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Saturday the Cal Poly Pomona Downtown Center will be filled with activities tied to the Pomona Big Read and the book, "The Call of the Wild."
The activities, all part of the center's Family Fun Days, begin at 1 p.m. and end at 4 at the center, 300 W. Second St.
Activities include a slideshow presentation and talk on wolves presented by Bill Wengeler, a wolf advocate and a ranger at Yellowstone National Park.
Respected storyteller Jim Cogan will re-enact Jack London's adventure stories and author and storyteller Sandra Posey will tell some animal stories as well as read from her book, "Rabbits with Stars in their Eyes."
An animal mask-making session will also be offered to young and old.
The 2009 Pomona Big Read book is Jack London's "Call of the Wild" and across the city activities are taking place revolving around the book's theme.
For information on Saturday's Downtown Center activities call (909) 869-3524.
A celebration honoring veterans who have returned from serving in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan will take place Wednesday, Veterans Day, from 1 to 6 p.m. at the First Christian Center, 1006 S. Garey Ave.
Veterans interested in participating are asked to RSVP at (909) 620-7691 or they can do so at 999 W. Holt Ave., Suite D, in Pomona.
People interested in helping disadvantaged children have a brighter Christmas can do so by contributed new, unwrapped toys to the Toys For Tots program.
Pomona residents Sandra and Rosendo Reyes are working with the non-profit Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to help in the collection of toys.
Drop off points have been set up around the region to collect toys until Dec. 14.
Toys can be dropped off seven days a week between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 189 Monroe Ave., Pomona.
For information or to arrange other drop off times call (909) 568-1434.
All toys will be turned over to the Marine Corps Reserve working out of the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Center in Los Alamitos.
POMONA - Santa Claus' Pomona-based helpers will kicking off the holiday season Thursday morning with the Santa Cop Pancake Breakfast.
The annual breakfast is a designed to collect toys and money for the Pomona Police Department's annual toy drive benefitting needy Pomona children and teens.
The breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. in the West Lot of the Pomona Police Department, 490 W. Mission Blvd.
The two-and-a-half hour event is being organized by the Pomona Police Department and the Kiwanis Club of Pomona.
Tickets to the breakfast are $4 at the door or free with a donation of a new, unwrapped toy.
All proceeds go to the Santa Cop Program.
For additional information on the program or to purchase tickets in advanced contact the Pomona Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit at (909) 620-2318.
City Council members and the Planning Commission met Wednesday evening for what is expected to be the first of five meetings dealing with the city's general plan amendment.
All members of Planning Commission were present. Council members Freddie Rodriguez and Steve Atchley did not attend. Mayor Elliott Rothman was present for the start of the meeting and then turned over responsibilities of running the session to commission Chairman Arturo Jimenez after saying he had to leave early.
Council members and planning commissioners met at Westmont Park Community Center with representatives of the San Francisco-based firm of Freedman, Tung and Sasaki.
The session included presentations on the city's history, background, layout and design as well as Pomona's economy.
The information presented was intended to create a foundation leading to the discussion of planning concepts and proposals for the city.
Herbs - how they are grown, how they the are used and their different varieties - will be topics of discussion today during Herb Fest at The Garden, 867 N. Garey Ave.
A different workshop will be offered every hour beginning at 11 a.m. with the last one starting at 3 p.m.
Various herbs in pots will be available for sale along with seeds suitable for fall and winter planting.
Information on the medicinal use of herbs, soil preparation and regional herbs will be offered.
The coming Pomona Unified School District elections will be the focus of the upcoming Willie White Park Focus Group's next meeting.
Candidates seeking election to the Pomona Unified Board of Education have been invited to participate in a forum scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at the Willie White Park Community Center, 3065 Battram St.
Eight of the 10 candidates have confirmed their participation in the forum.
District voters will have a chance to elect board members to fill three seats with four-year terms and vote to fill a two-year term seat.
A representative of the Pomona City Manager's Office will also be present to speak on Measure PS, the city's telecommunications utility users tax initiative.
The measure calls for updating the portion of the city code related to the utility users tax. The update is meant to bring the code in line with current and future telephone technology without changing the current tax rate.
POMONA - Films, book discussion groups, art projects and more will be part of the Pomona Big Read 2009 which kicks off this weekend.
For the third year Pomona will participate in the Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts.
With the help of a grant secured by the Pomona Public Library this year, people across the city will come together around one book, Jack London's "The Call of the Wild."
The book is the story of Buck, a dog who is taken from his family in California and ends up in Canada and Alaska under the care of different people - some of them kind, some of them abusive.
Through the book "we hope there is a an appreciation of all living things," said Pat Lambert, Pomona Public Library senior librarian and this year's Big Read project coordinator.
Each year more and more people begin looking forward to the Big Read asking about the start of activities related to the month long event, Lambert said.
Other organizations have sought to be involved by organizing an event, she said.
Around the city, activities for people in different age groups will be offered and range from discussion groups for seniors to teen mural projects, Lambert said.
The goal of the Big Read is to encourage people to take the time to read more literature.
Through the various activities "people are coming together and groups are working together around a common goal of reading and literacy," Lambert said.
Seeing "people picking up a book for us is very rewarding," she said.
But that's not the only thing that comes out of the Pomona Big Read.
As more organizations become involved more people are interacting with each other, said Jonnie Owens, director of community outreach for Cal Poly Pomona's College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, a major partner in the city's Big Read.
In Pomona, the Big Read offers people a way to interact - either individually or through groups - with others in the city, said Owens, who secured the Big Read grant the previous two years.
Through a book like "The Call of the Wild" people can begin talking about the main character in the book and feel empathy for an abused creature, she said.
That leads to discussions where people talk and begin to share experiences, Lambert said.
People also begin to empathize with the main character and that can lead to greater empathy for other animals, children and adults who find themselves the victims of abuse, Owens said.
Pomona Big Read activities begin at 6 p.m. Friday with a screening of the film, "Never Cry Wolf" which fits in with the theme of the book, organizers said.
Saturday will bring several events with one of them being the visit of former long time Los Angeles Times columnist Al Martinez.
Martinez will talk about his career and his book "Barkley: A Dog's Journey" starting at 5 p.m. at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 600 N. Garey Ave.
Pilgrim Congregational Church is a new partner in the Pomona Big Read, Lambert said.
In the tradition of the Congregationalists, reading is very important, said Megan Parnell, church librarian.
Pilgrim has three different book discussion groups and every year holds an annual event where the featured guest is an author, Parnell said.
This year, after attending the annual author's talk, Lambert contacted Parnell and extended an invitation to participate in the Big Read.
Participating in such an project was a good fit, not only because it is linked to reading but because of the community involvement component, Parnell said.
A variety of activities connected to the Pomona Big Read begin Friday, all centered around this year's book, Jack London's "The Call of the Wild."
Activities will be offered around the city through mid-November.
The following is a list of activities taking place this weekend. For a complete list of Big Read activities visit the Pomona Public Library's Web page at http://www.youseemore.com/pomona/ and click on the Pomona's Big Read box or go to Pomona Now.
Friday
- 6 p.m., Cal Poly Pomona Downtown Center, 300 W. Second St. - The film "Never Cry Wolf"
Saturday
- 1 to 3 p.m. - Pomona Public Library, 625 S. Garey Ave. - Children can practice their reading skills by reading out loud to a canine of the Reading Education Assistance Dogs team that is part of the Paws to Heal group.
- 2 to 3 p.m. - Diamond Bar Public Library, 1061 S. Grand Ave., Diamond Bar - Adventure Quest Institute brings "Adventures in Dog Sledding." Using humor and hands on experiences, children will learn about dog sledding.
- 5 to 7 p.m. - Pilgrim Congregational Church, 600 N. Garey Ave. - A reception and talk with Al Martinez, author, former Los Angeles Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner. Martinez will talk about his career and his book "Barkley: A Dog's Journey" following a book signing.
Monday
- 2 to 3 p.m. - At recreation centers operated by the city's Community Services Department across the city - Big Read Youth Reading Circles - City staff will lead reading circles for young people ages 6 to 12 using books with themes similar to the one found in "The Call of the Wild." The reading circles begin Monday and will continue until Nov. 12.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will offer a free seasonal flu shot clinic Saturday at the Pomona Health Center, 750 S. Park Ave.
The clinic will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. No identification is required and no appointment is needed to attend.
Vaccines will also be offered at the Pomona Health Center Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.
Vaccinations are recommended for adults age 50 or older, children, pregnant women, adults with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and lung disease, officials said.
They also said health-care workers and those who care for the chronically ill or young children, should also be vaccinated.
Information: (909) 868-0241.
Newly appointed Police Chief Dave Keetle will be sworn into his new post during Monday night's Pomona City Council meeting.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 505 S. Garey Ave.
City Council members approved Keetle's appointment on Sept. 21.
Six council members voted in favor of the appointment. Councilwoman Cristina Carrizosa abstained.
Keetle has been serving as interim chief since December following the retirement of Chief Joe Romero.
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