July 2009 Archives

POMONA - Weeks of waiting to learn how the city would build a bridge carrying Mission Boulevard traffic over the 71 Freeway without requiring a street closure came to an end this week.

The city has opted to go with its original plan and build a detour road along the north side of Mission Boulevard allowing cars to travel through the intersection while the bridge is built.

A consultant for the city made the announcement at a community meeting held Wednesday evening at Westmont Community Center.

Area business people, who first brought concerns of the road closure to City Council members in May, welcomed the news.

On Thursday Joe Kim, general manager of HD Supply Repair & Remodel, said that after the meeting he went to the store and shared the news with managers and other personnel.

"We were doing high fives," he said.

Kim, along with other area business people, learned in April that Mission would close for six to eight months to accommodate the bridge construction.

Last year Kim and other businesses were informed there would be no full closure.

Once business people learned Mission would be closed they went before City Council members with their concerns.

Among the principal concerns was that such a closure would severely impact their businesses when they are already being hurt by the weak economy.

Some small business people told the council the effect of the closure would be enough to force them out of business.

Kim said he still expects the store, formerly known as Contractors' Warehouse, to be affected by construction "but not as drastically as with a full closure" of Mission.

With a detour road in place customers will still be inconvenienced by construction but "I think it's going to be something more manageable to them," Kim said.

The store will still have to take steps to draw customers in who may think of taking their businesses elsewhere during construction, he said.

That could involve promotions, having sufficient personnel to assist them and other steps, Kim said.

Thomas Klugman was also at the meeting but he was more cautious.

Klugman represents the owner of the Mission Plaza, which encompasses several businesses and offices on Mission, east of the 71 Freeway.

Wednesday evening's meeting was encouraging, Klugman said.

"It's as close to a win-win for everyone involved," he said.

However, until agreements are signed with property owners along the north side of Mission nothing is completely resolved.

The city is now involved in negotiation with property owners, said Assistant City Attorney Andrew Jared.

"Those property negotiations are still on-going and the terms are still being negotiated," he said, adding the talks have been productive so far.

Once agreements are signed contractors for the city can begin moving forward on construction of the detour road, said Marla Doyle, acting public works director and city engineer.

As of early June the city had four possible options to work with, one of those being construction of a detour road.

"We looked at all the options and this was the quickest and most cost effective" option, Doyle said.

Closing Mission would have resulted in some savings but "not enough to justify the inconvenience to the public," she said.

The option calling for closing Mission was expected to reduce the construction period by a year and save $3 million to $4 million.

The construction project has a cost of about $40 million and involves construction of a diamond shaped interchange that includes on- and off-ramps in addition to the bridge.

Building the interchange is expected to play a significant part in easing congestion at Mission and the 71.

As for the savings in time, it's still not known how the delay will affect the timeline of the project, Doyle said.

At this point tentative plans call for starting construction on the bridge in October, she said.

POMONA -- Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center's Stead Heart and Vascular Center has been recognized by the American Heart Association for its work treating patients with cardiac problems.

The center earned the association's "Get With the Guidelines -- Heart Failure, Gold Performance Achievement Award" as well as the "Get With the Guidelines -- Coronary Artery Disease, Silver Performance Achievement Award," according to the hospital.

"Stead Heart and Vascular Center at PVHMC is dedicated to making our care for heart failure and coronary artery disease patients among the best in the country," said Deborah Keasler, director of the center.

The gold award goes to institutions that for two years have complied with or exceeded 85 percent of the association's guidelines in treating heart failure patients.

The silver award recognizes hospitals where 85 percent of coronary patients without complications were given care and instructions following the association's treatment guidelines. Such practices had to be in place for at least a year.

In addition to being recognized by the American Heart Association, the hospital was recently listed among America's best hospitals of 2009-10 by U.S. News and World Report

POMONA - The white electric-powered Tesla Roadster on Wednesday pulled into a parking space in front of Energy Efficiency Solar.

Not surprisingly, the car drew the attention of employees and other people at the business on West Monterey Avenue.

Michael Craner stepped out of the Tesla, greeted company representatives and hooked up the car to the business' solar-powered vehicle charging system.

"This is America's first green, voluntary, cross-country, multiple charity drive-a-thon," Craner said.

Craner and Maddy Gunawardana are founders of Renew America Road Trip, a 17-day, coast-to-coast trek that started in New York and will conclude in San Francisco. There will be more than 25 stops along the way.

The trip is meant to raise public awareness about the importance of electric vehicles and their existence while raising money for a variety of charitable groups, such as environmental causes and organizations working with the homeless, Craner said.

Craner and Gunawardana hope to show that "electrical vehicles offer practical technology that can be used today to be energy independent," Craner said.

During the trip, the couple - Craner, of Chester Springs, Pa., and Gunawardana, who splits her time between Chester Springs and Maplewood, N.J. - have stopped at homes and businesses that use environmentally-friendly practices.

Craner and Gunawardana have also stopped at green hotels that accommodate electric vehicles.

Electric vehicle technology must become more economically feasible for consumers, Gunawardana said.

"We need more electric cars so there's no excuse for the public not to buy them and no excuse for companies not to produce them," Gunawardana said.

Craner and Gunawardana, who took out a loan to purchase the car they are traveling in, started Wednesday's leg of the trip in Barstow. After Pomona, the couple went to Universal City.

Energy Efficiency Solar - which offers commercial and residential solar energy systems - uses its charging system for company and employee vehicles.

"We have a lot of electric cars charging here," said Michelle Markman, director of client resources and marketing.

This is the last weekend parents can sign up their children for the GREAT Pomona Camp Out.

A few slots are left for the Camp Out, which begins at 4 p.m. Friday and concludes the following morning at 10.

The free event is open to Pomona children from 9 to 12 years old and takes place at Fairplex.

Participants will be able to take part in numerous activities under the supervision of Pomona police officers and volunteers.

The Camp Out is organized by the Community Engagement Group, which is made up of city residents, law enforcement, clergy and business people. The recreation division of the city Community Services Department will also provide assistance.

Parents can sign up children at the front desk of the Police Department, 490 W. Mission Blvd.

The 18th annual Kids Health Fair will be Aug. 1 at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center.

The fair will offer free immunizations for children and teens ages 2 months to 18 years, according to hospital information.

Parents should arrive with their children's immunization records.

Health screenings for vision, hearing, dental and other areas will be offered at no cost.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the fair starting at 9 and continuing until 1 p.m. at the hospital's Family Health Center, 1770 N. Orange Grove Ave.

Information: (909) 865-9129.

City Council members discussed the appointment of a police chief at last week's meeting but took no action.

City Attorney Arnold Alvarez-Glasman said the matter would be taken up at the Aug. 3 meeting for further discussion and deliberation.

Acting Police Chief David Keetle has been serving in that position since the retirement of former Chief Joe Romero in December.

City leaders agreed this week to enter into an agreement with the Pomona Unified School District so both entities could continue the Community School Resource Officer Program.

Both entities will share the cost for the program.

The program had three officers but, due to budget constraints, has been reduced to two, according to a city staff report.

Each entity will contribute $120,655 to the program. The program involves officers providing continuous education to prevent school violence, carrying out the Gang Resistance Education and Training classes and monitoring crime in the neighborhood around schools, the report said.

The funding will be enough to continue the program for the school year ending in June.

After listening to comments from residents, City Council members voted to schedule a hearing involving the appeal of a Planning Commission decision.

In June, commissioners denied a conditional-use permit for the sale of beer and wine requested on behalf of the 7-Eleven store at 2055 N. Towne Ave.

Some area residents have expressed opposition to granting a permit due to the store's proximity to schools, churches and its possible impact on the neighborhood.

Supporters have pointed out the store is operated by a responsible businessman who has been vigilant about what happens in his business and will continue to do so if the permit is granted.

The appeal hearing is expected to take place at the Aug. 3 City Council meeting, City Attorney Arnold Alvarez-Glasman said.

A recently created City Council subcommittee focusing on outsourcing will meet soon.

The council voted this week to create the subcommittee of council members Tim Saunders, Cristina Carrizosa and Paula Lantz.

Councilman Freddie Rodriguez will serve as an alternate.

The committee will focus on three service areas - parks maintenance, street sweeping and building and safety, said Mark Gluba, assistant to the city manager.

Plans call for the subcommittee to meet before the Aug. 3 council meeting, Gluba said.

The works of various artists will be on display at the American Museum of Ceramic Art as part of "Diversity in Clay: A Community Exhibition and Fundraiser."

The exhibit opens Aug. 8 at the museum, 340 S. Garey Ave. An opening reception is planned for 6 to 9 p.m. the same day.

The exhibit is a joint effort of the museum and the nonprofit American Ceramic Society - Design Chapter of Southern California, according to a statement from the museum.

The works of more than 50 artists will be on display as part of the semiannual invitational and juried exhibit, which is limited to artists who are members of a Southern California clay art group.

Internationally recognized artist Karen Koblitz, who mixes Eastern and Western themes, will be the evening's guest.

Her work has been displayed around the country in such places as the Smithsonian Institution, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Skirball Cultural Center Museum, a statement said.

Artist William Shinn will be a guest judge. Shinn is recognized around the world for his painting and ceramic work.

Art pieces will be on sale with proceeds benefitting artists, the museum and the American Ceramic Society.

POMONA - Downtown's Pomona Business Improvement District will live on for another 10 years.

Ballots cast by downtown property owners during the course of more than a month were counted at Monday night's City Council meeting and showed a majority of property owners favored renewing district, known as PBID.

With the district renewed, the Downtown Pomona Owners Association, created five years ago to carry out the duties of the PBID, will now move forward with the planning of downtown events and with contract negotiations for services it is charged with providing, said Carolyn Hemming, president of the association.

"Now we can get back to actual business," she said.

Without knowing if the PBID would be renewed, the Owners Association leadership opted to hold off entering into some agreements, such as a contract for police services, Hemming said.

"We're in negotiations with police for a new police contract that we can now sign because we are going to be around," Hemming said.

The PBID was established five years ago with the mission to provide security, maintenance and marketing services to downtown using funds property owners agreed to assess themselves.

This year was the first time the district was up for recertification.

Some property owners opposed its renewal saying they weren't benefitting from it.

Supporters said the PBID has made a significant impact in the gradual but on-going revitalization of downtown.

During a public hearing, 23 people spoke or simply asked to be listed as being in favor of the PBID.

Among those who spoke in favor was downtown developer and property owner Jerry Tessier.

Tessier, one of the partners involved in the restoration of the Fox Theater, said that once Fox is completely operational it is could attract about 250,000 people a year to downtown.

"I can't imagine those people coming to Pomona five years ago," he said.

Tessier told the council, "There is no plan B if the PBID gets scratched. It's a giant step backward."

Before members of the City Clerk's Office began counting ballots council members voted unanimously to cast the city and its redevelopment agency's votes in favor of the renewal.

To be renewed, more than 50 percent of the ballots cast had to be in favor. With the city's votes, approval was by 71.7 percent.

The City Council adopted a resolution giving a handful of non-profit groups such as churches, a lower assessment rate within the PBID. They will pay 5 percent of the full amount but will have reduced services, Egan said.

Downtown Pomona businessman and property owners David Armstrong said Tuesday he voted against the PBID and is comfortable with his vote.

His mind could change, he said, but "that will depend on what happens here in the future."

Armstrong said city leaders must take steps to create policies and regulations that ensure matters related to parking lot maintenance, cleanliness and security tied to large events are addressed by city leaders.

He is advocating for some responsibilities assigned to the Vehicle Parking District, which is in charge of overseeing city-owned parking lots, to turn over some responsibilities to the Owners Association.

Armstrong said he plans to meet with elected officials and city staff to draw attention to his concerns.

Addressing such points is critical, he said.

Some property owners feel they are not receiving a portion of service but must still pay their share of the assessment, Armstrong said.

Egan said the association will take up these matters with the city.

"We will work very closely with the city and closely on cleanliness and security issues," Egan said.

During the meeting a representative for a self-storage business on the northeastern end of the downtown area said his business didn't benefit from the services tied to the PBID.

Councilwoman Paula Lantz asked how the business was included in the district.

Redevelopment Director Raymond Fong said that early in the process, which came late last year, when property owners where asked if they were interested in renewal was the time for business to request being left out of the district.

Egan told the council he was contacted early on by a representative of the storage business and informed him he should take his request before the City Council and to do it before the renewal process had reach the end.

Hemming said the Owners Association has plans for numerous projects in the coming years that range from the creation and establishment of signature events that introduce and continue familiarizing visitors to the area to median landscaping for Garey Avenue.

Other plans call for adding camera systems that offer security as well give people a chance to see the kind of activities taking place downtown via the Internet, she said.

POMONA - As two Garey Avenue families continue to clean up and prepare to replace homes lost in a July 11 fire, others continue to show them their support.

A sign of that support is a fund raising event at DBA 256 Gallery Wine Bar, 256 S. Main St., Pomona.

The event begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday and will include refreshments, a bake sale and drawings with prizes donated by area businesses.

Proceeds from the event will go to the Henry and Van Allen families whose homes were destroyed in the fire as well as other affected families.

During the closed portion of Monday night's Pomona City Council meeting, council members will address a public employee appointment matter involving the post of chief of the Police Department.

Councilman Steve Atchley said City Manager Linda Lowry has proposed appointing acting Police Chief David Keetle the new police chief.

Keetle has been acting chief since the retirement of former Chief Joe Romero in December.

The eldest son of Assemblywoman Norma Torres, D-Ontario, has applied to serve on the city's Board of Parking Place Commissioners.

Robert Torres has submitted an application for the board, which oversees city- owned parking lots in the downtown area.

Torres' application is going to the City Council for approval Monday. Should it be approved, Torres would fill the board seat representing City Council District 2.

Appointments to the board must go to the council for approval because, unlike other commissions, this one is regulated by state laws, according to a city staff report.

If approved, Torres would serve for four years, the report said, or until the nominating council member's term ends. In this case, Torres is being nominated for the board seat by Councilman Freddie Rodriguez who represents District 2.

A new dean has been appointed to lead Cal Poly Pomona's University Library.

Ray Wang, interim dean of Humboldt State's library since 2007, will take over as dean of Cal Poly's University Library beginning Sept. 1, according to a university statement.

"Ray's contributions and experience within the (California State University system) will serve him well at Cal Poly Pomona," Provost Marten denBoer said. "Our librarians and staff have proven to be a great resource for students and faculty alike, giving Dean Wang solid support in his new position."

Wang's work at Humboldt State includes having served as chairman of information services at the library. He served as a program director and professor in the university's world languages and cultures department and had a hand in the development of a partnership with Xi'an International Studies University in China, leading to the establishment of Humboldt College there, according to the statement.

Wang headed the effort to establish Book of the Year events at Humboldt State. He has been chairing the Cal State University-system Electronic Access to Information Resources Committee.

The committee is in charge of finding ways through which libraries across the CSU system can share information and databases, according to the statement.

Wang also was head of the documents department at Binghamton University in New York and also worked as a translator with the United Nations.

Wang earned a doctorate in education and a master's in library science from Northern Illinois University. He also has degrees from Beijing University of Foreign Studies and Xi'an Foreign Languages University, according to the statement.

Armstrong's Gallery will offer a demonstration featuring one of northern Mexico's most skilled pottery artists.

Diego Valles is from the Mata Ortiz community in the state of Chihuahua. He will demonstrate the process of creating his style of pottery along with the more traditional form - from the preparation of the clay to firing - from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 8 at the gallery.

The demonstration is tied to the second annual Mata Ortiz exhibition at the gallery.

Early registration for the event is $65 per person or $70 the day of the event. Students and members of the American Museum of Ceramic Art are eligible for a $10 discount, according to a statement from the gallery.

Continental breakfast is covered by the fee.

As part of the event, a pottery market will also also be organized with pottery items for sale.

To register for the demonstration, contact the gallery via e-mail at armstronggallery@verizon.net or call (909) 623-6464.

The last day to sign up for the event is Friday.

Armstrong's is at 150 E. Third St, and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Inland Valley Hope Partners is preparing for its 36th annual Walk for the Hungry fundraiser in October.

The event is designed to raise money to support the Pomona-based organization - which operates food pantries in Pomona, Ontario and San Dimas - provide food to needy families, according to a statement from the organization.

The organization also provides shelter and services for residents of east Los Angeles County and west San Bernardino County.

Walk for the Hungry will be held Oct. 11 at Ontario's Chaffey High School.

People can participate by walking in the event, sponsoring a person who is walking, sponsoring the event or by serving as a volunteer.

Information on the event is available at www.hope-partners.com or by calling (909) 622-3806, ext. 231.

Western University of Health Sciences has drawn the attention of an education publication that ranked three of its colleges among the top 10 nationally for professional degrees awarded to Latinos.

The university announced that Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine ranked the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific sixth after graduating five Latinos in the 2007-2008 academic year.

The College of Pharmacy tied for eighth place after graduating five Latinos. The College of Veterinary Medicine tied for fourth place, having graduated four Latinos.

The university is engaged in various efforts meant to reach people of color with the goal of having an increasingly diverse student body and alumni.

Among the university groups that do outreach is the Latino Medical Student Association.

"Since my arrival, I have vigorously supported (the Latino Medical Student Association's) efforts to reach out into the community and nationally, to attend conferences and community service events in an effort to enhance the understanding of osteopathic medicine and health care professions in the Latino community," said Dr. Clinton Adams, dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific.

"This is particularly important because our mission is to serve the community in which we live."

College of Pharmacy leaders have worked to create a diversity scholarship and have taken steps to attract a diverse student body.

The College of Veterinary Medicine has also worked to attract students of color, but the college's dean, Dr. Phillip Nelson, said undergraduate programs must do their part too, because if a lack of diversity exists at that level, it will also be lacking at graduate schools.

Among Western University's initiatives designed to bring in more diverse students is the Pomona Health Career Ladder. For this, Western University partnered with the Pomona Unified School District and Cal Poly Pomona to create the Pomona Health Career Ladder.

The objective is to begin working with students at an early age and provide them with educational and other types of support so that eventually the student will enroll at Cal Poly and later at Western University from where they will graduate with a professional degree.

POMONA - The house that has been home to Dawn and Fred Van Allen and to The Garden was charred ruins Monday, but it won't be for long.

"We'll be camping out for a while but then we'll just put one foot in front of the other," Dawn Van Allen said Monday. "We should be up and running by next week."

The Van Allens lost their home which has also been the site of their garden center business in a fire that started in a shed in the area of Kingsley Avenue and Gordon Street shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday.

The fire destroyed two homes, did heavy damage to two others and cause moderate damage to eight others including one unit at an apartment complex.

Inspector Fred Stowers of the Los Angeles County Fire Department said Monday the fire, which did about $2.5 million in damage to the turn-of-the-century house, is still under investigation.

Investigators have ruled out the fire was started by illegal fireworks or a methamphetamine lab, Stowers said, adding the blaze began in a utility shed behind an apartment complex on Gordon Street.

The blaze left little of the historic home.

The home had local historic status even before the Wilton Heights Historic District, where the property is located, was established in the late 1990s, said Mickey Gallivan, president of the Historical Society of Pomona Valley.

Fred Van Allen said he and his wife where near Flagstaff, Ariz., visiting family when the fire broke out.

It wasn't until about 4 a.m. Sunday that the Van Allen's got word to call their daughter in California, he said.

After speaking with her, the couple immediately headed home and by about 10 a.m. were in Pomona finding little left of their home, Fred Van Allen said.

Behind their house a coach house, a greenhouse, a gazebo and a chicken coop are gone.
Dawn Van Allen said thanks to a friend who was house-sitting, their two dogs, two indoor cats and four outdoor cats were saved.

Rows of tomato plants stand eerily in darkened ground and wrought-iron plant holders lost their shape nearly melting away.

Among the things that appear to have survived is a large walnut tree behind the house.
"The walnut tree, that's such a miracle to us," Fred Van Allen said. "We've had everything from Bible fellowship to NASCAR 500" gatherings under the tree.

The fire came just as The Garden had been recognized for its organic practices.

"We were going to be the first organic garden center in Los Angeles County," Dawn Van Allen said.

Many of the plants on the property either burned or where killed by the heat from the fire but some somehow survived.

One of The Garden's specialties, along with edible plants, is California native plants.
Dawn Van Allen has already consulted with a specialist in native plants and will be repotting those that are salvageable, she said.

In addition she has already contacted her plant supplier and expects to have stock arriving soon.

The Van Allens said the prayers and support of people have made a difference as they deal with the loss of the home they fell in love with when their search for a place that could accommodate a gardening business and that also had historic character brought them to Pomona from Orange County.

Fred Van Allen said he has always considered himself fortunate to have the opportunity to live in the home.

"Everyday I pinched myself that I lived in that house," he said.

Friends, neighbors and even some strangers have stopped in and said prayers with the couple.

Neighboring churches such as First Baptist, Pilgrim Congregational and First Presbyterian have all offered prayers for the victims of the fire, the Van Allens said.

Some people have stopped in and offered groceries. One left the couple a donation with a card that simply said it was from a Kingsley neighbor.

"We're so thankful with the community support," Fred Van Allen said.

At First Baptist Church, Rev. Glenn Gunderson, senior pastor, made a statement during Sunday services about the fire, said Beverly Moudy, assistant to Gunderson.

The church is collecting donations for the most impacted residents with all of the proceeds going to them, Moudy said.

Donations can be mailed to the church or made via its Web site.

On Monday the Van Allens were waiting for insurance representatives to arrive so they could begin the process of rebuilding.

Although they don't have a plan yet they're looking at several possibilities including finding a historic house that needs a family and moving it onto their property.

Since it opened, The Garden has been much more than a garden center.

"We're like the general store," Fred Van Allen said.

It was not unusual for people who due to busy schedules would miss each other's phone calls but would end up running into each other at The Garden, Gallivan said.

"You saw a lot of people there," Gallivan said.

The Van Allens have been involved in several community projects including the development of a community garden at Lincoln Elementary School.

How to help

Pomona First Baptist Church is collecting donations to benefit those most affected by a fire that destroyed two homes in Pomona.

Checks can be made out to First Baptist Church with word "fire" written on the check and mailed or dropped of at the church offices at 586 N. Main St. Pomona 91768.

Donors can also go to www.pfblive.tv and go to on-line giving and make a donation marking it with the word "fire."

Pomona Pop Warner Football and Cheer program will be signing up children for their program from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at Palomares Park, 499 E. Arrow Highway.

More information, along with information on paperwork parents must present when they sign up their children for the youth football and cheerleading program, is available at www.pomonapopwarner.org or by calling (909) 593-4959.

Pomona Pop Warner is also seeking donations, sponsors and volunteers as the organization prepares to launch the program which has been absent from the city for 33 years, according to a statement from the organization.

The nonprofit organization is planning fundraising events to raise money to support its programs and provide financial assistance to low-income families who have children interested in participating in its activities.

People interested in providing assistance or becoming involved in Pomona Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading can call (909) 593-4959.

Victorian-era games, food and tours of the Phillips Mansion will all be part of Sunday afternoon's fundraiser at the mansion organized by the Historical Society of the Pomona Valley.

The Victorian Ice Cream Social and Grand Re-opening of the Phillips Mansion will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on the grounds of the mansion, 2640 Pomona Blvd., between Humane Way and Temple Avenue.

Admission to the family event is free. Cost of most activities will be $1.

The event will be the first time the first floor of the mansion will be open for tours since the early 1990s, said Mickey Gallivan, president of the historical society.

Since that time a great deal of restoration work and earthquake retrofitting has been completed as well as asbestos and lead-paint removal, Gallivan said.

Although more work is needed, the building now offers visitors a chance to see what the structure would have looked like at the time it was built and how its residents lived.

The house is furnished with items that belonged to the Phillips family along with items that match that period, Gallivan said.

The Phillips Mansion was built in 1875, she said, and "it was the first brick home ever built in the area."

The structure is the only one showing the Second Dynasty Napoleon style in Southern California, Gallivan said. In addition, the architectural style is also what is typically thought of when Victorian haunted mansions come to mind, she said.

Lewis Phillips and his family where prominent and affluent members of the area known as Spadra, an area at the end of the Southern Pacific Railroad from Los Angeles, Gallivan said.

Phillips was a supporter of having the railroad travel through the region, and to ensure that happened he donated part of his property for the railroad right-of-way, she said.

Phillips lived in the mansion until his death in 1900, and his wife continued to live in the home for several years later, Gallivan said.

POMONA -- In an era when people often concentrate on acquiring the newest electronic gadget or purchasing the latest fashions, Rev. Joseph Fedora is focused on working with those struggling with poverty, AIDS and HIV.

Fedora, 56, has been tending to the neediest people for 25 years as a Maryknoll missioner.

Saturday at 5 p.m. Fedora, who grew up in Pomona and attended St. Joseph Elementary School, will be back at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 1150 W. Holt Ave. to celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving and commemorate 25 years in the priesthood.

"I grew up in Pomona. My first Mass was in Pomona," Fedora said recently while visiting family in Diamond Bar. "Pomona has a very important role in my life."

Western University of Health Sciences announced this week an appointment to the post of senior vice president of advancement.

Thomas G. Fox, who since January has served as interim vice president of university advancement, has been named to the permanent post, the university said in a statement.

Fox will be responsible for overseeing the university's alumni relations, public affairs and advancement information departments. He will be responsible for the management of areas such as fundraising, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations and gift planning.

Fox's will also have a role in the development and monitoring of the university's strategic plan.

As part of his appointment, Fox will serve as a professor in the university's department of social medicine and health care leadership.

He will report to Western University President Philip Pumerantz.

"Tom's record of success and expertise speaks for itself," Pumerantz said in the statement. "His depth and breadth of experience as a higher-education administrator come along only rarely, and Western U is fortunate that he will make his professional home here.

"He will be a great asset to the university as we continue in our mission to become the most comprehensive health sciences institution in the country."

Fox came to Western in August 2008 as a special assistant to the president. Before working for Western he served for five years as senior vice president for advancement at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Fla., which was named one of America's best colleges in U.S. News and World Report.

In addition to extensive experience working in academia, Fox has experience in the nonprofit sector.

His nonprofit experience includes serving in the late 1990s as executive vice president and chief executive officer of Operation Smile, an international organization based in Norfolk, Va.

Through the organization, volunteer physicians perform thousands of surgeries each year to repair facial deformities in children.

Fox has a doctoral degree from the University of Michigan Center for the Study of Higher Education, and a master's degree from the University of Vermont.

The filing period for those interested in running for a seat on the Pomona Unified School District November election doesn't begin until Monday, but the Associated Pomona Teachers has already announced which candidates it supports.

In a statement released this week representatives of Associated Pomona Teachers, or APT, announced the organization has endorsed Hank Mollet, Roberta Perlman-Hensen and Jason Rothman for the November election.

Frank Guzman will be recommended for endorsement in September to the membership by APT's Political Action Committee and the board of directors.

"All four candidates are strong and articulate advocates for students and learning," APT President Tyra Weis said in a statement. "They also share our concern about the need for the Board (of Education) and (district) administration to treat employees and parents with respect.

"After the very painful, unnecessary and reckless handling of the layoffs here in (the Pomona Unified School District) this year, we felt it was necessary to move in a new direction and to look for new leadership on the School Board," Weis said.

"Our hope is that a new school board will welcome the opportunity to work together with the association for the sake of our students and the overall future of our community here in Pomona," she said.