June 2009 Archives

After a two year absence, the Miss Pomona Pageant will make a come back this year with an event organized by the Downtown Pomona Owners Association.

The association announced it will take over the responsibilities of organizing the event and has set Oct. 25 as the date for the selection and coronation of the winner and her court.

Ceremonies will be at the Fox Theater, said Larry Egan, executive director of the association.

"The Miss Pomona Pageant is a very special event to many residents, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to bring this experience back," said Lorena Matarrita, co-chairwoman of the Miss Pomona Committee.

Matarrita is also a former Miss Pomona who held the title in 2004.

A combination of circumstances made it difficult for the city's Cultural Arts Commission to carry out the pageant that last two years, said Mickey Gallivan, co-chairwoman of the Miss Pomona Committee and a member of the commission.

For organizers a major element of putting on the contest is visiting schools to explain the pageant doesn't involve bathing suits, Gallivan said.

Instead the pageant is one "that is based on scholarship and community service," she said.

To run for Miss Pomona, contestants must be residents of the city who are unmarried juniors or seniors at a high school located within Pomona.

Contestants must have a 3.0 or better grade point average, be under the age of 21, have a track record of community involvement and be available to represent the city at various events.

Applications will be available through the area high schools when school begins in August.

The winner and her court will receive scholarships.

Having the association take over the pageant will help have more community groups and organizations become involved in the event, Gallivan said.

Matarrita said steps are being taken to build a show around the event that will include the performances by student groups and others.

A dozen stories about life in Pomona and the Inland Valley collected with the help of a state grant will be screened this afternoon at the Pomona Public Library.

The California of the Past Digital Story Telling Video Screening and Reception will begin at 1 p.m. in the library's Public Conference Room.

The library is at 625 S. Garey Ave.

During the two-hour event, guests will see some of the stories that have been collected with connections to recent events and stories linked to important events in the city's history.

So far, the library has collected about 17 stories that are available for viewing online at www.digitalstorystation.com and then doing a search with the keyword "Pomona."

In addition to the short stories, a few out-takes collected during the recording sessions will be screened, said Bruce Guter, library systems manager.

The story telling project has been carried out with a grant from the California State Library, Guter said.

Recently, library personnel learned the grant for the project was extended for another year, which allowed the library to gather more stories and to create digital versions of stories recorded on audio tape as part of a 1963 project.

The collection of tapes contains stories about a number of prominent city residents related to significant events in Pomona history, Guter said.

Library personnel encourage people of all ages, English and non-English speakers, to record a story, Guter said.

"We want to make this as inclusive as we can, Guter said.

Stories can be as much as five minutes long and should have a beginning, middle and end.

Stories can be about something that happened decades ago or more recent and show an aspect of life in Pomona.

For information, send an e-mail to the library at library@ci.pomona.ca.us or call the special collections room at (909) 620-3709 or visit the special collections room from 2 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays.

People with an interest in books and cars will want to make time in their day Sunday to visit the 27th annual Automotive Literature Fair and Exchange at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum on the grounds of Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave.

Admission to the event is free.

The fair and exchange is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To access the museum, use Gate 1 on McKinley Avenue.

The event is presented by the Southern California Chapter of the Society of Automotive Historians.

Guests will find a wide assortment of materials ranging from vintage automobile manuals to automotive art for sale, according to the museum.

Rare and out-of-print automotive books, catalogs posters, pins and other materials will also be sold

Pomona residents will have a chance to enjoy a good breakfast and raise money for a worthy cause Sunday morning.

Firefighters with the Los Angeles County Fire Department at Pomona fire stations will be serving up pancake breakfasts from 8 a.m. to noon Sunday at the Pomona Eagles Lodge, 954 W. Mission Blvd.

The meal costs $5.

Proceeds from the breakfast will go toward the purchase of a flagpole for Fire Station 181 on Park Avenue near Mission Boulevard.

Most fire stations have a flag pole, but station 181 has never had one. Firefighters there would like to have one installed.

For information on the breakfast or for information on how to make a donation for this project call Cye Castellano at (951) 288-8199.

The Pomona Public Library's hours of service will be changing starting July 7.

City budget cuts have required the change in service hours, which will go into effect from July 7 to September 12, according to the library.

The library's hours of operation will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Fridays and Saturdays the library will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Sundays and Mondays the library will be closed.

A member of Western University of Health Sciences faculty has been elected a fellow of the American College of Physicians,  the university announced recently.

Dr. Andrew Pumerantz was elected a fellow and will participated in a convocation ceremony in Toronto in April 2010.

The American College of Physicians is a national organization for doctors specialized in the area of internal medicine. Physicians specializing in this area focus on the prevention, detection and treatment of illnesses in adults, according to the statement from the university.

Physician who are fellows in the organization have shown "they have a certain commitment to excellence in internal medicine, and it demonstrates their accomplishments," said James Ott, senior vice president of the organization. "When the public sees the initials FACP after the physicians's name, they should recognize this is someone who is committed to being a better doctor."

For the university, having a member of the faculty with such a recognition adds to the institution's prestige in the region's medical professional community, said Dr. Clinton Adams, dean of the University's College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific.

Pumerantz is an associate professor at the university in addition to being chairman of the department of internal medicine and chief of the division of infectious disease.

POMONA - Federal funds played a part in allowing leaders of the Pomona Unified School District to adopt a budget this week that averted sweeping cuts for the coming school year.

School district officials unanimously approved a $372.5 million budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year beginning July 1.

The budget's $150.5 million unrestricted general fund is about $203,000 leaner than the current year's budget.

After two years of making cuts to adapt to the loss of state funding totaling about $23.7 million, the district was able to avoid deep cuts in the 2009-2010 budget with the help of $23 million in federal stimulus funds.

"Essentially, we have been fortunate enough to delay the inevitable," said School Board member Steve Lustro on Friday.

With the state government showing signs it won't be able to resolve its financial difficulties, district officials are preparing for what will be painful cuts in the 2010-11 budget, some school board members said.

In keeping with priorities set by the school board, areas such as class size reduction at the kindergarten, first grade, second grade and ninth grade levels went untouched, said Pam Lopez, district assistant superintendent of business services and chief financial officer.

Also spared were athletic programs and health services, she said.

To cut expenses, departments reduced budgets and, in some areas, teachers lost three staff development days, said Leslie Barnes, the district's business manager.

The district cut funds for deferred maintenance and is saving some money by cutting back on busing.

In some cases, drops in enrollment have made it possible for students to attend their neighborhood schools, eliminating the need to provide transportation to other district schools, district finance personnel said.

Other cuts were the result of management salary reductions in the forms of cuts in paid staff development days.

Lopez said 12 administrators were cut as were a handful of classified employees.

"We have a hiring freeze with very few exceptions and we're scrutinizing everything. We're not spending any money we don't have to," Lopez said.

Because the state relaxed some rules in the use of money allocated for certain programs, the district will be able to keep some programs but on a smaller scale, such as counseling services, Barnes said.

The district used just about all of the $23 million it received in federal government stimulus money, Barnes said.

To use that money, some classroom teacher assignments were adjusted.

"It saves jobs, but also provides additional support" for students, Barnes said.

When school begins in the fall, returning students and their parents will see few changes compared to the school year that just ended, Barnes said.

"There won't be major changes from their point of view," Lopez said.

Considerable work will have to take place to develop next years budget and that will require a great deal of dialog with the districts labor groups, Lopez said.

School Board president Andrew Wong said the federal dollars allowed the district to avoid cutting teachers.

Board members are committed to keeping any cuts from affecting classrooms, but the district will have to consider all possible reduction options next year, Wong said.

"It's a serious amount we're going to have to cut," Wong said. "It's going to seriously affect us."

He added: "We are going to have some very serious choices" to make.

Unless school districts get some financial assistance from the federal government, next year cuts will have to be made, Lustro said.

"We're going to be looking at a lot of layoffs, there is not two ways about it, he said.

Lustro said he's frustrated with state leaders who can't solve their budget problems and turn to schools and local government funds to come up with temporary fixes to their problems.

"It's not fair when the local agencies are trying to balance their budgets," he said.

POMONA - After being handed a solution to one of the largest budgetary hurdles it had left, the Pomona City Council this week adopted a $176.7 million operating budget.

Council members voted unanimously to approve the budget that required numerous cuts to have a document that is balanced.

Although the city has a budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year, no one is feeling relieved.

Pomona, like other cities, is now facing an uncertain financial future linked to the state and its budget, Mayor Elliott Rothman said.

State legislators could adopt a budget that involves taking or borrowing gas tax dollars, property taxes or redevelopment money meant for the use of cities, Rothman said.

"I just won't feel good about our budget until they take care of theirs," he said.

This week, council members were able to clear a budgetary hurdle with the help of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

City staff had proposed taking a fire engine at the city's downtown fire station out of service for nine months to save the city $1.4 million.

However, fire service cuts won't be necessary due to a change in the payment schedule for the proposed sale of a city fire training center - located on the grounds of Fire Station 187 on Temple Avenue - to Los Angeles County.

The county had agreed to purchase the facility for $4.7 million and pay it off over a five-year period.

City Manager Linda Lowry said the county agreed to pay the city for the facility within a two-year period.

Under that payment schedule, the city will receive enough money to avert fire service reductions, plus the $950,000 that it was expecting this year for the sale and $359,000 that will be used to make budget adjustments during the year or to reverse some cuts, according to a memo from Lowry to the council.

Councilman Steve Atchley said Thursday a representative of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Chief Deputy Michael Dyer, offered the city some ideas that could help curtail costs.

The ideas are related to real estate and would take some time to set in place but would "have a way of reducing costs," he said.

During closed session, the City Council talked about two items related to property negotiations. One matter involved the city's fire training center and the other item involved the fire stations on North White Avenue and East Bonita Avenue.

As part of budget discussions, Councilwoman Paula Lantz pressed to have two community service officer positions in the Police Department's crime prevention unit reinstated.

The two crime prevention posts are critical to assisting Neighborhood Watch groups and residents trying to organize such groups, Lantz said.

Councilwoman Cristina Carrizosa proposed using money from the Police Department's overtime budget to cover the more than $111,400 it would cost to fund the two community services officers.

"Why can't we take $111,000 in overtime? I'm sure the police officers can do without," Carrizosa said.

Carrizosa went on to say the police overtime budget could be reduced by more than $800,000, saying a large part of the city's funds go to public safety.

Lantz said she couldn't support additional cuts to the department's overtime budget.

The Police Department reduced overtime costs to $2.9 million during the current fiscal year, which is about $1 million less than was spent in the 2007-08 fiscal year.

"They have done a yeoman's job in cutting," Lantz said.

The council agreed to tap the overtime fund for $111,000 to fund the two community service officers for crime prevention, plus another $389,000 to be set aside in a contingency fund in case the Police Department needs it later and the city manager approves.

POMONA - With a deadline to adopt a budget just six days away, City Council members will take on a proposed operating budget Wednesday and attempt to adopt a document loaded with across-the-board cuts.

By next Tuesday, Pomona must adopt the budget and iron out several issues including a sticky proposal to take a fire engine out of service for nine months at downtown's Fire Station 181 to save $1.4 million.

Councilman Steve Atchley said today he thinks the budget and fire department cuts will be finalized at Wednesday's meeting.

The proposed fire department reductions are "an integral part of the budget," Atchley said.

It may be possible to make some minor adjustments to the budget but as of today, Atchley said, "there is nowhere else in the budget to come up with that kind of money."

Atchley said a representatives from Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Michael Freeman's office is expected to attend Wednesday's meeting and may bring alternatives to save money and keep the engine in service. Pomona contracts for fire service with the county Fire Department.

Representatives of Los Angeles County Firefighters Local 1014 attended last week's meeting and called on the council to refrain from making the cuts, saying the department is already running a bare-bones operation.

Local 1014 is a politically active labor group which donates to the political campaigns of many elected officials, including five of the seven City Council members.

The council members received financial or other campaign support from two committees with ties to the union: Local 1014 Legislative Fund Committee and the Firefighters Organized, Ready & Committed in Emergencies.

The latter contributes to political campaigns and lists as its mailing address the same address as that of Local 1014.

In 2006, during Elliott Rothman's re-election campaign to the District 6 council seat, Firefighters Organized, Ready & Committed in Emergencies spent $5,309 in his support, according to campaign expenditure reports.

In Rothman's 2008 mayoral campaign, Local 1014's Legislative Fund Committee donated $1,000.

In Councilman Freddie Rodriguez's case, the firefighters' political group spent $5,314 in 2006, the year Rodriguez was elected to the council. The same year he received $500 from Local 1014's Legislative Committee.

The firefighters' political group spent $5,243 supporting Councilwoman Cristina Carrizosa during her 2006 campaign.

During Atchley's 2006 campaign, in which he was elected to the council for the first time, the firefighters political group spent $5,265 supporting him.

Councilwoman Danielle Soto, elected for the first time in November, reported a $500 contribution from Local 1014's Legislative Fund Committee.

Councilwoman Paula Lantz did not receive any support by either group. Councilman Tim Saunders was appointed to his council seat in December and hasn't run for office.

Also during the 2008 election, Local 1014's Legislative Fund Committee contributed $15,000 to Citizens For A Safer and Greener Pomona, which sent out election mailers for Rothman and Atchley.

Two of the mailers drew criticism from then-Pomona Police Chief Joe Romero. The mailers, Romero said at the time, implied he endorsed the candidates, which he did not. 

Atchley said the support he's received from firefighters in the past won't influence his vote on the fire issue.

"I'm always grateful for support but you have to do what is best for the city," he said adding that is the approach he'll take even if it means losing that support later.

Carrizosa said she has received the support in the past from the firefighters group and appreciates it but she separates its activities from her campaign.

"They do what they do," she said.

During her first campaign in the 1990s Carrizosa said she received some donations from individual firefighters but not since.

As for the budget allocation for fire services, Carrizosa said, something will have to be worked out that falls within the financial means of the city.

When it comes to the budget as a whole, Carrizosa said she would prefer to hold off on making a decision for a a day or two to wait and see what the state will do about it's own budget.

That time will allow the city to get an idea as to what positive or negative effects state law makers decisions will have on local governments' budgets, she said.

The third annual "Walk & Roll for Casa's Kids" will take place today on the grounds of Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation, 255 E. Bonita Ave.

The fund-raising event, which will benefit Casa Colina Children's Services, will include vendors, bounce houses, a children's art auction, music, and opportunity prizes. The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Admission is free.

Central to the event will be the Walk & Roll Children's Parade designed to accommodate children with disabilities.

Casa Colina's Children's Services provide services to children ages 16 and under with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorders, developmental delay, genetic disorders, brain and spinal cord injuries, neurological disorders and orthopedics problems.

During the event a ceremony will take place honoring the Paul and Emilie Barbault family who have been long-time supporters.

The family will be presented the "Friend of the Children Award" given to those who "exemplify giving, caring, and selflessness."

Information: www.casacolina.org

Cal Poly Pomona has many things to boast about and it just added another: Award-winning wines.

The University entered its Horsehill Vineyards Zinfandel Rosé and its Zinfandel, which are the first vintages Cal Poly has produced, in the Fairplex's 70th annual Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition, the university announced Friday.

The competition took place at the end of May.

Cal Poly's Zinfandel Rosé earned a gold medal as Best of Class in the Best Rosé Limited Production category and its Zinfandel took a bronze medal in the category Limited Production Zinfandel from 2007 or Later.

The Zinfandel Rosé will be among the award-winning wines guest will be able to sample at tonight's Wine and Cars Under the Stars gala at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at Fairplex.

Horsehill Vineyards wines are produced with grapes cultivated by the University's College of Agriculture students, faculty and staff on three acres of Cal Poly land.

The vines that produced the grapes grew from award-winning cuttings, some more than 100 years old, local winemaker Don Galleano collected from the De Ambrogio Ranch in Rancho Cucamonga prior to the land being sold for development, the university statement said.

To produce the wine the University's Collins College of Hospitality Management and the College of Agriculture worked with master winemaker Jon McPherson of South Coast Winery in Temecula and produced 328 cases of the Zinfandel Rosé using two-thirds of the 2008 grape harvest.

The remaining third of the harvest produced 30 cases of Zinfandel that Galleano aged for six months in oak barrels at the Galleano Winery in Mira Loma.

The Zinfandel Rosé is sold exclusively at the Collins College's Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch. Plans call for the Zinfandel to sell at the restaurant in the fall.

The Zinfandel Rosé can be ordered by going to www.csupomona.edu/~horsehill with additional information available by e-mailing Lisa McPheron at lcmcpheron@csupomona.edu or calling (909) 869-3151.

Tickets to tonight's Wine and Cars Under the Stars gala,  which runs from 7 to 11 p.m., are still available and will be sold at the door for $100 each with proceeds benefitting Fairplex's Child Development Center, the Millard Sheets Center for the Arts and the Fairplex Education Foundation.

Free lunch will be available to teens and children at various locations across Pomona starting Tuesday.

The Summer Food Service Program is carried out by the Pomona Unified School District using federal funds, said district spokesman Tim McGillivray.

Youth age 19 and under can participate in the program and are not required to be enrolled in summer school to receive meals.

Lunch will be served Monday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. starting Tuesday through July 30.

Among the locations providing lunch will be Ganesha, Garey, Pomona and Village Academy high schools, Garey Village and Fremont Middle School.

Lunch will also be served at various city community centers from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

Additional information is available by going to the district's Web site, www.pusd.org or by calling Daryl Hickey, the district's associate director for food and nutrition services, at (909) 397-4711, ext. 3950.

The spotlight will be on the Pomona Unified School District superintendent and incoming leaders of the Pomona Chamber of Commerce Thursday during the organization's 121st annual Awards & Installation of Officers.

Superintendent Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana, who has been nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education, will be presented with the Chamber's 31st Community Service Award in recognition of her work leadership in raising student achievement.

At the same event Victor Caceres, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Pomona Valley, will be sworn in as president of the Chamber along with other officers and members of the board of directors.

The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. at The Avalon at Fairplex.

For ticket information e-mail the chamber at info@pomonachamber.org or call (909) 622-1256.

Fans and supporters of the Pomona Concert Band can start planning for the band's 62nd annual Summer Concert Series kicking off July 2 at the G. Stanton Selby Bandshell at Ganesha Park, 1575 N. White Ave.

The band shell is located to the rear of the park's Community Center.

All nine of the season's concerts begin at 8 p.m. and are free.

The July 2 opening concert, which will have an Independence Day theme, will include the participation of the Air National Guard Band of the Southwest. Pomona Mayor Elliott Rothman will be the master of ceremonies and conduct the band for a rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

For a listing of musical themes and other concert series information go to the Pomona Now blog.

NOTE: Concert dates and themes below

The July 9 concert will have a dance theme and will include dance numbers from across the world. Councilman Steve Atchley will be the master of ceremonies.

Music from the United Kingdom will fill Ganesha Park on July 16.

Space, the stars and aviation will be the theme of the July 23 concert.

Leading the band on July 31 will be guest conductor James Christiansen. In 37 years with Walt Disney Productions Christiansen produced music for Disney theme parks and movies.

For Aug. 6 the band will be conducted by Greg Robinson, director of the Air National Guard Band of the Southwest for a concert titled "A Night Out With the Williams Boys, Clifton, John and Ralph."

"A Concert in the Park'" will be the theme for the Aug. 13 concert. Anthony Mazzaferro, director of bands at Fullerton College, will be the guest conductor.

The Aug. 20 concert will include the performance of several musical pieces with numbers as part of their titles. Stephen Wood, a graduate student at Cal State Long Beach, will perform "Concerto 4 2BA." Western University of Health Sciences President Philip Pumerantz will serve as guest conductor leading the band in a rendition of "76 Trombones'

The season will close Aug. 27 with "Sousa Goes to the Theater" in what will be a concert filled with marches, Broadway and film music. Atchley will serve as master of ceremonies 

Two bills introduced by Assemblywoman Norma Torres, D-Ontario, affecting the state's 9-1-1 system were approved in the Assembly recently and sent to the Senate.

Assembly Bills 423 and 912 would bring needed reforms to a 9-1-1 system that is burdened with a growing overload of emergency calls, according to a statement from Torres' office.

"Our 9-1-1 system is the first point of contact for people during emergencies, and these improvements are needed in order to ensure adequate response times," Torres said in the statement.

AB423 involves the recruiting and training of 9-1-1 dispatchers. If adopted, the bill would give the state's 9-1-1 Advisory Commission, the State Fire Marshall and the Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission, a chance to provide advice to state 9-1-1 policy makers on the recruitment, training and retention of 9-1-1 dispatchers.

The two bills will go to the Senate and if approved will be sent to the governor for his signature turning them into law.

CLAREMONT - Services will be held Friday afternoon for retired Superior Court Judge Carlos M. Teran.

Teran, a resident of Claremont, died Monday at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center following a recent stroke. He was 93.

Those who knew him remembered Teran on Thursday as a loving family man and a lifetime learner with an adventurous spirit.

He was someone who cared deeply about helping others.

"I think his satisfaction was when he truly helped someone. He helped the underdog," said Ellie Teran, his friend and former wife.

Teran, a native of El Paso, Texas, came to California with his mother and younger sister as young boy and grew up in East Los Angeles.

After graduating from Garfield High School he entered the work force and at the age of 25, shortly after enrolling at UCLA enlisted in the U.S. Army. The military allowed him to complete one semester at UCLA, his daughter, Cristina Teran Goodman said.

Once with the Army, Teran attended Officers Candidate School and later was assigned to the 88th Infantry Division, which is now referred to as the Blue Devils.

Teran went on to become a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve and held the rank of colonel upon his retirement from the active service.

After the war, Teran entered USC's law school and after graduating began practicing law.

In 1957 Teran made history when he was appointed to the Los Angeles Municipal Court as the first Mexican-American appointed to hold such a position in contemporary history.

Two years later he was appointed to serve as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge which eventually led to serving twice in Pomona.

Teran retired from the bench in 1979.

Teran's courtroom was one where lawyers didn't raise their voices or got out of line, said Patricia Lobelle-Lamb, who met Teran through her husband Ray Lamb, a friend of Teran.

Everyone followed Teran's lead.

"He was always courtly and well mannered," Lobelle-Lamb said. "He was really known as a gentleman judge...He looked the part and he acted the part."

Throughout his judicial career and well beyond his retirement Teran was active in various civic and cultural organizations especially those that were dedicating assisting disadvantaged youth including the Pomona Red Cross, the Crippled Children's Society, now known as Ability First, and was a member of the Pitzer College Board of Trustees.

Among the organizations he was deeply involved with was what is now called the the Boys and Girls Club of Pomona Valley.

Before coming to the Inland Valley, Teran was involved with the Variety Boys in East Los Angeles.

According to the club's Website, Teran would recommend youth who had run-ins with the law to participate in the club activities.

When Teran came to Pomona, the Web site says, he asked for the location of the local Boys Club and learned no such thing existed.

So in the 1960s Teran along with Clyde Warren and Tuck McGuire started the club.

Retired Pomona Police Chief Joe Romero, currently a member of the club's board of directors who previously served on the board with Teran in the 1980s, said the judge "was a very unassuming man who was very supportive of everyone he met."

Teran saw the value of the club in fighting crime and in keeping youth from becoming involved in activities that would land them in court, Romero said.

"He realized if you could reach them through family, through the club or education it was a way he wouldn't see them in court," he said.

During an October 1977 dinner where he was recognized for his work after announcing his retirement from the bench Teran said that although he was "slipping off the mantle of authority" he was not "going into monthballs," according to newspaper account of the time.

Teran said he would be busy with other endeavors and planned to continue being involved with his work involving youth organizations.

"One of the greatest satisfactions...is helping a young person to get along," he said.

Cristina Teran Goodman said her father was a man of many interests but cherished spending time with his family.

He made a point of making time during the summer to take trips with his children and when he had grandchildren he was always available to spend time at their athletic events, his daughters said.

In his later years, as his health began to decline, Sundays were reserved for family, Teran Goodman said.

"We would all get together on Sunday, and he loved it," she said.

Services for Teran will take place at 3:30 p.m. Friday at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, 435 Berkeley Ave. in Claremont.

Teran is survived by his former wife Ellie Teran of Claremont; three children, Cristina Teran Goodman of Los Gatos, Michael Teran of Pomona and Suzanne Enriquez of Upland; six grandchildren; sister Juliette Airey of Santa Barbara, a niece Dolores Gillmore of New York and long-time companion Louise Elliott of Pomona.

POMONA -- Music and more will fill Ganesha Park on Saturday at the 20th annual Pomona Valley Juneteenth Family Jazz Festival.

The free event will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m at the park on White and McKinley avenues.
It will include a car show, plenty of food, information booths and other activities, said John Thompson, founder and chief executive officer of Ontario-based Juneteenth America, which organized the event.

Juneteenth festivities commemorate the celebrations of June 19, 1865, the day slaves in Texas learned they were free.

President Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863 issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared slaves in rebel states free, but the news didn't reach some slaves until Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Tex. and made an announcement.

 Juneteenth celebrations are "grounded in freedom and freedom for all Americans," Thompson said.

Many people have heard the term Juneteenth or have heard of a celebration but not much more, he said.

"The story still isn't told in the school system," Thompson said.

Celebrations such as Saturday's serve as a way to educate people of all colors about this moment in the nation's history.

Juneteenth celebrations also serve as an occasion to showcase an important element of the black experience, which is jazz music and important figures such as John Coltrane and Dizzy Gillespie, said the Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., founder and chairman of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation and National Juneteenth Jazz Artist.

Myers said June, which is Black Music Month, and Juneteenth provide an ideal opportunity to share with younger generations "how that music was created" and its African-American roots.

"We want to be able to teach that legacy and hand it down to future generations," Myers said.

POMONA - Fans and supporters of the Pomona Concert Band can start planning for the band's 62nd annual Summer Concert Series kicking off July 2 at the G. Stanton Selby Bandshell on the grounds of Ganesha Park, 1575 N. White Ave.

The band shell is located to the rear of the park's Community Center.

All nine of the season's concerts begin at 8 p.m. and are free.

The July 2 opening concert, which will have an Independence Day theme, will include the participation of the Air National Guard Band of the Southwest. Pomona Mayor Elliott Rothman will be the master of ceremonies and conduct the band for a rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

The July 9 concert will have a dance theme and will include dance numbers from across the world. Councilman Steve Atchley will be the master of ceremonies.

Music from the United Kingdom will fill Ganesha Park on July 16.

Space, the stars and aviation will be the theme of the July 23 concert.

Leading the band on July 31 will be guest conductor James Christiansen. In 37 years with Walt Disney Productions Christiansen produced music for Disney theme parks and movies.

For Aug. 6 the band will be conducted by Greg Robinson, director of the Air National Guard Band of the Southwest for a concert titled "A Night Out With the Williams Boys, Clifton, John and Ralph."

"A Concert in the Park'" will be the theme for the Aug. 13 concert. Anthony Mazzaferro, director of bands at Fullerton College, will be the guest conductor.

The Aug. 20 concert will include the performance of several musical pieces with numbers as part of their titles. Stephen Wood, a graduate student at Cal State Long Beach, will perform "Concerto 4 2BA." Western University of Health Sciences President Philip Pumerantz will serve as guest conductor leading the band in a rendition of "76 Trombones'

The season will close Aug. 27 with "Sousa Goes to the Theater" in what will be a concert filled with marches, Broadway and film music. Atchley will serve as master of ceremonies.

Two Assembly bills introduced by Assemblywoman Norma Torres, D-Ontario, affecting the state's 9-1-1 system were approved in the Assembly recently and sent to the Senate

Assembly Bills 423 and 912 would bring needed reforms to a 9-1-1 system that is burdened with a growing overload of emergency calls, according to a statement from Torres' office.

"Our 9-1-1 system is the first point of contact for people during emergencies, and these improvements are needed in order to ensure adequate response times," Torres said in the statement.

AB423 involves recruiting and training of 9-1-1 dispatchers. If adopted, the bill would give the state's 9-1-1 Advisory Commission, the State Fire Marshall and the Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission a chance to provide advice to state 9-1-1 policy makers on the recruitment, training and retention of 9-1-1 dispatchers.

If AB 912 is adopted it would grant greater flexibility in the state's use of 9-1-1 surcharge funds allowing for their use for personnel recruitment and training costs.

"These measures begin the process of improving 9-1-1 service by enabling the state to address the challenges posed by a growing population and rising technology. The 9-1-1 system provides an essential service to the public," Torres said.

The two bills are examples of what Assembly Speaker Karen Bass calls "customer friendly" state governement reforms, Torres said.

The two bills will go to the Senate and if approved will be sent to the governor for his signature turning them into law.

The third annual "Walk & Roll for Casa's Kids" will take place June 20 on the grounds of Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation, 255 E. Bonita Ave.

The fund-raising event, which will benefitting Casa Colina Children's Services, will include vendors, bounce houses, a children's art auction, music, and opportunity prizes and runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Admission to the event is free.

Central to the event will be the Walk & Roll Children's Parade which takes on the ground of the Centers and is designed to accommodates children with disabilities, according to a statement from Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation.

Casa Colina's Children's Services provide services to children ages 16 with various disabilities such as autism spectrum disorders, developmental delay, genetic disorders, brain and spinal cord injuries, neurological disorders and orthopedics problems.

During the event a ceremony will take place honoring the Paul and Emilie Barbault family who have been long time supporters of Casa Colina.

The family be presented the "Friend of the Children Award" given to those who "exemplify giving, caring, and selflessness," according to a statement from the Centers.

Information: www.casacolina.org or call (909) 596-7733, ext. 2218.

POMONA -- Three down and one to go.

Council members approved the budgets for the city's capital improvement program, the redevelopment agency and the housing authority, but opted to take up the the proposed operating budget at a June 24 meeting.

Council members would like to save some city services but doing so would require cuts elsewhere in the city's budget.

The proposed operating budget, which totals $175.7 million, contains the city's nearly $91 million general fund from which services such as police, fire, recreation programs, library, tree trimming and street sweeping are paid.

Among those at the meeting was a group of city employees who spoke about the impacts that cuts to civilian Police Department staff and on the city's building and safety department would have on residents and others seeking their services.

Speaking on the need to keep the Police Department's civilian report writers was Brenda Sutherland, a city employee and a member of the board of directors of the Pomona City Employees Association.

"The services they provide (are) an extremely valuable service," Sutherland said. Keeping their services could take cutting something else such as the police helicopter.

Stacey Cue, labor relations representative with the San Bernardino Public Employees Association, spoke on behalf of general employees and asked council members to refraining from adopting the budget Monday.

Without the civilian report takers, "there will be no other personnel to take up the slack," she said.

Employees said without the civilian report takers it would be up to sworn police to take such reports resulting in keeping officers away from patrol work.

Cue said eliminating building and safety employees in favor of outsourcing personnel was a step that would hurt the city through a gap of knowledge and expertise that an outside company could never fill.

She added the city's building and safety personnel have undergone disaster training, and they are required to report for duty in an emergency; staff of an outside company can't be required to do the same.

Council members said contracting for services is something the city is exploring but is not a decision the council will make now. Instead it will take up that matter in the weeks to come.
Following the hearing council members began going over the budget leading to questions about how to save certain services.

"To get something you have to put something else on the table," Councilman Steve Atchley said Tuesday.

For Councilwoman Paula Lantz, keeping two civilian community service officers working in crime prevention is necessary in order to carry out Neighborhood Watch activities and other community programs.

Lantz said Tuesday she would prefer to give up two community service officers working "in a least essential position" to preserve two others working in crime prevention.

With officers not being replaced when they retire or leave, the city must make the best use of its resources, Lantz said.

"We have to make the most of the non-sworn people to free up the sworn people for the real police work," she said Tuesday.

Councilwoman Cristina Carrizosa said she is interested in trying to save library services along with activities for young people but she also has concerns about the cost of police services, especially overtime.

Acting Police Chief Dave Keetle said Monday night that the department has held overtime costs down this fiscal year and is projecting ending the year having spent about $2.9 million for that purpose.

That figure is about $1 million less than the 2007-2008 fiscal year, he said.

The department's proposed overall overtime allocation for the 2009-2010 year is $1.8 million.
Carrizosa said Monday that figure could be be lowered.

"I continue to think (the cost) for security services is too high," she said Tuesday.

In difficult times the city must control costs as much as possible even if it means releasing employees.

"City Hall is not an employment agency," Carrizosa said Tuesday.

At the same time "it's very painful to see employees who are anguished" and concerned about losing their jobs, she said.

Fire service reductions and the proposed reduction of one engine at Station 181 for about seven months in the coming fiscal year is a concern for Councilmen Atchley and Freddie Rodriguez.

Dave Gillotte, president of Los Angeles County Fire Fighters Local 1014, addressed the council Monday night. He said this is not the time to make cuts in the fire service.

Since the county began providing services to the city about 14 years ago it has had fewer personnel manning equipment than preferred, Gillotte said.

"We took cuts up front," he said.

POMONA - The spotlight will be turned on an important point in the nation's history during Thursday's meeting of the Willie White Park Focus Group.

Focus Group members will commemorate Juneteenth with a meal during their 7 p.m. gathering at the Willie White Park Community Center, 3065 Battram St.

Juneteenth celebrations commemorate those that took place June 19, 1865, the date when slaves in Texas learned they were free.

On Jan. 1, 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring slaves in rebel states free.

More than two years would pass before slaves would be liberated. In Galveston, Texas, Union Gen. Gordon Granger made the announcement that slaves had been freed.

Speaking at the gathering will be Carlos Acero, a member of Boy Scout Troop 102. Acero will give a talk on the 44th Massachusetts Scouting Regiment and take questions after, according to a statement from the Focus Group.

The event is free and open to the public but guest are asked to bring a food dish to share with those in attendance.

Focus Group members meet the third Thursday of the month and regularly have local and state government representatives, elected officials and other public agencies speak on topics affecting Pomona residents.

For information on the Focus Group and Thursday gathering call Melba Robinson at (909) 596-4273 or M. Joyce Bakersmith at (909) 392-8666.

WALNUT - Mt. San Antonio College President John Nixon will serve as chairman of the San Gabriel/Foothill Association of Community Colleges, the college announced recently.

The association, referred to as SanFACC, is made up of Chaffey, Citrus, Glendale, Mt. SAC, Pasadena and Rio Hondo colleges.

Nixon will be the chairman of the group for one year and takes over for Pasadena City College President Paulette Perfumo.

Through the San Gabriel/Foothill Association of Community Colleges leaders of community colleges are working to establish and maintain channels of communication the and represent the campuses on legislative matters, according to a statement from Mt. SAC.

Plans call for the Association to focus advocacy efforts leading to maintaining funding for community colleges.

Nixon has served as president of Mt. SAC since 2007. Prior to taking the post as president he was vice president of instruction at the college.

The economic downturn has been difficult on many businesses and families, and Fairplex is no exception.

The organization has had to lay off 12 employees from various departments bringing its year round staff to 276, Wendy Talarico, Fairplex spokeswoman, said Friday.

"Prior to this we made every effort to cut expenses. This was the last resort," she said.

Employees have been notified they would be laid off during the last two weeks and represent departments such as information technology, grounds maintenance, facilities, and community and government relations.

"This was tough. Any kind of decision like this does not come lightly," Talarico said.

The duties of all those affected by the layoffs have been been reassigned to other Fairplex personnel, she said.

"We will still continue to deliver on our promises and commitments in those areas," Talarico said.

For Jim Henwood, chief executive officer and president of the Los Angeles County Fair Association, these are the first layoffs during his tenure at Fairplex. Henwood has been at Fairplex since 1995.

Although cuts had to be made in the area of community and government relations, they will not affect the organization's commitment to the community and efforts such the Pomona Youth and Family Master Plan, Henwood said.

"We take pride in our ability to be a support...in the needs of the greater community," he said. "Our goal is to continue to enrich and strengthen that."

Henwood said Fairplex is "in good shape" and prepared to meet its commitments, but it has seen fewer guests staying or planning events at the Sheraton Suites Fairplex and some events on other locations around Fairplex cancelled due to the economic downturn, he said.

A public hearing will take place at Monday's City Council meeting as part of the review and possible adoption of the city's 2009-2010 proposed budget.

Council members will have the option of adopting the proposed budget or scheduling a special meeting before the end of the month to adopt it, according to a city staff report.

The city's total proposed budget will be adds up to $247.8 million. The general fund has appropriations of $91 million.

Many of the city's services are paid for with general fund dollars including police and fire services, street sweeping, recreation programs and library services.

To balance the budget a series of cuts have been proposed for just about all departments.

Some adjustments have been made following City Council discussions.

Originally city staff recommended putting the Pomona Police Department's helicopter in storage, according to a city staff report.

The current proposal calls for restoring that service but it also calls for leaving sworn police positions unfunded.

The positions are either vacant or will become vacant during the current fiscal year as a result of the retirements.

A number of civilian police jobs ranging from community service officers working in the departments crime prevention unit to report takers could end up being cut, the report said.

Another proposal involves cutting one fire engine from Fire Station 181 downtown for about seven months.

The Community Services Department has eliminated some recreation supervisor and coordinator positions.

A reduction in library hours is also being proposed with it closing Mondays.

Also being proposed is reducing the frequency of street sweeping and possibly contracting out for such services. Should that council pursue contracting street sweeping, the issue will be discussed by the council in the future.

The City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. for the closed portion of the meeting. The open portion of the meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 505 S. Garey Ave.

The work of artists who have shown their work over the years will be on display at the dA Center for the Arts, 252 S. Main St.

The exhibit "The Members Show" opens Saturday add will close June 27

An opening reception is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday.

Through "The Members Show" the dA will celebrate 25 years of being in Pomona and serving as a place where very young artists as well as very experienced artists can show their work, according to a statement from the center.

A birthday celebration for the center is scheduled for June 27 from 6 to 10 p.m. and will include the sale of one-of-a-kind, hand-painted plates for $20 as a fundraiser.

In addition to celebrating its birthday, the dA is also celebrating its partnership with the SCA Project Gallery, also located in the Arts Colony.

The American Museum of Ceramic Art will have an artist reception Saturday night linked to the current exhibit, "The Artist is in the Details: The Ceramic Art of David Furman."

The exhibit includes a wide range of work that begins with Furman's early miniature work to his current creations. Furman's recent work is called "Body Language."

The reception will begin at 6 p.m. and conclude at 9 p.m. at the museum, 340 S. Garey Ave.

Furman's work will continue on display until July 25.

The 2nd Annual Mata Ortiz Exhibition and sale begins Saturday at Armstrong's 150 E. Third St.

Mata Ortiz is a community in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua about 150 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

The small community has become home to more than 500 artists who have taken ancient pottery making traditions and incorporated contemporary design to producing clay works of art.

Creations of the Mata Ortiz artists are highly sought by collectors living around the world, according to a statement from Armstrong's gallery.

Visitors can see the Mata Ortiz exhibit at Armstrong's from now until Aug. 22. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Second Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Pomona Eagles Aerie No. 2215 will have a fund raiser to collect money for the purchase of a police dog for the Pomona Police Department.

The chicken dinner fund raiser will take place Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Pomona Eagles Aerie, 954 W. Mission Blvd.

Cost will be $7.

Fans of the Ed Hardy clothing line may want to take time to the visit Fairplex this weekend and check out the company's sample sale.

The sale continues Saturday and Sunday at Fairplex Building 8, 1101 W. McKinley Ave.

The sale runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Clothing and apparel will be priced from $10 to $50.

Admission to the event is free. Parking is available at Gate 3 on McKinley Avenue.

Additional information is available by going to www.donedhardy.com.

POMONA - For some, renewing a property-based business improvement district is a no-brainer because they've seen enough benefits that renewal is the clear choice.

For others, ending the district is the obvious choice because its benefits have not materialized.

Downtown Pomona property owners will be casting ballots until July 20 as they decide whether to recertify the Pomona Business Improvement District, also referred to as PBID, which is administered by the Downtown Property Owners Association.

If someone asked downtown property owner and businessman David Armstrong if he should join such a property-based business improvement district he'd tell the person to think about it - long and hard.

"Research it very carefully before you step into something you're not familiar with," Armstrong said Wednesday. "Probably for some areas it's good but others may feel they've been taken advantage of."

Property-based business improvement districts like downtown Pomona's are special districts which draw the attention of organizations such as the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

POMONA - Grandparents As Parents, an organization that offers various
services to aging adults raising grandchildren is hosting "Let's Get
Organized"  at 10 a.m. Tuesday at New Directions Community
Church, 1100 E. Holt Blvd.

Participants will have access to everything from copy machines to
office supplies in an effort to help them organize their
grandchildren's legal documents, school and medical records and other
important paperwork, according to a statement from the organization.

In addition, grandparents and other older adults will find
information on behavioral disorders and other conditions affecting
school-aged children.

Grandparents As Parents, also referred to as GAP, offers emergency
referrals for food, shleter, crisis counseling, support groups,
educational programs along with advocacy on behalf of caregiver
families before legal, educational and health care systems and many
other services.

Additional information on the organization and its services is
available at http://www.grandparaentsasparents.org.

Months of waiting for two families will come to an end Saturday morning when Pomona Valley Habitat for Humanity dedicates two homes in Pomona.

The organization will hold a dedication ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday in the 1300 block of South Hamilton Boulevard.

Moving into the homes will be Michele Horton and her four sons and Humberto and Clara Guerra and their two children, said Jody Gmeiner, president and chief executive officer of the Pomona Valley affiliate.

Completing the homes has taken 22 months, longer than the usual home building project due to a series of obstacles that included weather, personnel changes in the organization, illness and funding, Gmeiner said.

Construction of the homes began at Fairplex during the L.A. County Fair.

Horton who lives in a rental house near her new home said her younger children were anxiously awaiting to move into their home and became frustrated waiting for it to be ready.

However Horton tried to help ease their frustration.

"This is a house that will be ours, and we won't have to move any more," she recalled telling them.

She also explained the house was the result of a volunteer effort.

Horton and her children have moved twice in three years. The current house has mold issues that have affected her children's health, she said.

The family, however, has been making due with their rental while their new home is completed.

The new home is for her children, Horton said.

"The kids are going to be stable, not worry about moving and have somewhere to lay their head," she said.

Felicia Ambrosia is excited for the Horton family.

As a family partner, Ambrosia has worked with Horton, explaining what's going on with construction and serving as a resource who will be able to answer questions about the responsibilities of homeownership.

She also helped the family when construction would slow explaining the home would be completed.

The house will be much more than a building for the Horton Family, Ambrosia said.

"It's not just a house. It's a home," she said. "They're going to be starting a whole new life."

Pomona Valley Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit interfaith group. With the use private donations, the group provides housing to low-income families.

The city contributed the land the homes are on and provided $40,000 toward the completion of the project, said Mark Gluba, assistant to the city manager.

POMONA - Representatives of Mt. San Antonio College's Electronics Department presented 31 electronics certificates to students of Pomona Unified School District's Village Academy High School Friday.

Students received electronic system technology level 1 and 2 certificates, electronic assembly and fabrication certificates and industry certification for surface mount technology repair. The certificates were presented at Village Academy.

The students are part of Mt. SAC's Electronic System Technology program offered at Village Academy.

POMONA - It has been months since Pomona Unified School District's Village Academy High School first began drawing attention from around the nation and beyond.

The attention keeps coming. May 22 a group of students had a chance to spend time with award-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg.

Goldberg heard about the video students from teacher Michael Steinman's advanced placement English class made titled "Is Anybody Listening?" Steinman said this week.

Through work with a group of people launching a web site geared at young people called SplashLife, a connection was made with Goldberg who expressed an interest in visiting with students, Steinman said.

Goldberg was in California to visit family before heading to Las Vegas for a professional engagement, he said. The visit was unpublicized at Goldberg's request who want to have time with students.

Goldberg arrived early in the morning May 22 and spent about two hours with a cross section of Steinman's different classes

Students asked questions on a variety of topics ranging from questions about her films such as "The Color Purple" to questions about her youth.

She posed for pictures with every student who asked to have a picture taken with her, he said.

"She was so low-key, so unpretentious," he said.

POMONA - A Pomona resident was on the stage with the John Mayer Trio during its performance on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien Thursday on KNBC.

Mata Barr, an eighth grade student at El Roble Middle School in Claremont and a resident of Pomona, was part of a group of young people from the Los Angeles Children's Chorus who sang back up to John Mayer's version of "California Dreamin.'"

Mata has participated in television, film and commercial work since she was 10, her mother said in an E-mail.

More than seven years ago Mata also began doing musical theater.

In late 2007 she was invited to perform with other children from the Los Angeles Children's Chorus in the Los Angeles Opera's production of "La Boheme" which on several occasions was conducted by tenor Placido Domingo. She has also participated in the opera company production of "Othello."

POMONA - Pomona City Council members approved an ordinance updating the city's water conservation regulations this week.

Some council members expressed concerns about he impact of water conservation measures on landscaping businesses.

Staff said the ordinance contains provisions for such businesses.

Councilwoman Paula Lantz urged city staff members to take different approaches in order to reach residents and inform them about the new water regulations which will be permanent.

Among the requirements:

- No watering from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The exception is if watering is done by hand.

- Washing down hard or paved surfaces is prohibited. Washing down surfaces is for health and safety reasons is permitted.

- Irrigation systems can run but only for a 15 minute time limit.

- Car wash businesses will be prohibited from installing non-recirculating car wash systems. Such businesses will have until 2011 to retrofit systems.

- Hotel guests will have the option to forgo having linens laundered on a daily basis.

POMONA - Next month downtown Pomona property owners will have a chance to cast votes to determine whether to extend the life of the Pomona Business Improvement District.

City leaders Thursday night voted unanimously to allow the recertification process for the district, sometimes called the PBID, to move forward.

The vote included the participation via phone of Councilwoman Paula Lantz, who was out of town on city business.

The vote was cast after about 20 people spoke in favor of the PBID and three in opposition.

"I'm really touched by the support of the community," said Carolyn Hemming, president of the Downtown Property Owners Association, after the meeting. The association was created to carry out the work of the property-based business improvement district established in 2004.

One after another, speakers said the PBID has played a significant part in the ongoing revitalization of downtown and attracting larger crowds to activities.

Downtown resident A.S. Ashley said after many years of neglect and abandonment downtown is coming back, but it still needs help.

"It's not breathing well. It's on life support," he said.

If the PBID is lost it won't take much for downtown "to fall back into a comma," he said.

Linda Hammill said she participated in the establishment of a business improvement district 14 years ago in Los Angeles but she is not satisfied with this one.

"I believe in quality," she said. "I do not have that."

Her business does not benefit from the PBID and she is unhappy with the assessment rate, Hammill said.

Council members said they realized there may be problems, but nothing so insurmountable to merit eliminating the PBID that has made a difference in the look and feel of downtown.

Councilwoman Danielle Soto said Friday she has some questions about the points brought forward by opponents of the PBID but she intends to talk with the association's executive director about those.

"I think this is an opportunity to work toward solutions," Soto said.

Some problems will be easier to resolve and others will take more time and the involvement of the City Council, Councilman Steve Atchley said Friday.

Overall, "it's pretty clear most of the people involved found (the PBID) to be effective and desirable," he said.

Property owner and businessman David Armstrong said Friday he knew which way Thursday night's vote would go when he saw the number of supporters turn out for the meeting.

Armstrong, who five years ago was in support of the PBID and now opposes it, said more than support for renewal or funds, what the city needs to do is provide a different type of support.

"The city needs to support the DPOA with laws," he said.

The city must crack down on businesses that have customers who leave trash behind in parking lots and private property after events, he said.

Businesses that require more security should be pushed to put it in place, Armstong said.

Once that is done and there is a more equitable distribution of services around all parts of the improvement district, "then I think everybody would be happy," Armstrong said.

Hemming said steps already have been taken to start addressing concerns brought up recently by some property owners.

"I think many of the differences can be worked out," Hemming said.

The association has started working on the matter of trash left behind in city parking lots.

"We're going to do it and settle who's ultimately responsible later," Hemming said. "But for now it'll be done."

As part of the process the City Council will conduct a public hearing July 20 on the PBID recertification, followed by the tally of votes cast by property owners.

Renewal of the PBID requires that property owners representing more than 50 percent of the proposed assessments submit ballots in favor of recertification.

During the meeting Councilwoman Cristina Carrizosa said she favored recertification but not for 10 years because such a move would lock future councils into the decision.

City Attorney Arnold Alvarez-Glasman said Friday the life span of the PBID is a topic for discussion in July.

If the PBID were recertified it would be for 10 years. However, the PBID is reviewed annually and that would be a time the council could express a desire to disband it, he said.

"If at any time the council decides it doesn't want to continue in the business improvement district it could withdraw," Alvarez-Glasman said.

POMONA - The first Chili Cook-off fundraising event organized by Los Angeles County Fire Department Explorer Post 15 will take place today at 2 p.m. at the Pomona Eagles Lodge, 954 W. Mission Blvd.

Chili cooks can sign up today for $20 prior to the start of the event.

The Explorer program, Pomona teens and young adults interested in careers in firefighting learn about the field.

Funds raised through the cook-off will help pay for training programs, uniforms and equipment for young people enrolled in the Explorer program, which is open to Pomona teens and young adults interested in a career in firefighting.

Information: Cye Castellano at (951) 288-8199 or (909) 629-7540.

POMONA - A barbecue luncheon marking Flag Day will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. June 14, organized by the Pomona Elks.

The event will include a 2 p.m. flag ceremony carried out by several Scout troops, according to a statement from the Elks.

The ceremony will include the story and replicas of the flags that have represented the country throughout history.

The event will take place at the Elks Lodge, 695 E. Foothill Blvd.
Information: (909) 621-2172.