Pomona's Finest

Not sure how many liquor stores have to come and go from the southeast corner of Palomares and Holt before entrepeneurs everywhere realize that corner will no longer support a liquor store or a smoke shop.

The latest venture there was a liquor store catering to the Holt Street crowd that called itself "Pomona's Finest." This always made me laugh (still does since the sign and spiffy red and white paint job remain behind). I always wondered if the business owner meant it to be ironic, or if it just came out that way.

The name worked on several different levels actually, given that Pomona's other Finest (the police) were often out in front of the place questioning people.

Thanks to Daniel Ross for today's photograph of Pomona's Finest. Seems the now deceased business inspired him to write a $75 book entitled Pomona's Finest.

THE END

Super Sandwiches

Bánh Mì Thịt Nướng
Originally uploaded by Danburg Murmur

I have about a jillion posts swirling around in my brain right now. Most have to do with Pomona, like is Elliott Rothman still running for mayor? But the post most on my mind these days is the one I'm currently craving: Super Sandwich at 9885 Central (northeast corner of Benito and Central, which is in between Holt and the 10 freeway) in Montclair. I know it's not in Pomona, but this place is worth crossing Pomona borders for, even at the risk of getting caught up in one of those pesky checkpoints.

For the past five years, my family has driven cross count[r]y to eat at Lee's Vietnamese Sandwich joint in San Gabriel and Fullerton. They have about 35 California locations, in what seems like every city BUT Pomona. They have one across from U.C. Irvine which, until recently, was open 24 hours a day. Lee's has something of a cult-like following, which I will readily admit to being a part of. With the pickled carrots and white stuff (someone help me out here), cucumber, cilantro and choice of meat, served on a fresh baguette, these are the most flavorable sandwiches I've ever had. And healthy too. Not to mention addictive.

While Lee's Sandwiches is the largest chain, some say that Mr. Baguette's Sandwich Shop in San Gabriel/Rosemead actually has the better sandwiches. I personally think that the bread at Mr. Baguette's may be better, but I prefer the overall sandwiches at Lee's.
My husband disagrees.

Some Pomona area restaurants offer Vietnamese sandwiches on their menu, but we've never found a Vietnamese sandwich shop in the Pomona Valley. Turns out Super Sandwiches has been around for two years. I only found out about them when they appeared in a mailer a few weeks ago. Super Sandwiches serves an excellent Vietnamese style sandwich (may I recommend the charbroiled or BBQ pork or chicken, remember to order it "Vietnamese style," although you probably want to manually take off the peppers.) Super Sandwiches also serves smoothies that not only rival Lee's, but the honeydew tastes exactly like Lee's.

The Clockwork Orange dining chairs at Super Sandwich deserve a shout out as well.

For anyone interested in checking it out, Super Sandwiches are closed on Sundays and only open weedays until 6. Which means they have better hours than the Pomona Baking Co.

As for me, it's nice to be craving food that I don't have to drive 20 miles to get.

It goes without saying that we could use a Vietnamese sandwich shop in Pomona. Perhaps one of the candidates will add that to their platform.

More Pomona posts to follow. I promise.

Down Second Street Way

Thanks to Richard for sending me today's photo of the restoration work going on at Third and Thomas Streets. Seems the deco builidng at 3rd and Thomas is going to keep up with the Joneses, what with it's neighbor the Fox Theater getting it's much-anticipated restoration. I think the building at 3rd and Thomas, with it's stunning art deco friezes, or whatever you want to call them, is one of the nicest examples of art deco architecture in town. I'm sure someone else can chime in about this building's history.


Kiddy corner from this building is Pho Vi, the new Vietnamese restaurant coming to the Artist Colony. Pho Vi's doors are on and open, but the inside is still being constructed. Soon, people, soon.

I also went by the Pomona Bakery on Locust Street a couple blocks away and spoke to Jesse. He told me that they hope to be open in three weeks or so. He said that they actually had hoped to open up back in August, but there were set backs with regard to City rules and regs. He told me that the owner is Daniel Swift, who is head of the culinary arts department at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga.


Turns out that Jesse must be one of Daniel's students, since I found this photo of Jesse at Chaffey's student-run gourmet cafe (called CC's Cafe). Thanks to the Chaffey College newsletter for these photos. The food at Cc's has gotten rave reviews, and Daniel oversees it's operations.



Jesse explained that the bakery will be on the left side of the building, and a cooking school for adults and children will be on the right side. This is a photo I came across of Daniel teaching his students. Jesse said that Daniel has a longtime connection to Pomona. He certainly has a tall chef's hat!

Jesse said that there will be outdoor seating. And I must say that the location is awesome: a quiet court off antique row, with a view onto the railroad crossing structure and passing trains. There's a parking lot in between, which will give the bakery nice foot traffic. Did Goddess mention that she's really excited about this one?

Ted Pugh Open Space Friday will return next week.

THE END

Be Sign-Wize on April Fool's Day

The Sign-Wize storefront at Park and Monterey is today's April Fools photo. Even though I have passed Sign-Wize hundreds of times on my way to and from the post office, I still find myself doing a double take.

Thanks to Ren for getting the guy on the ladder to pose so nicely for us here on the blog.

THE END

Opening Soon Downtown

Pho Vi, a new Vietnamese restaurant, will be opening soon at the corner of 3rd and Thomas. It's a central corner location, and they advertise outdoor seating.

For those who have never had Vietnamese cuisine, it is very healthy, fresh and flavorful. Like Mexican food, cilantro is a trademark seasoning of Vietnamese cuisine. Vietnamese beef noodle soup is called Pho (pronounced fuh), and has developed a cult-like following.

One of the cult members is my husband, who used to be a regular at another Pomona Vietnamese restaurant, which shall remain nameless. He rarely goes there anymore, since the wait staff developed a habit of asking him what sports teams to bet on. Seems my husband made the mistake of reading the sports section of the L.A. Times over his countless lunches there. Far as I can tell, my husband's tips were helpful, based on the reverential treatment we received when Mr. Big and I joined him for lunch. But my husband got a little nervous, wondering what might happen if his advice lost someone lots of money. My husband started to go there less, and eventually the wait staff changed, only to be replaced by new people who often served a different pho than my husband had actually ordered. Hence our excitement about Pho Vi coming to town.

I thought this was the old bank building where Eldridge Cleaver spent his last year of life, but thanks to Richard who sent me these photos (no, he did not take them!) it turns out the Pho Vi space used to be a theater.

btw, David Allen already wrote about Pho Vi in passing, of course he did it in the Pasadena local paper, rather than the "Inland Valley," so I only just saw this.

In that article, David lists his dream businesses for Pomona. What are other people's wishes for downtown businesses?

THE END

Goddess Done Good

Last week, a worker at Veteran's Thrift Store in Pomona found $30,000 in cash while sorting through the donations pile. The worker, Barbarita Nunez, was honest enough to return the money. Her selfless act has put Pomona's good side all over the regional news. Here's a video showing Barbarita and some of the thrift store's inventory. (Please note, you have to press the play button on the screen at the right side of the cbs page.)

Veterans Thrift Store is located at 1190 S. Garey Avenue. I finally went inside about a year ago at the enthusiastic urging of my friend Dalet. Once inside, I marveled at the hugeness of the space and the sheer amount of clothing and knick knacks that are stockpiled there. Each time I have visited, a half price sale has been going on, and there is an undeniable frenzy in the air.

Pop in there sometime. And be sure to give Barbarita a high five for doing her part to change Pomona's image. And let us know if those $9.98 yellow sneakers are still around.

P.S. NO, this is not the new look for the blog. I'm playing around with some features in preparation for the move, so bear with me.

THE END

Mmm mmm good...Berry Good

In Pomona, a new business that isn't a muffler shop or a massage parlor is cause for celebration. That's why I was so excited when reader "Pride in Garfield Park" offered to do a guest post on Pomona's newest, trendiest, and only, frozen yogurt shop. Take it away, Pride:

"When we first happened upon Berry Good back in December, my spouse and I knew this yogurt shop would become one of our warm-weather destination spots. Located in downtown Pomona on the northeast corner of Locust and Mission (1 block east of Garey, across from the Bank of America), Berry Good serves up five flavors of yogurt and at least 30 delectable toppings.

I misspoke. Actually, Berry Good doesn’t do the serving – you do. This is a do-it-yourself sort of place (see the play-by-play Berry Good video posted at Youtube.com. Recently, trendy Asian-inspired yogurt joints have popped-up all over SoCal (think KiwiBerry in Claremont, O-Lime in LaVerne, Pinkberry in Los Angeles). Typically offering just two skimpy flavors and limited selection of toppings, these competitions can’t hold a candle to our Pomona yogurt spot. The Berry Good experience is highly customizable.

Choose your yogurt flavor or flavors. Five lovely selections greeted us during our last visit: strawberry, green tea, mango, raspberry, and plain tart. Dispense the yogurt(s) of your choice into the cup, making sure to save plenty of room for toppings. Then, pile on the toppings. Given there are over 30 toppings available, there’s something for everyone. Options include fresh fruit (including very plump blackberries and blueberries), nuts, cereals, jimmies, candies, and syrups.

If you’ve been to similar yogurt places in LaVerne or Claremont, you may have winced at the high prices. But, at Berry Good the yogurt and toppings are priced at a very reasonable 33 cents per ounce. My impression is this is at least half the cost of yogurt at similar shops. As you pay, ask the cashier to stamp your frequent-buyer card: buy ten, get the eleventh free. Speaking of deals, keep an eye out for coupons. At least when they first opened, the store offered “Buy Two, Get a Third Free” coupons. They also run regular coupons in the Money Mailer and in the Papa John’s flyers (Garey location).

Of course, you’ll have to decide whether to enjoy your treat on the run or while sitting at one of the chrome bistro tables nestled in the bright space. In spite of the free WiFi, a multitude of magazines for browsing, and a sun-filled seating area, the loud music and intrusive television dissuade me from camping out at Berry Good for more than 15 minutes at a time. I’d rather take my yogurt for stroll as I enjoy the company of friends and family.

Owner Jason Kwon said business has been steady since he and his family opened the shop a few short months ago. The Kwon’s often say hello to new and repeat customers, inspiring loyalty. Linda, a Western student, said, “This place is amazing. I am always trying to get people to come. . . When I first came here, I immediately started to bring all my friends; they love it too!” Linda also noted how receptive Berry Good is to suggestions. She said that her favorite yogurt flavor, Green Tea, was brought back from hiatus right after she requested it. My family experienced similar superb treatment when we requested that mochi be added to the toppings bar. (Mochi are sweet, chewy bits of rice dough. Don’t laugh; try them!) Mr. Kwon, when interviewed for this blog, said he has tried to create a place of beauty. I think he’s succeeded!

Not surprisingly given the location, regular customers include many students and faculty from Western University of Health Sciences, lawyers from the nearby courts and people who work downtown. If you live in the area, or find yourself downtown, you should definitely stop by for a visit. To accommodate customers out and about enjoying the extra hour of sunlight and the warm weather, the shop recently announced new business hours. They are:

Monday - Friday 10 AM – 8:30 PM
Saturday 10 AM – 8 PM
Sunday 10 AM – 6 PM

We go there for the yogurt, but it should also be mentioned that Berry Good also serves hot and cold beverages, including coffees, frozen drinks, and boba teas. Enjoy!"

THE END

Open Times Two

The massage parlor/accupuncture studio at Garey and Lincoln is......still open. And to prove it, they've added yet another "open" sign to the building. The new "open" sign is neon blue and red.

Response to my emails to the Chief and Councilwoman Lantz was beyond satisfactory. They were pretty much already on it.

I'll report the details and ultimate outcome when it's appropriate.

THE END

The Strange Case of the Pomona Wannabes

Lots of people go out of their way to NOT be associated with the name Pomona (most typically Phillips Ranchers). But an afternoon spent perusing the yellow pages as I waited for my car to be fixed reveals that: there are some folks claiming Pomona when they don't even have to.

The Pomona Box Company, for instance, is not located in the City of Pomona, but in LaHabra. Pomona Feed & Fuel and the Pomona Open Door? Both in Montclair. The Pomona Pregnancy Counseling Center is in Upland and the Pomona Print Shop is in Rancho. I respect that these business owners are bucking popular wisdom and wearing the Pomona name with pride. And let's not forget that there is a whole college brave enough to represent Pomona, while not actually having to live in Pomona or shop at the Garey Avenue Stater Bros. Tho I've always halfway expected Pomona College to petition for a name change.

The flip side of the coin? Not as many businesses as you might think are claiming Claremont while not actually being located in Claremont. Most of the guilty parties are, I'm sad to say, located in Pomona:

Claremont West Suites is in Pomona (Pomona is west of Claremont after all). Claremont Auto Care and Claremont Auto Body are also located within Pomona City limits. Claremont Care Center? Pomona. Claremont Community Care Clinic and Claremont Dental Center? Pomona, Pomona. In short, if you want to fix your car or straighten your teeth or care for the community, you're gonna have to do it in Pomona.

The biggest suprise to me was that the Claremont Tattoo Studio is NOT in Pomona. But it's not in Claremont either. The Claremont Tattoo Studio is in

...Rancho Cucamonga. I'm sure there's a story there somewhere.

Fuel it up, Pomona!

Anyone else noticed that Pomona has a lively new independently owned gas station called Fuel It Up. It's located at the corner of Arrow and Garey and is connected to Pomona Auto. They recently painted the place neon yellow and blue, making that corner kind of reverberate as you drive by. I like their catchy signs (it looks like they have very nicely incorporated an Islamic moon into their logo). I also liked how they matched the colors to the nearby Pomona Rancho Market.

Given that both of the gas stations at Garey and the 10 allow patrons and employees to smoke cigarettes freely in the pumping area, I think I'll be fueling it up at "Fuel It Up" from now on. Maybe I'll see you there?

Flowers Flow in Pomona once again, ect.

An update on my previous post about the closing of Pomona Flowers: It's back in business as a flower shop and here's the photo to prove it. Look closely at the photo (click on it if you need to) to see the window letters that say "weddings, funerals, gifts, ect." I'm not sure why, but I think mispellings on businesses give the place more heart, charm, etc.

I haven't driven north on Garey at night this week, so I'm not sure if they've fixed the "ERS" on the large neon sign, or whether it still reverberates "POMONA FLOW" as noted in David Allen's recent column.

It seems that in Pomona, even our shortcomings are cool. Though I have to admit that the new Laemelle theater sign that reads "CLAREMONT" in no doubt perfectly lit letters (I haven't actually seen it lit, is it lit up yet at night?) is pretty cool too.

dba256 Art Gallery

256 Art Gallery
Originally uploaded by The Harrison's

Since they were nice enough to send me an e-vite, I wanted to do a post about Pomona's newest art gallery/wine bar: dba256. No, it's not the place pictured to the right. But it's ironic that that's the photo that came up when I did a Flickr.com search for "256 gallery" since it fits most outsiders' image of what an art gallery in Pomona should look like.

Click here to see how sleek dba256 really looks. Be sure to check out the Press Enterprise article about the couple who run the place: Andi Campognone and Ron Faris. Andi used to be the associate director of the Riverside Art Museum and has been a curator for two decades. Ron owns VinNostro, a boutique wine label out of Northern California. The point of the place is to offer museum quality art and wine country vino, with comfortable seating to boot. Their current exhibit is entitled "Inland Emperors," and what I like from the start is their willingness to embrace the area for what it is.

On a Pomona-centric vein, the gallery serves an American amber lager by Dale Bros. Brewery called "Pomona Queen." I'll admit that getting myself a bottle of "Pomona Queen" would be my main draw for checking out their gallery. Perhaps that's proof their business philosophy is working!

I may just get my chance: dba256 will be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony this Friday, October 12, 2007 at 11:30 a.m. and a grand opening party from 5 p.m. to midnight. Then on Saturday, October 13, 2007, they will have an open house from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. as part of Pomona's Second Saturday Art Walk.

Welcome to the neighborhood you guys.

btw, seems my old friend/poster The Inland Emperor even caught the buzz. THE END

A Hoppin' New Pomona Business

Last week, Mr. Big and I attended the gala grand opening day celebration of DD's Discounts, located in the 99 Cents Only Shopping Center at Towne and Arrow Highway. DD's Discounts appears to be an independently owned Ross Dress 4 Less store. A friend of mine swears by their Chino store for great kid's stuff. To be honest, I didn't see a single item of women's clothing I would want brushing up against my skin, but they had some decent kids' jackets and pants. Their toy section featured more than a few decidedly Holt Avenueish toys. While I actually own some homies myself, the remote conrolled street walkers resting on the '64 impala that boasted "realistic hydraulic hoppin' action" was a bit much.

Turns out that we've had a few cars displaying "realistic hydraulic hoppin' action" around Lincoln Park of late (as referenced in my summary of the recent neighborhood watch meeting).

DD's Discounts, in general, seemed to be catering to the Pomona you hear about on the news. Otherwise I suppose it's good to see another business opening up in Pomona. THE END

Nancy: just another girl from Pomona (with her own tortilleria)

Okay, so I only drove by Nancy's pink and green building on Towne and Third (?) Street a hundred times before finally going in and buying some tortillas there. They were good, not too many additives. They do sell gorditas (really thick tortillas) but you have to call ahead (which is far too much planning for me.)

Then it took a few more hundred times of passing by Nancy's before we actually tried the prepared food there. We ordered chicken tacos, rice and beans. Pretty basic, but always a good barometer. My husband, whose Mexican mother's cooking has him turning his nose up to most Mexican food, thought the food was quite good. So much so that he urged me to make this post. Nancy's even has tables and chairs around back if you want to eat in the parking lot.

According to the staff, Nancy is the owner's daughter. A photo of Nancy at about three years old adorns the tortilla bags (see my photo). Nancy is now in her teens.

btw, we tried Los Jarritos #2 awhile back, and their chicken tacos tasted like a cafeteria chicken sandwich, minus the mayonnaise. My husband announced that he didn't care what anyone else said about the food there, he would not be going back. As for Osuna's (not to be confused with Osama's) at HOlt and Palomares, my husband refuses to go to "fancy" Mexican restaurants. I have gone to Osuna's with other people, and always fond the food and service to be excellent in this gringo's humble opinion. Osuna's recently changed hands, but I am assured by regulars that the food is not only just as good, but better. Funny, I always forget Osuna's when I have company in town and want to take them someplace close. I believe they are best known for their chile rellenos.

If anyone knows of a local store that sells gorditas without having to order them ahead of time, please make a post.

Pomona Flowers

In the past month, Lincoln Park has lost two residents to illness. One was a fellow dog walker. The other was one of the first people I met in the neighborhood. I met him, his daughter and grandson (all Lincoln Park residents) at the local park, on the day the CHP officer was shot downtown. Of course we had no idea what the helicopters and commotion were all about until we left the park and went home. A mutual friend said it best when she described him as "one of the good guys." Everyone who knew him seemed to have felt a strong personal connection with him, as he was never without a warm greeting, a conversation, and some piece of knowledge to impart. His physical presence will really be missed here in Lincoln Park, but those of us who knew him will contine to remember him.

Another thing that is gone from Pomona, is the tenant of Pomona Flowers (the photo for today). Pomona Flowers is located at the "Pearl Street curve" on Garey Avenue. I sure hope this does not spell the end of Pomona Flowers as a business.

They say change is good. Sometimes it just sucks.

Pomona's Third Street Promenade

"Third Street Promenade"
Originally uploaded by PrincessBuddha

This article in the Daily Bulletin is the type of story I like to read about Pomona. Sounds like something akin to Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade is in the works for Pomona's Third street, at least in the night time, and minus the usual corporate shops. I think this is a good move. The way to become a destination spot is not to make yourself generic, so I am excited about this plan. I'm also hoping they make Third Street a daytime destination spot by putting in something like the Chino children's museum to get families into the area.

I will admit to being a fan of Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade, mostly for the people watching, not the usual suspect of shops. My favorites there have been the smaller, independently-owned stores, most of which have closed up on me due to the ever increasing rent: Noteworthy Stationery store and Benita Frites (best french fries outside of Amsterdam) to name just two. I do still go to the outdoor crepe cafe there.

This new development makes me realize there's at least one or two people who know what they are doing in Pomona City government, or at least who have City Hall's ear. There is hope.

Speaking of L.A.'s mega-shopping complexes, Pomona already has our version of "The Grove." Our "The Grove" is up on Garey just below Foothill. It consists of an out-of-date shopping center housing small businesses that most outsiders have never heard of: Los Jarrittos Mexican Restaurant No. 3 and Aladdin middle eastern restaurant (no. 1). No, there's no iPOD store, nor is there a Banana Republic (although who needs the store when you've got the City government of Pomona). I don't know about you, but I much prefer Pomona's version of "The Grove" to L.A.'s at Third and Fairfax. But then again, I've never been into walling off streets and neighborhoods.THE END.

It takes a village to raise (standards at) a Stater brother

I have been meaning to write a letter to Stater Bros. for pretty much...well forever. I encourage anyone reading this blog who shops (or would like to feel comfortable shopping) at our last remaining Pomona Stater Bros., to write them too. I'll make it easy for you, here's their corporate address:

Jack H. Brown, Chairman and CEO
Stater Bros.
21700 Barton Rd., Colton, CA, United States
Phone: 909)783-5000, FAx:(909)783-5098 fax
http://www.staterbros.com

Suggestions for what you can address in the letter:

1. The absence of hand baskets for about two years now.

2. The homeless people and drug addicts who are allowed to gather all around the building and parking lot.

3. Their installation of a recyclying center which has become a nuisance and brings even more transients into the area.

3. Their not carrying fresh La Brea bakery bread daily like their other locations.

4. Their not adding any(?)/enough additional checkers once the two Pomona stores merged.

5. Their lack of appreciation for their next door neighbor: a stable, residential area where homes sales now top $700,000. A neighborhood whose residents would love to walk to the grocery store, but instead drive across town because they don't feel comfortable at the local SB.

What you can praise them for:

1. Produce that always looks fresh and tidy.

2. Checkers that are downhome and friendly.

3. I suppose the fact that they have kept the Pomona store open at all. Jeesh, how sad!

Maybe if they get enough letters and see that the village cares about standards at the store, they'll actually do something about it. Then again, we could get the City involved to form a committee and study it for a year first. Nah, I think we go grass roots on this one.

The Passing of an Era in Pomona real estate

For as long as anyone can remember, Margaret Ruecker has been the "go to girl" with regard to the sale of historic homes in Lincoln Park. She sold the 1911 craftsman I live in three separate times. The first time we ever drove through Lincoln Park, there were exactly six homes in the district for sale, and all six had Margaret's brown Century 21 sign in their front yard. It didn't take but that one trip to Pomona for us to realize who we needed to have as our agent. Even residents who managed to settle in the area without Margaret's capable assistance still know her name, since her name has appeared on every block in the area at one time or another. Margaret once told me that when a Pomona traffic officer stopped her and asked for her license, his mood changed to one of irreverance as he asked her, "Are you THE Margaret Ruecker?" If you've ever met Margaret, complete with Texas drawl, the gift of gab and usually dressed to the nines, the answer can only be: Officer, there's only one Margaret Ruecker in this town.

Margaret put her Lincoln Park home on the market last month, to the suprise of many. The home sold within a week and currently has a "sale pending" sign out front. She will be leaving Pomona, but not without having left her mark. In addition to passing homes from one worthy stewart to another, she has been active with Pomona Heritage and with obtaining historic status for this area.

Margaret's physical absence will create a virtual free-for-all for other local real estate agents. Already, it's noticeable that Margaret is no longer the only game in town. Current listings in the area include offerings by Arthur Ramos of Mar Investments, Tom & Nicole Troli of Prudential Robert Espinoza of First Team Real Estate, and Eurydice Turk of The Western Group. As it turns out, I received a form letter today from Margaret (less than 24 hours after making this post), announcing that she has formed a partnership called Ruecker & Samuelson Associates. The letter introduces Pat and Carlos Samuelson as the "new faces of the "Vintage Team."" The letter also makes it clear that Margaret plans to continue her involvement in local real estate, stating that, "As always, I will be assuring that your real estate transaction runs as smoothly as possible."

Donahoo's Donawhere?

Did you know that Pomona is not the only city where you can find a Donahoo's?

Donawhat? Yes, it's true, a Donahoo's can also be found in Ontario, and Riverside. The Riverside location even features the same funky rooster. In Riverside, the rooster sits on their roof, as opposed to Pomona where he is proudly perched up high on their sign. The only location to get a glowing review by the local bbq and greasy spoon reviewer was our very own Pomona location. Pomona was noted for chicken that was crunchier, spicier and cooked longer than the other two locations.

David Allen's column this week nominated the Pomona Donahoo's chicken to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World:

"Wonders here, too!
By David Allen, Columnist
Dated 7-10-07

NO WONDER: Well, the new Seven Wonders of the World have been announced, and immediately the choices - including the Great Wall of China, the Colosseum and Machu Picchu - proved controversial.

Especially at my desk.

Where is the Inland Valley in all this?

Sure, the Taj Mahal is beautiful. But do you mean to tell me it's more inspiring than the fiberglass steer watching over Sunny's Food Mart in Upland?

Or take the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil. Compare it to the Donahoo's Chicken rooster in Pomona, which perches high above the street and is visible from blocks away. Honestly, which one makes your pulse beat a little faster?

(When author Charles Phoenix spoke in March at the Pomona Library, he said of the Donahoo poultry: "It's practically the Statue of Liberty of Pomona.")

So that's two down. Any other nominations for the Seven Wonders of the Inland Valley, readers? Send 'em to the addresses at the end of this column, and feel free to bolster your case with a photo."

You can read David Allen's whole column here. By popular demand, I've also added a link to his column on my sidebar.

I would have to agree with the idea that the Donahoo's Chicken rooster is the Statute of Liberty of Pomona. But this got me worried about whether the Donahoo's Chicken rooster is protected as an historic landmark. I believe it would be, because it is located within the Lincoln Park Historic District, but does anyone know for sure?

Felix the Cat, off the Harbor Freeway near U.S.C., did not have historic status until this past Thursday when preservationists finally prevailed against developers backed by quite a political force. The Times covered the victory here. Felix got lucky. Roosters, on the other hand, don't usually have nine lives, much less one whole one. Let's hope the Donahoo's Chicken rooster is an exception.

Gardening in the 'hood

IMG_8270.JPG
Originally uploaded by sweber4507

So for four years now, I have been driving past the lovely craftsman on N. Garey, just below Stater Bros. You know, the one on the west side of the street with the awesome garden out front and a stand up sign on the sidewalk most days that says, "The Garden." I've been wanting to go inside since we moved here. In recent months, I was assured by a neighbor that yes, I most definitely had to check it out.

So last weekend, I was finally child-free from 4.5 year old Mr. Big. I was so excited to finally step inside the Garden's white picket fence. I was greeted in the garden by inspiring sunflowers and once inside the house, by Dawn Van Allen, a self-described "hippy," who is the owner of the house where she both lives and works. The house itself has loads of original wood work, and is full of unique garden objects, vintage seeds varieties and, well, garden paraphernelia, for lack of a better term. I spoke with Dawn at length about the frustrations and benefits of living in Pomona. Turns out she is just as big a fan of the La Brea bread they're supposed to sell at Stater Bros as I am. We both agreed it's infuriating when Stater Bros. only sometimes carries items that are carried regularly at their other stores. She told me that there is a rumor Staters will be building a Super Staters Bros next to their present location on Garey and Alvarado.

She gave me a tour of her huge back garden/shop and plucked a perfectly juicy pluot off a tree for me to eat.

I will definitely be back to her shop when I have some spending cash (not a lot of that right now around here). I have my eye on some ultra soft cotton tank tops she was selling. She really had a bit of everything in that store.

Pomona Folk has a feature on Dawn on their website. And The Garden itself also has a website. Dawn said that she does landscape design for a living. Dawn told me that there is another Pomona blog called "Pomona Walk of Shame," but I've been unable to find it.