Trash station theater

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!

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

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.

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

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

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

Sponsored by:

Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments. The film has achieved landmark status for the acting of cultural icon James Dean (who died before the film's release) in his most celebrated role. In 1990, Rebel Without a Cause was added to the preserved films of the United States Library of Congress's National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

The story of a rebellious teenager, who arrives at a new high school, meets a girl, disobeys his parents and defies the local school bullies was a groundbreaking attempt to portray the moral decay of American youth, critique parental style, and explore the differences and conflicts between generations. The title was adopted from psychiatrist Robert M. Lindner's 1944 book, Rebel Without a Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath. The film itself, however, does not reference Lindner's book in any way.

Warner Bros. released the film on October 27, 1955, less than one month after Dean's fatal car crash.

Source: Wikipedia

  

Refreshments at our snack bar. Alcoholic beverages and light appetizers available at Drink, accessible from the theater lobby. Food and drinks may be brought into the theater.

Online, tickets will be available at the Will-Call door at the theater.

Prices:	Adults $8.00
	Children 12 and under $3.00

No Sopranos or Tenors Allowed!

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

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

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

 

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.

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!

Ethics

[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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

For tickets or more information www.repertoryoperacompany.org

Monsters to Invade Pomona

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In fair Pomona where we lay our scene...

whoom, whoooom, whoooooom

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?

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

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

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

my morning outrage

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!!

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?

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

neighborhood report

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!

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