Building Community at a Community Building

This post has been updated to include information provided by John and Ed.

Pomona Heritage is hosting its annual picnic this Saturday from 4 - 6 PM at the Palomares Adobe. 491 E. Arrow Hwy (at Orange Grove)

If you're not already a member, consider becoming a member (family memberships are only $30) yet this week so you can get some rockin' deep pit barbeque pork and beef, tortillas and drinks. Members with last names beginning with A - O are asked to bring a dessert for 12; members with last names beginning with P - Z are asked to bring a salad or side dish for 12. Please call to RSVP (they have to know how much barbeque to throw in the pit): (866)833-4086

The adobe will be open for touring!

So, let's do the math. For the price of a $30 membership, a family of four can enjoy an amazing meal plus a tour of a gorgeous local landmark plus -- if the spirit moves you -- you can meander over to the park to kick your heels up at the skate part (or lawn bowling field). Deal!

For information on how to become a member, check out the Pomona Heritage website. The website says you have to send in your member info, but I'm guessing (and this is a total guess) that if you showed up to the barbeque with the information and cash in hand you'd be able to sign up on the spot. Can anyone confirm this hunch?

Lincoln Park Area news

Sorry, I was a little slow in posting this. This warning from one of the LP block captains went out last week.

Last night and this morning I received two separate reports of folks “hanging out” in our neighborhood. I, myself, have also seen an increase in foot traffic of folks that do not appear to live in the area – not the normal walkers we see on a daily basis, perhaps checking things out?

In one instance, two of our neighbors were taking a walk and saw one fellow looking (“suspiciously”) down the alley at Columbia and Palomares, then, they came across a white ford truck with no windows that took off suddenly when our neighbors approached and said hello. The police were called and responded immediately, ready to investigate. No further information.

In the other instance, on the 300 block of Lincoln, a couple of fellows were walking back and forth between a few of the houses and leaning on automobiles. One neighbor went outside to check them out, and they left.

Please remember to be present, be vigilant and watch your home and the homes of your neighbors. Call the police if you feel there is any suspicious activity. Also, please report any incidences through your NW block captain so we can all remain tied-in and alert.

Claremont e-watch

A little crime news from our neighbors to the north:

Public Safety Information for Claremont Residents & Businesses A Public Service of the Claremont Police Department

Neighborhood E-Watch Public Safety Information for Claremont Residents & Businesses This is your Neighborhood E-Watch newsletter for June 17, 2009. Periodically, we will send you public safety updates about how to keep yourself and your family safe and secure. We will also send you e-mail alerts about suspicious activity in your neighborhood and advise you about taking necessary precautions. To safely unsubscribe, use the link at the bottom of this message. Suspicious Vehicle & Persons - Possible Burglary Activity On June 16, 2009 at about 6:30 pm, Claremont PD officers contacted subjects in the area of Mills Ave. and Baseline Rd. after their vehicle had been seen cruising the area. The subjects could not provide a logical explanation for their activities. A records check revealed that some of the subjects have previously been arrested for burglary, fraud, and drug related crimes. If you see the vehicle and/or subjects in your neighborhood acting suspiciously, please call the Claremont Police Department at (909) 626-1296. We are not releasing the names of the subjects at this time since they were not arrested. Vehicle: 2002 Chevy Tahoe, CA Lic.# 4VND745, black w/3 inch lift, black "So Cal" sticker bottom/middle of the back window (sticker is a little hard to see), the back window has dark tint, the front license plate may be missing. Subject 1/Driver: Male white, 23 years old, 5-7, 180 lbs, brown hair, blue eyes, tattoos on hands, arms & neck Subject 2: Male white, 25 years old, 5-8, 200 lbs, brown hair, brown eyes, tattoos on hands, arms, neck & back Subject 3: Male white, 28 years old, 5-9, 190 lbs, blond hair, blue eyes, tattoos on hands, arms & neck Subject 4: Female white, 25 years old, 5-4, 160 lbs, blond hair, blue eyes, tattoos on neck Subject 5: Female white, 23 years old, 5-3, 130 lbs, brown hair, brown eyes

A good meal, A good cause

My contact at The Eagles wrote me this to make everyone aware:

" Hi Stew,
The Pomona Eagles are having a K-9 dinner on June 18th to purchase another dog for the Police Dept. The menu is baked chicken, vegetable, mashed potatoes & gravy and a roll.
Dinner is from 5 to 7 PM, cost is $7.00. "

Ed left out that the Eagles are located at 954 W Mission Blvd,Pomona, CA 91766, (909) 622-9160.

I've been there Monday nights for Taco and had a great time.

Love 'Ya, Pomona!

According to the crime map...

Every so often I stop by the crime maps maintained by the city. Usually, the maps show visualization of the past seven days of crime in the city. However, according to the crime map, there's been absolutely zero crime in the city over the past seven days.

Sure, I'd like to believe this is the case. But for some reason I suspect the absence of snazzy little icons representing everything from graffiti to homicides has more to do with process rather than data.

Does anyone know where the data are? Or, shall we start paying tribute to the goddess who oversees our fair city for bringing a wave of calm? How long has the map been down? Or I am just map-challenged and can't figure out how to work the darn thing? (Admittedly, the interface has changed a couple times and it isn't the easiest tool to use -- availability of data does not equate to accessibility of data in this case.)

Do you live East of Garey and North of Holt?

If you live East of Garey and North of Holt, you will want to attend this month's community meeting with the Pomona Police Department. The meeting is slated for Tuesday, June 9 at 7 PM in Council Chambers (thank you, Ed, for gently pointing out the absence of date and time info in the original post!). Lieutenant Rilloraza, the Watch Commander for this quadrant of our city, will discuss local issues specific to this area. That's right, this meeting offers us a chance to talk to _the_ guy in charge of supervising and coordinating policing efforts in our area.

Now, here's the really exciting part, Lt. Rilloraza stands ready to address any concerns you bring to his awareness. All you have to do is let him know about the concern before the meeting so he can pull the information he needs to provide as thorough a response as possible. How do you contact him, you may ask? You've got options.

1. You can leave a detailed message at the Watch Commander desk: 909-620-2151.

2. You can leave a comment here and I'll forward any comments received by Friday, June 5 to Lt. Rilloraza.

3. The flier distributed by the PD announcing this meeting offers another mechanism for improving communications, but -- ironically -- it is unclear whether they recommend this mechanism for communicating with our Watch Commanders or just contacting the city in general. I suspect the latter, but can't figure out why the info would appear on a flier about the former unless it is in fact relevant. So, here goes:

Go to www.ci.pomona.ca.us
Go to Need City Assistance?
Select the appropriate topic
Scroll Down and Fill in the Form
Then submit it...