Reminder: Area Commander Meeting -- Northeast Focus

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

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

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

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

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?

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..."

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 *