car Show

2011-08-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

Sunday, August 28

Friends of the Pomona Fox
presents a Vintage Car Show and Screening of:

Rebel Without A Cause

Car Show starts at 1:00 pm
Directly across the street from the theater

Doors open at 2:00 pm, Film Screens at 3:00 pm

No Sopranos or Tenors Allowed!

2011-06-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 2 at 5 pm
ROC is presenting a most unique concert

The Manly Men of Opera!

Its rare to have even two basses in a concert. Here we have gathered eight of the richest, deepest, smoothest bass voices and presented them in one extravaganza.

For tickets or more information go to
www.repertoryoperacompany.org

Charter Review Commission OVER

2011-05-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

The Pomona Charter Review Commission completed its work on May 23 and submitted their final report to the city clerk on May 26. The commission has now been disbanded per the current charter. I've done a complete rundown on the proposed charter amendments on the Eye On Pomona blog. Unfortunately, they don't allow commenting, but I'll certainly read any comments posted here or on the Eye On Pomona Facebook page.

I promised myself that I'd try to keep my posts on this blog social or at least short so as not to move this blog too much into a political diatribe. So I'd like to use this space (thanks Meg) to acknowledge the work of my fellow commissioners.

Co-Chairs Eunice Russell and Lucille Lyons (and Victor Caseres who was replaced after the District 5 election) who, somehow, managed to keep a semblance or order when everyone had an opinion and wanted desperately to express it. And to Celia Gomez, Frank Delgado, Carlos Goytia, Arturo Jimenez, Debra Martin, Veronica Michalowski, John Nolte, Jerry Perez, Julie-Roberts-Fronk, Bernardo Rosa, Luis Rosales, De'Andre Valencia, and Ed Simian (also replaced after the District 5 election). They all contributed greatly to the final document. While we didn't always see eye-to-eye on every issue, we were all respectful of each others opinions and in the end we did a job that I wasn't sure could be done by a 15-member commission.

And lastly I'd like to thank the city staffers who help guide us through the process, Assistant City Manager Mark Gluba, City Clerk Marie Macias (along with her assistants), and Assistant City Attorney Andrew Jared.

The next step is to convince the voters to approve our hard work in November 2012. I look forward to working with many of my colleagues to see that it happens.

Thank you all for the wonderful experience.

Garden Party

2011-05-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

Center Street Community Garden Party!
Come and join us in celebrating the second year of the Center Street Community Garden!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
drop by between 10AM and 2PM
Corner of Center and Gibbs in Pomona
(across the street from First Pres Church at 401 N. Gibbs Ave.)

Rent a plot today, start planting tomorrow!
Free packet of seeds to every new plot holder!
Learn how to prepare food from your own plot!
Free snacks made from garden vegetables!
Children's garden project! Take it home and watch it grow!
Take a tour and learn how you can get involved!

Co-sponsored by Pomona Hope and First Presbyterian Church of Pomona
For more info: 909-622-1542 or info@pomonahope.org

Sunday's Movie Cancelled

2011-05-09T14:58:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, there was an unforseen scheduling problem with Sunday's screening of West Side Story. We hope to reschedule it in the very near future. Both Friends of the Pomona Fox and Pomona Fox Theater apologize to anyone whom this may have inconvenienced. We hope to see you soon at one of our future screenings. The next scheduled screening is Selma Heyak in Frida, on Saturday, July 9. Check www.pomonafox.org for more information.

The concert on Sunday evening which caused the conflict is TV on the Radio. We hope those who are interested in this program will support the Fox.

2011-04-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Picture from last night's rehearsal of La Boheme. Musetta is trying to get rid of her old sugar daddy Alcindoro by telling him her shoe is broken. Once he takes her shoe off and goes to get it repaired, she can run off with the poor painter Marcello, her on again off again lover. Our other two lovers, Rodolfo and Mimi watch as do the other diners at Cafe Momus.

Hope you can come see the full production! www.repertoryoperacompany.org

It Opera Time!

2011-04-22T00:25:00.000-07:00

Ethics

2011-04-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

[eth-iks]
–plural noun
1. (used with a singular or plural verb ) a system of moral principles: the ethics of a culture.
2. the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.: medical ethics; Christian ethics.
3. moral principles, as of an individual: His ethics forbade betrayal of a confidence.
4. (usually used with a singular verb ) that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.

We now know, thanks to Pomona's own Xavier Alvarez, that lying is perfectly legal and a part of our first amendment rights. But it is absolutely, by all reasonable standards, unethical. This is what separates ethics from law.

As those of you who have read my posts in the past are aware, I've been championing the formation of an Ethics Commission as a member of the city of Pomona's Charter Review Commission. At the last meeting where this was discussed, March 16, there were numerous questions by the Deputy City Attorney who felt that the way that the proposed charter amendment was worded, it would cause problems. In addition, there were also questions of the cost of such a commission at a time when the city is facing a fiscal crisis.

On Wednesday, the item will once again be presented. This will be a significantly altered version which addresses both the issues of concern from the City Attorney's office, but also as to costs as well. I've added the rewritten item at the bottom of this post and it can also be read (along with the other items on Wednesday's agenda) on the city's web site.

It has been somewhat disheartening that there has been little public reaction to the idea. While there have been numerous letters and public speakers for the idea of a Police Commission and for inclusion of language in the charter for the Pomona Youth and Family Master Plan, only one speaker, Jorge Grajeda, thus far has addressed ethics. I hope that this is not indicative of a malaise in the city regarding ethical conduct of the city council, city commissioners, city staff, and others who represent our interests as a city.

What the new version does is takes out anything that would automatically incur costs to the city beyond the formation of an Ethics Commission. There is no requirement for staff for the commission, nor are the duties of the commission spelled out, except for the primary duty of creating a city Code of Ethics. It is the intent that such a commission would then create its role in how the code is to be administered.

While we pulled much of the original amendment language from the city of San Diego's ethics commission, the Deputy City Attorney argued that, while San Diego has it on their books, that doesn't particularly make it legal. So if you see something here that was changed, it was probably because the lawyers felt that it was unenforceable or would be challenged.

With the daily revelations of shenanigans in Upland, Montebello, San Bernardino County, etc., I feel strongly that we need to create an environment for our officials and city that encourages people to do the right thing. A code of ethics would spell out what the right thing is. Not the "legal" right thing, but the ethical right thing. I've heard ethical behavior described as "doing the right thing even when doing the wrong thing is perfectly legal, because it is the right thing.

I hope to see some of you on Wednesday in the small chambers just to the south of the council chambers. If you can't make it, you can submit your opinion to the commission by emailing to the city clerk. She will make sure the commission gets your thoughts.

Free swim lessons

2011-03-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

The Pomona YMCA free swimming lessons available for children ages 3 to 14 during next week's Spring Break. The lessons will last one hour each day, Monday through Friday;sessions are available throughout the day. To sign up, you must call the YMCA by THIS Wednesday (March 30th). Call the YMCA at 909-623-6433 to get more details on the free swim lessons (the lessons are paid for by a grant from State Farm).

Marine Corps Combat Center Band at Garey HS

2011-03-23T23:24:00.000-07:00

The Marine Corps Combat Center Band will perform this weekend at Garey High School.

Here are the details:

Saturday, March 26
6:30 PM
Garey High School Gymnasium
321 W. Lexington Avenue
Pomona, CA 91766

The Japanese Disaster: a Primer for the Public on Geophysics and Radioactivity

2011-03-23T13:33:00.001-07:00

In case you're interested...

The Japanese Disaster: a Primer for the Public on Geophysics and Radioactivity

Geophysicist Greg Lyzenga will describe the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami, and explain why earthquakes of magnitude 9 cannot happen in Southern California. Physicist Peter Saeta will discuss the basics of nuclear power and the challenges facing the Japanese as they seek to regain control of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Harvey Mudd College, Galileo-McAlister, Friday, March 25 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm. Free and open to the public.

Charter Review--ETHICS

2011-03-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

The Pomona Charter Review Commission (CRC) will be meeting once again on Wednesday, March 16 at 6:30 pm in the small chambers next to the Council Chambers (just to the south). Slated for discussion will be changes to, Article XIV (Ethics) the subject of this post, Article II (boundaries of the council districts), Article X (Financial Procedures), and Article XVII (final changes on Charter Review Commission passed by the commission). Under new business (if we can get to it) are final reports on Article III (City Powers, a proposal to add the Youth and Family Master Plan language to the charter), Article IV (final approval of amended proposal from last meeting), Article VI (approval of a one word change), and Article VII (no recommended changes). A report by the subcommittee looking at a Police Commission has not yet been presented so is not on the agenda for this meeting.

The work of the commission must be completed by early May to conform to the time limit of one year as specified in the current charter. It is hoped that a draft proposal will be ready by mid-April for presentation to the City Council for their input (NOT approval, as the council has no inherent power to make changes to the work of the CRC).

ETHICS

For me personally, this is a very important part of the proposed changes to the charter. This item was one of the main reasons that I wanted to be part of the Charter Review Process.

Ethics is on everyone's lips today. Whether it's the city of Bell, the actions of the mayor of Upland, the various scandals that have been taking place in San Bernardino County and elsewhere, the public has lost confidence in its elected leaders. It is time to insist that our elected officials act in the best interest of the citizens they serve.

The city of Pomona currently does not have its own code of ethics. It routinely adopts the state code which is, in my opinion, the lowest common denominator for ethical behavior. It covers such things as conflicts of interest and, since the Bell scandals, how compensation is figured. But it doesn't go far enough. Our current charter, has additional conflicts of interest language concerning those who are running for office.

Below is the proposed changes to the City Charter that came out of the subcommittee. I'm proud to say that I had a role in drafting this proposal. One of the main things that this proposal doesn't do, is to try and define what ethics are. It leaves that up to a commission, to be formed, whose sole purpose is to create a citywide code of ethics (covering not only elected officials but city workers as well). It is our hope that a commission who are dedicated to defining and enforcing ethics is what our city desparately needs.

Please take a look at the proposal, and if you having any comments on it, either leave them here, OR better yet, come to the meeting on Wednesday and let your voice be heard.

If the document below doesn't work for you, you can view it at my personal web site at: http://www.johncliffordgraphics.com/uploads/3-16-11%20Item%205A.pdf. Or on the city's web site at: http://public-records.ci.pomona.ca.us/WebLink8/browse.aspx?startid=22091&&dbid=0.

Council Meeting Tonight

2011-02-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like a very full agenda tonight. Unfortunately, I have a previous commitment which takes me out of town this evening. However, there are a few items of interest that everyone should be aware of:

First off, there is a special meeting at 4:00 pm when the council will get a presentation on the fight by most cities to save their redevelopment agencies. My personal take on this issue is that the city is cutting funding right and left and yet there is still funding, because of redevelopment money, to give money to developers. Right now Pomona is actually at a disadvantage in the RDA situation. Our RDA, because we haven't had any major developments to increase our tax increments, doesn't have the funding that a city like Ontario has. So, right now Ontario can offer developers a lot more in funding and "concessions." Perhaps, deleting RDAs from every city might re-level the playing field? Note that item 6 on the regular agenda has the city writing off 3/4 of a million dollars owed to the RDA.

One of the things that I'd be all over if I were to attend the meeting is item 12 ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A `CONTRACTING FOR SERVICES' POLICY. This is how the city has decided it's going to operate, to outsource everything and let private industries take our tax money to provide services. Will we see savings in all cases? I find it hard to believe that "profit motivated" private industry can provide a service, in most cases, for a cost lower than we can ourselves. In the reports section of the meeting documents online, there is a report on our current outsourcing and evaluation. I'd certainly love to know if the citizens agree with some of the report's conclusions. (Click Here for Report) I'll probably write more on this later.

Item 16 is a review of Angelo's Pizza's Conditional Use Permit (CUP). Mr. Aboud has refused to sign a certificate that he will abide by the current CUP. While I feel that Angelo's has in the past year not had the kind of issues that lead up to previous modification of the CUP, he has not lived up to the CUP either. While his current modified CUP (MCUP) only allows beer and wine sales, I've heard that he is selling hard liquor. However, it appears that it may be a little different. According to a police report as part of the council report (Click Here) starting on page 24, undercover officers ordered a whiskey and coke, which they were given. When they went back in uniform and retrieved the bottle of "whiskey" they found that it was actually an orange-based wine drink (12% alcohol). So while they may be following the "letter of the law," they're dishonest with their customers. There were also bottles labeled Gin which were likewise wine beverages. In addition, they are sometimes operating the facility as a nightclub and not serving food which is another violation of the MCUP. How can we continue to allow someone to skirt the laws and treat the city and its citizens with such disrespect?

Finally, it looks like staff is still studying the issue of the proposed business park at Fairplex which would convert 20 of the stables to offices and a self-storage facility. Another eating away of the fairgrounds to commercial development as we've seen with the hotel and convention center. At what point will we actually have a fairgrounds? Are fairgrounds important to the city? What of the historic nature of the stables? A lot of questions to consider.

Continue the calendar?

2011-02-19T20:31:00.000-08:00

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Pomona Events Google calendar, I find myself contemplating whether its continuation is worth the effort.

The original plan was to create a visible, easy-to-use tool for people to find all the rockin' events folks in our city organize. This goal has been partially realized: local bloggers embedded the calendar feed into their blogs, people mention every now and again that they look to the calendar for activity ideas, and some of the many people/organizations who have been invited to post their events do just that. That said, I know a bunch of great events don't make it onto the calendar.

I had put in a good deal of effort up front in hope the calendar would take on a life of its own, with little energy needed on my part to keep it going. Thus far, this hasn't happened, and I've been doing a poor job keeping up with the posts.

The calendar limps along. I'm not satisfied with it in its current state, but I don't have any more time to contribute to it.

Do people find the calendar helpful? If no, is it time to scrap the calendar? If yes, is anyone willing to volunteer one hour per month to help populate the calendar with content? Are there any folks out there organizing events that would be willing to learn how to post their own events (I can show you everything you need to know in 15 minutes)?

Don't miss Final Performance of Romeo et Juliette Saturday at 2 pm

2011-02-18T23:57:00.000-08:00

For tickets or more information www.repertoryoperacompany.org

Monsters to Invade Pomona

2011-02-16T16:03:00.000-08:00

2011 is the 80th Anniversary of the Pomona Fox Theater and what better way to honor that anniversary than with the presentation of the 80th Anniversary screening of both Dracula (1931) and Frankenstein (1931) on Sunday, Feb. 20. The Fox lobby will be decorated with displays of memorabilia and artwork celebrating the world’s greatest movie monsters. Materials from Famous Monster of Filmland, the classic Monster magazine; Monsterpalooza, the ultimate yearly monster convention; Art of Clay Scupture Studios; and Creature Features, will be displayed.

In addition to the lobby displays, Phantom Coaches Hearse Club will be bringing some vintage hearses which will be on display in front of the theater. PCHC is an organization of owners of car enthusiasts who just happen to enjoy beauty of professional cars - hearses, flower cars, limousines, and ambulances. Their motto is “Putting the ‘fun’ in funeral since 1994.”

Early online ticket sales have come from as far away as Fresno, Arleta, Moorpark, and Torrence. This promises to be a unique experience for the Pomona downtown, as well as for the Pomona Fox Theater.

The doors open at 2:00 pm with the screening of Dracula at 3:00 pm followed by the panel discussion and then the screening of Frankenstein scheduled to begin at 4:45 pm. Moderated by film historian, author, and instructor at the University of La Verne, Scott Essman, the panel will also include confirmed guests:

Sara Karloff, daughter of Frankenstein lead Boris Karloff
Bela Lugosi, Jr., son of Dracula lead Bela Lugosi
Ted Newsom, film historian, producer of Ed Wood—Look Back in Angora, video biographies of Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley, and was writer/director of the 26-episode series 100 Years of Horror, with Christopher Lee as host and narrator.
Bill Warren, movie/monster historian, contributor to Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, author of Death Is a Lonely Place
Craig Reardon, makeup expert/artist, Without a Trace, Wild Wild West, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X Files among others
Special Effects master Shane Mahan, Cowboys and Aliens, GI Joe, Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Iron Man, War of the Worlds, Big Fish, Galaxy Quest, and The Lost World; Jurassic Park among others.
Actor Dan Robuck., Matlock, Lost, Glee, NCIS, CSI, Bones, Desperate Housewives, The Late Shift playing Jay Leno, Halloween, Agent Cody Banks, Final Destination, The Fugitive and US Marshalls among others.
'Monster Artist' Frank Dietz

All guests are subject to availability.

In addition to the panel, several special guests will be attending the event as well:

Don Shay, publisher of Cinefex Magazine in Riverside - magazine about the makeup/special effects/visual effects industry since 1979.
Mick Garris, director of many Stephen King TV adaptations, including The Shining and The Stand plus the theatrical feature Sleepwalkers and creator of the TV series Masters of Horror .
Tom Woodruff, Jr., co-founder of Amalgamated Dynamics, who have created practical creatures and makeup effects for Alien films of the past 20 years, including Jumangi, Starship Troopers, Santa Clause and many more

Sponsors for the February 20 program include: Downtown Pomona Owners’ Association (DPOA), Creature Features, Famous Monsters of Filmland, Art of Clay Sculpture Studio, Monsterpalooza, Rhino Records in Claremont, Claremont 5-Second Film Festival, Antique Gallery Pomona • Braunstein & Schowalter "Antiques - Estates – Ebay,” UPS Store, Greg’s Refrigeration, Pomona Heritage, and Historical Society of the Pomona Valley.

Ethics, Youth & Family, Elected Officials

2011-02-11T10:56:00.000-08:00

The city's Charter Review Commission will have its next meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 16. I know that I'd promised to keep everyone up-to-date on the happenings on this important commission, but to date the work has been mostly research and drafting of proposals. This week that all changes as the commission winds down its work and begins the decision process on what should be presented to the voters in 2012 as potential changes to the charter.

To review the process, the Charter Review Commission has 1 year to prepare proposed changes to the city's charter. The charter is akin to the city's constitution and is the basic document that mandates how the city shall be run. Any proposals by the Commission will be placed on the next municipal election (in this case Nov. 2012). The City Council does not have any approval of the work of the Commission. As a courtesy, the Commission will present a draft of the proposed changes to the Council in April for their review and comment, but they are under no more obligation to act on the comments of the Council than they are to act on the comments of any member of the public.

Now on to the items to be discussed on Feb. 16:

Article IV--Elected Officals

The Charter Review Commission has a proposal before it (see the proposal on the city's web site at http://public-records.ci.pomona.ca.us/weblink7/Browse.aspx--see below for instructions) to make substantive changes to the way that elected officials are chosen in the city. It will be proposed that the Mayor be elected in Odd numbered years instead of in years that already have council races. This would eliminate the perceived inequity that some council people have when deciding to run for the mayor's seat. There is also a proposal to change the way that vacancies are filled so that a councilperson who resigns may not be reappointed to their seat. Finally, a section has been added to better define the duties of a councilperson since no such definition currently exists in the charter.

The Commission decided not to take up the issues of district elections since an initiative has already been submitted which would change that part of the charter. Since the initiative is for a special election, it would come prior to the 2012 election where our Charter changes would come up. We decided to let the voters decide in the special election and then leave it to the next Charter Review Commission in 2020 to determine if additional changes need to be made.

Article III--City Powers

A proposal has been made to add a section to this article which includes language regarding the Pomona Youth and Family Master Plan, codifying it as a part of the city commitment to this important activity.

Article XIV--Ethics

This proposal (which, in the spirit of disclosure is something that I've been intimately involved in working on) would rewrite the current Article XIV--Municipal Campaign Financing and Conflict of Interest, to become a more generalized section on Ethics within city government. While it would include the items currently in the charter, it would add the formation of an Ethics Commission which would be charged with writing an Ethics Code for the city (we don't currently have one) and enforcing compliance to said code. The charter proposal doesn't specify what should be in the Ethics Code, but leaves that up to the Ethics Commission.

The last item that we will be taking up is the commission's response to the replacement (with only 3 months left for the commission's tenure) of two of the commissioner's as a result of the recent election. The draft letter is part of the meeting materials online.

You can read the agenda for the meeting and all the proposals online on the city's web site at http://public-records.ci.pomona.ca.us/weblink7/Browse.aspx . The link will take you to the document browser. From there click on COMMISSIONS--AGENDAS AND MINUTES-->CHARTER REVIEW-->Agendas And Reports-->2011-->2-16-2011. This will take you to the page with all of the documents for our meeting. The Agenda, Minutes, and the reports are all there and viewable. They can also be downloaded as PDF files.

Future meetings will be discussing the possible formation of a Police Commission, Elections (slightly different than Elected Officials), Rules for Commission, and other issues within the charter. I promise that I'll report on any upcoming meetings.

If you have comments to make on any of these items, or any other items which may come before the Commission, please feel free to attend. The meetings are open to the public and public comment is appreciated.

dining with d-bomb

2011-02-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

Since Dave "D-Bomb" Allen blogged about our dinner together, I reckon that turnabout is fair play. Or, rather, no fair that he should have the final word.

As he wrote, Dave and I took the train to Union Station, where K. picked us up after work. On the train, we did indeed chat about blogging[1], as well as Claremont and Pomona city politics, books, newspapers, restaurants, and books. Oh, and books.

Park's BBQ is on South Vermont, well south of where we used to live (yes, we spent a year in North Koreatown before we moved to Pomona). When we arrived, we were the only Caucasians in the room, as far as I could tell. Later, a couple of white-dude-Asian-girl couples came in.

Possibly because of our appearance of being clueless noobs, they seated us in the center of the room, and the staff hovered over us as if we were a trio of toddlers using cutlery for the first time. And no WAY were they going to let us grill our own bulgogi! One of half a dozen servers appeared tableside every few minutes to poke at the meat, adjust a dish, wipe our chins, or whatever. At one point they were all standing around us at once, and it was like being at an operating table, with the grill as the incision. Forceps!

The food was very good, but not as superlative as Jonathan Gold suggested. We checked out the basics -- bulgogi and dolsut bibimbap -- as well as the kimchi pancake. All three were good, but I'm sticking by my credo that Holt Avenue's own KBBQ has the best marinade I've ever tasted in the US.

I'm a big fan of the panchan (all the small dishes), and these were pretty good. I was not wild about their kimchi, though. It may very well have special homestyle appeal to a Korean (it had a slightly musty funky taste), but I like KBBQ's better. I also prefer my own homemade and, for that matter, the storebought at either Marukai or Market World.

One nice touch was the two big bowls of salad -- one cabbage and one scallion -- served with the panchan. I particularly feasted on the latter, which was the green tails of scallions sliced lengthwise to make something like spaghetti, and then dressed in vinegar and sesame seeds. I should see if I can replicate it at home.

Overall, an excellent meal with even better company. Now we just need to drag D-Bomb to KBBQ so he can see what real bulgogi's all about.

[1]Although! Let the record show that I started blogging again more frequently before our dinner together -- specifically after a glass of wine with Pride in Garfield Park and Miz Lois, who gave me a whole list of things to blog about.

friends and neighbors

2011-02-05T18:26:00.001-08:00

While you were at the library's Laura Ingalls Wilder Gingerbread Sociable or the opening show of Roméo et Juliette, I was driving all over creation on errands. And it was certainly a day for people-watching.

• In Claremont, there's a guy I see walking -- no, marching -- around who looks like a cross between a used-car salesman and a Jedi knight: way-too-big suit in a weird color of brown with big flappy pants that only reach his shins, a long loose black vest underneath that goes almost to his knees, and a crisp white shirt. Buddy Holly glasses. He's wearing the same thing, every time I see him. Wish I knew his story!

• At Upland Farmers Market (the store, not the weekly event), an elderly Desi lady in a sari with a Northface fleece jacket over it, barreling around angrily, picking up objects, and yelling across the store at the cashier, "How much this?!" For certain items, her husband would reply to the answer with "You take [half the amount mentioned?" After 10 minutes of entertainment (for everyone but the poor cashier, who is the owner's daughter), they stomped out without buying anything, complaining loudly to each other in some subcontinental language. They got into a brand new minivan, him driving and her sitting in the backwards-facing seat in the way-back.

• Stuck in line at the Garey Stater Brothers, I was surprised to see how many people try to shoplift a couple of small items by leaving them in the cart when they put everything else on the conveyor belt. Los Bros is onto them though; a clerk politely asks, "Did you want that jar of mustard in your cart?" The woman in front of me did it (and got nabbed), and ended up not having enough money and having to remove some stuff. I was relieved to see that she didn't remove the rice, beans, giant bag of frozen spinach, or 89¢ package of ham hocks; instead, the Doritos, Sprite, and canned refried beans were returned to the shelves.

I suspect everyone's a big old character if you just knew them well enough.

oh honey no

2011-02-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

Dear self:

Don't drive down Holt Ave. at 6pm. If you must go to Hoa Binh, wait till just before closing, or go on the weekend. If you're going over to Pride in Garfield Park's house, take Kingsley.

And if you must be on Holt around dinner time, don't look at those pitiful barely-clad girls shivering on the street corners. Don't think about how cold they must be, or how uncomfortable it is to stand around on 5" heels. Don't notice their bony elbows and scrawny shins. Ignore the way they search the faces of passing drivers for hope of a quick Jackson. Definitely look away when a shiny new sedan slows down and pulls over. Picture yourself on a sunny beach, lest you recall your friend telling you about after-work pickups and backseat blowjobs in the unincorporated patch of land nearby.

Drive home as quickly as possible, looking neither to the left nor the right. Above all, block from your mind the sordid combination of enterprise and exploitation that takes place nightly a few blocks from your tidy block of bungalows and your wonderful daffy neighbors.

You'll be glad you did.

Love,

Self

a day at the races

2011-02-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

In all of our years consuming American culture by the bucketload, K. and I had never been to the horsetrack. We have good friends, the Admiral and the Trumpeter, who go to Santa Anita fairly often, and when the track sent them a mailer for a food truck festival, they proposed that we join them and finally get our racetrack on.

If you ever get the opportunity, don't go on food-truck festival day. Leaving aside all the snide things one might say about the hipster fad for dining à la roach coach, the infield was utterly mobbed. Tahrir Square at high noon is less crowded than the Santa Anita infield was on saturday. The offerings looked good (cupcakes! bacon! all your hipster faves!), but the lines, if straightened out, probably stretched to Monrovia. We waited about an hour for a delicious dosa at the Ommm Good dosa truck (split beween the four of us), and then we bailed and hit the grandstand for hot dogs.

But I wasn't there for the food (or the beer, which in the grandstand was limited to yellow and yellower). No, I was there to play the ponies! And to people-watch, but mainly to play the ponies. It was great fun, although kinda intimidating at first, given the centuries of tradition that have built up around horse-racing. I was glad we had experts for chaperones. (The Admiral is serious enough that he follows races going on at tracks in NY and Florida.)

In the end, I placed a whole bunch of weenie $2 show bets on horses I liked the names of, and I walked away with a whole $2 more than I entered with. K. ended up down a few bucks, I think. A good time was had by all.

Next up, as predicted by Marx (Groucho, that is): A night at the opera! Yes, our own Repertory Opera Company is staging Gounod's Roméo et Juliette the next three saturdays, at 2pm at the First Christian Church (where they performed Carmen). Will I see you there?

by the rivers of babylon

2011-01-28T18:41:00.000-08:00

Have any of y'all been to Babylon Restaurant and Hookah Lounge yet? It's a new place on Second Street, but I haven't heard anything about it. Metro Pomona had a post on it for about 10 seconds, but the post has disappeared. Is it a Jason Abboud venture, perhaps?

Gilgamesh knows, we could use another restaurant downtown, and I look forward to trying it out. Not on a weekend, though -- both K. and I have a severe bellydancer allergy. The threat of valet parking (in our downtown!) is a bit scary too; are you only allowed in wearing 5" heels? If so, it's takeout for me.

For all you young'uns, the picture is of Boney M, who had a hit with "By the Rivers of Babylon" in 1978.

dollars for doughnuts

2011-01-25T16:46:00.000-08:00

For lunch today, I went to a quiet cafe with a bunch of paperwork and ate while I worked. At some point, I decided I needed a cup of coffee, so I went up to the counter to request it. An elderly lady was there staring at the pastry case, so when the counter guy asked me what I wanted, I said, "Oh, she was here first. But when you're done serving her, I'd like a cup of coffee." He said he'd bring it back to my table.

When he did, he said, "And the lady at the counter bought your coffee, because you told me to serve her first. She wanted to thank you for your kindness."

I'm still gobsmacked. That wasn't kindness; it was basic manners, not even special bend-over-backwards manners. It was simple ethics. I would have chased after her to thank her, but she had already driven off. Thank you, elderly lady in turquoise, wherever you are!

And now I have proof that contrary to what K. loves telling my mother at every opportunity, I was brought up right!

from pillar to post

2011-01-25T12:24:00.000-08:00

To Anon and John and others that are continuing discussions that have been up for a while, it's worth knowing that I have to approve any comment posted to a thread that is more than two weeks old. It's one of the main ways of controlling spam; I'd guess that 90% of the posts that fit this description are spam.

That is not meant to warn you away from discussing street cleaning or anything else you care about! It's just an explanation of why your comments don't appear right away. I approve them as soon as I see them (and I am notified immediately), but sometimes I'm away from the computer (hard to imagine, I know). Sorry for the frustration.

In other news, I intend to do more blogging, esp. after a drink last night with Pride in Garfield Park and Ms. Lois, who formulated for me a whole list of topics. But the one nearest to my heart and head will take a little pondering.

See everybody at the opera!

Opera opens Feb 5 in Pomona

2011-01-20T13:07:00.000-08:00

In fair Pomona where we lay our scene...

whoom, whoooom, whoooooom

2011-01-08T07:52:00.000-08:00

I have a new plan for the blog: I will no longer wait until I have time and energy to write substantial blog posts. Instead, I'm going to be micro-blogging, as if this were Facebook. Surely I have time for that?

It's saturday morning, 7am, and what else but the dulcet tones of unpermitted tree removal. Part of me wants to call the po-po and have the miscreants hauled away in chains; the other part of me thinks that's a mighty unfriendly thing to do. And who needs all those green and brown things anyway? They just make a mess, right?

Loving the lights of the season?

2010-12-19T21:37:00.000-08:00

Hello Holiday Revelers,

Do you know of some particularly well done holiday yard decorations here in Pomona? We would like to know, too, so we can write residents a letter of thanks for beautifying our neighborhoods.

Representatives of the Pomona North Weed & Seed (a board given a grant by the Department of Justice and comprised of city employees and Pomona residents) will be touring neighborhoods Tuesday night looking for properties to award a commendation for their holiday decorations. We are looking for both single family dwellings and apartments.

There is no nomination process. We will simply note homes we feel have gone the extra mile and will send a thank you/commendation. WE DON'T WANT TO MISS ANY GEMS! If you would like to point out any particularly well done residences, please let us know via a reply to this post and we will make sure to swing by.

The area we will be touring is from San Antonio on the West to Mills on the East and from First Street north until the 10 Freeway. We will especially appreciate recommendations within these boundaries.

Thanks much,

Stew Wattson
Weed & Seed Board Member

lonely cat is lonely

2010-12-16T23:06:00.001-08:00

Does anyone recognize this fine feline?

He turned up on the 500 block of Columbia, acting as if every house was his home and every human exclusively his human. Yes, he arrived dressed as you see him -- I hear it's the latest in kitty kouture.

If you know where he belongs, leave a comment or email me.

Pomona Holiday Parade

2010-12-10T21:05:00.001-08:00

Show us some love when you see us tomorrow in the Pomona Holiday Parade. Festivities start at 10AM in Downtown Pomona.

my morning outrage

2010-12-03T08:23:00.000-08:00

Hey, folks, sorry to have been AWOL! And thanks to John, PiGP, and all our fabulous commenters for keeping the blog alive. I've been meaning to start posting again, but my life is such that I can barely find the time to send birthday cards these days, much less sit down and compose something that meets the exacting standards of the M-M-M-My Pomona readership.

But this morning I was writing a protest letter to the editors of the Daily Bulletin regarding their new policy of only allowing comments on their website via Facebook, when it suddenly occurred to me that I should post a copy of my letter here. I hope you will share my indignation -- and if you don't, you'll tell me about it. No FB login necessary!

Dear editors of the Daily Bulletin:

I learned about your new commenting system from Dave Allen's blog, and I'm writing to say how disappointed and unhappy I am with this decision. Requiring everyone to log in via Facebook is a solution to your current problems, I realize, but it will cause greater problems in the long run.

You are now in the process of alienating several constituencies, which hardly seems wise when quality journalism is under attack from all sides. There are plenty of excellent reasons not to use Facebook at all, and many of us who do use it are careful not to open ourselves to attack via the Facebook API by allowing login information to be shared between sites. Moreover, Facebook is in open opposition to the ADA Standards for Accessible (Web) Design and the US Government's Section 508, so people with a range of disabilities cannot use it. Everyone who fits in these categories is now explicitly unwelcome at the Daily Bulletin site, or at least gagged.

That is no way to run a newspaper in the 21st century, and it particularly violates the principles of electronic journalism. I really thought you understood the digital world better than this -- and, in fact, I would argue that it is incumbent upon you to do so. If no one in the organization is aware of the threats Facebook poses to data privacy, net neutrality, and the free flow of information, you have betrayed the very nature of journalism. I encourage you to rethink this policy immediately.

They're Baaaccckkkk!!

2010-12-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was out in the yard adding to the Christmas lights/decorations (something that goes on for at least 3 weeks) when I heard them. Moments later the sky was full of green and the sound rivaled the roar from the dragsters at the fairgrounds.

Yes, the yearly migration of the Arcadia / Temple City parrots has begun. Last year Meg blogged about it on November 27, so it seems they're a little late this year.

Let's just hope they don't "rain on our parade."

Care to join us in the Pomona Holiday Parade?

2010-11-27T16:20:00.000-08:00

Calling all Pomona bloggers and blog readers! We're putting together a float (well, probably more like a small pick-up truck) for the Pomona Holiday Parade. Care to join us? We need to submit the names of all the blogs that will be represented on the float by this Wednesday. Please shoot an e-mail to pomonaevents@gmail.com if you can join us. Here are the details:

Parade date: December 11

Time: We'll gather at 9AM in the south east parking lot at 3rd and Gibbs. Parade starts at 10AM.

What we'll do: We'll have a couple runners along side the pick-up handing out fliers and, if we can figure out how to pay for it, candy. The fliers will describe what a blog is and will list the names of all the blogs represented on the float. And, of course, we'll wave and look merry.

What to wear: We can discuss this later. But plan on wearing something. Perhaps we can all wear blues? Or maybe that rockin' t-shirt shop downtown can hook us up with some sweet Pomona Ps shirts (you know, the six Ps in the wagon wheel shape).

Holler back.

A Holiday Extra

2010-11-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

I was just at Stater Brothers and on my way out noticed that there were some guys working on the abandoned gas station on the northeast corner of Alvarado and Garey. They had out a ladder and were working on the lights. So what to my wondering eyes is this?

Looking closer I noted that there was a banner stating that this would be a Christmas Tree lot. So we'll have some festive activity on a long dormant corner.

Now I just hope that they've gotten all their permits so that the city gets its due!

November 2--VOTE

2010-11-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, November 2 is election day.

While M-M-M-My Pomona is a place where diverse opinions often clash, I'm sure that all of us here at can agree, your vote counts. Regardless of party, candidates supported, or issues, PLEASE, get out and vote.

In Pomona, we have two tax initiatives, one for an increase in the utility tax, and a parcel tax for schools in PUSD. In Districts 2, 3, and 5 we have council seats up for election.

If you need to know where to vote, you can get polling place information at http://www.lavote.net/LOCATOR/. Just type in your address and it will tell you where to go and vote.

The message? VOTE.

Lisbeth Solander Returns

2010-10-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have read all three of the Steig Larsson books in the Milleneum Trilogy, you may be interested to know that the movie version of the third book is coming to Claremont's Laemmle theater the week of November 26. While Hollywood is looking to make a film of the first book, The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo, the entire trilogy has been filmed in Larsson's native Sweden. While the film is in Swedish, with English subtitles, based on the first two, it should be a very good adaptation of the books, and, of course, the locales are authentic to the books as well.

If you enjoyed the books, this is the film version you should see. We don't yet know how Hollywood will actually treat it, the Swedes have done an excellent job.
IMDB.com's synopsis of the story is: "After taking a bullet to the head, Salander is under close supervision in a hospital and is set to face trial for attempted murder on her eventual release. With the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his researchers at Millennium magazine, Salander must prove her innocence. In doing this she plays against powerful enemies and her own past."

I know I'll be there for the conclusion.

For those who just must wait for the American version of Dragon Tattoo, Wikipedia reports:

David Fincher is set to direct a Hollywood adaptation of the book, for release in December 2011. According to The Guardian, George Clooney, Johnny Depp, and Brad Pitt were all interested in playing the central role of Mikael Blomkvist, but Daniel Craig was officially confirmed as the lead in July. On August 16, 2010, it was officially confirmed that Rooney Mara will play Lisbeth Salander.[14] Robin Wright is currently in talks to play Erika Berger, while Christopher Plummer and Stellan Skarsgård are attached to play Hendrik and Martin Vanger.

Producer Søren Stærmose of Yellow Bird, who holds the screen rights to the books, has been approached by directors including Ridley Scott, and Martin Scorsese.

Friends of the Pomona Fox Halloween Special

2010-10-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

Friends of the Pomona Fox

Sunday, October 24

Alfred Hitchcock's

Psycho

Doors open 1:00 pm

Screening 2:00 pm

With Halloween just around the corner, it's the perfect time for a timeless tale of murder and intrigue. Just when you thought it was safe to take a shower!

It's the Friends of the Pomona Fox's first Halloween program. Come in costume, or come as you are. But watch out for Norman Bates.

In June of 1960, 50 years ago, the master of the macabre, Alfred Hitchcock, released the film Psycho. It would forever change people's attitudes toward taking showers.

While the main star was Janet Leigh (nominated for an Oscar^®and winner of a Golden Globe as best actress), the action actually revolved around newcomer Anthony Perkins and his character Norman Bates.

But it is the powerful direction of master Alfred Hitchcock which makes this film a truly frightening look into the mind of a truly disturbed individual. Also starring Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, and John McIntire, the film is also notable for the truly haunting score by Bernard Herrmann.

Thanks to Universal, our raffle this month will include the chance to win a copy of the 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray DVD of Psycho. We'll also be giving a DVD to the best costume.

Prices: Adults $5.00
Children 12 and under $3.00

We'll have popcorn, sodas, and candy available. Food and "adult" beverages will be available at Drink (direct entrance from the theater lobby). Food and beverages purchased at Drink may be brought into the theater!

Online Ticket sales. Tickets purchased online include a $1 per ticket convenience fee. All tickets will be available at will-call on the day of the screening. Online sales will cease as of 10/22/2010.:

Tickets will be sold at the door. Online sales over for this screening.

Special Guest
Marli Renfro Peterson

Marli Renfro as she appeared in Hitchcock's classic Psycho

Marli Renfro Peterson, known as "The Girl In Hitchcock's Shower" has agreed to appear at our October 24 screening of Psycho. Ms. Peterson, as Marli Renfro, was a model who was hired by Universal to do be Janet Leigh's body double for the nude shots in the infamous shower sequence. She will be available to answer questions and to sign autographed photos. We will also be raffling an personally autographed copy of the book, The Girl in Hitchcock's Shower.

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Bring On Your Best SCREAM!!!!
Got a really terrifying scream? We're looking for the next great screamer. You're invited to take the stage at the Pomona Fox in front of our special "Psycho Shower Curtain" and to give your best and loudest scream!!

The winning scream will receive a special 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray DVD of Psycho. So bring on your best scream.

Charter Review Meeting Wednesday Oct. 20

2010-10-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

When I was appointed to the Charter Review Commission, I promised that I would periodically give you updates as to what is going on. While it's now been over 5 months since our first meeting, we're still in the process of gathering information and developing ideas. That is about to change.

As a recap, the Charter Review Commission is charged with reviewing the city's charter and coming up with an amended charter (if needed) to present to the voters at a future election. Whatever comes out of the commission will be placed on a future ballot and the voters will decide if they want whatever comes out of the commission. The commission has 1 year to come up with such a document. (April 2010)

The 15 member commission has been meeting both as a group and in smaller subcommittees to formulate such a document. Each subcommittee is responsible for doing the research and coming up with plans that will be put forward to the entire commission for possible inclusion in the final document.

The first subcommittee recommendation was made at last month's meeting. This one dealt with proposed changes to Article XVII, which created the charter review commission. Because of the drama that surrounded the formation of the current commission, it was felt that certain things, like the number of commissioners and how they are chosen, should be codified within the charter itself. No action was taken on this item, whether to approve or not, and it was held over to the next meeting, which is Wednesday.

All sections of the charter were assigned to subcommittees, with the exception of Article IV, which deals with elective offices, the city council, how vacancies are handled, districts, and compensation and expenses. You can read the charter HERE (pdf file). Because this is such an important issue, it was decided that the entire commission would take it up as a group instead of going to subcommittees. This Wednesday's meeting is when that will occur. It is anticipated that we will be getting a lot of public input, especially from those who are pushing for a new plan for district elections. To accommodate anticipated public input, the meeting will be held at the Ganesha Park Community Center at 7:00 pm.

If you have input on how you feel districts elections should be held, or if you don't want districts at all, or if you feel that we should have more or fewer council seats or anything else regarding Article IV, please be sure to attend the meeting and let us know. We value your input.

Charter Review Commission
Wednesday, October 20
7:00 pm
Ganesha Park Community Center
1575 North White Avenue, Pomona

Some of the issues that are currently being discussed in the subcommittees include the formation of an Ethics Commission, a Police Commission, and a wide variety of minor and major adjustments to the current Charter. The Commission meets the 4th Wednesday of each month, usually in the Council Chambers annex (to the south of the council chambers where the council usually holds their closed session meetings). Because of theIt's a Brown Act Commission so the public is always welcome.

Home Tour Sunday

2010-10-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

Pomona Heritage 26th Annual
Historic Home Tour

Sunday, October 17, 2010
11:00 am to 5:00 pm

The Tour will Start at Pomona Ebell Museum of History
585 East Holt Ave., Pomona

If you've never been to one before, the Pomona Heritage Old Home Tour is a great opportunity to see the wide variety of historic homes in Pomona. You'll get to tour 5 historic homes in a variety of architectural styles, as well as the Ebell Museum of Pomona History.

Doors open at 10 am
Antique and Craft Fair: 10 am - 3 pm
Tour: 11 am - 5 pm

Purchase Tickets online via PayPal: $20 per ticket

Magic Flute Saturday

2010-10-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

Claremont Courier gives a shout out this week to Pomona's Repertory Opera Company on the cover and with a three page photo spread inside. Pick up a copy or to see the pictures, click "Galleries". http://www.claremont-courier.com/

"The Magic Flute cast members deliver a rich, heart-filling, comedic, dazzling, emotional performance..." Brenda Bolinger

David Allen also wrote about ROC in his off schedule column Thursday: http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_16208334

May have some people drivin' in to Pomona this weekend!

Blazing Saddles At The Fox

2010-09-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

Sunday, September 26

Doors open at 5:00 pm
Screening begins at 6:00 pm
A Friends of the Pomona Fox Screening of

Blazing Saddles

Mel Brooks' classic taken on the Western. Blazing Saddles is at times offensive, but always funny. Written by Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor, Andrew Berman, Norman Steinberg, and Alan Unger, it stars a pantheon of comic actors, Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn, Mel Brooks, Alex Karras, George Furth, and even jazz orchestra great Count Basie.

Special Added Attraction!

Following the screening of Blazing Saddles, Friends of the Pomona Fox is proud to be able to present The 909 Film Festival.
A selection of short films, non over 9 minutes and 9 seconds, by and shot in the Inland Valley. Come join us in celebrating the creative film community in the Inland Valley. Sure to be a lot of fun, and maybe you’ll even find a hidden gem.

Prices: Adults $5.00
Children 12 and under $3.00

This film is rated R. Due to language that some may find objectionable, this program is not recommended for children. Racial and sexual language and themes may be objectionable to some members of the community.

Fatburger Comes to Pomona

2010-09-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to John Plessel at the Dine909 blog I learned that a new Fatburger has opened in our own Pomona. At the corner of Garey and Grove (in the same shopping center as Aladdin Jr., Mirage, and Los Jarritos), the new Fatburger takes over the space previously occupied by Hamburger House.

Well, I finally had a chance to get by there today for lunch. At 1:00 pm the joint was fairly jumping. Having visited Hamburger House a few times, I have to say that Fatburger has really improved the ambiance. With memorabilia on the walls and a nice open kitchen, it's clean and friendly.

While I've driven past many Fatburgers in my travels, this is the first time that I've actually eaten at one. The menu mainly consists of BURGERS! You order your burger by size:
Small 2.5 oz
Medium 5.3 oz
Large 8 oz
XXLarge 16 oz
XXXLarge 24 oz

Then you decide what you want on it. It comes with lettuce, tomato, relish, mustard, onion, and pickle. For an extra charge you can add: cheese, bacon, chili, or an egg.

Sides are, of course, fries, but you can choose fat fries (steak fries) or skinny fries, there are also onion rings.

Beside the burgers they also have hot dogs, a salad, and veggie or turkey burgers.

I opted not to go for the XXXL burger, which if you eat it you get your photo on the Triple King Board, but got a Medium with bacon and cheese and an order of onion rings and a drink. That cost me $10.63. Not the cheapest fast food around, but comparable.

The Burger was very good, comparable to In-and-Out in my estimation. The rings had a light batter and went well with some ranch dressing for dipping.

Overall it's good to have another option close to home, even if it IS north of the 10 Freeway (or LaVerne adjacent).

Second Season of Opera in Pomona

2010-09-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

neighborhood report

2010-09-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

Seen from my window this morning:

1. A young family out for a walk -- mom pushing double stroller, dad zoom around her on a Razor scooter. If she gets a turn at the scooter while he pushes, three cheers for them. Otherwise, she's got three kids to look out for.

2. A guy on a souped-up road bike, with aerobars and everything, all kitted out in lycra with a fancy helmet and Oakley shades -- stopping in front of our house to smoke a cigarette (pulled out from his underseat bag).

Library air conditioner is fixed!

2010-09-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

Ms. Lois asked us to help spread the good news: the air conditioner at the library is fixed. Yahoo!

Ms. Lois reports

2010-08-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

In case you're not following the comments as eagerly as the posts themselves, I thought I'd repost a public service announcement our own Ms. Lois just posted as a comment:

"The Pomona Public Library is closed today due to excessive heat. Since our air conditioning is out, it was way too hot for people to be inside. Word is that Tuesday and Wednesday we will be open from 8am to noon.

Help spread the word!"

Thanks, Ms. Lois! (And I'd just like to add that it's a sad thing when civic buildings get closed -- albeit temporarily -- rather than repaired.)

Willy Wonka @ Fox

2010-08-18T07:03:00.000-07:00

A Friends of the Pomona Fox Family Screening of

Willy Wonka & the
Chocolate Factory

Sunday, August 22

Doors open at 1:00 pm
Screening begins at 2:00 pm

"A world of pure imagination . . . " From the imaginative mind of Roald Dahl and music of Leslie Bricusse, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is a classic family film. A morality tale that takes on gluttony, television, and gum chewing, the visually stunning Chocolate Factory is a stark contrast to the "real world" of Charlie Bucket and his grandfather. Starring Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, and Peter Ostrum as Charlie.

SPECIAL IN-PERSON GUEST: Director Mel Stuart will be answering questions about the making of the film and signing his book, "Pure Imagination: The Making of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory."

Popcorn, sodas, and candy will be available from the snack bar. Hot food and "adult" beverages will be available from Drink, the adjacent restaurant before, during, and after the screening.

BUY A WONKA BAR & LOOK FOR THE GOLDEN TICKET

100 Wonka Bars will be on-sale at our concession stand and 5 of them will include "Golden Tickets" which can be redeemed for special prizes.

Prices:	Adults $5.00
	Children 12 and under $3.00

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ALSO Up-Coming

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JERRY LEE LEWIS IN CONCERT AT THE POMONA FOX THEATER

The incomparable Jerry Lee Lewis, Mr. Great Balls of Fire himself, will be making a rare appearance at the Pomona Fox Theater on Saturday, September 25, the occasion of his 75th Birthday.

Joining Jerry Lee will be special guests Nick 13 The Head Cat and we're promised that there will be other surprises.

Ticket are now on-sale from
www.PomonaFox.com.
Good seats are $30 with special seating for $44 and $77.

Don't miss this special Pomona event!!!

Civilian review for Pomona PD - is it necessary?

2010-08-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

At tomorrow night's Charter Review Commission meeting, there is a proposal by a local citizen to create, in the Pomona City Charter, a civilian review commission for police discipline.

In the letter, the author, a member of the local NAACP, argues that this would address the ongoing issues in the relationship between the Pomona Police Department and the community at-large. It cites 50 lawsuits between individuals who have had contact with the PD and the City, yet gives no indication whether that is a large number or not. It argues that there is a lack of diversity in the police, yet I see no statistics to back up that claim.

The most recent big "incident" of the police was related to the checkpoints, and when some officers "infiltrated" (attended out of uniform as private citizens) a community meeting on this issue. Personally, I support the checkpoints. I know others on this blog don't, but the way that Pomona PD conducts checkpoints, with advance signage and not blocking all four directions of traffic (after the Mission/San Antonio incident), they are legal and serve a purpose in catching unsafe drivers while allowing anyone paying attention to the road to divert (and no, the police don't automatically pull people that divert over, as I always divert with no incident). As far as "selective enforcement" and "lack of relationship", I saw a diverse group of people supporting the Pomona PD a couple of months ago - whites, Hispanics, blacks, Asians, and the multi-racial.

All this would be moot if civilian review commissions didn't strain internal relationships in police departments. If it was an advisory commission like Claremont's Police Commission it would just be a forum for obtaining information and expressing concerns. But the model Berkeley Police Review Commission creates a separate bureaucracy of independent investigators to complaints, in parallel with the Internal Affairs section of the department. They have subpoena power and can issue decisions.

Police officers will feel second guessed, when they are already second guessed by superiors, politicians, and through the civil lawsuit process. As appointees of City Councilmembers, they will be perceived as, and may in fact be, puppets of City Councilmembers trying to score points on the back of the police. (When has that ever happened?) Opening up these hearings actually just results in targeted officers to lawyer up and not share "lessons learned" that might occur in an internal disciplinary situation. The District Attorney already reviews situations of officer-involved shootings and many cases of use of force, so this would just duplicate their work. Indeed, there are indications that the work of the commission would either never be public, or there would never be any information shared with the commission, because of the strong protections offered peace officers under State law. Similarly, a review commission is no substitute for a strong internal affairs division, background investigation prior to hire, and a strong grounding in ethics and integrity of the individual officers.

There is no evidence that the City Manager is going to do something stupid like offer an employee of the year award to a cop who kills someone, when the investigation was still ongoing. In my experience, Chiefs Lewis, Romero, and now Keetle have had good to excellent relationships with the community. Former Police Chief Richard Tefank is the chair of the Los Angeles Police Commission, which was created as a result of the Los Angeles Riots. But police agencies have shifted dramatically since 1992, and for the better. Nor I am aware of any cases where there have been issues of complaints being investigated unfairly. If that is happening, the ombudsman model may be more effective than what officers perceive as an anti-cop dog and pony show. But in a small agency (and Pomona PD is small, even compared to Berkeley, with 30% less officers patrolling 50% more population), such an entity shouldn't be necessary.

big ups

2010-08-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hello from the Rocky Mountains! K. and I are on our annual while-there's-still-gas road trip, but that doesn't mean I'm not keeping my eye on m-m-m-my Pomona and environs.

I notice that there were 12 homicides in LA County last week, and that none of them were in Pomona. That carried me back to the LAT homicide map, where I note with pleasure that we haven't had a homicide since May. MAY!!! You know what that makes us? Sweetness and light distilled.

I'm probably jinxing it by pointing it out, but civic boosterism should never succumb to the quirky demands of superstition.

Get out there and continue to be peaceful law-abiding non-homicidal maniacs, people!

The disconnect between voters and schools

2010-08-06T22:30:00.000-07:00

Second in an occasional series

From the poll posted yesterday, almost half of all voters have never sent their children or grandchildren to schools in the Pomona Unified School District. Therefore, out of the 68% of voters who are age 35 and up, about a third of them, and probably more, have no experience whatsoever with the school district, other than as a student.

Attendance is declining. Average daily attendance, the measurement used for State funding of schools, has dropped from a high of 33,976 in the 2002-2003 school year to 26,538 in 2010-11, a 22% decrease over the span of just eight years. PUSD's ambitious bond program opened many schools in the last couple of decades, and as attendance has dropped, year round schooling has been eliminated, portables have been disassembled, and programs that consume additional space beyond the classroom have been implemented.

But does that mean that the population of school age children are dropping, or that parents are consciously deciding not to use the services of PUSD? Surprisingly, despite the anecdotes that people hear, there is not a wholesale shift of the student population to non-PUSD schools. The Census data shows that in 2008, there were 34,332 children enrolled in school. Average daily attendance was 30,150 in the 2007-08 school year, for a "shrinkage" rate of 12%. Some of that 11% went to private schools, some were home schooled, others went to schools in other districts, and a few are simply dropouts. The difference is greatest in the high school ages, with 11,832 high school age students and about 7,521 high school students in PUSD, with a shrinkage rate of 37%. Even so, this is better that at, say, Pasadena, where there are 28,268 school age students and an average daily attendance of 18,765 - a shrinkage rate of 34%. In Upland, the shrinkage rate from school age population to actual enrollment is 31%, so Pomona (and Diamond Bar residents) are keeping their kids in local schools.

The difference is really individuals without school aged children at all, rather than families with kids who consciously decided to not send their kids to PUSD schools. Here's the challenge. With only 36% of voters having children or grandchildren in the district, that means that advocates for the parcel tax will have to reach the 64% that don't. Voters, especially those registered Republican or Decline to State, will be literally swamped with information from Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina as they attempt to buy their way into office. Other traditional forms of local communication, such as ads on local cable television, are in decline as viewers switch to satellite and FIOS, which do not have local insert commercials in their programming. Door to door communication has become less and less effective as voters lead busier lives and refuse to answer the door to solicitors. How will the pro-tax forces overcome this disadvantage?

Incidentally, one of the side effects of this disconnect is that there is no organized opposition either. Will an organized opposition form, and take out a statement in the ballot pamphlet? Without an opposition, the pro-tax side can easily buy all the slate mailers in the area - Republican, Democratic, and decline to state. Although most voters seem to know that slate mailers are just paid advertising, they are surprisingly effective. As a veteran election worker, there is a large percentage of voters that take slates into the ballot box with them. They are especially effective on low-information elections and nonpartisan elections.

In the next installment, I'll look at where the voters come from, and past support for school district bonds - will Diamond Bar residents step up to the plate again?

School district votes to place parcel tax on ballot

2010-08-05T22:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight, the Pomona Unified School District placed a $96 parcel tax increase on the November ballot. I live tweeted the meeting as it happened.

Some background: In May, the PUSD board requested in closed session to gather information pertaining to a possible parcel tax for schools. It showed up on the July PUSD board agenda but was pulled due to a legal noticing snafu, and rescheduled for tonight's meeting.

The tax will appear on the ballot in substantially the same form as it does below. An amendment was made to add that no consultants, except those that directly serve students, would be paid for through the tax (although, of course, money from other sources could be shifted to pay for consultants).

PUSD Parcel Tax

I do appreciate the school district's transparency in this matter. The school district was the first one to respond to my public records requests on the salaries of top employees and the contract of the Superintendent of Education, within 3 business days of their receipt. The City of Pomona just hit the ten day mark to provide a response, without any documents. Neither has the City of Los Angeles or the County Sheriff's Department responded to my requests.

However, the school district attorney denied my request for the poll, which was cited in an article by Monica Rodriguez in the Daily Bulletin. Ultimately, at the meeting where the parcel tax was placed on the ballot, the attorney was told by the Board of Education to release the poll to the public, and I received a copy that evening. The attorney explained that he was directed to hire the pollster, and since he was the conduit for the information, the poll was protected by attorney-client privilege until it was waived. Monica Rodriguez of the newspaper got results fed to her verbally by the school board president and the superintendent, but the attorney said that she did not receive a copy of the poll. They did not play the games that some school districts do of having a private campaign committee do the poll and feed board members the data, so they deserve credit in that regard.

Pomona Unified School District Parcel Tax Survey

With exactly 66% of voters supporting or leaning yes, and a two-thirds vote required for this measure to climb, the PUSD has a high hurdle to climb. It's even more daunting with the unexpected no votes of Andrew Wong and Jason Rothman to the parcel tax. Neither chose to make their cases against putting the measure on the ballot from the dais, although I saw Wong being interviewed by Monica Rodriguez. I would have expected a unified front on the issue, but without that, opponents have even more ammunition to kill the tax, with or without Wong and Rothman's active help.

In the coming days I'll discuss some of the challenges the school district has in facing the poll, and some possible arguments that supporters might use in order to convince voters to vote for this tax increase. If no one else will write a ballot argument against the measure, I will, if only to ask some hard questions of the PUSD that have gone long unanswered. The deadline for ballot arguments is August 16, at the Registrar-Recorder's office in Norwalk.

Ethics and Pensions

2010-07-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

With the scandals that rocked the city of Bell, it's been suggested that we need to look in our own back yard. Anonymous asked if someone wouldn't bring forth the evidence of wrongdoing in our city. I'm not personally privy to anything that would rise to that level where a prosecutor would be interested, but I'm very aware of some things going on that are of very questionable ethics.

The most recent case-in-point was the "gaming" of the system by Councilmember Cristina Carrizosa to significantly increase her retirement once she leaves the city council. While it appears that she did nothing illegal, the ethics of this situation is certainly in question.

But even more importantly to me, is that the problems in Bell have been linked to citizens' not being aware of what was going wrong with their city. Here in Pomona, we have several blogs and some decent reporting that has stanched many of the grevious problems. A few years ago a few members of the city council decided that they should also get paid (separately) for being the redevelopment agency. Citizens found out about it and rose up and stopped it. I'm currently on the city's Charter Review Commission and we are looking at the possibility of creating an ethics oversight commission within the city and strengthening the ethics for the council, commissions, city management, police, candidates for office, and others under the perview of the charter, all to enhance citizen oversight to avoid the problems that Bell ran into.

However, I have an even more basic question. SHOULD PART-TIME COUNCILMEMBERS BE GETTING A PENSION AT ALL? Those in the private sector who work part-time usually don't get any benefits. This is the way that banks, grocery stores, and WalMart have been keeping their costs down for years. By hiring people and limiting their work hours to under 30 per week, they don't pay retirement, medical, and other benefits. Why are we so generous to our city council members?

Public service is not supposed to enrich those who are serving. To suggest that council members are doing such an extraordinary job as part-time employees negates the work of all of the others who work part time at little or no personal benefit (do you hear me unpaid commissioners?). Councilwoman Carrizosa stated that she "earned" the additional pension money. So that means that she worked harder than councilmembers Lantz, Atcheley, Saunders, Rodriquez, Soto, and Mayor Rothman? I undestand that their pension will be based on a $9600/year salary (the mayor twice that) and not what they got from their full-time jobs.

Again, this is not about what is legal, but about what is ETHICAL and FAIR.

I look forward to the comments on this item.

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Remember, August 2nd the council will decide whether or not to put replacing Pomona's Police Department on the ballot. I will be out of town and can't attend. I'm fairly sure that the council knows where I stand on this issues as I've spoken on it in the past. If you haven't spoken out, do so!!!

American Graffiti at the Fox

2010-07-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

Sunday, July 25

TIME CHANGE

Doors open at 5:00 pm
Screening begins at 6:00 pm

A Friends of the Pomona Fox Family Screening of American Graffiti

Awoooohhhh, the Wolfman is calling you to get in your hot rod and cruise on over to the Pomona Fox Theater for the classic film, American Graffiti. Join Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfus, Harrison Ford, Susanne Summers, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Philips, Paul LeMat, and Charles Martin Smith as they spend their first night of freedom after high school crusin' the streets and hangin' out at Mel's Drive-In. So "Where Were You in '62?"

SPECIAL ADDED ATTRACTION!

Appearing just outside the theater will be the actual 1956 Ford Thunderbird driven by Susanne Summer in the film. "The '56 Thunderbird convertible was purchased by Clay Daily and his wife in 1964 on a used Ford car lot in San Bernardino, CA. It had been painted red and had 55,000 miles showing. A few years later the Dailys moved to Petaluma, CA. This where they had the car painted white. In 1972, Clay's wife had the car parked in downtown Petaluma. When she returned to the car to go home, she found a piece of a brown paper bag on the windshield. Someone had written a note on the paper and asked if the car's owner would like to have the car in a movie. They left a telephone number and said to call if interested. The Dailys thought it was a joke, but they called anyway. To their surprise, it was Lucas Films and they wanted to use the car! The Dailys agreed and the T-Bird appeared in the movie. All of the night shots were done in downtown Petaluma, so Clay and his wife were able to watch some of them."

The Daily's, now living in the Diamond Bar area, have graciously agreed to display the classic car at our July 24 screening after showing it at the Petaluma salute to American Grafitti in May and prior to it's going to Reno, NV for the Hot August Nights Festival. In addition, there will be a number of cars from the era on display outside the theater as well. Join us for Cars, Music, and a classic American film.

Popcorn, sodas, and candy will be available from the snack bar. Hot food and "adult" beverages will be available from Drink, the adjacent restaurant before, during, and after the screening. There will also be a door prizes and other surprises

Prices:	Adults $3.00
	Children 12 and under $2.00

let the sun shine in

2010-07-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from my jaunt to southern Indiana and East Tennessee. Thanks to my fabulous co-authors for keeping the blog going in my absence!

Thanks also to AnonyMark for alerting me to Dave Allen's article on Cristina Carrizosa's pension and the discussion that resulted from it. I must say, D-Bomb does some stellar investigative journalism when the mood strikes him -- and that's more than I can say for most of the other newspapers I read.

Fair warning, though: A few of the comments in the discussion are pretty anti-Mexican. (I would say "racist," but Mexican isn't a race. Still, I suspect those commenters feel similarly about anyone brown.)

I'm posting the links because I don't know if everyone has seen the article, and frankly, one of our problems seems to be dissemination and discussion of information. We here at M-M-M-My Pomona make no claims to journalistic integrity (or writing quality, for that matter), but we can at least help out with the goal of opening up discussion. Open discussion leads to open government leads to healthy cities.

All Pomona middle schools on state emergency transfer list

2010-07-15T23:55:00.000-07:00

Parents of Pomona middle schoolers, you can pull them out ASAP, under a new state regulation adopted by the State Board of Education yesterday in compliance with the state "Race To The Top" federal grant. In fact, every single traditional middle school in the City of Pomona was on the "open enrollment" list. From Palomares to the north, Emerson to the east, Marshall to the west, and Simons and Fremont to the south, every single one was an "open enrollment" school. Previously, the list was titled "low achievement" schools, but that was changed due to a quirk with the state law, which classified some well-performing schools as poor even though they were above the state average.

However, no one would identify the middle schools in the City of Pomona as well performing. All of them are in the lower two deciles, although some are above average when demographics of the student and parent population are considered. Nevertheless, it is interesting that Pomona schools actually do well at the elementary school level - with even the ones in the "bad" areas doing well above average when demographic considerations are included - the high schools, despite the bad reputation, are also performing above average when demographics are considered, with respectable high school exit exam pass rates - while the middle schools are doing a poor enough job to get put on the state list.

The emergency regulation calls for school districts to notify all parents with students in the schools on the "open enrollment list" by the first day of school that they can transfer their kids out. Unfortunately, the only performing middle school in the Pomona Unified School District is Lorbeer Middle School, in Diamond Bar. There are also the K-8 schools that former Superintendent Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana created, but most of them are geared for students to continue forward from the elementary school level. However, the Open Enrollment Act also allows parents to transfer to schools outside of the district, and many of them, such as Bonita, Walnut Valley, and Claremont, have been interested in interdistrict transfers due to declining child populations in those cities. The regulation states that once a student is enrolled outside of their home school, that they will not have to reapply.

Although districts are permitted to set their own due dates for applications, the districts that parents are transferring their kids to will need to respond back to the home district by September 30, 2010, with all transfers concluding by November 1, 2010. Subsequently, notification will be made at the start of the calendar year, with transfers effective the fall of that year. Districts are not require to permit transfers out of the district if it would upset the "racial and ethnic balance" of the district. In the past, as I personally experienced, Pomona Unified has used that to prohibit non-Hispanics from transferring out of Pomona city schools. However, some legal reviewers have cautioned against using that as a rationale, for it violates Proposition 209. Each district will have to come up with a procedure within the next month as to how they wish to arrange for transfers, and the ability for districts to reject students transferring in is limited.

To have all Pomona middle schools on a list that many will interpret as "failing" could be devastating to the district as it attempts to have voters pass a $96 parcel tax increase on all property. I am sure that the ballot argument opposing the tax will be made that highlights this uncomfortable fact. Or advocates of the tax increase could argue that the fact that since all Pomona middle schools were put on the state emergency list, it is evidence that we should put money into Pomona schools to improve. With the utility tax and school parcel tax increase, possible Sheriff's contracting, and other hot topics, there are real choices for our community.

Calfironia Bank and Trust closing down in downtown p-town

2010-07-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

I just read this article last night (about the California Bank and Trust closing the Pomona branch) and got to thinking. There are three banks in the downtown area that have huge parking lots. Now it's no secret that I'm no friend of parking lots. I consider them to be something that discourages walking and heavily encourages driving. I never enjoy walking across the BofA parking lot to get to downtown and even less enjoy walking past the Chase parking lot to get to Antique Row. Now I can understand that the Chase building has other offices in it but, with the closure of the CBofT Pomona has an opportunity to increase foot traffic to larger areas of Downtown Pomona.

I know this is a long ways off, since we still need to find something to do with the Pomona Pond/Pit. But, I never like to miss an opportunity when I see one. I know we have some council members that are big fans of cars and parking lots. But, what are the the residence's thoughts? We've got a great plan infrastructure that can easily be converted to pedestrian and mass transit oriented movement. Not to mention some of our poorer residents walk, ride bikes, and take the bus anyways. But is this something we'd all want?

claremont, city of trees and felonies

2010-07-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

This article is just too, too sweet. All of Claremont's efforts to be a classy joint are for naught -- turns out a prominent citizen was smuggling arms to Somalia. I would say, "You're slayin' me here!" except that I wouldn't wish to be taken literally.

The question remains: What international crimes do you think Pomona's seemingly-upstanding citizens might be hiding? I've done a fair bit of smuggling myself -- cheese from England, sausage from Germany (minds out of the gutter, people!), drugs in Asia back in my wild youth. Perhaps our John sold nuclear-weapon plans to Ptomania in his own wild youth? Or Chainsaw Ed, not Ramón Mercader, was the man behind the icepick that killed Leon Trotsky?

Come on, we can't let Claremont get one over on us this way! We have a reputation to protect! Let's go do some crimes!

Bonus points for anyone recognizing the movie quotation. And I'll have a post soon about the Sheriffs Dept. proposal, which Calwatch posted to Twitter, but I need to read through the damn thing first.

July events for community calendar

2010-06-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

If you are aware of any Pomona-based events in July that do not already appear on the calendar in the right hand column of this blog, kindly let us know about it by sending a note to pomonaevents@gmail.com.

sheriff taylor would have been SO disappointed in you boys

2010-06-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

Original Skrip sent me this little tidbit from the Daily News the other day: LA County Sheriffs are drinking on the job more than usual. (Take a moment to ponder the first sentence of the article, I implore you.)

You gotta wonder what is driving them to drink -- is the inevitability of covering poor benighted Maywood or the possibility of trying to match the Pomona Police Department? I'm sure the LA County Sheriffs are fine women and men, but I have to say, I've never seen a member of the Pomona PD soused on the job.

Suddenly I have floating through my head that old Commander Cody song. "My pappy said, Son, you're gonna drive me to drinkin' if you don't stop driving that hot rod Lincoln"....

Health Reform information session

2010-06-23T14:41:00.001-07:00

The following message is from Pastor Rick DeBruyne:

"Just a reminder for those of you in the region, tonight [June 23] at Lincoln Ave. Church is hosting an informational meeting on Health Reform @ 6:30 PM in Timmer Hall, 1547 Lincoln Ave., Pomona, CA. I have attached a flier for your convenience.

"Dr. Faisal Quazi from Western University in Pomona will be presenting. No matter where you stand, this is an opportunity to learn more. It will not be a debate on the pros and cons, rather information on how it might affect you.

"If you are not able to attend but would be interested in participating in or hosting a future presentation, please email Dr. Qazi and cc. me.

"Please note: We are hosting this as a service to the community at the request of a colleague in the city. This invitation and the presentation should not be taken as an endorsement or reflection of the views of Lincoln Ave. Church."

It's Summer--A good time for a Movie and Ice Cream

2010-06-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

Two great events this weekend, in addition to 4th Saturday ArtWalk.

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Friends of the Pomona Fox Family Film!

Sunday, June 27

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Sunday is your chance to hiss the Nazi villains and cheer the daring-do of America's favorite hero, Indiana Jones.

Friends of the Pomona Fox, in association with the Pomona Fox Theater and the City of Pomona, is pleased to announce our next film program at the Pomona Fox Theater. We will be screening the first adventure film to chronicle the exploits of Indiana Jones, Raiders of the Lost Ark, starring Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys Davies, and Denholm Elliott. Directed by Stephen Spielberg and produced by George Lucas, Raiders is one of the most popular films of all time. Doors will open at 1:00 and the film will screen at 2:00 pm.

Price: Adults $3.00
Children 12 and under: $2.00
Time: Doors open 1:00
Films screen 2:00 pm

Your favorite movie munchies will also be available with fresh-popped popcorn, a selection of fountain soft drinks, and delicious candy.

For the adults, there will be beer and wine, as well as hot food available from DRINK restaurant/bar located just off the lobby next to the theater's entrance (and yes, you can eat and drink inside the theater).

Have your photo taken with Indy! We'll have a life-size cutout of the Raiders character should you desire a souvenir photo.

DOOR PRIZES: Some lucky attendees will be able to walk away with some great prizes, just for showing up. Drawing will be held just prior to the screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark

Ice Cream Social--After Raiders!

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The Historical Society of the Pomona Valley will be holding their annual Ice Cream Social at Phillips Mansion on Sunday, June 27 beginning at 4:00 pm.

Ice cream, fish toss, bubbles and demonstrations of life during the period of the historic Phillips Mansion will all be part of the fun. The mansion was recently restored and furnished with period furnishings and will be available for tours.

There will be plenty of time to both enjoy the Friends of the Pomona Fox's screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark as well as enjoying this fabulous historic site and ice cream social. We invite all our members to join us for this event.

Its a party!

2010-06-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

Pictures are in from last Saturday's Carmen. There's a whole lot of shaking going on. Meg wrote about two people she particularly like: Nicholas Shelton is on the far left. Danielle Marcelle Bond, Carmen, is the one dancing on the table, of course. Meg also gave a shout out to the children's chorus, here they are:

Allie Casillas; Carmella Porcelli; Courtney Pocock; Donna Borges; Emily Pocock; Hannah Borges; Jacqueline San Nicolas; Leonie Casper; Maddie Waasdorp; Melissa Sutha; Monica Dortha; Nicolas Pinal; Sean Marcum; Sophia Lin; and Vanessa Casillas.

There's one last performance, this Saturday. For info and more pics go to the ROC website: http://www.repertoryoperacompany.org/ and Repertory Opera Company's Facebook page.

Meg has invited me to contribute to the glorious m-m-m-my Pomona blog. Thank you. I'll try to highlight all the "Cultcha" and fun goin' on.

To that end, here's a reminder that we get to see movies at the Pomona Fox Theater all summer. This Sunday, June 27 at 2 pm is "Raiders of the Lost Ark"; adults $3; children $2. For more info go to http://www.pomonafox.org/

Repertory Opera Company redux

2010-06-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

Flash mobs -- you gotta love 'em. My favorite flash mobs are when a sizable proportion of the people in some crowded place break out into song and/or dance, like "Doe a Deer" in Antwerp's Central Station.

The most recent musical flash mob I've seen is "Brindisi" sung in Philadelphia's Reading Market (you know the tune, even if you don't know the name of it), from La Traviata -- which of course put me in mind of the ROC, which staged this opera not long ago.

Here's the vid:

I got to thinking... what if the ROC did flash-mob publicity for their next opera? I know they sang some of the greatest hits from Carmen at the Palomares Adobe to publicize the performance, but that was planned. How about an unplanned performance -- guerrilla aria? And if they were to do it, what would be good venues? Aside from Art Walk (too easy), I propose the LaVerne Target store on a sunday afternoon (because if I have to stand in line for 10 minutes, I'd like to have something interesting to listen to). Other ideas?

just curious

2010-06-13T17:38:00.000-07:00

We're getting a whole bunch of hits on the most recent post that are coming directly from Facebook. Is there a M-m-m-my Pomona page on FB or something? If so, somebody let me know -- I wanna join! Or if someone has linked to the post from their own FB page, that would be cool to know, too.

Actually, I wouldn't join a M-m-m-my Pomona Facebook page, mainly because I refuse to join or like anything on FB, for privacy reasons. Those are the things that FB datamines for advertising, and by not liking or joining anything, I never see any ads. But I'd still love to know if such a page is out there.

it ain't over till the slim vamp dies

2010-06-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

I have to say, it's rather disturbing how much opera depends on domestic violence for its story lines. But that didn't impede my enjoyment of the Repertory Opera Company's staging of Carmen yesterday afternoon, not one bit.

As I learned in the Introduction to Opera class I took as an undergrad (where I acquired my love of opera -- before that, I thought it was just goofy screeching), opera is a combination of carefully-schooled voices, fine acting, and stage spectacle. The ROC's production of Carmen lacked the stage spectacle of the Met (after all, it's community opera, directed by our own Lizbeth Lucca, not Plácido Domingo or Peter Gelb), but it made up for it with the other two components.

If you don't know Carmen, it's a pretty basic story, based on a novella by Merimée: Boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy kills girl. At least this is one Pomona homicide that won't make the LAT crime map. The music is some of the most memorable in the repertoire of western opera; apparently, when Carmen debuted, people were humming the songs in the streets of Paris. I defy you to do otherwise; I'd bet dollars to donuts that the 150 or so folks at yesterday's performance are all whistling "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle," "Prés des rampartes des Seville," or good old "Tor-e-a-dor en ga-a-a-arde!"

I wouldn't want to be be mistaken for an opera critic, but I'll single out three things that really struck me: the voice of Nicolas Shelton, who played Zuniga; the acting skill of Danielle Marcelle Bond, who inhabited her role better than most grand divas I've seen at the LA Opera; and the children's chorus, who were utterly adorable (make sure you say that weeth a Franche accent). Every aspect of the production ranged from very good to fantastic, though; I'm sure other things struck other folks, and feel free to post about them in the comments.

There are two more performances left: Saturdays the 19th and 26th, at 2pm at the First Christian Church. You can buy tickets at the door, and if you show up an hour early, there is a lecture about the opera. A show at the Dorothy Chandler pavilion will run you at least a benjamin, but this is well under two jacksons -- what a deal.

Now, people, go out there and get some Culcha!

The first photo is of Maria Callas, who was probably the most famous Carmen ever (and deservedly so). The second one is of Enrico Caruso as Don José -- who, I must say, rather resembles the ROC's James Salazar, or, rather, the other way round.

following up

2010-06-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

Over at the Metro Pomona blog, they're running a poll as to whether filming Love, Barack was good or bad for downtown. Head on over and cast your vote!

Meanwhile, up the road a piece, I verified that someone has taped a handmade "ARE" over the ungrammatical construction sign. It certainly doesn't look like city work -- for one thing, it's on a piece of fancy stationery (the kind you use for inkjet party invitations). Sistas be doin' it for themselves, I guess.

See you at the Opry tomorrow afternoon? C'mon, Carmen's just about the best introduction to opera I can think of. Try it, you'll like it! Be there or be scared: 2pm, the church behind the CVS on Garey.

meanwhile, up the road a piece...

2010-06-04T14:53:00.001-07:00

Spotted in the City of Trees and Ph.D.s. Further, deponent sayeth not.

(I realize this is more of a Dave Allen-type post, but he's on vacation, and the rest of us just have to pick up the slack.)

our safety • our police

2010-06-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

This just showed up on the LAT website:
LA County Sheriff's Department Might Be Booted Out of Compton

I'll update with more info as it drifts in over my transom.

As promised, here's the update from this morning's mullet-wrapper. And indeed, they've gone and done it.

PUSD dual-language immersion programs?

2010-05-30T21:16:00.001-07:00

I can't seem to find evidence of any dual-language immersion programs in the Pomona Unified School District. Am I missing them or do they not exist? Such programs exist in a some relatively nearby cities (e.g., Ontario).

If they don't exist here, what are the chances PUSD would ever create them? Should such programs be a priority?

Cardamom?

2010-05-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know where I can find some cardamom pods? I struck out at Hoa Binh, Cardenas, and WinCo (though WinCo has plenty of ground cardamom in their amazing bulk section). At this point, instead of wasting gas driving around town, I figured I should turn to your collective wisdom.

I'll trade you homemade chai in exchange for your cardamom knowledge.

Overheard at the farmers market

2010-05-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

As I loaded the car with all the goodies acquired at this morning's farmers market, I overhead the following half of a cell phone conversation:

[paraphrasing ]

"Sweetie, I'm going to start coming here every Saturday. I just picked up what would have been $40 worth of produce at [insert some store name here I had never heard of] for $10...yes, all organic..."

Indeed, the prices are stunning. And the stone fruits are in!

goodbye, historic Pomona, it's been nice knowin' ya

2010-05-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading through the city manager's budget recommendations that Anonymous just posted in the comments to John's comedy club report, and it's a doozie. Go read it now -- I'll wait.

There are some things that make perfect sense to me, like reducing graffiti removal, deferring median maintenance, and not keeping the cop-chopper up in the air circling over my house when there's no crime underway/reported (for a savings of $132k). All of these cuts will have negative effects on the city, but they seem easy enough to beef back up in better times (assuming we ever have better times).

The library cuts -- $800k worth -- pain me enormously. If these proposals are accepted, we'll be going from 18 positions to 10, with many of our favorite library employees being cut to halftime. The library would be open only four days a week, and they'd close the computer lab (which, as someone mentioned in the April 19 city council meeting, is the only place to get on the internet for free in the city). It's enough to make you weep.

The budget proposal also pretty much does away with the historic district entirely, leaving only the fancy signs. No more in-progress violation support (whether it's stripping materials from foreclosed homes, unpermitted construction, or illegal tree-trimming; greatly-reduced enforcement overall.

Moreover, the report recommends the dissolution of the Historic Planning Commission (among others), and that is what I interpret as the city manager's complete dismissal of the historic districts. Without code enforcement or the HPC, tearing down your Craftsman bungalow and building a zero lot-line McMansion in its place will be officially in violation, but there won't be anyone to do anything about. At least, not unless the neighbors go vigilante. Want to cut down the city-owned sweetgum or linden tree in front of your house? The city says, "Go right ahead!"

There are many terrible cuts recommended in the budget report. Most departments are getting it in the neck, the police most of all (from what I can tell). There will be many negative effects for our fair city, on nearly every level and for nearly every citizen. Over and over, the budget report describes the impact as reduced property values and increased crime.

I am not saying that historic preservation is more important than library services, after-school programs for kids, or police protection; it's not. But the historic districts are what drew me and K. to Pomona in the first place, and several of our friends have followed us here for the same reason. If historic preservation becomes a thing of the past, the city will lose cultural diversity and become even more the cesspool that the rest of the county thinks we are now.

Claremont Insider used to call us Poor-Moana, and I -- ever the optimist -- thought that was unfair. But not any more. Our city is poor, and I'm moaning.

Comedy in Claremont

2010-05-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity on Saturday evening to take the lovely Mrs. C and daughter C to to the new Flapper's Comedy Club in the Claremont Packing House. Located in the interior/upstairs of the beautifully restored structure (near the loft apartments -- hopefully the neighbors are OK with this), the club is an intimate venue with seating for 75 and even for the 8:00 pm show, it was near capacity.

Having been to comedy clubs in Hollywood and Sacramento, I know that you need to get there early if you want to ensure that you're not seated next to the stage where the comedians have a chance to use you as part of their acts (not my favorite thing). So we enjoyed the atmosphere and show from the back row.

Because I wasn't particularly planning on blogging about this, I don't recall the names of the comics (I found some info online), but their acts were very good with the MC warming the crowd up with great aplomb. The first act was, naturally, the weakest. He attempted to be somewhat shocking but pretty much fell flat. The second act, an African American comedienne--Vanessa Graddick, was very good. Her jokes about her day job as an LA County social worker were hilarious. And when she went on a rant about people's grammar, it was right up my alley. The headliner, Bil Dwyer, who has appeared on Conan, |Last Comic Standing, and other shows, was right up there with other shows I've seen featuring comics from Last Comic Standing. He even personalized his routine for the local crowd pointing out that this was a high class crowd, being CLAREMONT and NOT MONTCLAIR (you know, those guys out in the other county). However, as a Pomonan, I was less appreciative of is comment noting that there's a Pomona Freeway so you can get to Pomona faster. "Why would you want to do that? If I was forced to go to Pomona, I'd lollygag as much as possible."

The show was excellent, the venue was great. If you go, there is a two-drink minimum. Unfortunately, my Merlot, served in a small plastic glass was less than good. With wine at $9 a glass and soft drinks, water, etc. at $4 a small plastic glass, it's about what you expect. The appeal here is the comedy, not the quality or price of the beverages. But the service was very good for a comedy venue. The wait staff tried very hard to not get in the way as they took orders and delivered drinks. Food is available from the neighboring Hip Kitty menu.

You can see their upcoming shows at the Flappers.com web site. There is also a location (with a much larger seating capacity) in Burbank.

Booty poppin' 7 year olds

2010-05-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

Evidently the World of Dance Competition was held in Pomona last month. Who knew? A news story just popped up on the feed at the pomonawatch about a controversy over a routine performed by 7 years to Beyonce's Single Ladies.

I just watched the youtube clip of the performance. These little girls are tremendously talented dancers, but OMG! They are wearing "sexy" black and red knee-highs and lingerie while booty popping.

I'm at once horrified and impressed (and kinda glad I'm not raising a girl in this culture).

Here's the video:

Request for Calendar Contributors

2010-05-13T14:38:00.001-07:00

The Pomona Events calendar is up and running. Now, we need people to contribute events to the calendar.

If you are involved with an organization that hosts public events, please e-mail pomonaevents@gmail.com for an invite to contribute content to the calendar. Or, if you know anyone involved with these organizations, please encourage them to get in touch.

The goal is to create a one-stop-shop for information about Pomona events. I, for one, would love to be able to just look at the sidebar of the blogs for information about events rather than going to a bunch of different web pages in search for an activity.

Here is a list of just some of the organizations we'd love to see included on the calendar:

- Cal Poly Pomona's music, dance, and theater departments
- Fox
- Glass House
- Pomona Valley Historical Society
- All things Downtown (e.g., Art Walks, Antique shows)

General Plan Study Session on Tuesday

2010-05-09T22:53:00.000-07:00

The next General Plan study session is set for May 11th at Western University's Cooper Hall (309 E. 2nd Street). The meeting is scheduled to start at 6PM.

The study session will cover a range of topics including the following:
• Pomona Tomorrow—The Future City Structure

Mobility
Height and Intensity
District Character and Market Focus
Public Space
Community Identity

If you have questions about the study session or the General Plan Update process, you may contact the City of Pomona Planning Division at 909-620-2191, Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The Planning Commission meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 12th, has been cancelled.

M-M-M-My Pomona

CicLAvia could come to Pomona

Human Trafficing Film at Fox

right here in river city!

Redistricting takes center stage

Happy New Year

A Busy Week in Pomona

shabby shenanigans -- not ours

Pomona City Council redistricting possibilities

strategic gluttony for the win

Claim for damages

Maltese Falcon--Sunday at 2:00 pm

What do you make of this?...

Rod Gilfry sings locally

Joe Romero update

liberry closure?

wzup?

locoblogging

never mind the barricades

this, that, and the other

Trash station theater

say it ain't so, Joe!

singing a different tune

Opera Cafe Monday Night

Rebel Without A Cause & Car Show

No Sopranos or Tenors Allowed!

Charter Review Commission OVER

Garden Party

Sunday's Movie Cancelled

It Opera Time!

Ethics

Free swim lessons

Marine Corps Combat Center Band at Garey HS

The Japanese Disaster: a Primer for the Public on Geophysics and Radioactivity

Charter Review--ETHICS

Council Meeting Tonight

Continue the calendar?

Don't miss Final Performance of Romeo et Juliette Saturday at 2 pm

Monsters to Invade Pomona

Ethics, Youth & Family, Elected Officials

dining with d-bomb

friends and neighbors

oh honey no

a day at the races

by the rivers of babylon

dollars for doughnuts

from pillar to post

Opera opens Feb 5 in Pomona

whoom, whoooom, whoooooom

Loving the lights of the season?

lonely cat is lonely

Pomona Holiday Parade

my morning outrage

They're Baaaccckkkk!!

Care to join us in the Pomona Holiday Parade?

A Holiday Extra

November 2--VOTE

Lisbeth Solander Returns

Friends of the Pomona Fox Halloween Special

Charter Review Meeting Wednesday Oct. 20

Home Tour Sunday

Pomona Heritage 26th Annual Historic Home TourSunday, October 17, 201011:00 am to 5:00 pmThe Tour will Start at Pomona Ebell Museum of History 585 East Holt Ave., Pomona

Doors open at 10 amAntique and Craft Fair: 10 am - 3 pmTour: 11 am - 5 pm

Purchase Tickets online via PayPal: $20 per ticket

Magic Flute Saturday

Blazing Saddles At The Fox

Fatburger Comes to Pomona

Second Season of Opera in Pomona

neighborhood report

Library air conditioner is fixed!

Ms. Lois reports

Willy Wonka @ Fox

Civilian review for Pomona PD - is it necessary?

big ups

The disconnect between voters and schools

School district votes to place parcel tax on ballot

Ethics and Pensions

American Graffiti at the Fox

let the sun shine in

All Pomona middle schools on state emergency transfer list

Pomona Heritage 26th Annual
Historic Home Tour

Sunday, October 17, 2010
11:00 am to 5:00 pm

The Tour will Start at Pomona Ebell Museum of History
585 East Holt Ave., Pomona

Doors open at 10 am
Antique and Craft Fair: 10 am - 3 pm
Tour: 11 am - 5 pm