February 2010 Archives

A variety of items will go before the Pomona City Council on Monday night including one involving Angelo's Pizzeria, 135 E. First St.

In February the council approved a series of modifications to a conditional use permit for Angelo's and gave business owner Jason Abboud until this week to meet a series of requirements he had agreed to meet late last year.

Abboud has met all but two of the requirements, according to a city staff report.

City administrators are recommending the City Council schedule a hearing to address the matter.

Among the two requirements Abboud has not met is signing a certificate of compliance which contains the conditions under which the business can operate, the staff report said.

Abboud has stated he will not sign the document and will ask the council to authorize him to serve hard liquor at his business, the staff report said.

Council members authorized Abboud to serve beer and wine only as part of the conditions they approved for him to operate under.

Angelo's became the focus of the city's attention after it was granted permission to serve alcohol and have entertainment in 2007.

Over time the business began to attract large crowds and became the source of fights and other problems.

Modifications have been made to the business' conditional use permit and changes have been made to Angelo's aimed at a reduction in problems.

City Council members will also hold a public hearing involving changes in land use and other steps leading to a specific plan amendment for Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center.

The hospital is preparing for a series of construction projects over the next two decades designed to upgrade facilities to meet state requirements. The closed portion of the council meeting begins at 5:30 p.m., and open session begins at 6:45 p.m. at City Hall, 505 S. Garey Ave.

Daily Bulletin history columnist Joe Blackstock will be the guest speaker at the Women's Auxiliary Luncheon on Tuesday at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 600 N. Garey Ave.

The luncheon will begin at noon. The program will start at 1 p.m.

Blackstock's talk will focus on notable women in the Inland Valley.

Cost for the luncheon is $6. No reservations are required.

For more information, e-mail pilgrimoffice@verizon.net or call 909-622-1373.

Improving the quality of health care while reducing costs will be the focus of a symposium scheduled for March 6 at Western University of Health Sciences.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 8 a.m. in the University's Health Education Center, 309 E. Second St.

"Thinking Outside the Box: Improving Quality of Care Beyond Conventional Medicine" is being organized by pharmacy and osteopathic medical students.

According to a university statement, the goal of the symposium is to spark discussions related to improving patient outcomes and safety with the help of different approaches.

Also to be discussed is evaluating programs designed to improve the quality of health care at the same time they reduce costs.

A panel of health care professionals including doctors, nurses and administrators representing major hospitals and medical education programs from around the state will participate in the discussion.

The event will close with a presentation on the benefits of osteopathic medicine and patient care along with a demonstration of osteopathic manipulative medicine by David Redding, associate professor of family medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine at Western.

Seats for the event are limited. For additional information on the symposium or to register, go to www.westernu.edu/wuhcsymposium or e-mail westernhcs@gmail.com.

A restaurant owner and winner of TV's "Top Chef" will offer a cooking demonstration and dinner at Cal Poly Pomona.

"Top Chef" winner Ilan Hall will demonstrate his culinary skills at the Collins College of Hospitality Management's Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch at 6 p.m. March 7.

The demonstration, which will be followed by a three-course dinner, is a fundraising event for The Collins College of Hospitality Management and the United Culinarians, a student club offering members a forum to continue working on their culinary skills in a setting outside of class.

Hall is chef and owner of the Gorbals in Los Angeles gained fame when he won season two of Bravo TV's "Top Chef" in 2007 when he was 24, according to a statement from the university.

The Gorbals is named after a diverse immigrant community in Glasgow, Scotland, and honors Hall's own diverse Scottish-Russian-Jewish heritage, the statement said.

"Chef Ilan is doing daring work at the Gorbals. He is blending Scottish, Jewish, American and Spanish cuisine to create amazing new flavors," student Ray Bishop, president of the United Culinarians, said in the statement. 

Seating for the event is limited to 75 people.

For reservations, e-mail United Culinarians at unitedculinarians@gmail.com.

Advance tickets are $40 per person and $50 at the door. Tickets can be paid with cash or check only.

POMONA - About 1,200 pairs of jeans of all sizes are waiting to be shipped from Ganesha High School to Haiti.

Ganesha High students donated the jeans as part of the Jeans for Haiti project, which was developed by the school's Assistant Principal Neville Brown.

Brown said he felt the need to help after watching television news coverage of the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Jan. 12 in Haiti.

"Like everyone else watching ... I felt the urgent need to do something," he said.

Brown said he came up with the idea to collect jeans at Ganesha High and send the garments to Haiti, where they would be distributed to people in need.

Principal Peter Alvino agreed to move forward with the project, and students were informed.

The next day, students started to donate gently used jeans and even some that had not been worn before.

The United States has always been willing to help out other nations enduring a crisis and Jeans for Haiti was Ganesha High's way of extending a hand, student body president Abraham Gomez said.

Senior Lisbeth Alvarez donated several pairs of jeans and helped organize the contributions by sizes and gender.

"It's like some part of us is going to them," Alvarez said.

Junior Lam Ha went through his closet and donated several pairs as well.

"My parents asked what did I do with all the jeans," Ha said.

His parents didn't object when he explained what happened to them, Ha said.

The vast majority of nonprofits helping out the victims of the earthquake have sought financial donations, but, Brown said, collecting jeans made it possible for everyone at Ganesha High to help.

"We have families that are struggling," he said.

However, "we are a generous people in America" and the students, parents and staff of Ganesha are no different, Brown said.

Not everyone has extra money to donate during financially difficult times, but almost everyone has a pair a jeans they could part with, he said.

The residents of Haiti have immediate needs for food and shelter, but the jeans will be useful in the long run, he said.

The challenge now is finding a way to get the jeans to Haiti. Several organizations have been contacted, but their representatives said they can't deliver the jeans because of high shipping costs, Brown said.

Still, Brown continues to work with a number of people in hopes of finding some way to get the jeans to Haiti.

If that doesn't produce results, he has another plan.

"If we can't find someone (to transport the jeans) we'll fundraise," Brown said.

Those interested in providing assistance in the shipping of the jeans should contact Brown at Ganesha High, 909-397-4400.

POMONA - The school board has voted to send out preliminary layoff notices to 321 certificated employees.

Distribution of the notices will probably begin late next week, said Steve Horowitz, assistant superintendent of personnel services for the Pomona Unified School District.

Of the 321 employees due to receive notices, 293 are teachers.

Board members approved the proposal on a 4-1 vote this week, with Jason Rothman dissenting.

Superintendent Richard Martinez said that since 2003 the district has been making cuts worth millions of dollars.

This year, the district must cut $36million out of the 2010-2011 school year budget and make "reductions that will now impact teachers," Martinez said.

Although the list of layoffs contains 321 positions, that number could drop depending on a number of factors including labor negotiations, which are still taking place, and retirements, he said.

More than 120 certificated employees took early retirement.

As a result, "we may see as many as 100 positions" shaved off the list, Martinez said Thursday. "But definitely 70 will be reduced."

State regulations require school districts to notify certificated personnel by March 15 that they may not have a job after the conclusion of the school year.

Before the school board took up the layoff matter, Associated Pomona Teachers President Tyra Weis said she and her organization's membership are concerned about the district's interest in laying off teachers when there is no plan to reduce consultants and administrators.

Someone trying to reduce a household budget sets priorities and so must the school board, Weis said.

Before voting, board member Adrienne Konigar-Macklin proposed several amendments to the resolution that district administrators presented, beginning with calling for the removal of 39 child development teachers from the layoff notice list.

Under the original proposal, the 39 teachers would have had their assignments reduced from 12 months to 10 months.

Members of the Associated Pomona Teachers argued the district couldn't take such an action because such a reduction has to be bargained as part of labor negotiations.

Konigar-Macklin also succeeded in getting support for an amendment calling for postponing the consideration of consultants until May when final layoff decisions will be made.

Board member Roberta Perlman sought to add language to the amendment seeking an in-depth evaluation of consultants.

Martinez said changes in consulting agreements can't be made this school year but any future requests for consultants will be scrutinized by the board.

"There will be less consultant agreements," he said, adding that district staff will pick up those responsibilities.

Rothman sought to remove art and music teachers from the layoff notice list but his proposed amendment failed to gain support.

Perlman said she wanted to have art and music teachers removed from the list, prompting Konigar-Macklin to ask if those teachers, about a dozen, could be spared legally.

Howard Friedman, a lawyer for the district, said during administrative hearings, a part of the layoff process, the district would have to demonstrate these teachers have "very unique qualities" that other teachers with more seniority can't provide.

Konigar-Macklin said that like other board members she would like to keep art and music programs but didn't want the district to face a legal challenge either.

Her proposal called for district staff to seek funding for art and music before steps are taken to cut those teachers and their programs.

With the vote taken, personnel records will be reviewed and notices sent out, Horowitz said.

Last year, teachers found a number of errors in seniority lists and other related documents.

This year, there appears to be better records.

"We're more comfortable than last year. However, we still believe there's work to do," Morgan Brown, executive director of the Associated Pomona Teachers, said after the meeting.

Errors have still been found but the district and Associated Pomona Teachers continue working together, he said.

The labor group "has some reasons to be cautiously hopeful," he said.

POMONA - Scores of family members and advocates for the disabled on Wednesday converged on Lanterman Developmental Center to voice their opposition to its proposed closure.

Hundreds of people streamed through DeBell Auditorium to listen to comments made during the day's afternoon and evening hearing.

The state Department of Developmental Services announced recently it intends to close the 302-acre facility that is more than 100 years old. Rebuilding the infrastructure - including new or upgraded water and sewer systems - is no longer cost-effective, officials said.

Department representatives, including Deputy Director Patricia Flannery, attended the hearing.

Family members of Lanterman clients, such as Jo Walters of Capistrano Beach, spoke of the important role that the facility has played in her son's life.

Walters' developmentally disabled son lived in a community setting before coming to Lanterman, but the results were nearly fatal. She is afraid placing her son in a community setting would put him at risk.

"The fact is that some people belong in developmental centers," said Walters, adding her son was one of them.

Closing Lanterman will have a devastating impact on her son, she said.

At Lanterman, her son is safe and well cared for and has a degree of independence.

"He knows his way around and can move about with some confidence while inside the residence," Walters said. "He has also

been able to keep his job shredding newspapers in the sheltered workshop on the hospital grounds despite the loss of his vision."

Walters said that if her son leaves the facility, "he will never again know where he is."

Several family members said moving Lanterman residents will mean great emotional upheaval for them.

Many Lanterman residents were placed in the facility as children and are now senior citizens.

While placement in the community facility is appropriate for some people, it is not necessarily the case for those with severe developmental disabilities. It is unlikely the residents will be able to access the level of care they have now at Lanterman in a community setting, family members said.

A move would be highly upsetting for residents of Lanterman, many of whom have a difficult time adapting to any sort of change, speakers said.

If Lanterman must close, then every effort should be made to provide suitable options and financial resources to meet the needs of Lanterman clients, speakers said.

Terrance King, conservator for a resident, asked, "Is this a formality? Is this a hearing or are you hearing us?"

Those at Lanterman depend on "qualified compassionate care givers, King said. However, closing the facility is an erroneous move, he said.

Of all of the entitlements available, none is needed as much as Lanterman, King said.

The testimony collected at the hearing will be part of a closure plan that the Department of Developmental Services will submit to the Legislature by April 1, Flannery said.

The Legislature will review and approve the plan with any changes it decides to make by June 30 in order to begin closure preparations in the 2010-11 fiscal year, said Nancy Lungren, assistant director of communications for the department.

Inland Valley Hope Partners will host its annual "Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon" on March 5.

The luncheon is scheduled for 11 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall of First Christian Church, 1753 N. Park Ave., Pomona

Those who have volunteered at Inland Valley Hope Partners events or at program sites within the last year and would like to attend should call 909-622-3806, ext. 231 or ext. 241 to RSVP.

The luncheon is limited to volunteers only.

Reservation deadline is 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation will offer a free seminar on Alzheimer's disease, behavioral and physical problems.

The seminar is open to senior citizens and their family members from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation, Tamkin Education Center, 255 E. Bonita Ave. Building 1D.

Casa Colina's new Senior Evaluation Program is hosting the seminar which will be offered by Dr. Harvey Cohen, Casa Colina's geriatrics program medical director, and Dr. Gimha Gunawardana, a specialist in palliative care, according to a statement from Casa Colina.

Both will discuss health issues and warning signs for seniors who may suffer from Alzheimer's disease along with behavioral and intellectual changes that may appear.

Information will also be offered on Casa Colina's new Senior Evaluation Program which involves a comprehensive three-day evaluation period completed on an out-patient basis, the statement said.

A team of experts in areas such as geriatrics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neuropsychology, physical and occupational therapy, audiology, and vision provide a full assessment of functional ability, psychological health, physical health and socio-environmental health, the statement said.

Once the evaluation is completed a clinical report with recommendations will be provided to the patient, family members and the patient's primary care physician.

For seminar information or to make seminar reservations call Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation at 866-724-4132.

The Feb. 27 Family Fun Day at the Pomona Downtown Center will have a focus on Spanish.

"¿Habla Español?" will celebrate art and literacy in Spanish.

Craft activities will include the making of puppets, musical instruments, paper flowers and other items.

Participants will also learn about different types of dancing from folkloric to salsa.

Most activities will be offered in Spanish.

All children participating in Family Fun Day will receive a free book.

Activities will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Pomona Downtown Center, 300 W. Second St.

For information e-mail Adriana Ruvalcaba at acruvalcaba@csupomona.edu or call her at (909) 869-3524.

Family Fun Days are offered free every fourth Saturday of the month by Cal Poly Pomona's Academy for Literacy through the Arts.

A member of the Little Rock Nine will be the featured speaker at Mt. Sinai Church of God in Christ's Black History Month program.

Mt. Sinai Church of God in Christ's Black History Month Program will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Feb. 27 at the church, 936 W. Ninth St., Pomona.

The program is open to the public at no charge.

Terrence Roberts was 15 in 1957 when he and eight other teens became the first African American students at Central High School in Little Rock, Ark.

The students integrated what had been an all-white school but in doing so they faced segregationist mobs, the National Guard, which had been deployed by the governor, and constant harassment.

Roberts will speak about his experiences as a member of the Little Rock Nine and of the relevance of the events of that period in the nation's history.

Temple Beth Israel will celebrate the festival of Purim with a carnival Feb. 28.

The two-hour carnival begins at 11 a.m. on the temple grounds, 3033 N. Towne Ave.

Activities will include climbing walls, game booths, face painting, food sales and more.

Purim commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people of the ancient Persian Empire from Haman's plot to annihilate them, as recorded in the Book of Esther, according to a statement from Temple Beth Israel.

As part of Purim, certain actions take place such as reading the Book of Esther aloud; exchanging gifts of food and beverages; charity given to the poor; and the preparation of a celebratory meal, the statement said.

Wearing masks and costumes along with holding a public celebration are also part of celebrating Purim.

For additional information on the celebration call 909-626-1277.

Applications are now being accepted for admission into Cal Poly Pomona's fall 2010 master of science in accountancy program.

The program, which launched last fall and is now ready to expand, is designed for professionals working in the field who are interested in preparing for new responsibilities as they move up the ranks, according to a statement from the university.

"The MSA program is designed to develop students' abilities to lead, manage and communicate regardless of where their career takes them," Bob Hurt, associate director of external relations for the MSA program, said in the statement.

Accounting is a field that is undergoing great change and accountants along with auditors must adapt and prepare to deal with changes in domestic and international laws, the statement said.

Professionals in this field must have a high level of technical knowledge in areas such as cyber crime and online fraud which are constantly growing, the statement said.

The MSA program builds on the university's undergraduate accounting program which is known for its rigor and its relationships with the professional world, Anwar Y. Salimi, MSA program director, said in the statement.

"The new graduate program will build upon these successes to offer a graduate degree that will help people stay current in the accounting profession as well as give them tools to become more effective leaders."

The two-year program has been designed to meet the scheduling needs of professionals and includes evening classes on the Cal Poly campus.

Students can focus their studies on areas of recent marked growth such as forensic accounting, tax management and business valuation.

As happens in the undergraduate program, the graduate program will include practical experiences, the statement said.

Applications for fall 2010 are due by June 15.

Program descriptions are available online at http://cba.csupomona.edu/acc as well as at monthly information sessions offered until May 10.

Additional information is available by e-mailing msacc@csupomona.edu or by calling MSA program at (909) 869-2327.

Music, food and plenty of cars will be part of the first Third Alarm Car Show being organized by the Los Angeles County Fire Department Explorer Post 19 and Post's Parent Boosters.

The event, which organizers plan to make an annual event, is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 6 in Parking Lots F and G of Cal Poly Pomona, 3801 W. Temple Ave.

Car classes include custom, classic, muscle, stock and hot rod.

Motorcycles can also be entered in the show.

Aside from the car show, various family-friendly activities will be offered.

For additional information or to pre-register a car or motorcycle in the show go to www.explorerpost19.com or call 909-620-2207

Pomona Catholic High School will hold its annual Casino Night March 6.

The fund raiser will take place in the auditorium of Pomona Catholic High School, 533 W. Holt Ave.

Activities begin at 7 p.m. and conclude at 11.

Cost is $50 per couple or $30 per person.

Cost includes dinner and casino chips

For information call 909-910-4602

POMONA - Next week 143 administrative employees of the Pomona Unified School District will receive preliminary layoff notices.

Pomona Unified school board member voted Wednesday night 4-0 in favor of issuing the notices informing administrators and others working for them they may be released at the end of the current school year. The 143 represents all administrative employees in the district.

However, action on a separate proposal calling for issuing notices to 328 certificated employees was postponed.

Certificated employees include teachers and others such as counselors, school nurses and school psychologists.

Board members deadlocked, 2-2, to reject the certificated proposal. Board members Roberta Perlman and Jason Rothman voted to reject the proposal with board President Richard Rodriguez and board member Andrew Wong in opposition.

After the tie board members voted to postpone the matter.

School districts have a state-mandated deadline of March 15 to issue preliminary layoff notices informing certificated employees they may not have a job after June 30.

Board member Adrieanne Konigar-Macklin who was in Sacramento called in to participate in the meeting but the phone connection was lost and she did not vote.

Prior to the vote Superintendent Richard Martinez said since 2003 the district has made about $100 million in cuts and it must now cut more than $36 million out of the 2010-2011 school year budget.

It was this situation that led to the proposal to issue 328 notices, or about 20 percent of the certificated employees.

"Not everyone who receives these notices will lose a job," he said.

The figure does not include 121 positions held by employees who accepted an early retirement program and who will leave at the end of the school year, Martinez said.

District personnel are still in the process of determining how many of those 121 employees will have to be replaced, he said after the meeting.

Also negotiations with the Associated Pomona Teachers could result in the 328 number shrinking.

Martinez said district administrators took a 3.2 percent cut in salaries last year.

The reduction continues in place, district spokesman Tim McGillivray said Thursday.

Although cuts have been made in various areas cuts to teaching personnel have been averted so far, Martinez said.

Prior to the vote, Tyra Weis, president of the Associated Pomona Teachers, said "the district was proposing to break educational law" in its certificated proposal. She said the plan to reduce the assignments of 52 teachers from 12 months of work to 10 months was improper.

Most of those positions involved teachers in the district's child development program.

"Our position is that it must be bargained," Weis said. "It's an unfair labor practice."

But Howard Friedman, a lawyer for the district, said the district could move forward with such an action legally.

After the meeting, Rothman said he wasn't going to vote on the certificated layoffs "because I didn't have enough information on the subject."

Perlman said she needed clarification on parts of the proposal including the assignment reductions and other matters.

"We have a responsibility to the public," she said. "We want to be completely clear before we make a decision."

Difficult decisions will be made but "we want to do it with compassion and grace," she said.

Weis said after the meeting she was "in a state of disbelief."

The board action "shows me the board members are seriously looking at ways to address" the matter, she said.

Still, Weis is concerned this week's proposal to notice certificated personnel impacts 20 percent of the Associated Pomona Teachers membership.

"I do believe reducing 20 percent of staff is not feasible to continue programs we're committed to," she said.

Rodriguez said he and his colleagues will revisit the matter before March 15 adding the board must keep in mind the well-being of students and the financial stability of the district.

"We as board members have to keep this district solvent," he said. "We're going to need to work together to get past this crisis."

Martinez said the school board will have a special board meeting next week and has its regularly scheduled meeting March 3.

POMONA - AVID students, faculty and staff gathered in the gym of Pomona High School on Wednesday afternoon waiting for a much-anticipated announcement.

A team of state and national representatives of the Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, program spent the day on campus visiting more than a dozen classrooms and conducting interviews with students, parents and teachers.

After reviewing data about Pomona High's AVID program and Wednesday's visit the team announced it was certifying Pomona High as a National AVID Demonstration School for 2010-2012, said Julie Elliott, director of the AVID National Demonstration Schools program and the state's AVID director.

With that, students broke out into cheers and applause and faculty members embraced.

Only 110 schools out of 4,500 in the AVID program are National Demonstration schools, Elliott said.

"You are the best of the best," she said drawing more cheers from the students.

Freshman Julian Ortiz was among the students waiting for the announcement.

"I'm proud to be in this school and to represent AVID," Julian said.

Being named an AVID National Demonstration School means it will serve as a model for schools wishing to start or enhance AVID programs, AVID officials said.

The principles of AVID have spread across the campus, said Sandy Sanders, the school's AVID coach and AVID consultant with the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

Before making the announcement, Granger Ward, executive vice president of the AVID Center in San Diego, reviewed the content of the visiting team's report with the audience.

The teams made note of several things including the school's strong college-ready culture; visionary leadership at every level; high parent participation; and tutors who have ties to the school and community, Ward said.

Students are not only focused on learning but articulate and are quite capable of expressing their views clearly, he said.

About 340 Pomona High students are enrolled in the AVID program, which prepares them for college by giving them study, organizational and time-management skills in addition to academic support through bi-weekly tutoring sessions and study groups.

Most are the first members of their families who will be going to college, school officials said.

Pomona High's AVID program has been in place since 1995 and has recently grown to serve about 20percent of the student body, school officials said.

The goal is to increase that number to 25percent, said Principal Roger Fasting.

About 97percent of Pomona High's AVID students head to four-year colleges after graduation, he said.

Teachers Eva Morales-Vargas and Diana Rendon, who together coordinate the program, said the designation was an important milestone for past and present AVID students and faculty along with the school and the entire community.

In making the announcement, the AVID officials had a group of students roll out a large banner announcing the school's designation.

"It feels like a Super Bowl trophy - only better," said Rendon.

POMONA - Since 1995, Pomona High School's AVID program has provided students with the tools they need to succeed in high school as well as college.

Today, Pomona High will learn if it will be named an AVID National Demonstration School.

The recognition would mean that officials from other schools interested in starting or building up an AVID program can visit Pomona High to see how a successful program works, said Steven Baratta, a spokesman with the California AVID Center in San Diego.

Being named a National Demonstration School would do much for the school as well as the community, said several Pomona High students enrolled in AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination.

Not only would it be recognition of the efforts of current and past AVID students and faculty, but it would show people outside of the city that "Pomona isn't filled with gangs and pregnant teens," junior Eunice Chavarin said.

The AVID program aims to give young people the skills and support they need to help them get to college and succeed. Program teachers show students how to study, read for content, take notes and manage time. Students also participate in study groups or tutorials.

"The whole mission of AVID is to find the first generation of college-goers and give them the support they need to get there," Pomona High Principal Roger Fasting said.

Pomona High's program has grown in the past two years under Fasting's leadership.

Nationally, 90 percent of AVID students go on to college after high school. At Pomona High, 97 percent of AVID students go to four-year colleges, he said.

About 20 percent of the school's student body, or 340 students, are part of the program, said Eva Morales-Vargas, a teacher who coordinates the program with colleague Diana Rendon.

In the past, students were invited to attend the program but now they often ask to be part of it.

Limited space means some students end up on a waiting list.

Oftentimes, the program's students have average grades, but demonstrate they have the potential to achieve more. Once in the program, students work on organizational and study skills as well as have biweekly tutoring sessions.

During a recent tutoring session, groups of six students worked under the guidance of college students to tackle subjects such as advanced placement calculus, advanced placement statistics, anatomy, physiology, government and economics.

Each AVID student presented a question to the group that he or she was struggling with and, together, they figured out the answers with the help of their notes, texts and other educational resources.

Senior Daladros Tillett presented a chemistry question to his group. After reviewing the problem with the group, he found out why he wasn't coming up with the right answer - he left out a step in the calculation process.

"This is like a plus," he said. "It makes things a lot easier."

Among the things AVID does is help students learn to recognize there are times when they will need help mastering an academic concept. When that happens, students must know how to go about finding the help they need to overcome their struggles, senior Evelyn Godinez said.

"It's not a bad thing not to know. It's bad to not seek help," Chavarin said.

Junior Floyd Early said he heard about AVID from a cousin who participated in the program. Floyd enrolled in his sophomore year.

"I heard it was a program that helps you go to college, and I do want to go to college," he said.

Floyd said there is no history in his home of people attending college and he will be the first to do so in his immediate family.

Before AVID, Floyd said he thought he would finish high school, go to community college and get a job.

But through AVID, he has come to realize there are many more options.

"There's so much more for me to do," Floyd said.

His plans now include attending a four-year college, possibly UC Irvine or a historically black college. His career interests involve working with young people, either as a psychologist or as a pediatrician.

Floyd also sees his role at home changing. He now views himself as a role model for his two younger siblings and instilling in them a desire to pursue a college education.

Pomona High graduate Saul Del Real said AVID played a significant role in his success.

Del Real, who graduated from Pomona High in 2003, joined AVID as a freshman. While he was a hard-working student, he had questions about college that his parents couldn't answer because they had a limited education.

"I knew I wanted to go (to college) but I didn't know how to get there," Del Real said. Through AVID "they guided me as to what I needed" to do.

Not only was he clear on what classes he needed to take in order to meet college entrance requirements, he worked to improve in areas such as answering essay questions, visited college campuses and heard from speakers talk about their own college and professional experiences.

"They gave us the tools we needed," Del Real said.

Del Real said many of the tools came in handy when he enrolled at UC Santa Barbara, from where he would earn a degree in business economics and global studies.

Del Real, a resident of Manhattan Beach who recently became an international trade officer for a major banking institution, has returned to Pomona High to talk to students about his experiences.

"I would say AVID made a huge difference," he said. "I got a lot more exposure to opportunities."

POMONA - With music and poetry the students of the School of Arts and Enterprise celebrated the dedication of the campus flag pole the morning of Feb. 12.

All 410 members of the student body, elected officials, members of the Boy Scouts and the Pomona Rotary Club gathered in the courtyard of the school at Garey and Monterey avenues for the ceremony.

The flag pole was purchased with a donation of the Rotary Club, said Rita Romero, the school's admissions coordinator.

Romero sought the help of the club in order to bring a flag pole to the school.

The charter school did not have a flag pole because of a lack of funds, Romero said.

Even before Romero began working at the school she had noticed the school lacked a flag pole, a matter that gained importance once she became part of the staff.

"As soon as I got here that became my mission," she said.

Some time ago she approached Rotary Club member Don Church and explained the situation.

"I was shocked. This is a high school and it doesn't have a flag pole," Church recalled thinking.

Church, then the vice chairman of the club's youth services committee, went to the club's leadership which agreed to provide $500, he said.

The money helped pay for the pole and its installation, Romero said.

Friday's ceremony, for which most of the student body dressed in red, white and blue, included the singing of the national anthem by the school's choir,

the playing of "You Raise Me Up" on violin by senior JuRang Kim and the reading of a poem written by sophomore Julian Marenco.

His poem was inspired by both the ceremony and the death of Julian's father, a U.S. serviceman who died in Iraq, Romero said.

The pole was dedicated to the nation's servicemen and women who have made the sacrifices that allow the school's students to enjoy freedom of speech which in turn has allowed them to express themselves through song and theater performances, Romero said.

The Pomona Unified School District Board of Education will have a meeting Wednesday to vote on matters related to issuance of preliminary layoff notices.

Board members are expected to vote on a proposal to issue preliminary layoff notices to certifated personnel, which includes teachers, school nurses and counselors.

The notices inform recipients they could be laid off at the end of the current school year and must be issued before a state-mandated mid-March deadline.

On Friday, district personnel were still working on details and determining how many notices would be issued, said district spokesman Tim McGillivray.

He said the number would probably not be pinned down until sometime before the meeting.

However, "you're not going to see 643," McGillivray said referring to the number that was issued last year prompting protests by teachers, parents and others.

The district ended up rescinding the notices after the federal government provided financial assistance to school districts.

School board members recently approved the early retirement of 121 certificated personnel. The retirements are expected to help reduce the number of notices that must be issued as the district looks for ways to cut its budget by $36 million.

School board members are also expected to vote on a proposal to issue notices of possible administrative reassignments to all administrators, McGillivray said.

Board members are expected to go into the closed portion of the meeting at 6 p.m. and begin the open portion of the meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the board room of the district's Education Center, 800 S. Garey Ave.

The Pomona-based Repertory Opera Company will be performing tonight (Sat. Feb. 13)and Sunday at two locations.

Tonight members of the company will present a free 30-minute performance on the new stage at the dA Center for the Arts, 252-D S. Main St.

The performance, which begins at 8 p.m., will serve as a preview of Sunday's performance at St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

Sunday's performance begins at 2 p.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 242 E. Alvarado St. Tickets are $30.

"Serenades of Love" will include a mix of opera, musical theater and standards, according to a statement from the opera company.

The performance will also include portions of operas the company will perform this spring.

In March the company will present "La Traviata." In June it is scheduled to perform "Carmen."

More information on the Repertory Opera Company is available at www.repertoryoperacompany.org or at www.blog.repertoryoperacompany.org.

A downtown Pomona restaurant owner and a group of local artists have joined together to hold a fundraiser for the benefit of the House of Ruth.

The art show, organized by restaurant owner Anthony Granillo and Michael Gonzalez, owner of Community Living Productions, will be from 5 to 10 p.m. today (Sat. Feb. 13) at 2nd St. Bar & Grill, 171 W. Second St.

Works by Richard and Marciano Martinez and Lorena Perez will be featured, according to a statement from House of Ruth.

All three artists have pledged to donate 30 percent of the proceeds from the sale of their work to the nonprofit organization, the statement said.

A portion of the evening's food and wine sales will also be donated to the House of Ruth, the statement said.

House of Ruth advocates for and assists domestic violence victims and their children.

The organization, which serves eastern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, offers a shelter program along with intervention services as well as education, prevention and community awareness programs.

Those interested in mixed martial arts may want to be at the Fox Theater Friday.

Ten fights are scheduled for "Respect in the Cage III" at the Fox, 301 S. Garey Ave.

Doors open at 7 p.m. The events starts at 8 p.m.

For more information, go to www.respectinthecage.com. For ticket information, call 626-705-4979.

Pomona Unified School District Superintendent Richard Martinez will be the guest speaker at Thursday's meeting of the Willie White Park Focus Group.

The group will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Willie White Park Community Center, 3065 Battram St.

Martinez will talk about plans for the district's future, according to a statement from the group.

Also, in April the focus group's monthly meetings will move to the third Tuesday of the month.

The Willie White Park Focus Group is an organization of residents who live around Willie White Park who came together in the early 1990s to address issues associated with gangs and to improve the neighborhood.

The group meets monthly and schedules guest speakers representing various local and and state government officials and along with city offices and others.

For more information on the group or its meetings, call Melba Robinson at 909-596-4273 or M. Joyce Bakersmith at 909-392-8666.

Current and past members of Pomona Boy Scout Troop 101 will celebrate its 100th founding anniversary with a series of activities next weekend.

Activities will include a luncheon Feb. 20 and special recognition during morning services on Feb. 21 at First Baptist Church of Pomona.

Throughout the weekend activities will give current and former troop members a chance to talk and exchange stories.

Troop 101, formerly known as Troop 1 and Explorer Post 1, started 100 years ago with Pomona First Baptist Church as the group's sponsor, according to a statement from the Scouting group.

Former troop members and Scout leaders are invited to participate in the activities and can register by going to www.troop101pomona.org.

For more information on the celebrations or to learn about how to join the troop, call Nancy Matarrita at 909-629-5277, ext. 3014.

POMONA - More than 100 people gathered Monday night to talk about a shooting at Ted Greene Park that touched many across the city.

"We're here to talk about murders, we're here to talk about crime," said Joe Romero, former chief of the Pomona Police Department and a life-long resident of the city.

The Jan. 29 incident started with an altercation and ended with the death of two teens, left another wounded and the arrest of six others - one 17, four of them 16 and one 14, who is accused of being the gunman. Two of the arrested are siblings.

The forum, "The Voices of the Community," at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church was meant to provide a place to talk about the incident and offer a way to begin healing after the traumatic incident, organizers said.

Romero said he realized the forum was not meant to point fingers but everyone should think carefully and look at themselves.

"Look in the mirror and point at yourself. What are you doing" to address violence, he said.

Romero said he is involved with organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club of Pomona Valley and others but that's not enough.

Everyone must do more and get others involved to reach young people before they engage in negative activities.

"After the fact means another young person has died," he said.

He urged those gathered to work for the benefit of youth because "lots of young lives are at stake," Romero said.

Sonya Steward, a senior at Village Academy High School, was among those in attendance.

"We all know what happened at Ted Greene Park," she said. "To know all these young men were my age and younger hurts me."

These are difficult financial times and governmental agencies are facing cuts to their budgets.

"But that's no excuse to let people die," she said. "Why don't we go back to the old days and find a way to make things happen?"

William Welch with the violence prevention and intervention group "Stop the Violence Increase the Peace Foundation" said Pomona residents must make a decision to work together and end violence.

"Nothing is going to get done if the people of Pomona don't come together as a unit," Welch said.

"Do you want to live or die? Do you want your kids to live or die? . . . It's up to each and every one of you to take a stance. It's your community."

People around the city are already trying to create an environment free of violence but others must back them and lend a hand.

Rancho Cucamonga resident Nina Erving grew up in Pomona and left the forum feeling she can play a part in creating a better environment in Pomona.

"Basically, there's always something for us to do," she said. "I grew up here...and you want to help people grow up."

Her job is now to find a way of helping whoever needs her assistance, she said.

Ed Sharp, a member of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church who lives in Chino, said to deal with Pomona's problems "it's going to take all of us."

The forum was organized by the Cultural Equity and Race Relations group, or ClEARR, which includes representatives of various Pomona entities including the Pomona Youth and Family Master Plan Community Board, the Pomona Unified School District, the city of Pomona and the Pomona Valley Human Relations Council.

Those involved in organizing the forum said it accomplished the goal of letting people express their feelings related to the shooting so they can take the next step which is working on solutions to youth violence.

"That's the beginning in the process of healing," said Candace Barry, a member of the Pomona Valley Human Relations Council.

In the days following the forum the group will be working on several things, said Fernando Meza, a member of the group and the interim administrative director of pupil and community services at Pomona Unified.

One area of work will involve connecting those who attended the forum with other groups and organizations already working on areas of interest to them such as mentoring or tutoring, Meza said.

In addition a listing will be created of different activities focusing on preventing youth from engaging in negative behavior and intervention services. People can volunteer with those groups or be used by residents experiencing troubles with a young person, he said.

Another step ClEARR will be working on is a community training session designed to prepare participants to go into the community where an act of violence or racial tension has taken place.

People who undergo the training will be ready to work in neighborhoods and start a dialogue among residents.

Such a discussion "breaks down the barriers (and) start making changes," he said.

Eliminating violence can be done with community-wide involvement.

"Everyone has a piece of the puzzle," Barry said.

For 121 Pomona Unified School District employees, June will bring with it the end of the 2010-11 school year as well as the start of retirement.

School board members last week approved the retirement of more than 100 teachers along with a number of counselors, school administrators and district-level administrators.

Among those retiring will be Pam Lopez, district assistant superintendent of business services and chief financial officer, along with Emmett Terrell, deputy superintendent of administrative operations.

Superintendent Richard Martinez said Friday he would hold off on filling the vacancy left by Terrell's departure.

"Our hope is we can share that responsibility," Martinez said.

Terrell's responsibilities include providing assistance to school administrators in various areas such as personnel along with parent and community relations.

Leaving the position unfilled will save the district about $200,000 in salary and benefits, Martinez said.

Lopez's position is one that will have to be filled, Martinez said.

In the current financial climate, "we definitely need someone to be the auditor and ensuring we're in the black," he said.

Martinez said the district is still exploring offering an early retirement program to district classified employees.

Early retirement programs for classified personnel don't result in as much savings because classified employees generally have

to be replaced, he said.

The district is still in the process of calculating the savings that will be achieved through the certificated personnel early retirement program, Martinez said.

Also, the district will have to replace some retiring teachers currently teaching in critical areas such as math, science and special education, he said.

In September, district officials announced they would offer the early retirement incentive program to 265 eligible certificated employees.

Through the program, eligible personnel will receive what the district calls a retirement supplement that averages about $65,000 if they retire at the end of the current academic year.

In September, district personnel calculated Pomona Unified could save about $22 million over a five-year period and $4.5 million in the first year if 80 employees took the offer.

Tyra Weis, president of the Associated Pomona Teachers, said the number of retirees should translate into a significant savings to the district.

That in turn should result in fewer certificated employees facing layoffs as the district continues looking for ways to reduce costs, she said.

Associated Pomona Teachers expects the district to begin taking steps in the preliminary lay off noticing process this month.

How many people will actually receive a notice is hard to say, Weis said.

Last year, the school district distributed 643 preliminary layoff notices.

"I hope we will not see a repeat of last year. They were ill prepared," Weis said.

Weis added this year should be much different with a much lower number of notices going out in part due to the early retirements.

School board member Roberta Perlman said Monday a great deal of work is taking place now to determine how to reduce the district's budget by $36 million.

However, she's confident fewer notices will be distributed this year.

The number "will definitely be less than 643," she said.

The retirements will play a role in holding down the number of notices, Perlman said.

At this point it is still not clear how many layoff notices will have to go out, she said, adding details will be available within two to three weeks.

Board member Adrienne Konigar-Macklin said at this point "it's contingent on so many factors."

Those include retirements, contract negotiations and others, she said.

POMONA - It wasn't necessary to be hit by a bullet to be affected by the recent shooting incident at Ted Greene Park.

That reaction may have come from knowing the teens involved, because they live in the neighborhood or just because they were shocked by what happened.

To help deal with the incident a group made up of Pomona residents and local organizations will hold a forum at 6 p.m. Monday (Feb. 8) at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, 2343 N. San Antonio Ave. in Pomona.

The purpose of the forum is "to help people voice their concerns. This is the opportunity to share those frustrations," said Fernando Meza, a member of the group which calls itself Cultural Equity and Race Relations, or ClEARR.

The shooting incident involved a group of teens who engaged in a confrontation at the park Jan. 29 and result in the death of two and another wounded. Five have been arrested and one is being sought by Pomona police.

Of those arrested, the oldest is 17, three are 16 and the alleged shooter is 14.

Residents are concerned about the shooting but may not know how to begin to address it or other problems, Meza said.

The forum is meant to provide a way to begin the process of healing after the incident, said Meza, who is also interim administrative director of pupil and community services at Pomona Unified School District.

Resources are available through the school district and groups across the city that can offer services to help address youth violence in the city, he said.

The forum is not meant to provide a place for finger-pointing, said Bernardo Rosa, co-chairman of the Pomona Youth and Family Master Plan Community Board.

It is a place to speak out and find others who are also interested in creating a better place for young people and their families, he said.

"What we can't do alone we can do together," Rosa said.

Those who are part of ClEARR include representatives of the Pomona Youth and Family Master Plan, the Pomona Unified School District, the city, the Boys & Girls Club of Pomona Valley and the Pomona Valley Human Relations Council.

Although different entities are involved in the effort this is an effort that ultimately is being driven by members of the community, Meza said.

"It's not a PUSD thing. It's not a city thing. It's not a church thing," he said. "It's a community thing."

All the members are saying what others in the community have said separately before that "enough is enough, we want to make changes in our community and in the lives of our children," Meza said.

Candace Barry, a community board member of the Pomona Youth and Family Master Plan and the Pomona Valley Human Relations Council, said by helping people overcome shock and pain of this recent shooting, residents can come together and begin working on the solutions that prevent such violent acts.

ClEARR has a mission to address violence and racial tension, she said.

This was an act of violence, Barry said.

The motivation exists in the community to be consistent and tackle both problems.

Pomona Unified School District representatives asked the City Council this week to delay a vote on an environmental document associated with the proposed construction of a trash transfer station on East First Street.

District representatives asked the City Council to hold off on taking action in order to give Pomona Unified time to review the document and prepare a response.

Council members agreed to postpone the matter until April. The council was expected to rule upon a final supplemental environmental impact report for the proposed transfer station to be constructed on 4.5 acres of city-owned property at 1730 E. First St.

In addition, the council postponed a vote on a proposed resolution certifying the environmental document and voting on conditional use permit modifications for the project.

In 2007 city leaders authorized a conditional use permit for the construction of a waste transfer station on the property. However, the Coalition for Environmental Justice in Pomona sought court action, according to a city staff report.

A Superior Court judge required the city to complete a supplemental environmental study that concentrated on alternatives to the project, air pollution, freeway traffic impacts and groundwater, the staff report said.

Several people spoke during the meeting including residents who are concerned about having the waste facility nearby. Others who spoke included teachers and parents of students who are enrolled in programs at the Village at Indian Hill which is north or the proposed project site.

Pomona Unified Superintendent Richard Martinez said the proposed project is in the neighborhood of the Village at Indian Hill which is home to several district schools with about 1,500 students.

More than 50 people including residents, non-profit representatives, educators, clergy and others turned out for Thursday's Partnership Building Summit at Pomona First Baptist Church.

The event, organized by members of the Pomona Youth and Family Master Plan Community Board, offered an opportunity to review some of its work and gather ideas for the year ahead.

The summit also offered an opportunity to attract new participants interested in working to create an environment in Pomona where young people can flourish and reach their potential.

Offering the keynote address was Michael Steinman, Pomona Unified School District's teacher of the year.

Steinman is the teacher at Village Academy High School whose Advanced Placement English students created the "Is Anybody Listening?" video that President Barack Obama referred to in a March 2009 speech on education.

Steinman said that in his classes he works with his students to find the right words to get their thoughts or messages across.

Selecting the right word makes a difference such as when choosing between the words hearing and listening.

When people hear something they pay less attention to the sound or the message but when they are listening it "infers taking heed," Steinman said.

"It's my belief that we tend to modify our senses...to hear more than we listen," he said.

But when someone is listening "one can have a careful response after critical analysis," Steinman said.

When young people look around they see the malfeasance of leaders, they see greed around them and people who aren't listening.

That prompts young people - who are good at sensing dishonesty - to retreat, to become cynical and question why they should listen to such people and other adults, Steinman said.

Adults can do a better job of setting a positive example for young people, Steinman said.

Adults can become better and more patient listeners and listen to what young people have to say.

Listening is an important part of helping children develop into people who are compassionate, who reason and are "dedicated toward a worthwhile goal," Steinman said. "They need to be allowed to flourish."

Those interested in serving on the city's Charter Review Commission but haven't submitted an application will have another chance to do so.

The application submission deadline has been extended to 5 p.m. Thursday (Feb. 11). Completed applications must be turned in to the City Clerk's Office.

The body will have 15 volunteer members with each council member appointing two people to the panel and the mayor appointing three.

The last time such a body was empaneled was in 1996. At the time the panel determined the charter should be reviewed every 10 years beginning in 2010.

Commission members will review the document and if they determine changes should be made they will submit a report with their proposed changes to the City Clerk.

Any proposed changes must be submitted to the City Clerk within 12 months of the inception of the commission, according to the charter

The City Clerk will place the proposed changes on the next scheduled election ballot.

Applications and information on the commission are available by going to the city's web site, www.ci.pomona.ca.us and going to featured links and then clicking on "charter review commission."

Applications are also available at the City Clerk's Office on the second floor of City Hall, 505 S. Garey Ave.

Residents, business owners and members of Neighborhood Watch groups of the city's northeast quadrant are invited to attend a meeting with members of the Pomona Police Department.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday at St. Madeleine Catholic Church, 931 E. Kingsley Ave. and will be lead by Lt. Michael Ellis.

Local issues and concerns will be discussed at the meeting. In addition, part of the meeting will be used to discuss burglaries, the crime prevention topic for the evening.

Questions and concerns can be submitted ahead of time so police personnel can research the topics and bring answers to the meeting.

Questions and concerns can be e-mailed to AreaCommander_Northeast@ci.pomona.ca.us or by calling (909) 802-7494.

For additional details contact the Pomona Police Department's crime prevention unit at (909) 620-2318.

The city's northeast quadrant is made up of the area east of Garey Avenue and north of Holt Avenue.

The American Museum of Ceramic Art will have an opening reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 13 for the current exhibit "Let's Table This: A Survey of Tabletop Vessels from AMOCA's Permanent Collection."

A pre-reception discussion and walk through will take place at 5 p.m. with Jo Lauria and Billie Sessions, co-curators of the exhibit.

The exhibit will continue on display until April 24.

Tickets are available to the 2010 Mayor's State of the City scheduled for 4 p.m. March 24.

The event, which is sponsored by the Pomona Chamber of Commerce, will take place at the recently opened Health Education Center of Western University of Health Sciences, 309 E. Second St.

Tickets are $20 each and include a reception with light food and beverages.

For information or ticket purchases visit the Pomona Chamber of Commerce, 101 W. Mission Blvd., Suite 223, Pomona or call the chamber at 909-622-8484.

Cal Poly Pomona in conjunction with the Inland Empire United Way will offer free tax preparation assistance to low income families and senior citizens beginning Feb. 13 at three locations around the city.

A team of 60 Cal Poly Pomona accounting students and volunteers have gone through special training using professional tax software provided by the Internal Revenue Service, according to a statement from Cal Poly. They have also prepared using IRS training manuals in addition to being tested on the topic, the statement said.

Cal Poly students have prepared for this project through a course "Service Learning in Taxation," the statement said.

The free service is available to senior citizens and to people who in 2009 had a gross yearly income of $50,000 or less.

Students have a knowledge of tax credits and who qualifie for them especially among low income families. It's possible that someone who may not have to file a tax return may be eligible for some tax credits, the statement said.

A majority of the students participating in the program speak more than one language and are prepared to assist clients in Spanish, Arabic and Chinese, the statement said.

The free service will be available every Saturday from 9 a.m to 5 p.m from Feb. 13 to April 10 at the following locations:

- The Boys & Girls Club of Pomona Valley, 1420 S. Garey Ave.

- The Pomona office of the Inland Empire Credit Union, 435 W. Mission Blvd., Suite 100

- YMCA of Pomona Valley, 350 N. Garey Ave.

Appointments aren't required.

The service is provided through Cal Poly Pomona's College of Business Administration, its accounting department along with the Inland Empire United Way.

Eight plays, directed and written by Mt. San Antonio College students will be performed this weekend on campus.

"Playing God," consists of eight one-act plays to be performed by the Mt. SAC Theater Program at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Mt. SAC Studio Theater, 1100 N. Grand Ave., Walnut.

A special matinee performance is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday.

The plays include dramas and comedies.

Among the plays to be performed are "Playing God or Hardly Playing," "Help Wanted," Stuck with You," "Consequences," "Super Date," "1 + 1 = Too Weird," "One, Two...," and "Lunch," a college statement said.

Richard Strand, professor of theater, coordinates the production.

General admission tickets are $12. Tickets for seniors, students and children under 12 are $9.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.4tix.org. Information: box office, (909) 468-4050.

The "Vagina Monologues" returns to the Cal Poly Pomona campus with the goal of using theater to raise awareness about domestic violence and sexual violence.

"Whether you know it or not, there are women on campus who have experienced some kind of assault, domestic violence or rape. We want people to know that it's not OK," said Jenny Powell, in a statement released by the university this week. "We need to make a change here and around the world."

Powell, a sophomore majoring in English education, and Samantha Muir-Valdovinos, a junior majoring in gender, ethnic and multi-cultural studies are the student directors of the play.

The "Vagina Monologues" is more than entertaining theater, Muir-Valdovinos said.

"We're here to spread awareness about important issues that most people are afraid to talk about," she said in the statement.

A total of 45 women will take part in the place making this one of the largest productions since the university began putting on the performance more than a decade ago, the statement said.

English language productions will be offered at 7 p.m. on Feb. 5 and 6 in the Bronco Student Center's Ursa Major Suite.

A Spanish production is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at the same time and location.

Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://dsa.csupomona.edu/vpwrc/The_Vagina_Monologues.asp Proceeds benefit on-campus programs, scholarships and V-Day, a global campaign committed to ending violence against women and girls.

Cal Poly Pomona is at 3801 W. Temple Ave.