A resource of resources

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.

What numbers do you have available on your cell phone?

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

SeeClickFix -- Citizens Communicating to Cities

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

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.

A Bulletin about the Daily Bulletin

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

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.

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

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 *

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...

Who you gonna call?

If there's something strange
In your neighborhood.
Who you gonna call?

Sure, call Ghostbusters if you're on the market for a little paranormal elimination.

If, on the other hand, you would like to share your crime concerns with a Lieutenant, are looking for information about crime in your area (including following up on a concern logged previously), or are interested in learning how to start a Neighborhood Watch, then call your friendly neighborhood Area Commander or Community Service Officer (CSO).

Who are these fine folks?, you might ask. Six CSOs serve as the liaisons between the community and the police department. These are your "go to" people for all sorts of community organizing and program needs (e.g., National Night Out, arranging a police visit to a school to talk about stranger danger).

Check out the map below to find out who the CSO is for your area. Then call or drop an e-mail to introduce yourself. I've met three of the CSOs thus far; they are a knowledgable and approachable bunch. Let them know how they can support your efforts to bite crime and build community.

Each of the four Area Commanders are in charge of coordinating the policing efforts in a specific quadrant of our city. Pick up the phone and call your Area Commander (see map below) to raise a concern (e.g., "We're really worried by all the people going in and out of that vacant building. Can someone look into it and get back to me?"). What?! Ask an Area Commander to get back to you? How forward!

Indeed. In fact, Acting Cheif Keetle explained during a recent community/PD meeting that one of his goals in developing the Area Commander model is to make sure every one of us has a single person on the PD to touch base with when we have concerns about crime in our neighborhoods and when we need to follow up on issues raised previously (vs. bouncing from person to person in hopes of finding the gal or guy who is able to answer your question).

The four Area Commanders will meet regularly with the public -- residents of their quadrant and everyone else -- to respond to concerns, offer updates on special initiatives, etc. The next such meeting will take place on Tuesday, June 9th at 7 PM in Council Chambers. Lt. Rilloraza will respond to any concerns he's heard about in the area North of Holt and East of Garey. So, call him with your concerns and then show up to the meeting to hear what he can tell us.

(I'm curious to know if anyone else has the Ghostbusters theme song cursing through their noggin.)


Lt Commander Areas

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CSO District Map May 2009

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Preventing Residential Burglary

Although most of Tuesday evenings community meeting with the Pomona PD concerned traffic, compliance, and theft issues from the northwest quadrant of Pomona, part of the meeting featured a presentation by Brenda Sutherland on how to prevent residential burglary.

Brenda kindly offered to make her powerpoint slides available to the blog. So, in case you missed the presentation, take a look:


Residential Burglary and Physical Security for NW

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Disaster Preparedness

Please find below slides from Carrie Cruz's April 15 presentation to Pomona residents about disaster preparedness. If you have questions, please contact Carrie at Carrie_Cruz@ci.pomona.ca.us Thank you, Carrie, for a wonderful presentations (and thank you to local merchant M & I Surplus for the great door prizes)!


Sara Shakeout Pres

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Presentation: "Child Safety"

As I mentioned in an earlier post, last week Sonia presented information to the Garfield Park Neighborhood Watch group about child safety. The slides from the presentation appear below.

Thank you to Sonia for the presentation (and the permission to post)! Thank you to Calwatch for teaching me how to post slides!

Child Safety

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More numbers worth knowing

During Saturday's Neighborhood Watch meeting, Sonia and Brenda shared a couple phone number worth knowing; these all deal with traffic-related issues.

To report damaged street signs: 620-3665

To submit a request for a new street sign (e.g., street sign needed): 620-2263

To request the trailer with the speed monitor and sign: 620-2081

Hola y Hello: A tool for translation

The Garfield Park Neighborhood Watch group met today. Although "child safety" served as the primary focus of the meeting (I'll post the presentation if we obtain permission to do so), the tidbit of information I found most exciting is that the Crime Prevention Unit has a nifty broadcast system to help translate meetings conducted in one language into another language. A translator translates the meeting; her or his words are broadcast into earphones worn by people who speak the second language.

Your Ideas Needed: Special Topics for NW Meetings

I'd like to generate a list of special topics NW groups might wish to engage during monthly meetings (in addition to the always-present "what are we worried about right now"). Here are some initial brainstorms -- would love to hear others.

* Emergency preparedness
* Child safety
* Using neighborhood curb appeal to increase likelihood of selling foreclosure properties

What topics have other NW groups engaged? What kinds of things do you think people might be interested in learning and talking about?

Motion-Activated Solar Security Lights

In case you're like me and don't have an electrician in the family, solar powered security lights can be useful to shed a little light in an otherwise dark corner. I'll warn you that these aren't the prettiest of lights to look at, but for a cost-effective security tool, they can't be beat.

The only major requirement for installation is choosing a location with access to direct sunlight. All the models that I've looked at, attach the PV (photovoltaic) panel to the battery with a 10-20 foot extension cord, giving the homeowner a little more flexibility in maximizing the sunlight. A couple of screws to hold down the PV panel and a couple more to mount the light and you're done! Well, almost done. The manufacturer may ask you to turn the light off for at least a day to charge the battery, so rather than climbing on a ladder twice, you may find it easier to charge the light before you install it. You may also want to hold off on the final installation until close to dusk, since it facilitates positioning the light and PIR (passive infrared) motion sensor.

I've purchased models from OSH and Home Depot and didn't have a problem with either. New models are coming out all the time and many appear to be migrating towards using LEDs instead of halogens. If you have experience with either one, please leave a comment. The prices tend to fall around $60, and I can only speculate whether paying a premium really provides you with a superior product. Certainly the brighter the better, so more LEDs or more watts will probably yield the better resort. Of course, "a candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long", so the increased illumination may influence the battery life or cycles between charges. As for longevity, I'd recommend that you choose the location of the PV panel carefully. In addition to facing south, a location that may allow an occasional shot from the hose to clean it off, may not be a bad idea. In case you didn't know it, bird poop and dirt is detrimental to PV output.

My only warning is that these lights are not for high traffic areas, but if you're looking to illuminate an alley or side of your house, these are wonderful.

Next time, I'll look at wireless remote motion sensors.

Communication among NW groups?

Reader Ed recently asked how much intercommunication occurs among the various NW groups in Pomona. I, too, would be curious to know the answer to this question.

How connected is your NW group to others in the area? How connected would you like to be? What information might other groups have that you would find interesting and/or relevant? What are the pros and cons of knowing and being known?

Especially during its first year, our NW group benefited a great deal from the support and "know how" of members from a group north of Holt/west of Towne (a shout out to Pomona Joe et al). And, I met lots of really engaged and knowledgeable people at last month's SARA meeting -- people with whom I'd love to trade ideas, success stories, frustrations, etc.

In a nutshell, I know our group would benefit from more communication with other groups.

PART IV: NW Group Not the Only Option

A while back (I guess it could not have been that long ago since this blog is barely two weeks old), reader Anduhrew posted a comment inquiring about the effort involved in creating and sustaining NW groups. His post prompted a four-part reflection on the issue. Today's post, which is the fourth in the series, sits a bit askew from the others in that it contemplates non-NW options for achieving one goal of the NW program: community building.

Sure, Neighborhood Watch groups can be effective mechanisms for biting crime and building community. But, plenty of other strategies exist for achieving these ends. For example, check out How to Build Community . Notice how small many of these things really are; small, but significant.

If you can't join forces with an existing NW group (see Part I), don't have the energy to start a new group (see Part II), or worry about the time involved in sustaining a watch group (see Part III), you can still create -- and benefit from -- community connectedness.

What ideas do you have for building community? Post your ideas. Try out the ideas posted by others. Share your reflections.

PART III: Time Involved in Organizing a NW Group

I look forward to comparing notes with others about the time involved in organizing -- sustaining, really -- NW groups. Our group began meeting approximately 3 years ago. We recently (finally!) worked out a system that I hope will make it a bit easier to keep the watch group rolling.

Before I tell you what we're doing now, let me tell you how we operated previously. In the past, the meetings tended to rather reactive -- if something was happening in the neighborhood, we quickly cobbled together fliers, pleaded with our Crime Prevention Specialist to put in a last-minute request an officer for the meeting, and hoped people would show up. Although attendance was spotty, the meetings usually turned out pretty good -- spirited conversations, sharing of information, etc.

The meetings would typically end with a question: "Who is willing to organize the next meeting?" After a minute or so of pleading ("Really, it is important we all share responsibility for our watch group") and attempts to avoid eye contact, somebody would eventually volunteer. The plan was always to get together "sometime within the next month."

Months would roll by; urban tumble weeds (i.e., plastic grocery bags), rather than NW fliers, arrived on the stoop. Eventually, neighbors would start asking me, "Hey, when is the next meeting?" I'd reply, "So and so said he'd organize the next one; I'll touch base with him to see if he's had a chance to set a date." Still, no meeting. Eventually, there would be another "event" in the neighborhood. Stew and I, feeling irritated that the organizing responsibilities were again falling on our shoulders, would whip up some fliers, beginning the cycle anew.

Alas, this reactive model took a lot of emotional energy and time. We needed a better approach.

Here's the current model: We meet the last Saturday of every month at 3:00 PM. The location changes depending on the weather (if it is nice, we meet in the park) and the willingness of neighbors to host. Prior to the meeting, we ask our Crime Prevention Specialist to prepare fliers for the next meeting. Then, at the end of the meeting, we ask for volunteers to simply distribute the fliers for the following meeting; given the fliers are already prepared, we can hand them over "on the spot."

We recently acquired bright yellow lawn signs that say, "Neighborhood Watch Saturday at 3:00." Whoever has a sign places it in their yard the Sunday before the meeting, providing both a reminder to participants and a signal to ne'erdowells that we are an active group.

Now, here is what it takes to organize a meeting:

1. An e-mail to the Crime Prevention Unit to request fliers and officer visits

2. A call to remind neighbors to put out their yellow signs and/or distribute fliers

3. Calls to any guest presenters to coordinate their visit

4. It seems a call to remind people to take down the yellow signs may also be needed (yup, some of the signs from last week's meeting are still out)

So far, I'm finding this new model much more humane than the old. We've got built-in redundancy in the advertisement efforts (a stable meeting time, fliers, multiple yard signs), so if somebody drops the ball on a given month, the chances are good at least a few people will nevertheless show up to the meeting.; in other words, Stew and I don't need to find more time in our packed schedules to do tasks other people said they would do. We have more lead time now for coordinating our efforts with the police department and lining up interesting and relevant guests; having lead time really helps our Crime Prevention Specialist support the group's efforts.

And, most importantly, this new model makes it easier for everyone to play a role in sustaining the group.

PART II: Starting a New NW Group

Let's imagine Henrietta Pussy Cat wishes to start a NW group in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe: "Meow Meow Henrietta Pussy Cat meow wants meow to take a bite out of crime meow." What steps can she take to achieve her goal?

I'm sure alternate paths to action exist, but here's a run down of how we got the ball rolling in Garfield Park. I put time estimates after each step; they feel accurate, but memory is a fickle thing.

Step 1. Call Pomona Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit. (909) 620-2318. After you give your address, the CPU will be able to tell you who serves as the Crime Prevention Specialist (CPS) for your area. The Specialist for your area is your go-to person for all things Neighborhood Watch. 15 minutes.

Step 2. Read the Information Packet. Your CPS person will likely send you a packet of information about Pomona's NW program. As I recall, our packet contained lots of useful information and tips for organizing watch groups; I think there were some preliminary forms to fill out, too. 1 hour.

Step 3. Select a date and time for your first NW meeting. Coordinate this time with your CPS, as she or he will want to be there to help facilitate the meeting, to get a sense of community interest, and to support you. At this point, your CPS may contact the watch captain on your behalf to request the presence of an officer at your meeting (if you don't want an officer present, it is AOK to let your CPS know this). 5 minutes.

Step 4. Make Fliers. Ask your CPS if she or he would be willing and available to create and duplicate a flier announcing your meeting. You will need to know how many fliers to request, so count doors in the neighborhood before placing the call. To help encourage broad participation, it is a good idea to print the fliers in both Spanish and English; doing so signals to neighbors all are welcome -- not just English speakers (we struggle with this impression in our neighborhood).

Frankly, at least for the first meeting, I think it would be a good idea to request at least two sets of fliers. The first flier, which you could distribute a couple weeks in advance of the meeting, would announce the existence of the group and invite neighbors to "save the date" for the first meeting. The second flier, which you could distribute 2 - 4 days before the meeting, would serve as a reminder, and perhaps an invitation to "meet your neighbors and share your concerns." 5 minutes (requesting the fliers is easy; the CPS is doing the hard work here -- be thankful)

Step 5. Distribute the fliers. Knock on doors, introduce yourself. Don't be surprised if neighbors want to share their concerns with you on the spot. Validate their concerns and let them know you hope they'll consider sharing their thoughts at the meeting. 30 minutes (this time estimate, of course, depends on the size of your area).

Step 6. Stay in contact with your CPS. Let her or him know about any concerns you have about the actual meeting. Ask questions.

Step 7. Prepare a simple agenda. It will likely include: introductions, concerns, plans for the next meeting. 5 minutes

Step 8. Gather supplies. Definitely bring a sing-in sheet (with spaces for name, address, phone number, e-mail), a pen or two, and a notebook for your own use. In addition, you may wish to bring the following to the meeting: name tags, markers for the name tags, extra pens, maps of the neighborhood which people can use to "x" any problem areas, light refreshments (totally optional). 10 minutes.

Step 9. Knock on doors. We find that, even with the fliers (and now the snazzy yellow yard signs), it is useful to go door-to-door in the hour or moments preceding the meeting to encourage people to come by. Some people forget about the meeting; others just need a little extra reminder that their input is valued. 30 minutes.

Step 10. Enjoy your first meeting! The CPS will likely arrive a few minutes early and will bring a bunch of window stickers and placards, informational brochures, etc. As people arrive, introduce yourself, offer a name tag (if you decide to use them), and ask everyone to sign-in. You or the CPS can kick off the meeting once it looks like most everyone has settled in. 1 - 2 hours, depending on attendance and level of enthusiasm.

[Today's image obtained from www.fci.org Three cheers for Fred Rogers, who taught us what it means to be a good neighbor.]