March 2009 Archives

POMONA -- Cal Poly Pomona's Classroom, Laboratory and Administration Building turned into the home of six imaginary businesses Friday afternoon.

The businesses were make-believe but the computer systems serving the companies were very real for the six colleges in the 2009 Western Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition.

The three-day competition will produce a winner that will go on in April to the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, which has among its supporters the Department of Homeland Security.

Teams face a group of professionals, known as the Red Team, who work in computer security fields and are familiar with the kind of cyber security problems experts face on a daily basis. It's up to them to break into the college students' systems.

Among the Red Team members is Rodney Kocot, a graduate of Cal Poly who works in the industry.

The competition will be stiff with Red Team members putting the students through their paces.

"It's just like they walked into a business," Kocot said. "We have to protect these systems but we have to keep them running."

Yet it's also a hands-on experience that goes with Cal Poly's philosophy of learning by doing, he said.

The competition scenario calls for each team to take responsibility for operating a system that has deficiencies, identifying them, fixing them and keeping everything operating.

At the same time the team must handle requests such as setting up new employee e-mail accounts or giving employees computer access to programs, fill other requests, and above all keep the system from being broken into.

If there is a breach, they must address and complete a report detailing how the break occurred, the impact on the system and how it was repaired. A top-notch report can be worth 50 points for a team, said Dan Manson, Cal Poly professor of computer information systems.

If all that weren't enough, the teams go through a 24-hour period during which they must keep the system running, scheduling meal breaks and sleep breaks.

"They really have to work as a team to win," Manson said.

This is the second year Cal Poly is hosting the intense competition which attracts a certain breed.

Such a contest "I think attracts the best and the brightest," Manson said.

Jeff Henbest, 21, is among the Cal Poly team members. The Pomona resident, who will earn a bachelor's degree in computer information systems in June, took part in last year's competition.

The team came in second last year, and as intense as it was Henbest has been looking forward to taking part again.

"It's the most stressful 36 hours of your life but also the most fun," he said.

Students including Henbest say a competitive exercise like this one allows them to use all of the knowledge and skills they've acquired up to this point in their education and put it into practice. The contest isn't just about competing, it's also about learning.

"There is so much packed into a short time. It's really awesome," Henbest said.

To do the best job possible Cal Poly students reviewed possible real life security risks and tackled them, he said.

Each team also attempts to find the best use of each team member's talents and specialties, Henbest said.

Also competing are teams from Cal State San Bernardino, Mt. San Antonio College, Sacramento State, Westwood College and Arizona's University of Advancing Technology.

Cal State San Bernardino team member Michelle Behne of Highland focused on keeping track of reports and other paper work.

"I try to be low key," she said smiling. "I don't see myself as overly important to the team."

At 51, Behne is different from most of the competitors who are mostly male and in their late teens and early 20s.

Behne is a secretary at Cal State San Bernardino but she is working toward a degree in information assurance and security management.

Of the team members she is the least technical but she has a grasp of disaster recovery planning and password policy which is what she intends to focus on once she completes her training.

Because the team participated as a club, it's up to the members to find speakers and other experts to help them develop their skills for the competition, Behne said.

For Behne the competition is just one part of cyber security, she said.

"Information security is very, very broad and very, very deep," she said.

Even though she may not be the team's expert on technical issues she looks forward to the competition just them same.

As someone who has grown children and enjoys being around young people, the competition is fun on an additional level for her.

"They're just fun to be around," she said of her team mates who she said she sometimes sees as her children.

As for the prospect of being up all night protecting her make-believe company's security system, Behne said: "I don't know what person I'm going to become at 2 in the morning."

POMONA - Family Fun Days will be a Sports Day from 1 to 4 p.m. today at the Cal Poly Pomona Downtown Center, 300 W. Second St.

Billy the Bronco and Cal Poly Pomona athletes will be on hand to talk about how to stay healthy and active.

Crafts, interactive games and a story time with sport themes will be offered.

All children attending will receive a free book and healthy snacks.

Family Fun Days are offered at no cost every fourth Saturday at the center and provide  family-friendly activities centered around the arts.

More information: (909) 469-0080

POMONA - Students along with faculty and staff at Village Academy High School were recognized this week at the meeting of the Pomona Unified School District board of education for their work and efforts that drew presidential attention to the campus, the district and the city.

The students in Michael Steinman's advanced placement English class produced a video called "Is Anyone Listening?" in which they talk about the current economic climate and its impact on their families' lives and their own concerns the crisis may keep them from pursuing a college education.

Students wanted the video to reach President Barack Obama. Earlier this month, the president made mention of it in his first major address on education.

The students, who had drawn attention through the video, were placed in the spotlight after the president's speech.

Last week. when the president visited the Edison International Vehicle Electronics Plant, a short distance from Village Academy, he took a few minutes to visit with the students.

"The president's visit was a gift to all of us, and I want to thank you for bringing that gift," Superintendent Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana said at the meeting.

Students, faculty and staff received certificates of recognition from the school district and a representative of the board of directors of the YMCA of Pomona Valley presented them with one year memberships.

POMONA - Members of the Pomona Unified school board selected seven community members this week to serve on the Measure PS Citizens' Oversight Committee.

A committee of the board, which consisted of President Andrew Wong and board member John Avila, presented the list of nominees after going through 17 applications.

Recommended and approved to serve on the panel: John Murray, who takes the slot of a parent or guardian of a district student; Roberta Perlman-Hensen, representing a taxpayers' organization; Jim Popovich, representing a senior citizens' organization; Deborah O'Connor, a business community representative active in the district; Philip Garcia, sitting as the parent or guardian of a district student who is active in a parent-teacher organization; and the Rev. Michael Fronk and Roger Pearce were selected as at-large members.

The panel will review and report on the proper use of bond funds for school modernization, and will also inform the public about whether the district is complying with state requirements in use of the funds, a staff report said.

POMONA - The Prolong Twilight Cruise Nights season kicks off Wednesday at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at Fairplex.

This is the 11th season for the cruise nights, which take place the first Wednesday of the month beginning in April and end with the December cruise.

Admission is free.

Visitors will find hot rods built no later than 1970, along with custom, classic and muscle cars, according to a statement from the museum.

Various exhibits such as the 1933-1934 Ford Model 40, Banks Power: The First 50 Years and the Trophy Queens photos are also part of the activities.

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is at 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Building 3A at Fairplex.

Information: (909) 622-2133.

WALNUT - Two Mt. San Antonio College students, one from Pomona and the other from Diamond Bar, were recently named to the 2009 All-California Academic teams.

The teams represent some of the top students enrolled in California community colleges, according to a statement from Mt. SAC.

A total of 75 students from around the state are selected for the honor.

The two students were selected by the international community college honor society Phi Theta Kappa, also referred to as PTK, the statement said.

Adam Prohoroff of Pomona was selected for the All-California Academic First Team. He is an accounting and economics student with a 4.0 grade point average who is active in Mt. SAC's PTK chapter, in addition to being involved in student government and the campus accounting club.

Prohoroff tutors English through the campus Learning Assistance Center and plans to go to Claremont McKenna College before going on to law school.

Bijal Toprani of Diamond Bar was selected for the All-California Academic Third Team. She is a sociology major with a 3.48 grade point average who is also service vice president of the campus PTK chapter.

She is involved in student government, Interclub Council and the campus accounting club, in addition to being a tutor at the college Writing Center. Her plans include attending UCLA and earning a law degree.

POMONA - The moment the long-awaited guest walked into the gym at Pomona High Thursday morning the waiting students jumped to their feet cheering and clapping.

The rock star-caliber welcome was for Dolores Huerta, the woman who, along with the late Cesar Chavez, co-founded the United Farm Workers Union.

"This is a historical moment for Pomona High School," said Cati De Los Rios, Spanish and Chicano-Latino studies teacher, who introduced Huerta.

Students from Pomona High's Chicano/Latino Studies class took a moment to recite a poem they wrote, chronicling Huerta's work in civil rights and women's rights.

Pomona Unified Superintendent Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana said that even if she hadn't been invited she would have sneaked in to listen to her hero.

"For the young people of my generation, she and Cesar Chavez brought us that same sense of hope our president brings us today," she said. "They stood up for basic civil rights when it was unpopular to do so."

When she stepped up to speak, Huerta drew more cheers while teens snapped pictures.

Huerta told the students there was a way to remember Chavez.

"The best way to honor him is to continue to do the work," she said, and by talking about the social and political concerns that need to be addressed.

She spoke about the need for young people to support President Barack Obama's efforts to pass a budget that contains money for education, health care and green jobs.

"He needs that money because without it we're not going to go forward," she said.

Young people may think they can't help but they can, Huerta said.

"We can all do e-mail," she said, urging students to write to federal legislators asking them to support the president's budget proposal.

Once the president takes care of the budget and other concerns, she said, he can focus on an immigration bill and the plight of working class people who are also undocumented.

She called on young women to prepare themselves and play a part in making major decisions.

Women must be among the decision-makers, she said.

"If a woman isn't in the room where the decisions are made, this is what happens: (The men) make the wrong decision," she said.

Women must be prepared to take care of themselves as must men, and both genders must be prepared to work together, she said.

"We have to be strong partners, women and men together."

Before visiting Pomona High, Huerta attended the fourth annual Cesar Chavez Breakfast at El Molcajete Restaurant on East Holt Avenue.

The breakfast, organized by the Latino and Latina Roundtable of Pomona Valley and San Gabriel Valley and the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, honored Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino; the Rev. Patricio Guillen, executive director of Libreria del Pueblo in Ontario; and the Pomona Habla/Pomona Speaks coalition.

Each received recognition for their work carrying on Chavez's legacy.

The excitement among students was palpable as they awaited Huerta's arrival.

Tanya Franco, a senior, said Huerta's been a courageous woman who faced many challenges and never backed down.

"She was woman enough and strong enough to overcome those obstacles," Franco said..

Senior Jairo Sotelo said having Huerta visit the school was inspiring and showed youth have a role to play on many fronts.

"It shows us how there is so much  to work for," he said. "We can still move forward and advance."

POMONA - Efforts are under way to ensure the annual Christmas parade not only takes place this year but comes back with a fresh look after last year's absence.

Various groups are working together to put on a parade that could include a new name, a new route through downtown and possibly a connection to the annual Holiday Lane celebration, said Carolyn Hemming, president of the Downtown Pomona Owners' Association.

The Jaycees, who for decades have been involved with the parade, will continue to spearhead the parade organizing effort, said Hemming, who is part of a parade steering committee that includes participation of various business groups and business people.

"They have a lot of great input and they are chairing the committee," Hemming said. "Their wisdom is absolutely needed."

Representatives of the Pomona Jaycees could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Jaycees members canceled the 2008 edition of the parade after learning city funds that helped cover some of the costs of the event were no longer available.

Since then, various organizations, including the Downtown Pomona Owners' Association, have been working to ensure the parade returns this year.

Among the changes being considered is moving the parade route so it travels along Second or Third streets. The original path of the parade in the 1940s included going through downtown.

Other possible changes include moving the city's annual Holiday Lane celebration from Huntington Street to the Civic Center Plaza where the parade would end, Hemming said.

Another idea is to have the parade move to the second Saturday of December instead of the first Saturday.

"In the morning you would have the parade, Holiday Lane in the afternoon and Second Saturday at night," Hemming said.

Various details must still be worked out including whether a date change would present scheduling problems for participation by marching bands, she said.

The final event plan will probably require City Council approval, Hemming said.

At this point the city is in discussions with the owners' association and the Jaycees, said Mark Gluba, assistant to the city manager.

If city financial backing is needed then the matter could go to the council as part of the 2009-2010 budget process, he said.

Fairplex, which has experience putting on parades as part of the L.A. County Fair festivities, is among the organizations that have shown interest in helping grow the parade.

"We really want to see the event stay alive and maybe even make it stronger," said Scott Kelly, director of community and government relations for Fairplex.

With Fairplex's own knowledge of parades and some volunteers the organization will be able to contribute to the event, he said.

POMONA - For some Pomona Unified School District students, the start of the 2009-2010 school year will mean seeing old friends, talking about their summer break and having a new grade configurations at their schools.

This fall, 10 campuses will be part of the first phase of changes that will result on new grade changes across the district.

The districtwide changes will eventually affect most of the district's schools and be in place in five years, district officials said.

In a series of community meetings with Superintendent Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana, parents have repeatedly asked for academic programs different from what is available, said Cindy Walkenbach, a project leader working on the reconfiguration.

"It came out loud and clear that parents were looking for more opportunities and they were looking for more choices."

Over time Hurtado did some checking and came to the conclusion a time capsule must be behind the patch.

Hurtado said this week he was pretty sure a time capsule existed in that spot. In the past, in collaboration with a parent, he found a time capsule at another Pomona Unified campus.

Recently some district employees came to the Philadelphia campus and broke out the concrete patch revealing a sealed copper box with the date March 23, 1958 written on it and the signature of Principal Morrison, the headed the school at the time.

What is inside the time capsule is unknown and will remain a mystery until 10 a.m. April 16 when the box is opened at a school assembly.

School alumni, their parents, former faculty and past school staff members are welcome to attend, Hurtado said.

As everyone waits for the date of the assembly to arrive, students have been writing about all the things they believe could be found inside of the time capsule, Hurtado said.

A contest has also been organized designed to select a series of items to place in a new capsule, he said.

Each grade level will determine what single item they would like included in the capsule.

Hurtado, like others at the school, is wondering what the Philidelphia students of 1958 may have placed in the box.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what they deemed important," Hurtado said.

POMONA - About 1,000 teachers, parents and students rallied Friday afternoon calling on state officials to spare education as they try to resolve the state's financial problems.

The majority of the teachers in attendance on the lawn of the Pomona Unified School District Education Center, many dressed in pink shirts, were Pomona Unified employees but many others came from neighboring districts.

Across the state people held other rallies in support of education on what was called Pink Friday protesting thousands of layoff notices sent to teachers statewide.

In Ontario a group of teachers and their supporters also rallied at the corner of Vineyard Avenue and Fourth Street and in Rancho Cucamonga in front of Alta Loma High School.

Rally participants in Pomona stood along both sides of Garey Avenue holding signs and in some cases noisemakers while they urged motorists to honk in support of teachers and education.

Not all were supportive. One motorist drove past the crowd and flashed a thumbs down. As the car drove away some people gasped. A message on the car's rear windshield read: "LAY OFF OVER PAID UNION THUGS."

The rally included short speeches from various people including Assemblywoman Norma Torres, D-Ontario, who said at first Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sought a $12 billion cut in education.

"Finally we talked him down to $10 billion," she said. "It's still drastic, and it's still too much."

Torres said she understands the impact the cuts will have on students.

"I stand here not just as an elected official, I stand here as a parent," Torres said.

State leaders need to under the impact of education on California, said Mathew Holton, superintendent of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District.

"When are they finally going to understand education is critical for California's economic recovery?" he asked.

Districts don't like having to make reductions.

"Every school district will do as much as they can to rescind as many notices as possible," he said drawing cheers from the crowd.

Pomona Unified Superintendent Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana was not present at the rally.
The superintendent was returning Friday from Washington, D.C. where she was lobbying federal officials for help for California schools.

In meeting with Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan and other top education advisers to President Barack Obama, Melendez heard good news.

"They want stimulus money to go to schools," she said by telephone.

The superintendent said she hopes the state doesn't try to divert the money to other uses.

"We need the money for our kids and to avoid massive cuts," she said.

Throughout the state, people are seeing their educational systems affected by cuts to education, said Dean Vogel, California Teachers Association vice president at the Pomona rally.

Often the noticing process went beyond what was necessary.

"When you have to lay off maybe 100 teachers and you send out 600 notices that's inappropriate. That's disrespectful," he said.

Vogel called on members of the crowd to continue working together.
"We are hurting. We are all having a difficult time and we all have to speak with one voice and that voice is right here," Vogel said.

Parents were also represented among the speakers.

Guadalupe Gallegos, a parent leader at Lincoln Elementary in Pomona and a member of the grassroots organization OneLA, said children are being distracted from their studies because they are afraid of losing their teachers.

Gallegos asked how schools and children make academic progress when they are enveloped by such uncertainty.

Lincoln was a school that some years ago had some of the lowest Academic Performance Index scores in the city, but through the efforts of teachers, parents and others, scores increased from 440 to 730, she said.

Debbie Stevens, a teacher with Chino Valley Unified for 23 years, said she was spared from the layoffs but knows others who weren't as fortunate.

She is saddened by the way education is being affected by the cuts.

"It's disheartening not only to see the state of education," she said. "It's also very painful to see that the Legislature would think so little of the future of the kids and their families. It's very frustrating."

After the rally the crowd walked a short distance to the intersection of Mission Boulevard and Garey Avenue where they continued the rally for a short time.

Danielle Russhan, a Ganesha High teacher with two children of her own in the district, said afterward she was glad Pomona residents backed teachers and understand the importance of education.
People know teachers just aren't seeking to save their jobs, she said. They know the issue is much greater.

"Teachers are an essential element of their children's education," she said.

POMONA - A group of students left school today in what some say was a sign of support for Pomona Unified School teachers who received preliminary layoff notices.

Pomona Unified School District Spokesman Tim McGillivray said "a handful" of students from Garey High School and Garey Village walked out of school and "walked around for a while" outside the schools.

He characterized the students as unorganized.

"I don't think there was any intent to join the teachers," he said.

Teachers, along with their supporters, organized rallies across the state today. The Pink Friday rallies were in support of education and protested the thousands of layoff notices sent out to teachers all over the state.

Mike Russo, a counselor in the Pomona Unified School District, said the number of students who walked out of classes was probably closer to 100 and involved several schools.

"The kids over reacted but they were concerned about teacher," he said adding a number of them were wearing pink shirts.

Russo said he does not condone the actions of the students but they were following the example of district leaders.

"When you think about it what models do they have," Russo said.

POMONA - Pomona's Acting Chief of Police will be among area chiefs of police participating in a question and answer session with members of the public this morning in Claremont.

Acting Chief Dave Keetle is expected to be part of "Open Dialogue with Police" Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12;30 p.m. at Hughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Road, Claremont.

Also expect to take part in the forum are chiefs and captains from Claremont, Montclair and Ontario.

This is the ninth year that the Pomona Valley Human Relations Council has organized the event.

Members of the public are invited to attend.

"This is an opportunity for members of the community to express concerns directly to local law enforcement officials," said Candace Barry, president of the council.

The non-profit Pomona Valley Human Relations Council works to build and improve relations among diverse cultural groups with the goals of bring peace to communities.

Information: (909) 218-0988

POMONA - Cal Poly Pomona announced this week that the head of a family restaurant chain and an businessman will be awarded honorary doctorate degrees in June.

Pomona resident Richard N. Frank, chairman of Lawry's Restaurants. Inc. will be presented the degree June 14 during the 2009 graduation ceremony for Cal Poly's Collins College of Hospitality Management.

Fresno businessman and Cal Poly alumni Don Huntley of Huntley & Moore Farms will pick-up his degree June 13 during the graduation ceremony of the university's College of Agriculture.

Both men have been successful in their fields and made significant contributions to the university.

Frank is chairman of the family owned and award winning restaurants Lawry's Restaurants, Inc. which includes Lawry's The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills, Chicago, Dallas and Las Vegas and other establishments.

Frank served as president and chief executive officer of Lawry's Foods, Inc. producers of about 100 products including Lawry's Seasoned Salt., the best selling formulated seasoning in the country, according to university statement.

At Cal Poly Frank has been a long time support of the Collins College who in 1988 established and endowed lectureship series that gives students an opportunity to come in contact with leaders of hospitality management.

Huntley is a successful farmer, businessman and art collector.

Huntley graduated in 1960 with a degree in animal husbandry. After graduating he worked in animal health sales before going into the farming and later starting a career in the agricultural and recreational land sales.

A pistachio farmer since 1982, Huntley's product is sold through Williams-Sonoma.
Huntley's contributions to the university include donating eight paints that came from his fine art collection, a university statement said.

He has also provided funding to the College of Science and the College of Agriculture for research initiatives.

POMONA - Two Pomona residents will be among the business women, volunteers and civic activists recognized as 2009 Women of the Year by area legislators Friday in Ontario.

Pomona resident and volunteer Norma Delgado and Roberta Perlman-Hensen, a Pomona resident and business woman, will be among those recognized for their contributions to the community in a ceremony sponsored by Assemblywoman Norma Torres, D-Ontario and state Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod, D-Montclair.

Also recognizing women from her district at the ceremony will be Assemblywoman Wilmer Amina Carter, D-Rialto.

Other women being honored at the event which is closed to the public will be businesswoman and former teacher Karen Haughey of Chino, Fontana City Councilwoman Acquanetta Warren, Claremont resident and Montclair Assistant Director of Human Services Marcia Richter and Ontario City Councilwoman Sheila Mautz.

POMONA - Information on topics and efforts related to youth and families will be among the things found in the first issue of "One Pomona One Voice" an electronic newsletter of the Pomona Youth and Family Master Plan.

The first issues of the electronic publication was distributed this week, said Andrea Rico, the city's youth and family services manager.

"This was a low-cost way of getting out information," Rico said.

One of the goals of the Youth and Family Master Plan Community Board has been to step up its public relations efforts and this is one way of doing so, she said.

In every issue readers will find information on studies relevant to youth and families along with pieces on activities or work local organizations are carrying out that supports Pomona's Youth and Family Master Plan, Rico said.

Plans call for distributing the newsletter on a bi-monthly basis and efforts are under way to have it posted on Pomona's Web page.

Also in development is a Web site, PomonaYFMP.org, where visitors will find information related to the Pomona Youth and Family Master Plan including the  plan itself, agendas and minutes of past meetings, links to the newsletter and to the cyber resources center - www.pomonafamilyresources.org.

The cyber resource center offers visitors general or personalized information on a wide range of services including counseling in areas such as domestic violence, mental health or substance abuse.

Information for services such as after-school programs, recreation classes, health services or gang intervention can also be found there.

Rico said PomonaYFMP.org could be ready to launch in another month or two.

POMONA - Teachers and other certificated personnel from more than half a dozen school districts in the Inland and San Gabriel valleys will rally in front of the Pomona Unified School District administrative offices Friday afternoon to protest the state's cuts to education.

As of Wednesday, 14 rallies have been planned in Southern California from Santa Maria to Huntington Beach but "Pomona's is probably going to be the biggest," said Frank Wells, spokesman for the California Teachers Association.

Aside from the rallies other smaller events are being planned, he said.

IF YOU GO -
Teachers and other certificated personnel will begin gathering at 3 p.m. Friday in front of the Pomona Unified School District Education Center for a rally calling attention to state funding cuts to education.
The Education Center, which houses the district's administrative offices, is at 800 S. Garey Ave., Pomona.
Speakers will begin addressing the expected crowd at 4 p.m.

Pomona's rally is expected to draw teachers and other certificated personnel from more than half a dozen districts, some as far west as El Monte in addition to neighboring districts, said Associated Pomona Teachers President Morgan Brown on Wednesday.

Wells said other groups are organizing rallies as part of Pink Friday, which refers to "pink slips" issued by Friday.

March 13 is the cut-off day for school districts to send out preliminary layoff notices informing teachers, counselors, nurses and other certificated personnel they may not have a job at the end of the current school year. Without the notices employees can't be released from their jobs.

Although there are concerns about districts sending out preliminary layoff notices, there is a broader issue to address, Wells said.

Had the state provided adequate funding for education, districts wouldn't be noticing their employees, he said.

So far about 25,000 California Teachers Association members across the state have been noticed, Wells said.

California has gone through difficult times in the past and has made cuts to education before but never to this degree, Brown said.

In those times "teachers have made up the difference by reaching into their pockets and using their own money" for supplies and teaching materials, Brown said.

Few people know teachers have made such investments allowing people to believe all is well, he said.

"We've really sheltered the public," Brown said.

This time it's different.

"The cuts are (too) deep this time for teachers to be able to make up the difference," Brown said.

Students should be spared from being affected by cuts, and that's not what's happening, he said.

"Budgets reflect a set of values," Brown said, adding that the funding available for education is not enough to meet the existing needs.

"That speaks volumes about our values as a state, and I'm ashamed," he said.

Rev. Mike Fronk, pastor of First Christian Church of Pomona, will participate in Friday's rally as a representative of the Pomona-Inland Cluster of OneLA, a grassroots organization focusing on matters critical to families including education, schools, housing and public safety.

"California is the sixth greatest economy in the world and we're spending like it's our last priority. I think that's criminal," he said.

Access to educational opportunities is needed if people are to improve their condition in life, Fronk said.

High school graduates aren't all going to go to college. Those who won't be attending college shouldn't have as their only option to enlist in the military, he said.
Young people need to have access to educational programs that will prepare them to enter to work-force and secure well-paying jobs, Fronk said.

An uneducated work-force hurts the economy because employers don't have access to people to fill openings, he said.

Pomona resident Gerty Marquez, a mother of two in district schools who plans to be at Friday's rally, said she's worried about the impact cuts will have on students.

"What's going to happen to our kids? What's going to happen to our schools?" she asked.

POMONA - The concerns of a group of Village Academy High School students' related to their futures and those of their families reached President Barack Obama.

The President referred to the students' video today when he delivered a speech focusing on education to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.

Students put together the video, "Is Anybody Listening?" in which they talk about their families' struggles in the current economic environment.

They spoke of their own fears they may not be able to pursue a college education due to the economic crisis.

Today the president said their concerns are being heard.

"I am listening. We are listening. America is listening," the president said.

The project started out as a writing assignment for a group of literature and composition students but the results were so powerful that their teacher suggested the teens record their stories.

The students' video can be seen on the school's Web site at www.pusd.org/villageacademy.

In January, Pomona Unified School District Superintendent Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the inauguration of President Obama. She took copies of the recording with her and delivered them to Linda Darling-Hammond, an education policy advisor to President Obama during the presidential campaign. Darling-Hammond also headed the transition team concentrating on education.

The recording was also provided to Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Santa Fe Springs, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California.

The following are President Obama's remarks related to the students' video.

"I want children like Yvonne Bojorquez to have that chance. Yvonne is a student at Village Academy High School in California. Now, Village Academy is a 21st century school where cutting edge technologies are used in the classroom, where college prep and career training are offered to all who seek it, and where the motto is 'respect, responsibility, and results.'

"Now, a couple of months ago, Yvonne and her class made a video talking about the impact that our struggling economy was having on their lives. And some of them spoke about their parents being laid off, or their homes facing foreclosure, or their inability to focus on school with everything that was happening at home. And when it was her turn to speak, Yvonne said: 'We've all been affected by this economic crisis. \[We\] are all college bound students; we're all businessmen, and doctors and lawyers and all this great stuff. And we have all this potential -- but the way things are going, we're not going to be able to \[fulfill it\].'

"It was heartbreaking that a girl so full of promise was so full of worry that she and her class titled their video, "Is anybody listening?" So, today, there's something I want to say to Yvonne and her class at Village Academy: I am listening. We are listening. America is listening. And we will not rest until your parents can keep your jobs -- we will not rest until your parents can keep their jobs and your families can keep their homes, and you can focus on what you should be focusing on -- your own education; until you can become the businessmen, doctors, and lawyers of tomorrow, until you can reach out and grasp your dreams for the future.

"For in the end, Yvonne's dream is a dream shared by all Americans. It's the founding promise of our nation: That we can make of our lives what we will; that all things are possible for all people; and that here in America, our best days lie ahead. I believe that. I truly believe if I do my part, and you, the American people, do yours, then we will emerge from this crisis a stronger nation, and pass the dream of our founding on to posterity, ever safer than before."

The president's complete speech can be seen by going to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29612995/.

The portion of the speech where President Obama refers to Village Academy is at end of the speech.

WALNUT -   Mt. San Antonio College Library will host a poster exhibit focusing on the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibit, which opens today, consists of 30 photo posters showing the destructiveness of the bombs dropped on Japan in August 1945  killing more than 170,000 people most of which were civilians, according to Mt. SAC statement.

The exhibit is meant to remind people of the importance of peace and the need to prevent nuclear war, the statement said.

Beginning today and until March 20, the exhibit will be at the Mt. SAC Library.

The exhinit has been touring the United States since August 2007.

A special presentation will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday in the campus Music Recital Hall.

Author and retired Pasadena City College professor Kikuko Otake and Korean War veteran and retired horticulturalist Tommy Morimoto were witnesses to the Hiroshima bombing and will speak at the event.    

Mt. SAC is at 1100 N. Grand Ave. in Walnut. Library hours are 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The exhibit will be offered in cooperation with the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.

Information: (909) 594-5611, ext 4570

The tournament will take place April 23 at the Sierra LaVerne Country Club.

Kenny Landreaux, who was a member of the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers World Series champion team, and Christian Okoye, a former member of the Kansas City Chiefs and a member of the Football Hall of Fame, are expected to take part in the tournament.

Cedrick Hardman, a former member of the Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers, is expected to attend the event's dinner.

Tournament registration begins at 11 a.m. with play starting at noon. After the tournament, participants will attend a 5 p.m. social hour. Dinner and a live auction will begin at 6 p.m.

Tournament sponsorships are available.

Proceeds from the golfing event will go to support Inland Valley Hope Partners programs and services.

Inland Valley Hope Partners operates food banks in Ontario, Pomona and San Dimas and the Hope Partners residential family shelter in Pomona.

For tournament information go to www.hope-partners.com or e-mail franr@hope-partners.com or call (909) 622-3806, Ext. 231.

POMONA - Pomona Valley Workshop will hold an open house March 19 for its autism services program.

The open house, themed "Open the Door to One," will take place at the offices of Anthesis Autism Services from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 520 E. Foothill Blvd., Suite C, in Pomona.

The event is designed for those diagnosed with autism, particularly adults, and their families so that through the event they will learn about the services and resources available to them in the community.

Teachers, community leaders and professionals interested in learning about autism are also welcome to the event, a statement from the organization said.

Information will be offered on how individuals, organizations and businesses can create an environment where those with autism can reach their potential and lead productive lives.

For information on the open house e-mail program manager Marie Martinez at marie@pvwonline.org or call (909) 624-3108, ext 28.

POMONA - The treatment for multiple sclerosis and the value of physical therapy to improve balance will among the topics of discussion at a free seminar offered by Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation.

The two hour seminar, designed for those diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, will begin at 6 p.m. March 17 at the Tamkin Outpatient Center, Building 1D of the Casa Colina campus, 255 E. Bonita Ave. in Pomona.

Speaking at the event will be a team of health care professionals who provide treatment to patients at Casa Colina's Multiple Sclerosis Center. Among the presenters will be Dr. Richard Shubin, a neurologist who is also program medical director at Casa Colina's Multiple Sclerosis Center; nurse practitioner Gail Hartley and Kathy San Martino, a physical therapist who is certified as a neurological clinical specialist.

A National MS Society social worker will also be on hand to offer participants literature and other educational materials.

To reserve a seat call (866) 724-4132. Seating is limited.
 

POMONA - Preparing for a disaster will be a little easier for those who attend a presentation on the topic offered by the San Gabriel Pomona Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. March 17 at the chapter's Pomona branch office, 675 N. Park Ave.

The free presentation last an hour and is given by one of the chapter's disaster specialists.

Information on topics such as building a disaster kit with all the necessary elements and safety tips will be part of the presentation, according to a statement from the chapter.

Being prepared means a person will be able to have shelter where they are and will have resources to survive for weeks of months, the statement said.

Seating for the March 17 presentation is limited and is available on a first come, first served basis. To register e-mail Karen Shupp-Lim at shupp@sgpvarc.org or call (626) 799-0841.

Information on dates and locations of future presentations is available at www.sgpvarc.org.

WALNUT - Puttin' on the Hits, Mt. San Antonio College's annual scholarship fund raising show will take place March 13 and 14 at the college's Sophia B. Clarke Theater.

Students, faculty and staff participate in the show in which they impersonate well known musical artists and lip sync to their hit songs, according to a statement from the college.

All together the show's participants will cover a wide range of musical genres, including hip-hop, rhythm and blues, country and rock.

Over the years, Puttin' on the Hits, now in its 11th year, has raised more than $100,000 in scholarship monies for Mt. SAC students.

Ticket and program information is available by going to http://performingarts.mtsac.edu or by calling the Mt. SAC Performing Arts box office at (909) 468-4050.

Tickets to the event are $20.

A performance will be offered on March 13 at 7:30 p.m. Two performance, one at 3 p.m. and another at 7:30 p.m., will be offered on March 14.

POMONA - Western University of Health Sciences announced this week that Dr. Michael Seffinger has been named chairman of its department of osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Seffinger is associate professor of family medicine, neuromuscolosskeletal medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine, according to a statement from the university. He has been with the university since 1999.

Seffinger earned a bachelor's degree from UC Santa Cruz and is a graduate of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

"Dr. Seffinger has an extensive background in primary care (medicine). Having trained and practiced as a family physician, he found great professional satisfaction and healing power in using a comprehensive osteopathic approach to the treatment of his patients," said Dr. Clinton Adams, dean of the university's College of Osteopathic Medicine.

His experiences and analysis of osteopathic manipulative practice and it results led him to writing a book with the former chair of the department, Dr. Ray Hruby.

In osteopathic manipulative medicine physicians use osteopathic manipulative treatment to diagnosis and care for patients, the statement said.

According to the Web site of the American Osteopathic Association in osteopathic manipulative treatment physicians use their hands to diagnose, treat, and prevent illnesses or injuries. The osteopathic physician uses techniques including stretching and gentle pressure to move a patient's muscles and joints and help them heal.

POMONA - Tonight's meeting of the Pomona City Council was cancelled in memory of former state Sen. Nell Soto.

City Clerk Marie Macias made an announcement in the City Council Chambers that the meeting was cancelled "out of respect and honor for Nell Soto."

Members of the council were all expected to attend tonight's services for Soto, Macias said.

Soto, 82, died Thursday. A viewing and rosary were scheduled to take place tonight at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 150 W. Holt Ave.

Funeral services will take place at 9 a.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph's.

Soto served in the State Senate and the Assembly. Prior to her service in Sacramento Soto served on the Pomona City Council representing District 1, which includes western Pomona and part of the central part of the city.

All matters on tonight's agenda were continued to the next regular City Council meeting scheduled for March 16, Macias said.