Pomona Neighborhood Watch

Area Commander Meeting: Northeast Area

2011-09-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

From WebWatch:

"The Pomona Police Department invites residents to join us at the next Area Commander Meeting. The meeting for the month of October will cover the Northeast area of the city, however, ALL residents are encouraged to attend. The meeting will be on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at Montvue Elementary School located at 1440 San Bernardino Ave between 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Come and see what is going on in your city and meet your Area Commander."

Blood Drive

2011-07-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

City of Pomona Blood Drive

Wednesday, August 3
9AM - 3PM
Held on the Bloodmobile at 505 S. Garey Avenue

All participants will receive a coupon for a box of chocolate covered fruit from Edible Arrangements, 2 complimentary VIP tickets to the Laugh Factory, plus a voucher for 2 tickets for a Chivas Soccer game.

To sign-up, please go to www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: cityofpom

Be on the Look Out

2011-07-28T20:09:00.001-07:00

We received the following information at a recent Neighborhood Watch meeting:

On 6/26/11 at approximately 8:38 PM, an unidentified male grabbed a female victim by the arm and pulled her into the laundry room located on the south side of the apartment complex at 850 E. Kingsley Avenue. The perpetrator began to kiss and fondle the victim against her will. The suspect is described as follows:

- Male
- Hispanic
- Approximately 5'6" tall, 130 pounds
- Short black hair
- Brown eyes
- Red bumps/acne scars on face
- Approximately 18 years of age
- Known as "Andy;" also known as "West"
- Known to sell H&S in the apartments within the area [Note from Pride: I don't know what H&S means -- do you?]
- May reside off of Madeleine or Alvarado
- 5 - 6 inch scar on right forearm

Please contact Detective Roger Iwig with any information. His contact information is as follows:

Desk: 909-802-7429
Cell: 909-841-9321
Email: roger_iwig@ci.pomona.ca.us

Refer to case number 11-070203

National Night Out: Tuesday, August 2

2011-07-25T16:02:00.001-07:00

Join your neighbors at the 28th annual National Night Out event! National Night Out celebrates partnerships between residents and the police.

Pomona's National Night Out event will take place on Tuesday, August 2nd from 5PM - 8PM in front of the Pomona Public Library (400 Civic Center Plaza).

Bring the family, your friends, and your neighbors. Everyone is welcome. There will be food, games, crafts, raffles, vendor tables, and demonstrations.

Contact the Crime Prevention Unit for additional information: 909-620-2318.

WTF? (It's not what you think.)

2011-07-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

On June 30th the post office was slated to send out over 5,100 copies of a glossy flier containing tidbits of Neighborhood Watch success stories. The flier was to be distributed to all residential addresses north of 1st Street and east of San Antonio. A lovely business card size magnet printed with important phone numbers was adhered to each flier.

Alas, I haven't received a flier. None of my neighbors have received a flier either. WTF? Where's The Flier? Have you seen it? I'm curious to know if ANYONE has received this flier. Please post a quick comment if you received the flier. It should have arrived in mailboxes around July 5th or 6th.

Area Commander Meeting

2011-07-08T22:35:00.001-07:00

The Pomona Police Department invites residents to join them at the next Area Commander Meeting. The meeting for the month of July will cover the Southeast area of the city, however, ALL residents are encouraged to attend.

The meeting will be on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at the Washington Park Community Center located at 865 E. Grand Avenue between

7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

Come and see what is going on in your city and meet your Area Commander.

Library's wish list on Amazon

2011-07-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

I just saw this little notice on the last page of the "summer fun" catalog, which is posted on the Parks & Rec webpage. I thought, "What a cool idea -- a simple and direct way to support our library!" BUT, near as I can tell, only two of the books that remain on the wish list are actually for sale. Bummer. Perhaps the library peeps can let us know when the wishlist is updated with more books so we can make a contribution.

************
Support the Pomona Public Library through Amazon.com purchases. The library has created
Amazon.com wish lists for children's, teen and adult books. Amazon donations are sent directly to the library, with each book receiving a bookplate in recognition of the donor. Current wish lists can be found by typing in "Pomona Public Library" in the wish list field of Amazon.com. For information on the Amazon wish list and library book adoption programs, call (909) 620-2043 x2706.
************

Area Commander Meeting: Northeast Area

2011-05-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

AREA COMMANDER MEETING

The Pomona Police Department invites residents to join us at the next Area Commander Meeting. The meeting for the month of June will cover the Northeast area of the city, however, ALL residents are encouraged to attend.

The meeting will be on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at the Lincoln Avenue Church located at 1511 Lincoln Avenue between 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

Come and see what is going on in your city and meet your Area Commander.

Area Commander meeting: Northwest Pomona

2011-05-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

The Pomona Police Department invites residents to join us at the next Area Commander Meeting. The meeting for the month of May will cover the Northwest area of the city, however, ALL residents are encouraged to attend.

The meeting will be on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at Pomona Islander Mobile Home Park located at 3667 Valley Blvd. between 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

Come and see what is going on in your city and meet your Area Commander.

Do the hustle!

2011-04-25T21:09:00.001-07:00

We were over in the park this afternoon enjoying a frozen treat and conversation with other families when two young people -- maybe 19 or 20 (one male, one female)-- approached us and asked, "Sir, do you know if they make million dollar bills?"

Reply: "No, they definitely do not make million dollar bills."

"Well, we have one and need change for it."

"Then you should go to a bank."

"Yeah, but they claim there's no such thing as a million dollar bill."

"And you don't believe them?"

"Well this has been in our family a long time. A guy gave it to my uncle when he did some work for him. This was a long time ago when they made million dollar bills."

"Then go to the Antique Row and ask a currency vendor to change your bill."

"I think we'll go ask the ice cream guy."

They ask the ice cream guy. They ask another parent, who convinced the hustlers to show him their bill -- a really crappy photo copy. He then chased them and their shopping cart filled with personal belongings out of the park.

Big time bizzaro. Lamest hustle ever.

(And, no, I didn't call PD because I didn't have my dang cell phone with me.)

Pomona Beautification Day

2011-04-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 30th beginning at 8AM

Join scores of people who live and work in Pomona in our fifth annual City-Wide Beautification Day. Individuals, families, groups, organizations, businesses, etc. all welcome. Register your project or ask to be assigned to an existing one.

Work 8 AM - 12 PM then join us at the Fairplex 12-3 PM for lunch and celebration. FREE BURGER OR HOTDOG, CHIPS, & DRINK for each participant who works at a registered site. (Additional lunches can be purchased for $3.) FREE FAIR TICKET FOR EACH PARTICIPANT AS WELL.

To suggest potential cleanup projects or to find out how to sign up for the cleanup, e-mail Matarrita at Nancy@ PFBlive.tv or call her at 909-629-5277, ext. 3014.

Goldilocks?

2011-04-06T21:31:00.001-07:00

A neighbor stopped by this evening to tell me about a curious event.

He arrived home from work this afternoon to find a total stranger fast asleep on his bed. He tried to roust Goldilocks, who seemed drunk and/or high. He then pretended to call dispatch to report the bewildered intruder. (I'm not sure why he didn't actually call dispatch.) That got her attention. She lumbered out of the house. Where did she go?

I think she might have come over to my house. I heard the doorbell ring about the time my neighbor said Goldilocks had left his house. But, given I was taking a nap of my own, I ignored the bell. An hour later I was over at the park and noticed a woman crashed out in a weird place. We see lots of people crashed in the park, but I took note of her because of the location she chose for her nap: an unshaded spot on Holt at the corner of Arboleda. This evening, as my neighbor described his intruder, he seemed to be describing the woman I saw at the park. White woman, blond hair. Blue jeans. Darkish t-shirt. Mid 40s to early 50s.

How bizarre. (Dang, now I'm going to have that song stuck in my head...how bizarre, how bizarre).

Hide your porridge.

Pill Patrol

2011-04-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

Tired of rummaging through old pill bottles in search of your current medications? Worried about curious toddlers mistaking your medications for candy? Concerned about drug-curious teens (or their friends) snagging your medications for a cheap high? If yes, read on. The Pomona Police Department can dispose of these medications safely and at no cost to you.

This just in from WebWatch...

NATIONAL PRESCRIPTION DRUG TAKE BACK DAY

On April 30, 2011, the Pomona Police Department will be participating in this year's National DEA Drug Take Back initiative scheduled from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm at the Pomona Police Station. This is a great opportunity to safely dispose of accumulated unwanted and unused prescription drugs.

More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs according to 2009 statistics. Each day approximately 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America.

In an effort to address this problem, the Drug Enforcement Agency conducted the first ever National rescription Drug Take Back Day on September 25, 2010. This first effort was a huge success and approximately 3,000 state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the nation participated. All told, the American Public turned in more than 121 tons of pills.

The other Pomona: Worth the trek south?

2011-04-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

Pedro Salinasa, a writer for Pomona College's paper, The Student Life, recently visited and reviewed our downtown. He asks whether students should bother trekking south to visit the City of Pomona. Read his answer here.

I think it would be nifty if we hosted a college night downtown some Second Saturday. Dinner discounts with a current student ID? A special exhibit featuring work of college student artists? Invited performances by college student bands and dancers out on the plaza? No cover charge at The Brick?

I would have loved a haunt like downtown Pomona during my college years!

Don't Laugh at Me

2011-03-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

Wow! This morning I attended a wonderful anti-bullying assembly at Lincoln Elementary. The curriculum developers and presenters from the Pomona Unified Peace Project did an amazing job.

The 30-minute curriculum included a story (Don't Laugh at Me, by Steve Seskin & Allen Shamblin; "read" the book below), music (e.g., Baby Jay singing the Don't Laugh at Me song; see video below), interactive discussion, a catchy mantra (Stop! Walk! Talk!), and a pledge.

The presenters interacted beautifully with the young audience, set an open and welcoming tone for the discussion, and made sure the assembly was well-paced.

And, the kids were amazing! Engaged, thoughtful, and eager. Pomona kiddos: You make us proud.

I was honored to get a chance to glimpse a slice of the important work the Pomona Unified Peace Project is engaged in. I'm amazed and inspired by the fact you presented this assembly 32 times this week to children across the city. Thank you PUPP for all you do!

(Here's a link to a Daily Bulletin story about the assembly.)

Area Commander Meeting: Southeast Quadrant

2011-02-25T20:06:00.000-08:00

The following announcement came across the Police Department's WebWatch listserv:

AREA COMMANDER MEETING

The Pomona Police Department invites residents to join us at the next Area Commander Meeting. The meeting for the month of March will cover the Southeast area of the city, however, ALL residents are encouraged to attend.

The meeting will be on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at Simons Middle School located at 900 E Franklin Ave. between 7:00 pm
to 8:30 pm.

Come and see what is going on in your city and meet your Area Commander.

This is earthquake country. Are you ready?

2011-02-19T19:51:00.001-08:00

Free Disaster Preparedness Workshop

Date: February 26th, 2011
Time: 9AM - 12PM
Location: Lincoln Avenue Community Church (1511 E. Lincoln Ave., Pomona)

Simultaneous Spanish translation will be available. Refreshments will be provided.

Reservations required. Please call 620-3757 or e-mail erica_ambriz@ci.pomona.ca.us

Thank you to Councilmember Lantz for coordinating this event!

Image from neighborhoodlink.com

Hurrah for the Area Commander Meeting!

2011-02-08T20:48:00.000-08:00

This evening's Area Commander meeting, in addition to being well-attended, was highly informative, well-organized, and snack-laden (woot!). In full disclosure, I was only able to attend the first 40 minutes of the minute.

First, Daniel Mayfield, president of WeTip, an information collection tool that feeds anonymous information about crimes to police departments, provided a great overview of how WeTip works and why we should all use it. I was surprised to learn they've figured out a way to provide cash rewards anonymously to people who provide useful information about crimes. I think I shall dust off my trusty binoculars.

(If I'm able to get access to the slides from Daniel's talk, I will post them--pending his permission, of course.)

Second, a representative from Pomona's Community Development Department talked about the annual Community Needs Survey. Some of you may recall my February 2010 rant about a train-wreck-of-a-presentation on this very topic.

Well, in hopes of celebrating the positives in addition to highlighting some negatives about our city, I'd like to go on record to say this year's presentation was very solid. The presenter provided needed background about the federal "entitlement funds" and explained how simple it is for each of us to have a say in how these funds are spent in Pomona. If you haven't yet submitted your Community Needs Survey in the mail, please do so soon. Or, you can complete the online version here.

I have no idea what happened next given I had to take off. If anyone can fill in some of the details, kindly do so.

Area Commander Meeting: Northeast Quadrant

2011-01-22T22:11:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendar!

**Announcement from Web Watch**

The Pomona Police Department invites residents to join us at the next Area Commander Meeting. The meeting for the month of February will cover the Northeast area of the city, however, ALL residents are encouraged to attend. The meeting will be on Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at Emerson Middle School located at 635 Lincoln Ave. between 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

Come and see what is going on in your city and meet your Area Commander.

Pomona pride in the news

2011-01-20T11:34:00.000-08:00

An uplifting story of Pomona pride appears in the Daily Bulletin...

Volunteers beautify aging complex

Monica Rodriguez, Staff Writer

Created: 01/17/2011 07:51:19 PM PST

POMONA - Kiera Reed and her neighbor Rocio Castaneda were among a group of young people who put a fresh coat of paint on a wall in their apartment complex Monday morning in the 1300 block of east Kingsley Avenue.

Kiera and Rocio, both 11, wanted to make the walls that surround a small courtyard in the Casa Grande complex look better.

"Here it was all messed up," Kiera said, while using a paint brush to touch up some parts of the wall. "There was graffiti on the wall and everything was faded on the floor."

Kiera was referring to the hopscotch and four-square game markings on the courtyard floor.

The improved courtyard will be good for the children in the complex, Kiera said.

"They'll be something for the kids to do," she said. "It's going to be better than it was before."

Kiera was among those who marked Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day by carrying out community service projects.

About 70 people came together at the complex. About half were residents of the complex and the surrounding neighborhoods. The other half were part of the Inland Empire United Way's Hands on Inland Empire.

On the surface, what was taking place was a beautification effort but there was more to it than that, said Armando Lopez, a member of the Pomona's Community Development Department and a site director with the city's Weed and Seed community improvement efforts.

The bigger project was to get people to know each other and begin building relationships so they can work together on larger community efforts such as Neighborhood Watch, Lopez said.

Having the involvement of additional volunteers, such as college students and members of the California Conservation Corps, boosted the effort, he said.

Volunteers signed up to give their time on the birthday of the civil rights leader and help out on various projects, including the apartment complex cleanup, said Francine Gobert, an event specialist with the Inland Empire United Way.

Pomona resident Maria Negrete lives on nearby Karesh Avenue but she was busy sweeping up leaves Monday.

"I think this is important for the community," she said in Spanish. "I think together we can do much."

By working together residents can make improvements to their community and along the way "you can even make it look nice," she said.

Brisa Quintero is a resident of nearby Abbey Lane. Helping the apartment residents is good because it bring residents together and "it keeps everyone communicating," she said.

Elizabeth Oh of Ontario and her neighbor, Bianca Moreno, helped with different tasks Monday, from picking up trash and helping prepare soil for planting flower beds to helping paint lines for children's games.

Oh, a bio-chemistry student at Cal State San Bernardino, said she liked to see so many residents involved.

"All the members of the community seem to be very active here and that's encouraging," Oh said.

Although Oh signed up for volunteer projects in the past this was the first she carried out on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"You all of a sudden hear his speeches and it gets to you," she said. "It definitely encourages me to just give more."

California Conservation Corps member Breahna Dawson of Montclair said volunteering on King's birthday is a way of living out the civil rights leader's vision.

"Martin Luther King always wanted everyone to come together and get along," she said.

Citizens' Police Academy

2011-01-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

You've watched the movies, now be part of the action! The following announcement invites applications for the Pomona Police Department's Citizens' Police Academy.

CITIZENS' POLICE ACADEMY

The Pomona Police Department is now accepting applications for the Citizens' Police Academy.
The Citizens' Academy is an eight week program that gives citizens an inside look at Police
Department policies and programs.

The program is thorough and has been prepared to teach students all about the inner-workings
of the Pomona Police Department. Topics covered will include Patrol Operations, Criminal
Investigations Unit, Forensics, Canine Operations, SWAT, Narcotics Investigations, Aero Bureau,
Traffic Bureau. Police personnel, Investigators, Narcotics Enforcement Officers, K-9 Officers
and representatives from various departments including Jail, Records and Dispatch will be on
hand to cover related topics throughout the course.

Students will be encouraged to participate in some hands-on demonstrations. All sessions will
be held on Wednesdays, from 6:30-9 PM. Week one of the Citizens' Academy will begin on
February 23, 2011 and end on April 13, 2011.

Please contact the Crime Prevention Office at (909) 620-2318 for further information. You may
return the completed application in person or by mail, to the Crime Prevention Unit at 490 West
Mission Blvd., Pomona, CA 91766; Attn: Crime Prevention.

Jury Duty

2011-01-05T21:12:00.000-08:00

I was suppose to serve on jury duty in late November, but I somehow spaced off the commitment (and felt like a total idiot when I realized I had done so one week after the fact). It turns out I got a second crack at it this week.

Although this wasn't the most convenient week of the year to be summoned, I served with pride. And, no doubt, I appreciated the entertainment provided by my fellow jurors: The man pounding his chest, absentmindedly rocking the couch and the butts which sat upon it. The guy who wreaked of weed, pronouncing his craving for gumbo. The throngs of adrenaline junkies, using cell phones and eating snacks in unauthorized areas (gutsy-hot). And, we shall not forget the guy who said to his chatty neighbor, "I spent all morning listening to my wife yammer, now I just want some peace and quiet, if you don't mind."

What I found decidedly less entertaining were the people moaning and groaning about (1) the mere existence of jury duty, (2) the lack of entertainment provided in the holding pen, and (3) things they would have known weren't true had they either read their summons or listened to the announcements that began the day ("seriously, they're going to make us sit here like this all week?!" -- um, no, just for part of today).

I left jury duty feeling a bit glum because, once I again, I didn't make it beyond the holding pen. Nobody did. It was a slow day for Lady Justice and her crew in good ol' Pomona.

Garfield Park NW Meeting

2011-01-05T21:03:00.000-08:00

All who live near or make use of Garfield Park are invited to attend our this Monday's Neighborhood Watch meeting. We will gather at 6:30 PM in the cafeteria of San Antonio Elementary School (located at Kingsley and San Antonio).

Looking for outstanding holiday decorations

2010-12-19T21:16:00.000-08:00

Hello Holiday Revelers,

Do you know of some particularly well done holiday yard decorations here in Pomona? We would like to know, too, so we can write residents a letter of thanks for beautifying our neighborhoods.

Representatives of the Pomona North Weed & Seed (a board given a grant by the Department of Justice and comprised of city employees and Pomona residents) will be touring neighborhoods Tuesday night looking for properties to award a commendation for their holiday decorations. We are looking for both single family dwellings and apartments.

There is no nomination process. We will simply note homes we feel have gone the extra mile and will send a thank you/commendation. WE DON'T WANT TO MISS ANY GEMS! If you would like to point out any particularly well done residences, please let us know via a reply to this post and we will make sure to swing by.

The area we will be touring is from San Antonio on the West to Mills on the East and from First Street north until the 10 Freeway. We will especially appreciate recommendations within these boundaries.

Thanks much,

Stew Wattson
Weed & Seed Board Member

Area Commander Meeting: Northwest

2010-12-16T22:09:00.000-08:00

The Pomona Police Department invites residents to attend the next Area Commander Meeting. The meeting for the month of January will cover the Northwest area of the city, however, ALL residents are encouraged to attend.

The meeting will be on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at First Baptist Church located at 521 N. Garey Ave. between 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Come and see what is going on in your city and meet your Area Commander.

Who let the blogs out?

2010-12-12T19:56:00.001-08:00

Area Commander Meeting: Southwest

2010-12-10T20:56:00.000-08:00

The Pomona Police Department invites residents to attend the next Area Commander Meeting. The meeting for the month of December will cover the Southwest area of the city, however, ALL residents are encouraged to attend.

The meeting will be on Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at Ralph Welch Park Community Center located at 1251 W Eleventh St between 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

Come and see what is going on in your city and meet your Area Commander.

Parading bloggers or blogging paraders?

2010-12-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

Contributors to the Pomona Neighborhood Watch blog look forward to marching with others from the Pomona blogosphere in this Saturday's holiday parade! Show us some love when you see us :)

As a reminder, the parade is this Saturday in downtown Pomona. A map of the parade route appears here. The parade starts at 10. And the weather promises to be lovely.

Happy holidays!

Pancakes for Santa

2010-11-16T11:20:00.000-08:00

Pomona Police & Kiwanis Club
Annual Pancake Breakfast

Thursday, November 18
7:30 AM-10:30 AM
Pomona Police Department, West Lot (490 W. Mission Blvd)

$4 donation or FREE with a NEW unwrapped TOY

Proceeds to benefit the Santa Cop Program.
Please call the Crime Prevention Unit at 909-620-2318 for tickets and information.

Thanksgiving Meal

2010-11-12T22:59:00.000-08:00

Total Restoration Ministries, located near Garfield Park, is hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, November 25th. Here are the details from their flier...

Total Restoration Ministries welcomes you to join us for Thanksgiving Dinner.
Thursday, November 25th at 11AM.
We will be serving anyone in need of a hot meal.
Feel free to bring a friend. And come as you are!
420 N. Reservoir St., Pomona CA 91767, (909)620-7838

CANCELED: Family Volunteer Day

2010-11-10T20:05:00.000-08:00

CANCELED

Thank you to Armando for sending along the following announcement...

Family Volunteer Day is a day of service designed to demonstrate the power of families who choose to volunteer together to support the communities in which they live and serve. So come out and join the Inland Empire United Way’s Volunteer Initiative, Hands On Inland Empire and Weed and Seed for two community clean-ups:

Day: November 20, 2010
Time: 9am-2pm

Location #1:
Garfield Park
801 E. Holt Blvd.
Pomona, 91767

Location #2:
Casa Grande Safe Haven
1209 E. Kingsley Ave.
Pomona, 91767

Lunch will be provided after the community event from 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.at 500 Block St. Paul St. Pomona, CA 91767

For more information and to register for the event:
www.HandsOnInlandEmpire.org

Contact con Armando López at 909-620-2316 or/ e-mail
Armando_lopez@ci.pomona.ca.us

CANCELED: Your Neighbor Event (Lunch Provided)

2010-11-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

CANCELED

Meet Your Neighbor Event

Saturday, November 20th
12:00 - 2:00 PM

Lunch provided.

500 block of St. Paul (St. Paul/Kingsley)

If you have questions or for more information, contact:
Brenda Sutherland (909) 620-2377.

This event is sponsored by the Weed & Seed grant and the Pomona Police Department.

Child Safety Seat Education

2010-11-08T20:16:00.000-08:00

Parents and care takers are invited to contact Pomona PD's Traffic Bureau to schedule a child safety seat inspection. To schedule an appointment, or for information about the program or child safety seats, call Officer Childers at 909-802-7743 or Officer Hamilton at 909-802-7744.

Trained technicians will meet with you to inspect the installation of the seat and the fit of the child in the seat, and to complete a check of the car seat for overall safety (including checking to see if there have been any recalls issued for the car seat).

What an important and needed service! Thank you, Traffic Bureau!

Free turkeys for families in need

2010-11-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

This just in from Teri Baker, Pomona PD's Crime Free Housing Coordinator...

Can you help me identify families in your apartment community that may be in need of a turkey for the Thanksgiving holiday? We are looking for needy families with children. Please submit a few names by Tuesday, November 9th (phone: 909 620-2184; e-mail: teri_baker@ci.pomona.ca.us). I will need the following information with your submission:

Name of Family
# of Children
Address with Apt #
Phone # if possible

All families will be considered and they will be notified if selected. Families must live in Pomona. Families from single-family neighborhoods will also be considered. Thank you for your help with this effort. Hope to hear from you.

Sincerely
Teri Baker
Crime Free Housing Coordinator
Pomona Police Department
909 620-2184

Area Commander Meeting

2010-11-03T15:27:00.000-07:00

The Pomona Police Department invites residents to join us at the next Area Commander Meeting. The meeting for the month of November will cover the Southeast area of the city, however, ALL residents are encouraged to attend.

The meeting will be on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at Philadelphia Elementary School located at 600 Philadelphia St between 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

Come and see what is going on in your city and meet your Area Commander.

Neighborhood Harvest Festival

2010-10-11T15:35:00.000-07:00

Neighborhood Harvest Festival

Free: Games, Prizes, Tons of Candy, Costume Contest

Food concession stand Nachos, Hot dogs, Chips and beverages.

Bake Sale lots of sweet goodies

Halloween Night, Oct 31st 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

1511 Lincoln Ave, Pomona, CA 91767
1/2 mile South of the 10 at the Claremont/Indian Hill exit
1/2 mile North of Holt at the Village at Indian Hill.

Sponsored by:

Friends of Montvue Elementary
Lincoln Ave Church
Lincoln Ave Neighborhood Watch Committee
Pomona North Weed & Seed

For additional information, please contact:

Mike Baltierra
Youth/Outreach Director
Lincoln Ave Community Church
www.laccpomona.com
951-531-5419

Images from Saturday's Event

2010-10-10T22:44:00.001-07:00

Thank you to our friend Ren for putting together this great video of the sights and sounds of this weekend's Fall Spooktacular in Garfield Park.

And, a big thank you to all the people who contributed their time and talents to making this event such a success, including:

- Cal Poly Pomona student volunteers
- Community Life Commissioners
- Council Member Paula Lantz
- Lincoln Avenue Church
- Lincoln Avenue Neighborhood Watch
- Ms. Lois and her puppets from the Pomona Public Library
- NAMI of Pomona Valley
- Pomona Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit and Explorers
- Weed & Seed committee

And a couple hundred residents of our amazing city!

See you there!

2010-10-08T22:47:00.001-07:00

What: Fall Spooktacular. Pumpkin give-away, carnival games, free hot dogs, prizes, and a dessert potluck.

When: Saturday, October 9 from 10am-2pm

Where: Garfield Park

Why: To have fun, meet neighbors, build community, learn about Neighborhood Watch efforts in Northeast Pomona, and get an update on the Garfield Park Community Center.

The event in sponsored by Pomona Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit and Weed & Seed North.

Area Commander Meeting: October 12

2010-10-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

The next Area Commander Meeting is slated for Tuesday, October 12. Although this meeting will address issues in the Northeast area of the city, all residents are invited to attend. These meetings offer a wonderful opportunity for residents to discuss community safety with representatives from the police department.

The meeting will be on Tuesday, October 12 at St. Madeleine Catholic Church (931 E. Kingsley Ave) from 7-8:30 PM.

Fall Spooktacular

2010-09-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars!

What: Fall Spooktacular. Pumpkin give-away, carnival games, free hot dog meal, prizes, and a dessert potluck.

When: Saturday, October 9 from 10am-2pm

Where: Garfield Park

Why: To have fun, meet neighbors, build community, learn about Neighborhood Watch efforts in Northeast Pomona, and get an update on the Garfield Park Community Center.

Please contact Brenda Sutherland in the Crime Prevention Office if you are able to volunteer to help with set up or supervision of activities, or if there are particular activities you'd like offered. She can be reached at 909-620-2377.

The event in sponsored by Pomona Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit and Weed & Seed North.

Library Closed Due to Extreme Heat

2010-08-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

This just in from Ms. Lois over at the Pomona Public Library:

"Could you help us get the word out that the library is closed today due to excessive heat? Tomorrow and Wednesday we will be open from 8am to noon."

For the safety of the books, let's hope the temperature doesn't hit 451 ;)

Area Commander Meeting: September 14

2010-08-18T20:23:00.001-07:00

AREA COMMANDER MEETING

The Pomona Police Department invites residents to join us at the next Area Commander Meeting. The meeting for the month of

September will cover the Northwest area of the city, however, ALL residents are encouraged to attend. The meeting will be on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at Yorba Elementary School located at 250 W La Verne Ave. between 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

Come and see what is going on in your city and meet your Area Commander.

Southwest Area Commander Meeting: August 10

2010-08-05T22:56:00.001-07:00

The next Area Commander meeting will take place on Tuesday, August 10th at the Westmont Community Center (1808 W 9th) from 7:00 - 8:30 PM.

The meeting will focus on the Southwest area of the city (South of Holt, West of Garey), however all residents are encouraged to attend.

Lt. Paul Hitt will facilitate the meeting. If you have concerns or questions for Lt. Hitt, consider contacting him before the meeting so he can, if needed, research the issue in time for the meeting. His contact info appears in the top right corner of the blog.

National Night Out - August 3

2010-07-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

The annual National Night Out celebration is scheduled for this Tuesday evening in the Pomona Civic Center (beginning at 6PM). Here are a couple pictures from last year's event to whet your appetite.

Meet Your Neighbor Event

2010-07-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

I just learned about this event, which is slated for tomorrow. Yet again, I can't figure out where the heck these events are publicized -- I am on the lookout for this sort of stuff, yet somehow I always find out about them moments before they happen. At any rate, hope to see you there!

Meet Your Neighbor Event
Bring your family and friends out for a day in the park with the Pomona Police!

Food. Balloon art. Face painting.

Saturday, July 23
Noon - 3PM

Jaycee Park
2000 N. San Antonio Ave.
Pomona

Image from http://www.bostonchildrensmusic.com/

When the walls come tumblin' down

2010-07-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

We awoke this morning to the sound of jackhammers. Normally, I'm not a fan of jackhammer noise. But this morning, I found the sound downright exciting.

The jackhammer meant the odd little building on the south side of the park was getting demolished. This building, which sits (well, sat) near the Holt/Mountain View intersection provided visual cover for ne'erdowells intent on staying out of view of police and other passers-by. Judging by the smells wafting from the building, it served as a urinal, as well. Oh, and a canvas for taggers. A multi-purpose building with no real purpose, I suppose.

Good riddins!

Who let the dogs out?

2010-07-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

Garfield Park sees more than its fair share of unleashed dogs. This past week proved no exception.

Last Wednesday: A flea-infested pooch befriended a passerby, who took the dog for a bath, then checked her in to a no-kill shelter. Although this doggie had a collar and a leash, there was no human attached to the leash.

Last Saturday: Two dogs attacked a beautiful Akita accompanying a young teen on a morning run around the park. The attacker dogs ran from their owner after he let them out of his car to go pee. No leashes.

Today: During the height of late afternoon park activity, a dog that looked to be a rottweiler/lab mix walked about the park. Parents corralled kids as all kept an eye on the dog's whereabouts and disposition. He had on a collar, but no leash. Come to find out, his owner was shooting hoops. When I asked him to please put a leash on the dog, the guy shrugged me off.

Grrrr (said with mean doggie inflections, of course).

Image from http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/03/dog_walking.jpg

Annual Campout

2010-06-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

Camp Out Flyer

Drive-by fire crackering

2010-06-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

Last night around 10PM, "shots" went off in the park. Come to find out, these shots were really fire crackers. Big fire crackers.

The neighbor reports someone (or some people) threw a box of lit fire crackers into the park as t(he)y drove by. A bit later, fire fighters came by to quell a smoldering tree. That icky char smell filled the air and ash landed on the nearby homes.

Of course, everyone is glad the trees and homes didn't experience major damage. That said, we're pretty freakin' irked by the irresponsible behavior of the passers-by. Grrrr. Tis the season?

Bicycle Rodeo this Saturday

2010-06-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

2010 Bicycle Rodeo Flyer

Hoop it up

2010-06-22T20:02:00.001-07:00

Exciting news here in Garfield Park!

Kids and adults waited with much anticipation this past month as city crews worked to pour cement, brush paint, and hang a hoop for a spankin' new half-size basketball court.

I am pleased to report the inaugural basketball game took place Saturday morning. Since Saturday, we've seen game after game of one-on-one, two-on-two, four-on-four, and horse (of course, of course). The sound of squeaky sneakers and bouncing balls fills the air.

While hanging out on the porch this afternoon, a sound foreign to the park hit my ears: the ping of an aluminum bat. I don't think I've ever seen a baseball game in Garfield Park. Yet, there it was. A pick-up game of baseball in between the basketball court and the sand volleyball court.

The players seemed to range in age from about 8 to 13. They played with a tennis ball and vague agreement as to the whereabouts of the bases. Although their language was quite salty, I was nevertheless pleased to see the kiddos sharing gloves and bats.

Now, if only that darn community center would open! We were told it would likely be open by the time the kids got out of school for the summer. Clearly that goal has not been met. We saw posted building permits and a work crew over there for a couple weeks last month, but everything looks very quiet now. The exterior of the building remains in ugly disrepair, and the lawn is one of the weediest on the park.

The park is teeming with happy kids and families -- now is the perfect time for the community center to begin building relationships with these constituents.

Image from http://eightiesology.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/basketball-hoop.jpg

Towne & Holt?

2010-06-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

Pomona Joe posted the following as a comment under a previous post. I'm moving his comment here in hopes doing so increases the likelihood someone will see it and have some information. Thanks, Joe! - Pride

"Anyone know what was going down last night at 1AM? The police chopper seemed to be dive-bombing the intersection of Towne and Holt for about 20 minutes straight. The chopper circled over our neighborhood for literally 30 or 40 times."

Area Commander Meeting: July 13

2010-06-13T21:40:00.000-07:00

From WebWatch:

The Pomona Police Department invites residents to join us in attending July's Area Commander Meeting. July's meeting will cover the Southeast area of the city, however, ALL residents are encouraged to attend.

The meeting will be on Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at Washington Park Community Center, 865 E. Grand Ave. between
7pm to 8:30pm.

Report out from Area Commander Meeting

2010-06-09T11:21:00.001-07:00

Having attended the Area Commanders meeting at Palomares Community Center, I wanted to report back on some points:

Attendance was terrible. This was attributed to going against the Laker game and primary voting. We had 6 “civilians” to 8 police/CSO/council members. Laker game or not, this is really bad.
PD was real responsive to questions regarding prostitution along the Holt corridor from the last meeting to focus on the North East. They came with encouraging stats on vice arrests and news that there has been enhanced cooperation with a federal task force. While all arrests surrounding prostitution are up, the task force focuses on minors. Through laws regarding the trafficking of minors, they can go after the pimps and not just the women on the street.
Officer Hess of the gang unit gave a presentation on gangs in Pomona. The presentation focused on identifying gangs, the consequences of gang involvement and means of intervention. The encouraging news is gang involvement and related crimes is on a downward trend in Pomona, though still very real. This presentation was one of the better, more engaging and professional presentations I've seen at one of these meetings.
Budget cuts were a frequent topic through out the night. Nothing is set in stone or finalized, but the by far most likely scenario is we will be losing 15 police officers. As to community Service officers, we will be going down to 2 (Councilman Lance is still fighting for a few more.) The 2 man Vice squad that has made such progress as noted above will remain, thanks in part to federal funding. The Gang unit will remain due to a department commitment to continually crack down on gangs.

Over all, one of the better Area Commander meetings I've been to. If there is any chance that you did not attend based on dissatisfaction with previous meetings, rather than watching basketball, I encourage you try an upcoming meeting. I think you agree that quality has improved.

Reminder: Area Commander Meeting Tuesday

2010-06-07T22:21:00.001-07:00

This is just a quick reminder:

The next Area Commander meeting will be help Tuesday, June 8th from 7 - 8:30 PM at Palomares Park Community Center (499 E. Arrow Hwy). This is our chance to talk with police officers about our city's safety. Although this month's meeting will focus on the Northeast area of the city, all residents are encouraged to attend.

Pomona PD To the Rescue. Again.

2010-06-06T22:24:00.001-07:00

Three cheers for Willow, the K-9 Unit, and the Pomona PD!

[Content from http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_15240181]

Alleged burglar tracked down by bloodhound in Chino Hills

Created: 06/06/2010 06:32:26 PM PDT

CHINO HILLS - A 41-year-old man was arrested after he was caught with stolen property from a neighbors house in Chino Hills early Sunday morning.

San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies from the Chino Hills Station responded at 1:45 a.m. to a house in the 5000 block of Stone Ridge Drive.

They were notified by a neighbor who said the alarm had been tripped, said sheriff's Detective Ray Hilfer.

Arriving deputies discovered the house had been burglarized. They also found a blood trail that led from the house to the area outside.

Deputies called for assistance from Pomona Police Department's K-9. Pomona's bloodhound Willow was also sent.

The bloodhound picked up the suspects scent and tracked him to his house on Esther Street.

Reynaldo Sabedra was found hiding under a camper near his house, Hilfer said.

"Willow did an outstanding job," Hilfer said.

Deputies found property from the house inside Sabedra's pockets, Hilfer said.

He was booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on suspicion of burglary.

jannise.johnson@inlandnewspapers.com

Shave, haircut, and a dime bag

2010-06-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Well, my neighborhood makes the news yet again. Grrrrr. I'm curious to know whether the owner's business license will be revoked.

Here is the story (and photo) from KTLA.com:

Pomona Barbershop Owner Arrested for Selling Marijuana

Police say they found bags of marijuana inside the shop owner's car.

POMONA -- The owner of a barbershop in Pomona has been arrested for selling marijuana to customers along with haircuts, police said.

Marlon T. Singleton, 39, of Rancho Cucamonga, who owns Groom Time Barber Shop at 924 E. Holt Ave., was arrested around 10 a.m. Monday, according to Pomona police Sgt. Chuck Becker.

Officers smelled marijuana coming from Singleton's car parked behind the shop.

They searched the car and found 35 grams of individually packaged marijuana bags inside, Becker said.

Police Station at the Food 4 Less?

2010-05-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

I stopped by the Food4Less near the Garey/Philadelphia intersection this evening. I hadn't noticed previously the lettering to the left of the Food4Less sign that says "Pomona Police" (or maybe it says "Police Department" -- I don't recall exactly). The store front below the sign was totally blacked out.

Does anyone know what this location is (or use to be)? It sure looks defunct, which makes me wonder why the sign still remains?

Crime Prevention Unit on the Chopping Block

2010-05-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here's an excerpt from the 2010-2011 Proposed Budget Review - Study Session, dated May 19. Sadly, the Crime Prevention Unit is on the chopping block -- big time. Just look at the list of programs coordinated by the CPU. My heart feels heavy.

***********
POLICE -Crime Prevention Program (2015)

Overview -Eliminate four non-sworn positions and one part-time hourly position saving
284 800.

Impact on Program Activity & Objectives

This reduction will require the remaining staff to divide the City into two areas, leaving one
staff person to handle all requests for assistance in each area. Additionally, the ability for the Department to handle the below listed programs will be severely reduced.

• National Night Out
• Red Ribbon Week
• Citizen's Academy
• Business Academy
• Neighborhood Watch
• Business Watch
• YEMP
• Santa Cop
• Every 15 Minutes
• Read Across America
• Open House
• Annual Pancake Breakfast
• Sober Graduation
• Volunteer Recognition Luncheon
• Kids Safety Fair
• Domestic Violence Vigil

Also, the following impacts will be realized:

• Increased council complaints from dissatisfied community members.
• There will be increased number of phone calls to other areas of the Department (Desk,
Dispatch, Watch Commander, Chiefs Office) and City Hall.
• Shifting of personnel due to seniority will result in placing individuals in jobs the may
not be familiar with which will cause a reduction in service while proper training is
conducted.

Area Commander Meeting

2010-05-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

The next Area Commander meeting will be help Tuesday, June 8th from 7 - 8:30 PM at Palomares Park Community Center (499 E. Arrow Hwy). This is our chance to talk with police officers about our city's safety. Although this month's meeting will focus on the Northeast area of the city, all residents are encouraged to attend.

(And, yes, I've added this meeting to the Pomona Events Calendar -- look at 'er grow!)

Google Calendar for Pomona Events!

2010-05-07T23:55:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I pitched the idea of using Google Calendars to create a one-stop-shop for events in our city. The idea met with some enthusiasm. Thank you to Ed for helping me figure out how to create and share these calendars!

Question #1: I've embedded two possible calendar formats in the blog. Option 1 appears in the right column. This "agenda view" is skinny and easy to position in a highly visible place. That said, it isn't particularly readable. At the bottom of the blog you will find Option 2: the "month view." It is large, a bit easier on the eyes (I think), but buried at the bottom of the page. Which format do you prefer? Other formatting options exist -- what would you ideally like to see?

Question #2: The calendars need content. Can you help out? Let's take a stone-soup approach to pulling together all the events and activities Pomona has to offer. If you are able to contribute to the calendar, please shoot an e-mail to pomonaevents@gmail.com . I will then send you instructions for posting events. (If I have your e-mail address, those of you who have already offered to post content to the calendar should have already received an invitation from the pomonaevents gmail address.)

And, if those of you who already use Google Calendars would like to subscribe to the calendar, search for "pomonaevents@gmail.com".

Fellow bloggers: Care to post a calendar on your site? Drop me a line and I'll send you the code and instructions.

Area Commander Meeting: May 11

2010-05-07T22:35:00.001-07:00

From WebWatch:

"The Pomona Police Department invites residents to join us in attending this month's Area Commander Meeting. This month's meeting will cover the Northwest area of the city, however, ALL residents are encouraged to attend.

"The meeting will be on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at Kennedy Park Community Center, 1150 Fairplex between 7pm to 8:30pm"

Yard signs to support Pomona PD

2010-04-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

A limited number of yard signs are available for residents who would like to protest the prospect of disbanding our local police department. If you would like a sign, please e-mail Tammy at tammytoolgirl2@aol.com

Facebook and the Pomona PD

2010-04-27T21:49:00.001-07:00

If you use Facebook, check out the page titled "Keep Pomona PD in Pomona!!" 453 "likes" and counting.

Get your drink on at Walgreens?

2010-04-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

The Walgreen's on Holt & Towne Ave has applied for an ABC license. Really? We need another(!) place to buy alcohol along Holt?

If you would like the city to limit the proliferation of ABC outlets, please try to attend Wednesday's Planning Commission meeting. 7PM in Council Chambers. (As a reminder, the Garfield Neighborhood Center is also on this meeting's agenda.)

Notice of public hearing: Garfield Neighborhood Community Center

2010-04-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

A public hearing concerning the Garfield Neighborhood Community Center (563 N. Mountain View Ave) is scheduled for Wednesday, April 28 at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers.

Here's the project description: "Conditional Use Permit (CUP 10-012) to allow a daycare/neighborhood community center within a former multi-family building, include interior and exterior rehabilitation in the R-3 (Medium Density Multiple Family Residential) zone located at 563 N. Mountain View Avenue."

This property was purchased with funds from the "Weed and Seed" grant the city received from the US Department of Justice.

See you there!

Reminder: Beautification Day around the corner

2010-04-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Pastor Rick for the reminder...

If you're not signed up for next Saturday's Beautification Day (May 1, 8:00AM-12 PM), call 909.624.1281. Participants will gather for lunch, entertainment, and a health fair at the Fairplex from 12:30-2:30 PM.

Scam Alert

2010-04-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

Carlos Hernandez from the PD's Crime Prevention Office sent around this e-mail alert earlier today. In case you're not on his distribution list, I'm reposting here to help get the word out.

*******************

Fraud Letter

Hello Everyone,

Be aware that a well-worn scam is appearing in SoCal mailboxes again.

Please mention this to the rest of the NW group and any elderly relatives who are homeowners, since they seem to be the main target.

The scam is an official-looking letter from the "Title Compliance Office," saying you need a copy of your grant deed for all sorts of ominous-sounding reasons. The letter commands you to write a check for $159.00 IMMEDIATELY and send it in.

This is a TOTAL SCAM AND FRAUD. If you need a copy of your grant deed, the L.A. County Recorder's Office will send you one for $6. If you are selling your house, your real estate agent will take care of getting it.

Just a word to the wise.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

Thank you,

Carlos Hernandez

Crime Prevention

Pomona Police Department

(909)802-7449

Our safety. Our police.

2010-04-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

Pomona City Council voted last night to move forward with a Phase I study to evaluate some of the costs associated with outsourcing Pomona's police work to the LA County Sheriff.

I'm a fan of data. Good data can help make good decisions. However, after listening to nearly 40 speakers from the community and to the Q&A between Council and city staff, I have strong reservations about the quality, and hence the usefulness, of the data this Phase I study will provide.

First, the Sheriff's department will be playing the dual role of evaluator and evaluated. They are conducting the study on themselves. As speakers pointed out last night, this is a conflict of interest. We are taught to be suspicious of drug trials payed for by pharmaceutical companies for a reason. This "study" is a basic sales job. A pitch for a product/service.

Second, the Phase I study will offer insufficient data. The city will get to see broad-stroke estimates of, for instance, salary costs. The nitty-gritty costs -- for facilities, buying out pensions, cop cars, etc -- wouldn't become available until the Phase II study, which would cost our financially strapped city $25K to obtain. [I heard citizens say after the meeting that the Phase I study is only free IF we subsequently pursue the Phase II study -- does anyone know if this is true?]

Thus, we won't get access to sufficient data to make even purely financial decisions. And, counter to what Councilmember Atchley asserted in his comments concerning rationality, I see no reason why this should be a purely financial issue.

Third, the Phase I study, the Phase II study, and evidently many members of the Council are focused on just one type of cost: financial costs. Although the nearly 40 speakers at last night's meeting presented a multitude of angles from which to consider this issue, the vast majority of the council members' comments focused on fiscal concerns (I know money matters, but it certainly isn't all that matters -- even in city government). Frankly, they didn't seem to hear our concerns about the value of a stable and accessible police force that knows the streets, the issues, and people of the city.

I agree 100% with Councilmember Saunders, "Even though [the Phase I study] is free, it isn't worth the price."

Google Calendar for Pomona Events?

2010-04-15T19:20:00.001-07:00

I recently started using Google Calendar. So far I'm loving it. I can see and integrate the calendars of friends and family (with their permission, of course). This tool is making shared childcare responsibilities easier to manage.

Now, I'd like to see a couple city calendars.

Perhaps one calendar for public meetings (e.g., City Council meetings). Another calendar for fun events (e.g., Pomona Beautification Day, the camp out thingy for kids at the Fairplex, Second Saturdays).

"We the people" could easily manage the calendars. We'd just need to start them, make them public, and take a stone soup approach to adding content.

If I know about a Cal Poly pony show, I'd add it to the special events calendar for all to see. The kind folks at Metro Pomona could list all the Second Saturdays, antique festivals, and such. The Goddess could post yoga and hooping to the calendar. Staff at the Crime Prevention Office could add info about National Night Out. Ms. Lois could add info about story times and homework help available at the library.

The many Pomona blogs could link to the shared calendar so anyone who knows about the blogs would have ready access to an integrated list of happenings (happenings, I might add, that are often difficult to locate on -- or absent from -- the city's official webpage).

I'd love to know what others think about this idea -- especially those of you who already use Google Calendars and/or those of you who could imagine yourselves contributing content every now and then.

Reminder: City Council Meeting this Monday

2010-04-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

As a reminder, the City Council plans -- though can't promise -- to discuss outsourcing Pomona's police work this Monday at 7PM. Arrive early if you'd like a seat.

A resource of resources

2010-04-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

Looking for community resource information that is accurate, up-to-date, local, and Spanish translated? Here is a "resource of resources" for anyone looking for youth or family services in our community:

pomonafamilyresources.org

Service categories include education, counseling, medical, transportation, housing, recreation, and volunteer opportunities.

The form at the top of the page asks for a lot of demographic information. But, it looks like you can just skip that information if you're not comfortable providing it. That said, providing the requested information will result in more pointed resource recommendations (including distance from a particular address to each service returned in the search).

I'm really impressed by the number of resources collected here. My next step is to e-mail this web address to a friend who is looking for mental health counseling for a young man in his neighborhood.

Southwest Area Commander Meeting: April 18

2010-04-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

The next Area Commander meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 18th at the Ralph Welch Park Community Center (1251 W 11th) from 7:00 - 8:30 PM.

The meeting will focus on the Southwest area of the city (South of Holt, West of Garey), however all residents are encouraged to attend.

Lt. Paul Hitt will facilitate the meeting. If you have concerns or questions for Lt. Hitt, consider contacting him before the meeting so he can, if needed, research the issue in time for the meeting. His contact info appears in the top right corner of the blog.

Agenda Item #13 Postponed: Daily Bulletin Story

2010-04-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to the Daily Bulletin's story about last night's Council decision to postpone discussion of outsourcing public safety.

Agenda Item #13 Postponed

2010-04-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

Intent on supporting our police and fire departments, we headed downtown this evening to attend the City Council meeting. The turn out was very impressive. Every seat in the hall filled. The foyer bursting with people watching the proceedings on a TV. Lots of people on the stairs. Others milling about on the cement in front of the building.

Shortly after the open portion of the meeting began, the Council opted to "continue" (read: postpone) discussion of Agenda Item #13, which concerned the possible outsourcing of policing and fire fighting.

As people poured out of the hall, I listened in on reactions. Sentiments seemed split. Some thought the postponement was a good thing, feeling it signaled the Council's desire to do more thinking about the issue before proceeding.

Others thought the postponement signaled a desire to chink the armor of support. These individuals thought the Council postponed in hopes fewer people would show up for the April 19th discussion.

Given residents didn't have a chance to share their views on this issue at this evening's meeting, feel free to sound off here. I know at least some members of the Council read this and other Pomona blogs. So, here's a chance to let 'em know what you think.

What gives?

2010-04-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

On the off-chance any Pomonawatch readers do not also read the M-M-M-My Pomona blog, I'd like to draw your attention to John Clifford's post about the upcoming City Council discussion about outsourcing policing efforts.

Gun Play

2010-03-23T22:35:00.000-07:00

I meandered over to the park late this afternoon to enjoy a little fresh air. Four youngsters, perhaps 10 years of age, sat on the side-by-side slides loading hard plastic pellets into their orange-tipped -- though nevertheless real-looking -- toy guns.

I asked the boys if they planned to shoot their toy guns in the park. They said no. I told them I was glad to hear that because the hard pellets could really hurt someone if they went into an eye.

One of the youngsters then said, "If someone does a drive-by, we're going to shoot them back."

Ugh. I've got such a pit in my stomach over this comment. The park isn't a dangerous place, but clearly this kiddo is tuned in enough to the possibility of gang violence that he -- and his friends -- have incorporated that reality into their play.

I saw the kids again a couple minutes later, but didn't see their guns. I can't help but think they may have hidden their "pieces" in their waist bands.

I'm not sure if I should chalk this up to acting vigilante, posing gangsta, or mere play. I'm also curious to know if there are any laws or even recommendations about using toy guns in public areas. It sure seems like the kind of thing that could scare other kids and parents from the park.

What numbers do you have available on your cell phone?

2010-03-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend I engaged in our biannual tradition of updating the ol' earthquake kits (yes, plural -- home, office, car). It's something I do with each time change, right after I check the smoke detector batteries.

This "spring forward" I added a new little ritual to my expanding effort to enhance perceived control of the uncontrollable: I updated my cell phone to include a couple more emergency/urgent numbers. In particular, I added numbers for the Poison Action Center (1-800-222-1222) and Kaiser's advice nurse.

This update got me thinking about other phone numbers I "should" keep handy. Any recommendations? So far, I've got:

Pomona Dispatch 909-622-1241
Graffiti Removal Hotline 909-620-2265
Code Compliance 909-620-2374
Shopping Cart Rescue 800-497-1984
Poison Action Center 800-222-1222

Pomona K-9 Saves the Day

2010-03-16T23:17:00.001-07:00

Three cheers for K-9 Officer Willow and her human partner, Officer Joe Hernandez, for tracking and finding a missing child in Fontana!

Here's a link to KTLA's story.

SeeClickFix -- Citizens Communicating to Cities

2010-03-15T18:58:00.002-07:00

Listening to a huge backlog of podcasts, I found myself zoning out given many of the reports no longer felt timely. My ears perked up, however, as NPR's Melissa Block introduced a story about citizens using technology to communicate concerns to the city.

I'm now "watching Pomona" using a very cool service titled seeclickfix. It is available as a website and a smart phone ap. And, you can follow the service using the various social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook.

Here's how it works...

1. Residents post concerns--and photographs, when available--about the city to the site. The more specific the better, in my humble opinion. For example, we can report a big ol' pothole at a particular intersection, an out-of-commission street light in a given park, an ugly banner hanging out of a window at a specific address.

2. Other residents "vote" to indicate they, too, are concerned about the issue and would like the issue fixed. If you would like to lend your voice to the process by endorsing items for fixing of leaving comments, consider setting up an account (though it looks like you can also just enter an e-mail address -- I'm guessing the address wouldn't get displayed, but I'm not sure, hence the recommendation for an account). It looks like it is also possible to text in your vote. Ingenious.

3. Everyone keeps an eye out for the municipality to fix the concern. Once the issue is resolved (e.g., a pot hole gets filled in), users can indicate that the concern has been fixed.

4. And -- this is very cool -- once you submit an issue, the site will automatically generate a flier you can print out with the details of your concern. Talk about making things easy!

According to the NPR story, this tool has really taken off like wild fire in some areas. I'll be curious to see how well it works here in Pomona.

I'm trying to figure out how to add a tool to this blog that will allow us even easier access to voting and reporting on issues. The seeclickfix website generated the script, but I'm not sure how to get the widget to appear as a stable feature of the page (it appears below as an element within this post). Any ideas?

Earthquake Preparedness: You're Invited

2010-03-12T18:03:00.000-08:00

Joyce, a member of the Willie White Park Focus Group, asked me to pass along the following invitation. Sure looks like a great opportunity! (And, I'm guessing the presentation will give us an excuse to meander through the fascinating aisles of M & I Surplus.)

*************

MONTHLY COMMUNITY MEETING

EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS

WORKSHOP

WITH

MR. GEORGE HUNTER

LA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT

M&I SURPLUS

On Thursday, March 18, 7:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M., the Willie White Park Focus Group will feature an EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP at Willie White Park & Community Center, 365 Battram, Pomona. Mr. George Hunter from The Pomona Unified School District will coordinate the workshop.

The meeting will help residents be prepared when "THE BIG ONE HITS." It is coming, learn what, when, why and how to be ready.

Also, LA County Fire Station 186 and local merchant M&I Surplus will be on hand to talk about what you need in your kit, what and how much do you need for yourself, your kids and your pets, where do you go and how do you get there, and the role of fire personnel when "THE BIG ONE HITS.? A sample earthquake kit will be on display for your review.

Receive your take-home earthquake preparedness guide and checklist. YOU REALLY NEED TO ATTEND.

As always, refreshments will be served plus door prize drawings.

Beginning in April of 2010, The Willie White Park Focus Group (WWPFG) will move its meetings to the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

The WWPFG is an association of neighbors organized in the early 1990's to address gang problems and to uplift their formerly depressed neighborhood. Former Councilman Willie White is the founder. WWPFG sponsors monthly meetings with guest speakers from local and state government offices, police department, fire department, Pomona Unified School District , and local service organizations.

For further information, call Melba Robison at (909) 596-4273 or M. Joyce Bakersmith at (909) 392-8666.

I want to count for something

2010-03-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

An exciting piece of mail arrived yesterday. No, not my 2010 Census form. But, a note telling me my 2010 Census form is on its way. I'm so excited! Seriously. I want to count. (I see the headline now: "Census participation meets existential need").

Remember my little elevator speech about why we should all give a hoot about being counted? Well, Robert M. Groves, director of the US Census Bureau, makes a more succinct case:

"Your response is important. Results from the 2010 Census will be used to help each community get its fair share of government funds for highways, schools, health facilities, and many other programs you and your neighbors need. Without a complete, accurate census, your community may not receive its fair share."

Word!

By the way, big props to the City of Fontana. I was out that way last week and noticed TONS of signage encouraging residents to take part in the Census (including a very prominent link on the city's web page). I don't remember seeing any "get out the count" efforts here in Pomona (other than that cryptic presentation I ranted about previously).

A Bulletin about the Daily Bulletin

2010-03-09T13:26:00.000-08:00

If you would like the Daily Bulletin to publish information about your NW meetings in the Neighborhood section of the paper, just ask. Send details to the city desk via e-mail, fax, or snail mail.

E-mail: citydesk@inlandnewspapers.com

Fax: 909-948-9038

Snail mail: 2041 E. Fourth St, Ontario, CA 91764

Thank you, Daily Bulletin, for helping build community.

Neighborhood Mapping

2010-03-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

This afternoon we attended a three-hour meeting of Neighborhood Watch Block Captains, hosted by the Pomona Police Department's Crime Prevention Officers.

After some tasty eats, introductions, and conversation, we engaged in semi-structured discussion of NW topics such as strategies for growing and sustaining watch groups. During this discussion, the Block Captains of a wildly successful NW group shared with us a tool they developed to enhance communication among neighbors: a map.

This wasn't just any map. This was a detailed neighborhood map keyed to resident names, contact information, pet information, kid information, etc. Very impressive.

I found myself thinking, "No doubt such a tool would be tremendously useful IF...if only our neighborhood was less vacant; if only our neighborhood experienced less turnover." When we first started our NW group four or five years ago, we tried putting together a map. By the time we printed it, it was already out of date. Grrr.

Hearing about the successes of this other group's map has nevertheless inspired me to give it another go.

Preparing for Pomona Beautification Day

2010-02-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

The date has been set for the 2010 Pomona Beautification Day. Save the date: Saturday, May 1.

Huddle up with your neighbors and friends to brainstorm a project you'd like to complete in your neighborhood. This is great opportunity to rid your neighborhood of an eye sore or beautify a barren patch of land -- and the city will provide supplies and festivities.

We're hoping the Garfield Park community center will be far enough along by May 1 that the kiddos in the neighborhood will be able to do a little landscaping or maybe a community art project.

The planning committee is looking for entertainment acts to perform at the post-clean up festival-with-food at the Fairplex. If you know of someone who might be interested, please contact them to see if they are game. It would be great to have some Pomona talent headline the festival. Let Rick DeBruyne know about the lead. You can e-mail him at rdebruyne@verizon.net

Stay tuned for registration information.

An elevator speech about community development

2010-02-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

The final speaker at last night's Area Commander meeting was a representative from Pomona's Community Development Department. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what the heck we were suppose to get out this presentation, amorphously titled 2010-2011 Citizen Participation.

The speaker provided a hefty handout containing 19 PowerPoint slides (one whole page per slide; note to printer: next time consider using the 3-slides-per-page "handouts" format for printing). She then proceeded to walk us through slides with riveting titles (yes, that is sarcasm you detect) such as: "Statutory Spending Caps" and "CDBG Funding Comes with Rules." Yawn.

Finally, I raised my hand to ask why residents should care about this information. (Those of you who read the M-M-M-My Pomona blog may remember I asked a similar question of the Housing Division's Annual Report.)

With a little prodding, the answer became clear. So, to save you the bewilderment I navigated while listening to a poorly structured presentation that seems to have been prepared for a totally different audience, I present Pride's elevator speech [1] about why we should all give a damn:

"All of us benefit from Pomona's community development efforts. These efforts include improving code enforcement, public facilities, and neighborhood services; providing economic support to home owners, home buyers, and renters; and operating shelters for our city's homeless citizens.

"Pomona's community development efforts are largely supported by Federal funding. The amount of funding we receive is determined by residents' responses to the Census. We receive more funding when more people participate in the Census. Please encourage everyone you know to participate. Let's make sure all of Pomona's residents are counted!

"Once we receive Federal funding, we have to determine how to spend the funds. Your input helps the city determine how to spend the money. If you haven't already done so, complete and submit the Community Needs Survey; a copy appears in the Housing Division's Annual Report that arrived in your mailbox last month. If you don't have a copy of the survey, you can complete it online. Go to the city's homepage, then click on the featured link titled Community Needs Survey.

"The city mailed out 44,000 paper copies of the survey. Yet, only 1,200 surveys have been returned to date. Do the math: 2.7% of those who received the survey get to inform how the city spends its Federal funds.[2] The city needs input from as many residents as possible. Let your voice be heard!

"To summarize, I'll reiterate two points. First, participate in the Census so Pomona receives all the Federal funding it is entitled to. Second, complete the Community Needs Survey so the city knows how you think these funds should be spent. Thank you."

So that pretty much summarizes my understanding of what Tuesday evening's presentation intended to communicate. If others can help sharpen my understanding or representation of the issues, by all means, comment.

[1] Perhaps I could get this all in on the elevator ride down into the bowels of the Hoover Dam.

[2] Presumably the "1,200 surveys completed" estimate includes both paper and electronic responses. I'm not sure if 44,000 is the number of households in Pomona, or just a sampling of residences.

Good time had by all

2010-02-08T19:15:00.001-08:00

The block party to celebrate the new playground in Garfield Park was quite the success. We devoured 90 cup cakes, waded through 3 gallons of lemonade and 1 gallon of milk, colored an impressive number of Valentines, and tried out all the cool playground equipment.

I wish I had thought to count the number of kids and parents in attendance. I'm guessing there were 50 kids and 15 - 20 adults.

In addition to celebrating the playground, neighbors brainstormed ideas for the new community center the city is developing on Mountain View. The community center was made possible by a "Weed and Seed" grant the city received from the Department of Justice.

Ideas shared by the kids include a lending library, places for crafts, board games, and science projects, and homework support. Ideas shared by the parents include health and nutrition sessions, parent support groups, computer classes, and ESL classes.

No doubt our next block party will celebrate the grand opening of the community center, hopefully before schools lets out for the summer recess.

Response to Shooting in Ted Greene Park

2010-02-08T15:43:00.000-08:00

Community Healing Forum tonnight, Feb. 8 at Antioch Missionary Baptist on San Antonio just south of where it joins Towne. This is being put on by the Cultural Equity and Race Relations Workgroup of Pomona in support of the Pomona Youth and Family Master Plan.

Reminder: Area Commander Meeting -- Northeast Focus

2010-02-07T05:31:00.000-08:00

As a reminder, this Tuesday's Area Commander meeting (7PM, St. Madeleine's Church) will focus on the Northeast quadrant of the city.

Given Ted Greene Park is in the NE quadrant, Tuesday's meeting will afford an opportunity to hear any new details about the double homicide that occurred in the park on Jan. 29.

Block Party Rescheduled for Monday

2010-02-06T05:15:00.001-08:00

While I welcome the rain, I'm bummed it will thwart Saturday's block party to celebrate the new playground. Fear not. Weather.com tells me the sun is in our near future. So:

All are invited to attend the Garfield Park block party to celebrate the new playground on Monday, February 8th at 4:00 PM. There will be cupcakes a plenty for kiddos to decorate and devour.

See you there!

Math Homework Hotline: Spread the Word

2010-01-28T23:03:00.000-08:00

I just learned that Harvey Mudd College, one of the Claremont Colleges, is starting a free Homework Hotline, which will provide free math tutoring for local students in grades 6 - 12.

The hotline opens February 1, and is available to students in Claremont and Pomona Unified School Districts.

Students are invited to call the Homework Hotline toll-free at 1-877-8 ASK-HMC. The hours are Sunday through Thursday from 7PM - 10PM (through May 2010). More information available at www.AskHMC.org

Here's a little more information from the organizers:

"Homework Hotline callers speak to Harvey Mudd College students who are trained in over-the-phone tutoring and have access to district-adopted mathematics textbooks, as well as supplemental math resources. The Homework Hotline currently employs 39 Harvey Mudd students and will have about 8 tutors available per evening. The program’s mission is to help students reinforce math concepts, develop problem-solving skills and become independent learners."

Out with the old, in with the new

2010-01-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

Garfield Park has been without a playground since the end of December. During the first week of January, a work crew fenced in, then demolished, the old playground. During the second week, the crew erected a beautiful new-and-up-to-code structure, poured cement, and spread wood chips.

Then it rained. And rained. And rained.

But today is a new day, a sunny day. And, don't ya know, the fences are gone (though muddy tire tracks remain). The playground is open.

And the kiddos are thrilled! Already the playground is teeming with tots exploring the climbing wall, many slides, wobble bench and "skates," swings, and a modern version of the old school merry-go-round (a tall spindle-like cage with a much smaller circumference than a merry-go-round).

Our Neighborhood Watch will host a hot dog feast to celebrate the new playground at noon on Saturday, February 6. Swing by to say hi, eat, and play.

Thank you to our city officials and departments for bringing this new playground to Garfield Park!

[Side bar: On my way home from taking the pictures, I saw a black sedan drop off a prostitute on the north edge of the park. As I passed her, I told her the crotch of her underwear was showing. She said, "I like it like that." I called dispatch, of course. The families she walked past in the park looked horrified. Great -- so glad we can welcome everyone with a lovely playground and a prostitute of the trading-sex-for-drugs type (just a guess on her preferred currency).]

Area Commander Meeting -- Northeast Focus

2010-01-19T15:16:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendars for the next Area Commander meeting:

Tuesday, February 9th
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
St. Madeleine's Church (931 Kingsley)

The meeting will focus on the Northeast area of Pomona. However, ALL residents are encouraged to attend. As always, the Area Commanders find it helpful to have a heads-up about concerns so they can research issues prior to the meeting. You will find your Area Commander's contact information along the right side of this blog page.

Meeting location?

2010-01-09T22:22:00.000-08:00

Has anyone heard where this Tuesday's Area Commander meeting is to be held? The one announcement I was about the meeting say location TBA, but I haven't seen the "A."

UPDATE: The meeting will be held at Pomona First Baptist Church (Garey and Holt).

Status update: "This week would be a good time to break into our home..."

2009-12-31T08:54:00.000-08:00

Like oh-so many others, I'm a Facebook user; some would call me an addict. Inspired by Facebook status updates and wall posts viewed over the winter holiday season, I find myself reflecting on the intersections between Facebook and crime-prevention.

Status Update #1. "Leaving tomorrow for our two-week cruise! So glad the whole family will get to spend time together. Woot!" Sure, I know we are supposedly posting for our "friends" on Facebook, but really, how well do you know your 592 friends? Perhaps I'm just paranoid, but I don't think it is a good idea to proclaim: "This week would be a good time to break into our home because we'll all be away!"

Status Update #2. "Locked myself out of my house and can't find that stupid rock with the key in it -- guess it really does a good job of camouflage! LOL" Um, thanks for letting us all know you do, in fact, have a key to your home hidden somewhere in your yard. That information might come in handy next time my hooligan teen -- who sometimes reads my FB page over my shoulder -- decides he needs some haul to take to the local pawn shop. [Side bar: Does anyone else find the image of the celebrating thug in the window of AJ's Super Fast Cash Pawn disheartening? Is this really the constituency AJ hopes to nurture?]

Wall Post #1. "Hi Suzy! Can you please send me a copy of the wedding announcement? My address is [insert details here]." TMI! This post came compliments of a 60-something relative. I wish she had used the "Send message to" option to keep her information a bit more private. Then again, this is the same relative who posted a snarky message about her son's ex-wife as a comment on her own wall -- evidently forgetting the ex-wife is a FB "friend"!

Go forth and use your social networking tools responsibly!

* May 2010 be filled with community *

Area Commander Meeting -- Northwest Focus

2009-12-15T17:40:00.000-08:00

Save the date...

Lt. McDonald will host the next Area Commander meeting, which will focus on policing issues north of Holt and west of Garey. All are invited to attend, regardless of the location of residence.

Tuesday, January 12
7 - 8:30 PM
Location to be announced

Send your questions and concerns about the northwest quadrant of our fair city to Lt. McDonald. You can reach him at 909-802-7493 and areacommander_northwest@ci.pomona.ca.us

Area Commander Meeting -- Southwest Focus

2009-11-23T22:09:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendars to attend the next Area Commander Meeting. Lt. Paul Hitt, the Area Commander for the Southwest quadrant of Pomona, will share updates and answer questions about crime related happenings west of Garey and south of Holt.

If you would like Lt. Hitt to address particular concerns during the meeting, contact him directly at:

909-802-7495
areacommander_southwest@ci.pomona.ca.us

Gangs 2.0: The Emerging Threat of Cyberthugs

2009-11-16T20:34:00.000-08:00

The following announcement just appeared in my e-mail inbox; I figured others might be interested...

Please join

Assembly Member Norma Torres,
Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico
and the
Select Committee on the Safety and Protection
of At-Risk Communities in California

for a discussion on

"Gangs 2.0: The Emerging Threat of Cyberthugs"
The Use of Technology in Gang Recruitment and Related Illicit Activities

Thursday, November 19, 2009
9 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Ontario Police Department
Community Room
2500 S. Archibald Avenue
Ontario, CA 91761

Click here for more information and to RSVP

Area Commander Meeting -- Southeast Focus

2009-11-08T20:48:00.000-08:00

The next Area Commander meeting is scheduled for this Tuesday, November 10 at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. Come hear Lt. Guzek answer questions about the Southeast quadrant of Pomona. Have a question or concern you'd like her address? E-mail her at AreaCommander_Southeast@ci.pomona.ca.us

Four Pomona men sleeping in garage with stolen property to face burglary charges

2009-11-08T20:22:00.001-08:00

Hoodlums from outside our city often come to Pomona to do their illegal deeds. This is, of course, is annoying. Equally annoying are those residents of Pomona who disparage our fair city by committing crime. This just in from the LA Times...

Four Pomona men sleeping in garage with stolen property to face burglary charges

Posted using ShareThis