December 2010 Archives

Pomona residents interested in volunteering their time may want to consider serving on any of the city's commissions.

Openings are available on the city's Community Life, Cultural Arts, Historic Preservation, Parks and Recreation, Planning, and Board of Parking Place commissions. Openings are also available on the Library Board of Trustees.

Serving on a commission requires making a time commitment but offers commissioners an opportunity to serve the city and make recommendations to the City Council.

Applications to serve on a commission are available through the city's website at www.ci.pomona.ca.us or can be picked up at the City Clerk's Office on the second floor of City Hall, 505 S. Garey Ave. For additional information, call 909-620-2341

Pomona Unified School District campuses and it's administrative offices will reopen Monday.

Plans had called for that day to be a furlough day, said Tim McGillivray, district spokesman.

However, due to state budget changes classes will be offered on Monday after all, he said.

Art inspired by the work-place cubicle will be part of an exhibit at the dA Center for the Arts, 252 S. Main St. in Pomona.

"Cubicle" is a show that features the work of five California artists who explore "the concepts and ideas surrounding the work space environment within an office cubicle," according to a statement from the center.

Curator Leslie Brown has brought together the work of ceramic sculptor Jon Ginnaty; painter and print maker Karen Kauffman; painter Richard Corral; photographer Michael Elderman; and Lee Tusman who works with various fibers.

An opening reception will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. Jan. 8.

Visitors will be able to see the exhibit through Feb. 1.

For more information, call 909-397-9716.

Residents of the northwest part of the city, along with area business people and Neighborhood Watch groups are invited to attend the Northwest Area Commander's Meeting Jan. 11 at First Baptist Church of Pomona, 521 N. Garey Ave.

The city's northwest quadrant is the area west of Garey Avenue and north of Holt Avenue.

Those in attendance will meet with members of the Police Department and have a discussion on police dispatching.

Residents and business people are invited to bring up matters of concern in their neighborhoods.

In order to have answers at the meeting, residents and business people are invited to e-mail their questions or concerns to Lt. Ron McDonald at AreaCommander_Northwest@ci.pomona.ca.us or call 909-802-7493.

For additional information contact the Crime Prevention Office at 909-620-2318.

The Pomona Chamber of Commerce will host a reception for the newly elected and re-elected city, state and national officials.

The event honors re-elected council members Freddie Rodriguez and Cristina Carrizosa and newly elected Councilwoman Ginna Escobar.

Also being honored will be Assemblywoman Norma Torres, D-Ontario, state Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod, D-Montclair, and Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Santa Fe Springs. All three were re-elected to their respective seats.

The event will take place from 5 to 7 p.m., Jan. 14 at Avalon restaurant at Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave.

For information on the event call the chamber offices at 909-622-1256.

Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation's Multiple Sclerosis Center will offer a free seminar on "Living With Multiple Sclerosis" from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 18 at Casa Colina's Tamkin Education Center, Building 1D, 255 E. Bonita Ave.

Among the featured speakers are members of Casa Colina's Multiple Sclerosis Center, including neurologist Richard Shubin, who is the program's medical director; Gail Hartley, nurse practitioner and MS certified nurse; and Kathy San Martino, physical therapist, neurological clinical specialist and MS certified specialist.

Topics to be discussed include new medication for MS patients, disease modifying treatments, and rehabilitation tools and techniques.

Educational materials will be available in addition to a chance to participate in a question-and-answer session with the seminar speakers.

Figures from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society indicate about 400,000 Americans have MS, according to a statement from Casa Colina.

Around the world, MS affects about 2.5 million people.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system thought to be an autoimmune disorder, the statement said.

The disease can cause blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, memory and concentration issues, paralysis, blindness and other problems.

For more seminar information or to reserve a seat, go to www.casacolina.org or call 866-724-4132.

Ceramic technology and its role in everyday life will be the focus of an upcoming exhibit at the American Museum of Ceramic Arts, 340 S. Garey Ave.

The exhibit "Ceramics for the New Millennium" will be on display from Jan. 22 to April 9.

An opening reception is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 12.

For information call 909-865-3146.

An educational workshop exploring the similarities in designing hot rods and guitars will be offered Jan. 28 at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at Fairplex.

The workshop will be held in conjunction with the museum's exhibit, "Axes & Axles: The Art of Building Cars and Guitars," according to a statement from the museum.

The exhibit celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Fender Telecaster guitar and features the work of prominent guitar builders and car builders who will offer demonstrations during the workshops.

Two 90-minute sessions will be offered on Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

The workshops will take place at The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, 1101 W. McKinley Ave.

Cost is $20 per session and includes admission and light refreshments. Seating is limited.

For additional details or to reserve a seat call 909-622-2133.

Members of the public in need of dental services can find them at Western University of Health Sciences.

The Dental Center, like other Patient Care Center medical services, serves as a place where students with advanced training work with patients under the direct supervision of licensed, experienced health-care professionals.

Services are similar to those a patient would find at a general dentistry practice.

The Dental Center offers preventive and restorative services including dental implants; pediatric dentistry; treatment for gum disease; root canal therapy; and diagnostic imaging, according to a university statement.

The Dental Center accepts MetLife DPO for assignment of benefits as a contracted provider, the statement said.

In addition the Dental Center is a contracted provider for Delta Dental of California Premier and PPO programs only.

Patient care hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Wednesday hours are from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

For additional information or to make an appointment, call 909-706-3910.

Published Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010

POMONA - The concept of keeping a person's body temperature down for therapeutic purposes has been around for ages but within the last few years more and more hospitals - including Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center - are using it to save the lives of cardiac arrest victims.

Since early August the hospital has used targeted temperature management in treating nine cardiac arrest patients with positive results.

The hospital is the first medical institution in the Inland Valley to offer such treatment, the hospital said.

Targeted temperature management, sometime referred to as therapeutic hypothermia, involves lowering a patient's body temperature after cardiac arrest. The procedure not only saves lives but minimizes potential side effects and complications resulting from such a cardiac problem, hospital medical personnel said recently.

"Instead of being comatose, they're being discharged alert and awake," said Mimi Sarmiento, nurse manager of the hospital's Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.

The treatment is administered to patients who meet certain medical criteria.

"This is not a procedure for every cardiac arrest," said Dr. Rama Thumati, a cardiologist on the hospital's emergency response cardiac team, also referred to as the hospital's Polar Alert Team.

Patients who suffered cardiac arrests, were resuscitated and once again have a pulse, but have no other serious medical problems, are candidates for the treatment, medical professionals said.

"You get the best results in the patient whose primary problem is cardiac arrest and (who) does not have cancers or (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)," Thumati said.

Patients with those and other medical problems can have the treatment "but the outcome isn't as promising," said Dr. Heather Davis-Kingston, an intensivist at the hospital who is also a member of the emergency response cardiac team.

Hospital medical personnel start preparing for a potential therapeutic hypothermia patient as soon as paramedics in the field contact the emergency room, said Deborah Keasler, the hospital's director of cardiac services.

Once the patient reaches the hospital an intensivist and a cardiologist determine whether the patient is a candidate for the treatment and if so, the Polar Alert Team is mobilized.

The team consists of numerous people including a group of Cardiac Intensive Care Unit nurses who begin working with the patient before he or she leaves the emergency room and heads to their unit, which is where the treatment is administered, Keasler said.

A patient's core body temperature can be reduced from the normal 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, with the use of body wraps, ice packs and cooling blankets, she said.

At the hospital a machine is used to cool down a saline solution to the appropriate temperature before sending it into a catheter that is inserted into a large vein, Thumati said.

The cooled saline flows within the catheter, which in turn cools the patient's blood as it moves past the device, according to the manufacturer's website.

"We chose to go with the machine because it's more accurate," Keasler said.

A patient's body temperature is then gradually decreased to between 91.4 and 93.2 degrees F, Thumati said.

The patient's body temperature remains at that level for about 24 hours before gradually being warmed to normal levels, he said.

The procedure minimizes the potential side effects and complications resulting from a cardiac arrest, Thumati said.

After such a cardiac problem a patient can have brain damage, said Davis-Kingston.

With therapeutic hypothermia patients have fewer complications and a better recovery, she said.

"In lower temperature the cells are protected," Thumati said.

All of the metabolized body activity "becomes sluggish. That protects the heart and protects the brain," he said.

The procedure isn't completely free of risk. Complications such as infection, bleeding and the disruption of the heart's rhythm can arise, Thumati said.

That's why the patient is placed in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and is monitored closely, he said.

Under the right conditions patients who receive this treatment frequently are able to resume a normal, active life.

"The person goes into the community as a productive person," Thumati said.

Without it patients can find themselves dealing with various medical problems requiring intensive nursing care for an extended period of time, Davis-Kingston said.

Published Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010

POMONA - For the past five months, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center has been administering therapeutic hypothermia to some patients who have suffered cardiac arrest.

The hospital has been able to provide the innovative treatment even before the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency asked them to do so.

The agency has asked STEMI - or ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction - receiving centers in the county to establish therapeutic hypothermia protocols.

They are expected to be in place by Saturday, said Dr. William Koenig, the agency's medical director.

The receiving centers are hospitals equipped to provide specialized care within a short period of time to patients who suffered severe heart attacks caused by blood clots.

Studies have shown that in certain instances patients who had therapeutic hypothermia - reducing the core body temperature - had better outcomes than those who did not, Koenig said.

Starting Saturday, paramedics will respond to calls and if the cardiac arrest patient's pulse has returned they will be taken to a STEMI receiving center, he said.

"The hospital determines if the patient is a good candidate for hypothermia," Koenig said.

Reducing a patient's body temperature minimizes potential side effects and complications associated with cardiac arrest.

About two years ago, medical personnel started researching the treatment and how other medical institutions used it, said Dr. Rama Thumati, a cardiologist at the Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center and a member of its emergency response cardiac team.

By August 2009, hospital personnel started having discussions about providing such treatment.

"This thinking started because we are one of the active centers for the STEMI program," Thumati said.

The hospital was prepared with the necessary personnel to provide the treatment and to handle any increase in patients, Thumati said.

In August, the hospital started providing the treatment to patients who met certain medical criteria.

The American Heart Association has recommended since 2003 that unconscious cardiac arrest patients receive therapeutic hypothermia, said Kristine Mosqueda-Kelly, spokeswoman for the American Heart Association in Los Angeles. The association made the recommendation again in its 2005 Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care, she said

Published Wednesday Dec. 29, 2010

PASADENA - James "J.J." Alvarez stood on a bucket Tuesday morning as he dabbed glue on one of the rings around a Saturn-like planet on the Cal Poly universities' Tournament of Roses parade entry.

Alvarez, a Riverside resident who is a second-year student at Cal Poly Pomona , was adding the glue before sprinkling shredded marigolds on top "so I can patch up some rough spots on the ring."

The mechanical engineering and music performance major is among students from Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo who gathered at Brookside Pavilion to work on the universities' 63rd consecutive entry in the parade.

Alvarez's main job has been to photograph the float as it takes shape, but on Tuesday he had a chance to work on the creation.

"I'd say working on the float itself is a lot more fun than anything done here," he said.

Students along with volunteers are busy using various natural materials to bring to life "Galactic Expedition," which depicts a group of children on a cloud building their dream spaceship.

The float has multiple animated sections, including the brightly colored nose cone on the rocket.

"The best one is the rocket," said Brian Hensley, a Murrieta who is Cal Poly Pomona's decorations chairman. The nose cone "telescopes in and out. The green rings spin in one direction and the blue ones in the opposite" direction.

An assortment of flowers, leaves, seaweed along with dried fruits and peas are among the materials that will give the color and detail to what has gone from being a design on paper to a floral work of art.

Dollar eucalyptus leaves and a mix of seeds are being used to create a sheet metal look on the rocket that will have purple carnations giving it a splash of color on the sides.

To the rear of the float is the spinning, ringed planet that will be covered with red, orange and yellow roses, said Katie Castellano, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's decoration chairwoman.

The planet "I think is what I'm most excited about because it's going to be all roses," said Castellano, a fifth-year student majoring in nutrition.

"It's the Rose Parade, and roses are what you want to see on a float," said the Santa Clarita resident.

The combination of animation along with the creative use of flowers and other materials should put the float in contention for another Viewers Choice Award, which the universities have won twice in a row.

"People like that we're a purely volunteer float," Hensley said.

Parade viewers can visit www.KTLA.com or tinyurl.com/paradevote to vote for their favorite float.

But the Viewers Choice Award isn't the only one that students are hoping to win.

The use of so many brightly colored flowers could put them in the running for awards for floral design, Hensley said.

Before the float is ready for an award, it has to be covered from end to end with flowers and natural materials.

Among the volunteers were Bruce and Jennifer Rosky of Hollywood. The husband and wife are both graduates of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Among the work they did Tuesday was taking apart bougainvillea blossoms, removing the tiny flowers and stems. The leaves were ground up and used to add details to the rings around the planet.

It was Bruce Rosky's idea to help decorate the float.

"He e-mailed me, 'Let's go out there,"' his wife said.

Since the couple cheers for the float every year, Jennifer Rosky said she took up her husband's offer.

As students, the Roskys were never involved with the float. This was the first time they decorated a float.

Taking the flowers apart "is very relaxing," Jennifer Rosky said. "It's nice detail and you feel like you're doing it for a greater cause," she said.

Plus, it will be fun to watch the float on television Jan. 1, knowing she played a part in putting it together, she said.

Published Friday, Dec. 24, 2010

POMONA - Max Mansfield calls himself chief money-straightener-outer for the Salvation Army Pomona .

Fellow Salvation Army volunteers and staff say Mansfield, 95, is a dedicated work who makes their duties counting the money collected through the organization's red kettles much more fun.

"He's a great guy to work with. He tells jokes all the time," said Claudia Sparrow, Pomona Salvation Army administrative assistant and kettle coordinator.

Mansfield jokes that he couldn't ask for a better job.

"It's the best job I've ever had. I work one month and I'm on vacation 11 months," he said.

Plus there's another advantage.

"If I don't earn money I at least work with money," Mansfield said.

For a month, Mansfield and his fellow counters, process what he calls kettle money.

The La Verne resident unfolds the bills people fold before they slide them into one of the red kettles.

"The money comes folded up. We straighten it out so the money goes through this machine," he said as he smoothed out some dog-eared $1 bills.

The machine he was referring to is operated by fellow volunteer and daughter Adrienne Winkels who uses it to count the bills.

The work Mansfield and his fellow volunteers do is important, Sparrow said.

"The money we raise with the kettles is what we're able to help people with all year. We have to have people we can trust," she said.

Mansfield said Winkels recruited him about eight years ago to help unfold bills.

"She said this is what you're doing. She's the boss. She's the boss since the day she was born," Mansfield said.

Winkels said her father has been doing volunteer work most of his life serving as a reserve police officer in Redondo Beach, as a member of service clubs such as Rotary and non-profits like Meals on Wheels.

The majority of his service was logged in the Los Angeles area but when he moved to the Inland Valley about 10 years ago Winkels thought he could continue his service locally.

"He moved out to this area and I got him involved here," Winkels said.

Mansfield's volunteer work isn't limited to the Salvation Army.

He also visits nursing homes with his daughter.

"There are elderly people there. A lot of these ladies are incapacitated. I hold their hand and sing," he said.

He sings standards like "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You" and "Somebody to Watch Over Me."

The money counting team at the Salvation Army Pomona have a custom.

Whenever they come across a $100 bill or check for $100 or more they ring a bell.

Then they break into song.

"We're in the money, we're in the money....That's a Depression (era) song," Mansfield said.

Although fellow volunteers agree Mansfield has a bit of an entertainer's streak in him he's never worked in that field.

Automotive repair was his line of work.

The New York native said the Great Depression had a great deal to do with his interest in volunteerism.

"I grew up in the Depression when things were really, really bad," he said. "I realized a lot of people needed help."

He decided that if he was ever in a position to help others he would do so.

Mansfield's spark and sense of humor keeps people's spirits up and lightens the mood while counting donations, said Nancy Furman, an Upland resident who attends church at the Salvation Army and is a member of the counting team.

"He kind of keeps us on our toes. We have to think of comebacks," Furman said.

The Salvation Army Pomona pastors Captains Erika and Moy Hernandez are also part of the counting team.

Capt. Erika Hernandez said she and her husband realize counting the donations raised through the red kettle program can be a stressful job.

However, the Salvation Army Pomona counting team handles the job efficiently, she said.

If either of the Hernandezes can't be present they know they can depend on the rest of the team to handle the job, Erika Hernandez said.

Mansfield is partly responsible because he keeps everyone motivated.

"He makes the day go by so quickly with his jokes. He's such a wonderful man, very carrying, very loving," she said.

It's clear Mansfield enjoys this work, Erika Hernandez said. As holidays approach he starts counting down the days to the start of the counting duties.

Hernandez also uses her creativity to joke with Mansfield and his fellow volunteers.

Last year, at the end of the kettle campaign, Hernandez handed the team members pink slips.

"And he thought that was hilarious," she said. "We try to make it enjoyable. He is one of a kind."

Published Monday, Dec. 27, 2010

POMONA - A Cal Poly Pomona alumnus has pledged to donate $1 million toward the construction of a $10 million educational complex for the university's Collins College of Hospitality Management.

Inland Empire businessman Eugene Park's donation will be matched by Carol and Jim Collins, who the college is named after.

Doubling Park's gift will put the college $2 million away from its $10 million goal, according to the university.

Park and some of his family members are graduates of Cal Poly Pomona and have ties to Collins College.

Park and his father, Hae Park, graduated from the Collins program and Park's sister, Eunice, minored in hospitality management, said Andy Feinstein, dean of the Collins College.

"The Collins College has been instrumental to my family's success," Park said. "It is important to us to help the college provide opportunities for students. The academic building expansion will do just that by creating the best facilities possible for students."

The Park family owns Cal Pacific Realty, which operates the Bel-Air Swap Meet in Bloomington and the Pro Swap Meet in San Bernardino.

This is not the first gift the Park family has made to the university, Feinstein said. Their combined gifts total more than $3 million.

Their gifts include funds for faculty development and outreach endowments named in recognition of educators including Cal Poly President Michael Ortiz and Collins founding professor, Donald Lundberg.

"Most people give gifts and are recognized through family names," Feinstein said. "The Parks, because they are such humble people, have chosen to give their money in recognition of others."

Feinstein said he is optimistic that the remaining money needed to move forward with the educational complex can be raised in 2011.

Preliminary plans call for the complex to have three 46-seat classrooms, four 32-seat classrooms designed for graduate-level courses, a student lounge and study area as well as eight faculty offices, according to the university.

Volunteers with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's St. Joseph Conference in Pomona carried out a Christmas food basket and toy distribution on Thursday (Dec. 23).

One hundred pre-screened needy families received baskets containing all the elements for a Christmas meal.

The distribution also included toys for 300 children.

The annual event is carried out on the grounds of St. Joseph Catholic Church on West Holt Avenue.

Members of the volunteer organization carry out the distribution with the help of donations made by members of the community.

For a photo gallery of the distribution, visit www.dailybulletin.com.

Pomona business owner Terri Bunch will represent the Inland Empire in the Mrs. California America pageant Jan. 29-30 in Redondo Beach.

Bunch, a resident of Riverside, and her husband Jason own Tri-County Gear, which builds and repairs off-road vehicles.

Bunch said she competed in beauty pageants in her teens and 20s.

In 1993, at 35 years old, she was selected Mrs. California United States.

She was away from pageant competitions for several years, but now that her children are grown, Bunch had decided to begin competing again with the goal of earning the title of Mrs. America.

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center has been recognized for its efforts to reduce waste by the state, the hospital said Thursday (Dec. 23).

The hospital is being recognized by the Waste Reduction Awards Program, which is administered by the state Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery, also known as CalRecycle.

The award is meant to showcase businesses and nonprofits for their waste reduction efforts, according to the CalRecycle website.

The Pomona hospital was recognized for its work resulting in a comprehensive waste reduction plan.

The plan includes 17 waste reduction methods, eight reuse programs and nine different materials recycling programs, the hospital said in a statement.

Among the steps the hospital has taken are shifting to reusable shipping containers, donating furniture and other items to local charities and moving to computerized X-rays and eliminating the use of film, according to a hospital statement.

"I am proud of PVHMC's accomplishments at energy conservation and waste reduction," Jill Hagelganz, the hospital's safety officer, said in the statement.

"Although we have made great strides in our current attempts at reducing waste, we will continue to increase our recycling activities and achieve a higher volume of waste reduction efforts," she said.

"It is important for (the hospital) to achieve our waste reduction and recycling goals to become a leader as an environmentally efficient facility," said Michael Vestino, the hospital's executive director for support services, said in the statement.

Pomona High School senior Lessly Suarez won the Pomona American Legion Post 30 oratorical.

Demar Woolner, also a senior at Pomona High School, was runner-up, according to statement from the Pomona post.

Suarez will now advance to the American Legion 18th District competition scheduled for 1 p.m. Jan. 30 at Pasadena American Legion Post 13, 131 N. Marengo Ave., the statement said.

Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation's Multiple Sclerosis Center will offer a free seminar on "Living With Multiple Sclerosis" from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 18 at Casa Colina's Tamkin Education Center, Building 1D, 255 E. Bonita Ave.

Among the featured speakers are members of Casa Colina's Multiple Sclerosis Center, including neurologist Richard Shubin, who is the program's medical director; Gail Hartley, nurse practitioner and MS certified nurse; and Kathy San Martino, physical therapist, neurological clinical specialist and MS certified specialist.

Topics to be discussed include new medication for MS patients, disease modifying treatments, and rehabilitation tools and techniques.

Educational materials will be available in addition to a chance to participate in a question-and-answer session with the seminar speakers.

Figures from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society indicate about 400,000 Americans have MS, according to a statement from Casa Colina.

Around the world, MS affects about 2.5 million people.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system thought to be an autoimmune disorder, the statement said.

The disease can cause blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, memory and concentration issues, paralysis, blindness and other problems.

For more seminar information or to reserve a seat, go to www.casacolina.org or call 866-724-4132.

A student from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA has been recognized for her work with south Pomona teens.

Downey resident Marizabel Orellana was named a 2010 Herbert W. Nickens Scholar by the Association of American Medical Colleges at the organization's annual meeting, which took place in Washington, D.C., last month, UCLA said recently.

Along with the award, Orellana, 35, was presented a $5,000 scholarship.

Orellana was one of five third-year medical students recognized for their leadership in eliminating inequities in medical education and health care and for addressing the educational, societal and health care needs of minorities, the statement said.

"Receiving the Nickens Award is an incredible honor and a reminder of how important it is for me to serve my patients and advocate for their needs," Orellana said in the statement.

"My patients inspire me to persevere, because each of them has the right to high-quality and affordable health care."

As a first-year medical student, Orellana participated in starting a mentoring program for low-income youth at the Renacimiento Community Center in the Angela-Chanslor neighborhood of southern Pomona, the statement said.

At the time, Orellana was a member of the inaugural class of the David Geffen School of Medicine's Program in Medical Education, a dual-degree program designed to train medical leaders to address health policy, care and research for underserved populations, the statement said.

As a second year medical student Orellana expanded the program to include a six-week summer program offering leadership development activities for youth ages 11 to 18. Part of the goal of the program is to instill in youth an interest in seeking higher education and possibly pursuing careers in health care, the statement said.

Orellana is pursuing a master's degree in public health in addition to her medical degree, the statement said.

After completing residency training Orellana plans a career in primary care medicine, the statement said.

Crafts and children's activities will be part of today's Pomona Valley Certified Farmers' Market.

An apple butter-making demonstration will also take place.

The activities are part of a special winter market within the Pomona Valley Certified Farmers' Market.

The Farmer's Market offers fresh produce for sale from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. every Saturday in the Garey Avenue and Pearl Street parking lot of Pomona First Baptist Church. The market is sponsored by Inland Valley Hope Partners.

Student written and directed plays will be brought to the stage of the Mt. San Antonio College Studio Theater this weekend.

As part of "Surprise, Surprise" members of the Mt. SAC Theater Program will stage eight plays at 8 p.m. Saturday and during a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee at the theater on the grounds of the college, 1100 N. Grand Ave., Walnut.

"The eight one-act student plays explore the unexpected consequences of actions ranging from turning on a light bulb to blowing up the sun," according to a statement from the college.

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

Tickets can be purchased online at www.4tix.org.

For tickets and information, call the Performing Art Box Office at 909-468-4050.

Members of three Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conferences in the area are seeking donations of food, toys and financial assistance as they prepare to help numerous disadvantaged families and individuals this Christmas.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conferences are volunteer organizations that provide assistance all year to the homeless, the working poor and others in need.

Three area conference are seeking donations that will benefit hundreds of area families.

* Society of St. Vincent de Paul's St. Madeleine Conference in Pomona needs new unwrapped toys for 150 boys and girls ages 12 and under.

To assemble food baskets for 75 families, volunteers need frozen turkeys or canned hams, yams, rolls, instant potatoes, pies, macaroni, loaves of bread, canned fruits and vegetables and candy.

Financial donations to purchase the necessary food and toys will also be accepted.

Checks can be mailed to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul St. Madeleine Conference, 931 E. Kingsley Ave., Pomona 91767. Checks should have "2010 SVdP Christmas Help" written on them.

Donations can be dropped off at the Kingsley address until Dec. 16. Information: 909-865-4433

* Society of St. Vincent de Paul's St. Joseph Conference needs new, unwrapped toys for distribution to 300 boys and girls ages 11 and under.

Volunteers need sufficient food to distribute to 100 families. Needed are canned hams, fruit and vegetables; rice and beans in bags; and pies.

The volunteers have an Adopt-A-Family program through which sponsors can adopt one of 25 needy families.

Each sponsor is responsible for providing gifts and food for the family.

Those interested in adopting a family should contact the organization between Dec. 7 and 17 to select a family.

Financial gifts can be mailed to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul St. Joseph Conference, 1150 W. Holt Ave., Pomona 91768 and marked with "2010 SVdP Christmas Help."

Donations also can be dropped off at the West Holt address from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until Dec. 20.

Information: 909-469-9773.

* The Society of St. Vincent de Paul's Holy Name of Mary Conference needs toys for 400 boys and girls ages 17 and under.

Volunteers need frozen turkeys, canned yams, fruit and cranberries for 200 families.

This conference has 10 families in its Adopt-A-Family program.

Sponsors who adopt families will be responsible for providing gifts and food for the family they select.

Deadline to select a family is Friday.

Financial donations for the purchase of toys and food can be mailed to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Holy Name of Mary Conference, 724 E. Bonita Ave., San Dimas 91773 marked with "2010 SVdP Christmas Help."

Donations can be dropped off at the Bonita Avenue address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, until Dec. 17.

Information: 909-599-1243, ext. 138.

For more information about the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's local charitable programs go to www.svdpla.org or call 323-224-6298.

The Friends of the Fox will have a double feature at their Dec. 12 film screening at the Pomona Fox Theater, 301 S. Garey Ave.

The afternoon begins with the classic 1954 film "White Christmas."

Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen star.

Following the musical, audiences will switch gears for the 1989 film "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki.

Doors open at noon and "White Christmas" begins at 1 p.m.

"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" begins at 4 p.m.

Between films, holiday-themed short subject films will be screened.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children ages 12 and under.

Popcorn, candy and soft drinks will be sold at the theater.

Food and alcoholic beverages will be sold at The Drink, which can be reached from the theater lobby.

Tickets can be purchased at the Downtown Pomona Owners Association offices, 119 W. Second St.

On Dec. 11 tickets will be sold during Holiday at the Plaza festivities in the Pomona Civic Center Plaza, 505 S. Garey Ave. and during the 2nd Saturday Art Walk that same evening.

Tickets will also be sold at the door.

Area residents will have a chance to exchange a string of old incandescent holiday lights for a string of energy-efficient LED holiday lights.

Southern California Edison customers can exchange lights during Pomona's Holiday at the Plaza beginning at 11 a.m. on Dec. 11 at the Pomona Civic Center Plaza, 505 S. Garey Ave.

The exchange will also be offered during Walnut's Snow Day, which begins at 10 a.m. Dec. 18 at the Walnut Senior Center, 21215 La Puente Road, Walnut.

The exchange is a project of the San Gabriel Valley Energy Wise Project, which is a joint effort of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments and Southern California Edison.

LED, or light-emitting diodes, stings are far more energy-efficient than incandescent lights, according to a statement from the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments.

LED light strings also last longer, don't heat up, reduce fire risk and come in various colors, shapes and lengths, the statement said.

Those wishing to participate in the exchange must provide proof of residency in an Edison customer territory. Each qualifying customer can exchange a maximum of one strand of lights per household while supplies last.

For additional information, contact the San Gabriel Valley COG at 626-564-9702 or visit www.sgvenergywise.org.

The holidays during the 1950s and 1960s will be part of a show by author and humorist Charles Phoenix presented at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at Fairplex.

Phoenix's Retro Holiday Slide Show will begin at 8 p.m. Dec. 11 at the museum, 1101 W. McKinley Ave.

Phoenix uses images from his collection of vintage Kodachrome slides to see how people around the country celebrated New Years, Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas life and style.

Guests are invited to wear festive holiday attire such as holiday sweaters and plaid shirts, but such dress is not required.

Tickets to the Retro Holiday Slide Show are $25 each.

For tickets, go to: www.charlesphoenix.com

For information about the Museum e-mail museumre@nhra.com or call 909-622-2133.

Saint Maurice Coptic Orthodox Christian Church will hold it's 3rd Annual "Pomona Pays It Forward" all donation drive from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 11.

The church is collecting new and gently used clothes, books, sport equipment and toys.

It is also collecting non-perishable food products.

The items will be donated to non-profit organizations.

Church members will also collect recyclables including aluminum cans, glass, plastic bottles and other materials. They will also collect used ink cartridges.

The church is at 3803 W. Mission Blvd., Pomona.

Information: e-mail delofaheem@yahoo.com or call 909-559-3200.

Published Wednesday, Dec.1, 2010

POMONA - The official canvass of the Nov. 2 election is complete and the results made official by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

The final results involving Pomona's City Council election changed little.

According to the official election results, in the District 5 race challenger Ginna Escobar beat Councilman Tim Saunders by 71 votes. Escobar received 1,717 votes or 36.70 percent of the votes in a race with four candidates.

The District 5 race was the closest with Escobar ahead of Saunders by about 40 votes at one point.

Saunders said Tuesday he had not made a decision whether he will request a recount.

In District 3, Councilwoman Cristina Carrizosa was returned to the council with 1,202 votes, or 49.28 percent. Carrizosa had 458 more votes than her closest challenger, Virginia Madrigal.

In the District 2 race, the final count showed Councilman Freddie Rodriguez received 1,468 votes, or 62.20 percent. Rodriguez had 576 more votes than challenger Tomas Ursua.

Anyone interested in seeking a recount must file a request between today and Monday, said Marcia Ventura, spokeswoman with the county Registrar-Recorder's Office.

The person seeking a recount must pay a deposit to cover the costs of a recount, Ventura said.

The costs are based on the number of precincts where the votes must be recounted and the number of four-person boards that will carry out the recount, she said.

The more boards used the faster the ballot recount is completed, Ventura said.

The fee includes labor, equipment and material, according to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk website.

The cost per day for a four-person board is $4,115, according to the website.

With the results in, Pomona officials can schedule a swearing-in ceremony for new and returning City Council members.

Pomona's senior deputy city clerk, Pamela Perkins, said Tuesday the city is awaiting the county's election certification documents before moving forward to schedule a swearing-in ceremony.

Documents with the results of the official canvass of the election were forwarded to the Board of Supervisors Monday, Ventura said.

The board declared official the results of the elections during Tuesday's meeting, completing the steps of the local electoral process.

Published Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010

POMONA - Tickets are on sale for a performance of the Los Angeles Master Chorale Dec. 19 at Pomona First Baptist Church.

The Grammy-nominated L.A. Master Chorale will perform a program of holiday music under the direction of highly acclaimed conductor Grant Gershon.

The performance is part of the "Feel of Music" program that the Los Angeles Philharmonic was part of for about 10 years, said Greg Shapton, Pomona's library and community services director.

Los Angeles Philharmonic performances, and now the Los Angeles Master Chorale, have come about through the efforts of the Cultural Alliance for Pomona, which consists of a coalition of local institutions, businesses and individuals headed by Cal Poly Pomona with the city serving as a major partner, said Ilona Arends, Pomona's community services manager.

The Philharmonic last performed in Pomona in December 2008 and efforts where made to bring the musical organization back but the cost was high, said Carol Richardson, dean of Cal Poly Pomona's College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences.

"It was exorbitant, and we couldn't come up with an agreement," Richardson said.

So Alliance members began looking for other options and one of those was the Los Angeles Master Chorale with its highly trained and gifted singers, she said.

As part of the arrangement with organizers, members of the chorale have visited Cal Poly Pomona to work with its music students and put on a performance for them, Richardson said.

"It's a real partnership with the campus," she said.

Pomona's share of costs will be paid with donations and receipts from the last L.A. Philharmonic performance, Shapton said.

L.A. Master Chorale's performance at First Baptist Church will have wide appeal, Arends said.

The multi-cultural program will include popular holiday favorites and opportunities for audience members to sing along, she said.

The program will "get everybody in a holiday mood," Shapton said.

Even though the city's budget is extremely tight, the city's Community Services Department is "still here to provide programs for the city," Shapton said.

"We've been very successful with the `Feel the Music' program," he said. "If there is a way to make it happen, we'll do it."

Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased through the City Treasurer's office on the first floor of City Hall, 505 S. Garey Ave. or through the Community Services Office at Palomares Park Community Center, 499 E. Arrow Highway.

Tickets are also on sale at the Bronco Student Center Games Room at Cal Poly Pomona, 3801 W. Temple Ave. For Cal Poly ticket sales information call 909-869-4467.

The performance will begin at 4 p.m. at Pomona First Baptist, 601 N. Garey Ave.