November 2008 Archives

POMONA - Members of the Pomona Unified School District board of trustees directed district administrators this week to develop an application to be used in the selection of a Measure PS oversight committee.

Board members asked Tuesday night the application be created with the deadline for the public to submit completed applications be in mid January. No specific date was set.

Board member Andrew Wong asked the application include information stating the qualifications for perspective applicants and conditions that would disqualify them.

POMONA - Proposed state cuts to education could mean $10 million in budget cuts to the Pomona Unified School District during the current academic year, the district's superintendent said in a statement today.

Such reductions combined with another $15 million in cuts the school district is projecting it will need to make in the 2009-2010 school year  budget will have a huge impact on the district just as it is beginning to see improvements in the academic performance of its students, said Superintendent Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana.

POMONA - The Los Angeles Philharmonic will make its 10th visit
to Pomona just in time for the holidays.

The L.A. Phil will perform at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at First Baptist
Church of Pomona, 601 N. Garey Ave.

POMONA - With the help of a 120 foot crane, workers hoisted the Fox
Theater's sign into the air this morning before setting it back on
its base at the very top of Pomona's 77-year-old movie palace.

The sign, which once rotated with the help of a motor, has been
renovated as part of the work to refurbish the theater which is
expected to open in mid February, said Jerry Tessier of Arteco
Partners who is working on the restoration effort.

Photo courtesy of Arteco Partners

POMONA - A holiday boutique and mini car show will take place Saturday at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles Aerie No. 2215.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the aerie, 954 W. Mission Blvd., Pomona.

Admission is free.

Activities will include a drawing and the sale of breakfast and lunch. Children's activities will be offered in addition to a visit from the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Proceeds from the event will benefit St. Jude Children's Hospital and the Pomona Police Department K-9 program.

POMONA - Los Angeles County Fire Department Explorer Post 15 will have its 7th annual Pancake Breakfast Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m. at Fire Station No. 181, 590 S. Park Ave.

For a $4 donation guests can enjoy a breakfast that includes pancakes, sausage, potatoes and a beverage, according to a statement from the organization.

Proceeds from the breakfast will go to the non-profit Explorer Post for the purchase of uniforms and equipment for it's members.

Members of the post are young people ages 15 to 21 who are interested in careers in the fire service.

POMONA - About a month ago Josh Cooley surprised his mother.

It was Oct. 12, the day before his birthday, when Christine Cooley
asked Josh when he was going to walk toward her.

"Tomorrow" was his response.

The morning of Oct. 13, Josh dressed and once done Christine asked
him to sit in his wheelchair.

POMONA - As part of National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week, the Pomona Continuum of Care Coalition will have a gathering Wednesday evening in southern Pomona.

The gathering begins at 6 p.m. at the recently renamed Tony Cerda Park, formerly known as Madison Park, on Park and Grand avenues.

Homeless individuals who have died within the last year will be remembered at the gathering. Information on the effects of the economy on those that rely on food bank assistance will be shared.

POMONA - A free clinic offering information on the foreclosure process and how to prevent foreclosures will be offered Wednesday evening at Barfield Elementary School.

The two-and-a-half hour session begins at 6 p.m. at the school located at 2181 N. San Antonio Ave.

A counselor certified by the federal department of Housing and Urban Development will be available to answer questions related to foreclosures.

POMONA - A service to celebrate the life of Candelario "Cande" Mendoza will take place Thursday afternoon at First Baptist Church of Pomona.

The two hours service will begin at 3:30 p.m. at the church at 586 N. Main St. in Pomona, according to a statement from the Pomona Unified School District.

POMONA - Fairplex Drive, between Holt Avenue and the 10 Freeway, will be filled with band music for a brief period Saturday morning.

Six different high school bands, including those from Ganesha, Garey and Diamond Ranch high schools, will take part in the very first Ganesha High School Band Review.

POMONA - The San Gabriel Pomona Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross has organized the Super First Aid Preparedness event Sunday at Fairplex.

For a $10 participants will receive first aid training and learn to how to handle emergencies situations involving things such as burns, diabetes emergencies, seizures, bleeding and broken bones, according to a statement from the chapter.

Pre-registration for the event is encouraged but people who show up the day of the event will be welcomed.

POMONA - Hundreds of student artists and some professional ones, too, will converge on Thomas Plaza Saturday for the 2008 Chalkart Festival.

Visitors are invited to attend the free event and watch more than 350 participants create works of art.

The event, organized by the city's Cultural Arts Commission, will begin at 9 a.m. at Thomas Plaza, which is on West Second and Thomas streets in Pomona's Arts Colony, said commission member and event chairwoman Debra Martin.

POMONA - Adults 50 and older as well as people with chronic diseases are invited to prepare for the winter season by having a free flu shot Saturday.

The drive-through flu clinic put on by Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center will begin at 8 a.m. and run until about noon or until the vaccine supply runs out.

POMONA -- Tired but excited is how Pomona's mayor-elect and new
District 1 council representative described to be
feeling today.

Mayor-elect Elliott Rothman said he was a bit tired after staying up
waiting for the results of Tuesday's mayoral race.

"I'm very excited and very thankful to the voters of Pomona. I'm
thankful to my family and the Divine," Rothman said. "It's quite an
honor and I hope I can live up to the expectations."

POMONA - The final blood analysis related to last month's drunk
driving arrest of now Mayor-elect Elliott Rothman have been completed
and show he was not legally drunk, Pomona police said today.

The remaining tests that police had been awaiting came back negative
and showed Rothman had a 0.04 percent blood alcohol concentration at
the time of the arrest on Oct. 7, said Sgt. Mike Olivieri, police
spokesman.

POMONA -- Measure PC, an initiative calling for an increase of
the city's utility users tax from 9 percent to 10 percent, went
down in resounding defeat Tuesday.

According to unofficial results from the Los Angeles County
Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, 72.35 percent of voters voted in
opposition to the increase.

POMONA - Get a tattoo and help raise money for the Robert and Beverly Lewis Cancer Care Center at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center.

The artists at Ink'd Chronicles, a tattoo studio and art gallery, has organized Tattoos for the Cure. The event will take place Saturday from noon until 11:30 p.m. The studio and gallery are at 264 W. Second St. in the Pomona Arts Colony. 

Artists will be tattooing pink breast cancer awareness ribbons and other designs as requested with all of the proceeds from the event going to the Breast Health Program at the Cancer Care Center. There is an $80 minimum donation, which is tax deductible.

POMONA - This afternoon's meeting of the Pomona City Council committee addressing traffic checkpoints has been cancelled and rescheduled for 4:30 p.m. Nov. 12

The meeting will take place in the administration board room on the second floor of Pomona City Hall, 505 S. Garey Ave., Pomona.

The committee is expected to discuss matters such as the review of the grant applications to fund checkpoints; policies, rules and procedures for the enforcement of checkpoints; and Police Department policies connected with checkpoints.

Members of the committed are expected to give a report on their work during the Nov. 17 City Council meeting.

POMONA - The Pomona City Council committee created to address the checkpoint issue in the city will meet Wednesday afternoon to address various topics related to checkpoints are expected to be discussed.

The meeting will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the Administration Board Room of Pomona City Hall, 505 S. Garey Ave.