R is for Roman Goddess and Recyling Plant Fire

Yesterday there was a fire at a Recycling plant in Pomona. That makes two Recycling plant fires in Pomona this year alone, as there was one in Janauary too.

If you were outside yesterday morning, you probably smelled a rubbery chemical in the air. Not surprisingly, the hazardous material unit was called to the fire. But still no announcement of exactly what hazardous substance we were all breathing in yesterday. Nor was there any assurance we were not.

One of the reasons I write the blog is because there is often no follow up to things that go on in Pomona, (especially things that don't pass the smell test). The L.A. Times rarely reaches this far inland for too long after the gun shots ring out. And the Daily Bulletin doesn't really have an investigative reporter.

The Daily Bulletin does have columnist, Claremont-man-about-Pomona, and friend of this blog David Allen. David just published his first book, "Pomona A to Z."

In David's own words:

"R is for Roman goddess, who brings classic touch to Pomona."

The last thing I want is for David to update his book and replace Roman goddess with "Recycling plant fire." So here's to keeping Pomona classic, old school and Recycling plant fire free!

Pomona Lost and Found

Such is the ying yang of life, that now there are posters around Pomona for this "FOUND DOG." With a 'do like that, I'm sure someone is looking for this female cocker spaniel.

This place goes into the FOUND category: Brothers Afrik Market, coming soon to Towne Avenue, just north of Holt. I don't recall seeing another African goods marketplace in Pomona - although we may have LOST one along the way.

Brothers is located across the street from Zainabia, which is another place I have always wondered about. I just googled it and FOUND out Zainabia is an Islamic Society.

This building at the corner of Palomares and Holt goes into the LOST category in that it doesn't seem to know if it is open or shut. I drive past the Dept. Stores Outlet every day and for years have never figured out why there is inventory on the shelves, giving the hint of life, yet no obvious signs it is open for business.

Over time, the fabric awning at the back of the building gets more and more tattered, making the graffiti on said awning appear bigger and bigger.

Please someone help me solve this mystery of which category to put this building into.

Pink Elephants and a Fertilitree in Pomona

Driving through the intersection of White and 2nd, I thought I spied a pink elephant in the alley.

Driving into the alley for a closer look, it turns out there are four of them, not exactly dancing, kind of a little grumpy and crossing Abby Road! Grumpy or not, they sure cheer up that empty field and alleyway.

Speaking of public art, awhile back this artist named Damien Jones contacted me about helping him raise money to erect a 15 foot "Fertilitree" in front of AMOCA (the American Museum of Ceramic Art). As you can see, Damien has raised $8K towards his goal, but as of yet the fertilitree can not be seen amidst our forest of cultural revitalization here in Pomona.

If you did donate, you get a small FertiliSeed sculpture and/or your name on the actual Fertilitree statue! Damien describes the Fertilitree as having no branches or leaves, but "fulfilling her purpose of bearing fruits of inspiration, wonder and pleasure in the hearts of all who see her." Fertilitree will provide yet another reason to drive down Garey as opposed to Towne. Go Fertilitree!!

Lost Pomeranian in Pomona

I saw these posters up all over Lincoln Park and beyond today. There is nothing worse than when our furry friends are missing. Please keep an eye out for this sweet girl.

Awhile back there were posters all over Pomona, and I mean ALL over Pomona for another small white dog named Osito. Does anyone know if Osito was ever found?

Good Day Pomona

In case you haven't heard, Pomona was featured on Good Day L.A. this week.

Los Angeles News | FOX 11 LA KTTV

The second segment should be here (unless I screwed up):

Los Angeles News | FOX 11 LA KTTV

Claremont was featured on Good Day L.A. last week. For the sake of comparison, that clip is here:

Los Angeles News | FOX 11 LA KTTV

Definitely two different cities with much different vibes. Pomona wins in the youth and enthusiasm department!

Clean Air. In Pomona?

Clean Air Pomona is a group of young people who want to have Pomona parks designated as no smoking zones. Cleaner air in our parks would not only keep Pomona kids healthier, but serve to deter fires during what promises to be an explosive Summer. It would also discourage drug users and sellers from hanging out at our local parks, since the vast majority (approximately 71%) are also cigarette smokers.

The Clean Air Pomona website says it best:

"Currently, 38 other cities in LA County and 16 across the San Gabriel Valley enjoy smoke-free parks. Pomona is a beautiful and vibrant community that should NOT be the exception!"

I can't speak for other parks, but I know in Lincoln Park there are too many times when the cigarette smoke blows from the west part of the park into the playground area. Plus there are tons of butts, put out in the leaves and needles right next to the tree trunks.

Or when someone actually sets up shop smoking on the benches around the playground.

The most popular cigarette package I see left behind at Lincoln park is Swisher Sweets Cigarillos. I figured 80 year old men were the ones smoking them, but recently found out Swishers are extremely popular with teenagers due to their cheap price (two cigarillos for $1.19). So no smoking at the park would also discourage teenage smoking. The pictured package which was at the park yesterday is grape flavored!

If you would like to stay informed about Clean Air Pomona's continued efforts, you can email them from their website.

Will the Pomona YMCA be a film school?

Easily the most iconic building in town, the YMCA building is key to any downtown revitalization. According to this article, the building was sold to an international fine arts school. I keep hearing that the Y is slated to become a film school, with a sister school already operating in China. I've never been able to confirm this tho. Thanks to Frank Darrah's blog for today's photos.

This 1924 photo shows a group of children on the south side steps of the Y. It will be nice to see the building taken over by children and students once again.

In other 909 film news, an announcement about the upcoming 909 film festival, run by Pomona resident Eddie Gonzalez of 909junkie.com:

Pomona YMCA Getting a Facelift

Yet more promising activity on Monterey this morning. Someone is replacing the boarded up windows on the bottom, south side of the YMCA with square block glass that matches the period of the building.

And this shot is of the stained glass windows on the north side of the building.

Hope to bring you more good news on Monterey as it happens.

As for the Monterey contingency of the Pomona Motorhome Collective...

Still there.

Was it something I said?

In a case of "What a difference a day makes," the deco box building featured on my Friday post was painted two toned purple on Saturday. At least on two sides. So someone besides me loves it after all... Or at least likes the color purple.

Moving on Up

Pomona has dental offices galore along Garey, but now we've got a dental SPA. Located two blocks east of Garey on Monterey. I wanted to get a better picture of it, but this motorhome is always parked on the street in front. I'm thinking this is the beginning of the trickle down effect of the Monterey Station apartment complex, which is located one block west. I'm talking about the Dental Spa, not the motorhome.

Which has me thinking the deco building directly across from Monterey Station, which has been for sale for as long as I've lived in Pomona, stands a good chance of being bought and made into some type of walk in business. Maybe even a business I might have a reason to walk into myself. All I know is if I had the money, I would have bought that building 10 years ago. With those streamlines, it will look awesome once it's fixed up.

As for Monterey Station, things are definitely coming along. Pictured is the east side of the complex.

By the way, what IS a dental spa?

Starting tonight, Pomona featured on True Blood

The final season of True Blood starts on HBO tonight at 9 p.m. A Lincoln Park home, a block on Second Street and who know where else in Pomona will be featured. There is a viewing party going on in Lincoln Park as I type...

The Pact 2 movie, filmed almost exclusively in Pomona - at two Lincoln Park homes, the YMCA, and the Casa Bonita apartment complex on Alvarado east of Garey - comes out this Friday.

Pomona Resident Jesse Chavez Pitches A Stellar Game for the Oakland Athletics

A couple weeks ago, my friend had free tickets to an Angel's game. When I looked to see who they were playing that night, I knew I had to attend since they were playing the Oakland Athletics. The night before, Lincoln Park resident Jesse Chavez was the A's starting pitcher.

Of course the game we attended, Chavez saw no action. But according to this article, Chavez was impressive against the Boston Redsox yesterday.

Just another hometown hero! THE END

Over 46 trees cut down on Garey Avenue in Pomona

If you have driven down Garey lately, you might have noticed some construction going on. If you look closer, you would see no fewer than 46 newly chopped down trees (well treestumps and dirt planters now) along the west side of Garey north of Phillips. So there will be no shade along that stretch just in time for summer. Please someone tell me this is part of a Garey Avenue revitalization where other trees will be planted instead? Even if that's the case, couldn't new landscaping have incorporated the old? It's not as if we have an overabundance of trees in Pomona. On Pomona's main drags, we seem to have more signs than trees from what I can tell. My husband has taken to calling Pomona "Sign City." Most of the signs are the temporary kind you stick in the ground to announce an event or product.

The latest sign to pop up around Pomona is the "Our family is praying for Pomona" sign. I was driving through Montclair when I first saw this sign, which made me feel like we're some kind of charity case. But now that I am starting to see them go up in Pomona too, I feel better. I'm still bummed about the treestumps on Garey tho.

Goddess of Pomona on a First Name Basis with Craig of Craigslist

This morning I got a reply to my email to Craig of Craigslist from Craig himself. We are apparently on a first name basis. Cross your fingers and I will keep you posted. Here's the email he sent:

*

*

Re: blog post about need for new location category in the Los Angeles area

From "Craig Newmark"

To: "Goddess of Pomona"

Jun 16, 2014 5:05:47 AM [eastern time]

I'm sharing this with the team now!

Craig

Congrats to Pomona Grads of 2014

Congrats to Pomona's 2014 graduates. As you can see, the School of Arts and Enterprise ("The SAE") got their kudos on the marquee of the Pomona Fox. Guess that's just another perk of attending high school in the Pomona Arts District.

This is a new mural that was just painted at the SAE high school, which opened 11 years ago.

The 2013-2014 school year saw the opening of the new SAE 6th through 8th grade middle school. Kids at the middle school are lucky enough to do project based learning, yoga and dance for p.e. and digital arts like coding. The middle school will be moving into their permanent building just after the start of the upcoming school year (still in the Art's District) I was told the middle school is already at "wait list only" but those interested should still look into it, as our friends who were on the wait list for this past year eventually got in. In a case of role reversal, parents from surrounding cities are sending their children to school in Pomona there. I'm just glad to be sending my child to school in Pomona.

So congrats to the first class of graduating 8th graders from the new SAE middle school. And to the 6th graders, who will be the first class to go 6th through 12th grade at the Pomona SAE! Yet another reason to live in Pomona!

An Open Letter to Craigslist

Dear Craig,

I wanted to let you know that Pomona, California is not part of the Inland Empire. Yet Pomona ads appear in the Inland Empire Section of Craigslist, right beside ads from Victorville and Menifee. Pomona is nowhere near these other cities, because - as I said above - Pomona is not part of the Inland Empire.

Neither is Pomona part of the San Gabriel Valley, which is the furthest west category of the Los Angeles section of Craigslist. Yet, people are also forced to stick ads for Pomona there. The San Gabriel Valley ends at the Covinas, just west of Pomona. Perhaps the confusion is because Pomona is still in Los Angeles County even though hills separate us from the San Gabriel Valley. Another challenge is that Pomona can be found in what is called the Inland Valley: an incredibly boring and generic name for a valley. Other cities in the Inland Valley include Pomona's stepsisters La Verne, Claremont, Chino Hills, Montclair, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga (kind of a wobbler) and Chino Flats.

To live here is to know this is a very distinct area, NOT the Inland Empire, NOT the San Gabriel Valley, but SOMEWHERE all the same. Yet on Craigslist, we don't exist. There are lots of people who sell cars here, look for jobs here and give away free stuff here. In Pomona, we especially like the free stuff. But I digress...

Craig, can you please give us our own distinct category on Craigslist, so that we don't have to search both the Los Angeles version and the Inland Empire version to find ourselves? Your current location offerings are giving us an identity complex, in addition to doubling the time it takes for us to find something to buy, drive or a place to work. I assure you this new proposed Craigslist section will be healthy and active.

Sincerely,

The Goddess East of the San Gabriel Valley and West of the Inland Empire

P.S. One of the first items I sold off Craigslist was Mr. Big's train table. After I told him it had sold, Mr. Big asked me when Craig was coming by to get it. Mr. Big was still kind of confused when a mother from Claremont showed up instead, but after selling some of his own stuff on Craiglist, he definitely gets the concept now.

P.S.S. Why isn't there a direct email address for Craig of Craiglist anywhere on the internet?

And the Winner of Pomona's Breaking Bad Motorhome Lookalike Contest is...

This beauty is a dead ringer. If you want to see her in person, she is always parked on Towne Avenue around Alvarado.

By popular demand, here's her back side.

And here's Jessie Pinkman's motorhome for comparison.

As a mother of a young child and cyclist, I will never understand the City of Pomona's fascination with motorhomes. They block sight views for cars, bicycles and people alike, most especially children. Pomona's motorhomes often have people sleeping in them, so I tell Mr. Big to always assume they do. And they make even the nicest street look perfectly hillbilly. Heeeeeeehaw!!!

On a serious note, Pomona is in contention to be the backdrop for a new series by the makers of Breaking Bad (who were originally going to film Breaking Bad in Riverside). Perhaps Pomona's illustrious motorhome collection will help us get the gig. Otherwise, you can still catch members of the Pomona Motorhome Collective live and in person on Pomona streets near you.

Now taking nominations for the below pictured Walking Dead motorhome lookalike in Pomona. Could the winner be a motorhome parked on a Pomona street near you?

This 8th grader from Pomona Can Sing

Just listen. 

Living in Pomona Can Be Taxing

Pictured above: just one of Pomona's many tax services.

One business that is booming in Pomona is apparently that of tax preparation. From the longstanding H&R Block on Garey, the "Across the Street Tax Service" that is "across the street" from The Garden on Garey (hence the name I guess), to the newly built from the ground up Sierra Tax Service, Pomona has us covered.

Before Sierra Tax Service went in I kind of wondered what was being built kiddy korner from Curly's Key Shop. They had the funding and high hopes to take an empty lot, build a brand new building and even - brace yourself- landscape it! I would have preferred architecture that fit more in with the historic area, but I blame the City for not making that happen. So welcome Sierra Tax Service to the corner of Palomares and Monterey. Hopefully Sierra will find itself along the Palomares Bike Path that will run from Lincoln Park to 2nd Street if this goddess' hopes and dreams ever have their way. In the meantime, it's kind of located in a not so pleasant stretch to bike or walk through to get downtown. So perhaps it will offer a small beacon of light to that stretch.

Just got my taxes done this morning, but if you need a hand today, try out one of Pomona's many tax preparation companies.

P.S. I wanted to get a decent photo of the lady liberty sign spinner at Garey and Holt. He wears glasses, has a lot of spirit and always makes me smile as I go through that intersection. If anyone snaps a good photo of him, please email me and I will post him on the blog! However, by tomorrow, the day after tax day, he may be just another fond Pomona memory...

Have You Hugged Your Pomona Park Today?

The circular park in the middle of Lincoln Park is timeless and beautiful: at dusk, in the morning, in the afternoon and even at night. There is yoga and hooping there on Saturdays, and walking, playing and green grass to roll on every day of the week. Have you hugged your local Pomona park today?

I would love to explore Ganesha Park too. Ganesha Park seems mystical to me, almost too mystical in that I would only want to check it out in a group setting. While drop dead gorgeous, it does not seem well traveled and appears to have lots of nooks and crannies. Does anyone know a good walking trail or know if anyone ever conducts tours there?

And of course there's Garfield Park down on Holt, home of Pomona's only outdoor Goddess of Pomona statue. So don't even be dissing the ladies on Holt Street!

Now stop reading here and get out to your local Pomona park!

A Magic Buzz in Pomona

I am thinking this goes in the "Oh no they didn't" category. The former site of Mel's Burgers and way too many smoke shops since, at the fabled corner of Palomares and Holt, is the brand new "Magic Buzz" smoke shop. I kid you not.

A google search reveals that this is actually Magic Buzz #2.

Which kinda reminds me of the horror movie they filmed in Lincoln Park last summer called The Pact #2, coming out in 2014. I guess Pomona is a good place for sequels. The question is whether sequels are good for Pomona.

Should be interesting to watch...

Pomona Sprouts

New things sprouting up in Pomona this Spring:

1) The 305 Chinese Restaurant at Palomares and Holt. Their sign even uses an image of a Lincoln Park peacock. I haven't tried the place yet, but I do like seeing a new peacock in the neighborhood! It's the first time that building has housed a non-Mexican restaurant since I've lived here.

2) The "Monterey Station" apartment buildings at the corner of Monterey and Garey slated to open in the summer. Being built by the Realm Group, the same Newport Beach firm that built the Helix building on Palomares. If you go to their site, Realm also designed another mixed-use Pomona apartment complex called The Palomar. I have no idea where that one is going in, but it's exciting to see the new residential building going on!

As for Monterey Station, the brick facade is just going up on the east tower and the palm trees went in a couple weeks ago. Once complete, the development should transcend that whole block. I'm psyched!

Slowly but surely, the downtown business and arts district is creeping up toward Lincoln Park. I'd say the time is ripe for Pomona to grow a bike path!

Halloween in Lincoln Park Pomona

Even the tree fungus is in a festive mood here in Lincoln Park, Pomona. I had wanted to take a photo of this last year, but I waited and missed this pumpkinesque moment. Serves as a reminder to always seize the moment. Happy Halloween my fellow Pomonans.

The Pomona Cemetery will be on the Pomona Home Tour this year if you'd like to extend Halloween in Pomona a little longer. I'm told there will be vintage hearses, art deco mausoleums and highlighted graves of interesting Pomona folk. More info at Pomonaheritage.org.

Pomona Home Tour Sunday November 3, 2013

The 29th Annual Pomona Heritage Home Tour will be on Sunday, November 3, 2013. Four homes are on tour this year. Three of which have NEVER been on tour in 29 years. Two of them are homes you probably never even knew existed!! Also on tour is the beautiful Pomona Cemetery with two stunning art deco mausoleums. Tickets are $20 presale, or $25 the day of the tour. You can purchase tickets online at pomonaheritage.org or at Frantz Cleaners or the Ebell Museum. This tour is child-friendly, with children under 13 free and students $15. A whole day event that starts at the Ebell Theater where there will be an antique and craft faire Ebell opens at 10 a.m., tours starts at 11 a.m. and run to 5 p.m. Come on out and support Pomona. THE END

Pedaling for Bikepaths in Pomona

All these years later and Pomona still doesn't have a bike path system. This despite the fact that two planning students at Cal Poly Pomona designed one many years ago. Heck, Pomona doesn't even have a bike path anywhere that I can see besides a stretch on Bonita that is the tail end of the Citrus Bikeway. Big and I have been doing a lot of biking in Pomona lately and the problem is always how to best get anywhere outside of our little pocket of Lincoln Park.

How hard can it be to get a can of paint and do bikepaths along Palomares, Orange Grove and Arrow Highway. Thus connecting Pomona bike paths to the Claremont bike paths. And all of this is good for Pomona business, by the way. On a recent ride, we got pizza at Valentino's as a reward on our way home.

I've come to the conclusion that bikepaths in Pomona may never happen. If they were going to, it would have happened while Darryl Grigsby was here, but it didn't and now he is gone. I am sure there's a meeting scheduled somewhere soon in Pomona to talk about the bike paths, but meetings and talking don't do any good when you and your Pomona kid are looking for the best bike path to ride around, about or out of town. It's gotten to the point where we ride the treacherous streets of Pomona to Claremont in order to ride on a bike path in Claremont. What is ironic is how many more bike riders I see on the streets of Pomona than in Claremont, yet no bike paths in sight. Like I always say, it's the cheap fixes where Pomona fails, and fails miserably.

This Saturday morning, being the first of the month, is the monthly Ride Around Pomona event. If you are interested in safely riding around Pomona for a day, check it out:

Otherwise, if anyone has paint of any color they can donate to the City of Pomona for that fantasy rainbow bike path in the sky, well do it already. But whatever you do, don't get your hopes up that Pomona will ever get it together to actually build that citywide bike path that magically turns around our economy and keeps us and our dollars close to home. It's too inexpensive, common sensical and too obviously the right thing to do for them to ever just do it. So we are on our own, so be safe out there and always wear your helmet!

Chase Wars: Pomona v. Claremont

When I saw the landscaping they put in at Pomona's nearly complete Chase Bank last week - mostly bird of paradise and messy looking fan plants- I was kind of disappointed. I geuss I expected that the plantings would be similar, if not just as nice, as the ones they planted a couple months ago just down the street at the new Claremont Chase Branch. I decided to bite my tongue, questioning myself for being ungrateful since the lot was previously gravel for the 10 years I've lived here. Then this weekend two different neighbors commented on the inferiority of the landscaping at the Pomona branch versus the Claremont branch. So here I am feeling justified in my disappointment and typing it on the blog.

It's these little, inexpensive in the grand scheme of things, finishes that Claremont does, that when you add enough of them together, result in Claremont looking so much more put together than Pomona. No, I don't want to live in Claremont, though I admit to ocassionally fantasizing about it. LOL. I love Pomona's rough around the edges, hand painted sign, almost Felliniesque quality. But I hate when we don't get our due where we should. Maybe Ren will go out and take photos of both branches and I can link to them on his blog.

Chase is the dictionary definition of deep pockets, nicer landscaping was there for the taking. Heck, any city planner should have been able to get Chase to landscape the medians as well, as a good faith gesture. After all, they expect us to give them our money and have faith it will be there when we come back to get it.

Simple stuff adds up over time. Just look around. THE END

CAUTION: Bicyclists, peacocks and young men dying in Pomona

Late word that yet another Lincoln Park peacock, this one a mother of four, was struck and killed in Lincoln Park this morning at 7:45 at the McKinley and Monroe Streets. I don't even want to tell Mr. Big, because the flock hung out at our place so much last week, well it feels like the death of a friend.

Also I just found out yet another bicyclist has been killed on the bike-pathless-streets of Pomona. This is the second peacock and second bicyclist killed by cars in Pomona this month.

The city has needed to get out a can of paint and do bike paths for, well forever. From what I am told, students from Cal Poly Pomona designed an awesome, citywide bike path for free years ago, submitted it to the City, who pretty much ignored it. Meanwhile, Claremont's groovy bicycle zone signs and paths are everywhere. I know Darryl Grigsy got the Pomona bike path idea rolling again, but he's gone and there are still no bike paths. I's argue that a bike rider who is injured or killed in a City that does not supply bike paths for it's residents would have a decent claim against the City. Pomona needs to save lives and protect the City from future lawsuits by putting in some bike paths.

Maybe David Allen will do a column on the plight of Pomona bicyclists and the Lincoln Park peacocks? David picked up on the Curse of Downers Grove/ Film Pomona story for his Sunday column, perhaps saving a peacock will be the next feather in his newsman cap? Please?

The other thing constantly in the news in recent days is the shootings of young men going on in the area west of Stater Bros. I wish there was an answer to that problem as easy as a bike path or peacock caution sign. Very sad indeed.

THE ENDTHE END

Not Another Downer Post

Set decorating and filming were in high gear this weekend in Lincoln Park at the corner of Palomares and Columbia. Activity appears to continue tonight at two houses on the south side of the 300 block of Jefferson at Palomares. "The Curse of Downers Grove" is a horror movie about a curse that is thought to kill a high schooler each year in the Chicago Suburb of Downers Grove. Only it's really Pomona!

Brett Easton Ellis (of Below Zero fame) co=penned the screenplay. And one of the actresses from Twilight is in it as well. I saw one of the male leads circling the park yesterday. Never heard or seen him before seeing his photo of IMDB, but I recognized him right away!

Here's all the info on the film from IMDB:

Full cast and crew for The Curse of Downers Grove (2014)

Directed by Derick Martini

Writing credits (in alphabetical order) Bret Easton Ellis screenplay Michael Hornburg novel Derick Martini screenplay

Cast Lucas Till Kevin Zegers Bella Heathcote ... Chrissie Swanson Zane Holtz Penelope Mitchell ... Tracy Emily Davenport ... Senior Girl #2 Ina Lereine ... Friend at funeral (uncredited)

Produced by Jason Dubin .... producer Aitan Segal .... associate producer Oren Segal .... producer Chiara Trento .... producer

Cinematography by Frank Godwin (director of photography)

Casting by Eyde Belasco

Stunts Matthew R. Anderson .... stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department Frank Godwin .... cinematographer

Casting Department Skyler Barrett .... extras casting Heather Sirota .... extras casting

Other crew Kohli Calhoun .... dialect coach: Bella Heathcote Lon Haber .... publicist

Oh and most important, FILMED ON LOCATION IN POMONA.

I watched the "Politics of Love" recently on netflix, which was filmed in Lincoln Park and downtown a few years ago. Neither of these films are Oscar winners, but it's fun to have Hollywood come to Pomona. As long as they go back.

THE END

Safe to Plant in Pomona?

okay, per my research Pomona is in gardening zone 19, as is Claremont. Though it appears eastern parts of both cities may be in zone 18. Today I planted some seeds indoors, which I probably should have already done, but what's new. I'm wondering when "all danger of frost" has passed, so I can plant other seeds outside. I am thinking not yet, but when? If you google zone 19 and last day of frost, nothing of help really comes up, so I geuss one has to just wait until it feels right.

I just read on the Farmer's Almanac site that March is the month of the Full Worm Moon. This is when worms start casting, attracting robins. I should have known this since our chickens have been diving into the soil with such enthusiasm of late. Good for them, there's nothing like a good meal.

And here is the rest of it.

A Week in Pomona

Monday: saw the peacocks, about seven of them, on my street in the morning. Later, a group of three were along Palomares (which should be the first place to put up peacock caution signs). May they continue to keep one step ahead of the Inland Valley Humane Society and speeding cars.

Tuesday: For some unknown reason, I went to go vote.

Wednesday: admired Pomona from seven stories up when I performed jury duty. Pomona actually looks very lush and tree-filled from that vantage point. Until you look down at the ground, and see that god awful abandoned fountain in the middle of the court plaza. Clearly, it will never be a water fountain again, but can someone dump some dirt in there, plant a few succulents and call it a day? Yet another easy fix that illustrates how poorly managed this city is.

later Wednesday: got a flyer on my door announcing there will be filming at 394 E. Columbia in Lincoln Park on March 10. What are they filming?

Thursday: Trees are planted around the new Chase Bank at Garey and Foothill. Landscaping next week?

Friday: Arby's on Garey boasts a "Boost Mobile coming soon" sign. I'm glad they are keeping the funky building!

Man, I guess I need to get out more.

Keep Hope, I mean plants, Alive

What happened to the bougainvillea bushes on the Pomona High School fence along Towne Avenue? Today is the first I noticed most all of them are completely dead. Bone dry dead, and not just kinda. They are usually quite vibrant, and combined with the sycamores, make the drive down Towne a bit more pleasant.

Further up Towne, there's a new "NEUROSCIENCE CENTER" whatever that means. The lettering is this reflective orange that seems intent on hypnotizing you as you go down Towne. Kinda weird.

In general, I prefer Garey Avenue to Towne Avenue these days (tho, of course, upper White Ave is my absolutely favorite, given that whoever does the landscaping there knows how to keep stuff alive). People seem more laid back on Garey, even cars getting on the freeway are not as frantically-driven as those that fly down Towne. Garey isn't perfect either. The vines in the new planters in front of Planned Parenthood are not far behind the Pomona High bougainvillea. And most every building and lot that has sat empty on Garey in the 10 years we've lived here still sits empty, with the exception of a Dialysis Center or two. But on the upside, the new Chase Bank is probably only weeks away from opening, and Pomona Valley Hospital appears to be embarking on new development north of the hospital. So kinda hopeful.

As for Lincoln Park, a little bungalow across from the park is priced at 380,000, so prices are coming up again. Whoever flipped it confused a craftsman with a victorian and painted it all sorts of different colors, two of them shades of purple. Kinda funky.

THE END And here is the rest of it.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Wondering if anyone else has noticed the uptick of helicopter activity in Pomona skies. The noisy work of a better economy I'm thinking.

Other unfortunate events of late:

Speaking of big birds, one of the Lincoln Park peacocks was run over by a car and died. It happened near Frantz Cleaners at Garey and Monroe. I thought that street was going to be closed off already? Apparently the peacocks go there to eat flowers out of the Frantz Cleaners' flower boxes. I've never seen the peacocks that far from the park myself. We could use a few "Please slow down for Peacock" signs in the area, not that it will ever happen. Perhaps some of the corner houses will replace their "Norma Torres for Senate" signage with cautionary peacock signs. I would argue that it would do a lot more good for the community. What I will most remember about Norma Torres is the letter from a then-9-year-old neighbor boy who she didn't even bother to answer or write back when she was mayor. I may agree with her politics, but I disagree with how she represents our district as a person.

By the way, I was told that when Animal Control came to get the injured peacock (that later died), they tried to gather the other peacocks to take them away as well. As if!!! Having had the misfortune of dealing with the Inland Valley Humane Society when our dog was found sitting in one of their cells with a gaping wound from being hit by a car and having to BEG them to stitch her up before moving her, well I would not wish that shelter on any animal, especially the Lincoln Park peacocks. I am told Paula Lantz ran interference and saved the peacocks from what could have been ultimate doom.

Has anyone seen the peacocks around since? I have heard what sounds like a peacock crying after dark for the past several nights. Perhaps they are still trying to find the dead peacock, or grieving over his death. Sad.

Like many who knew of his work, I am bummed about the City of Pomona's former parks, recs and streets director Darryl Grigsby moving on to another job in San Luis Obispo. I can't blame him and wish him the best. Just when I had resigned myself to expecting nothing from my city government, I found out about Darryl's good works and experienced a glimmer of hope. Question is will the City of Pomona carry on his legacy of bike-friendliness and committment to informing Lincoln Park residents when our park is sprayed with herbicides? Only time will tell, but I doubt it. The Pomona Valley Bicycle Coalition remains and will continue to conduct regular community rides. The trick, however, is finding Pomona streets safe enough to ride on in order to join up with the coalition group in the first place, given the absence of bike paths in Pomona. Anyone know the status of the bike path network in Pomona?

Lastly, to end on a positive note: garage sale weekend this Saturday and Sunday. THE END

All Pomona Courts to Close

Per the LA Times, all Pomona courtrooms will be closing. This can't be good news for local restaurants - tho as a recent prospective juror I saw no outreach to jurors by local businesses. However, certainly the court closures will result in some loss of revenue for the city. Not to mention we will have to travel further for jury duty.

I wonder where Pomona cases will now be heard? We're not alone on this one: 9 other L.A. County cities will lose their courtrooms too, including Beverly Hills. Still, I am surprised Pomona was one of the ones picked.

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Get Out and Vote Today Pomona

The polling place for my part of Lincoln Park is Emerson Elementary, back bungalow. It seemed a bit disorganized there at 7:30 a.m., plus they opened late, but as always it feels good to vote. And the sticker is so cool!

I was careful to check the chads as I was voting. The only one that gave me trouble was the assembly seat. I'd be interested if anyone else had a chad issue on that race. Must say I surprised myself with who I voted for with regard to the Lincoln Park city council seat. And, I really didn't know how I was going to go on mayor until I was literally voting.

At least a couple of the propositions provide me with hope for real change should they pass. Not so much any of the other items/offices on the ballot.

There is some change in Pomona though, in that a number of businesses have opened this month and some of the old businesses are giving themselves face lifts. While you are out and about voting, check out the major remodel going on at the McDonald's on Garey, the nearly year long remodel at Planned Parenthood near completion, with trellises that will hopefully house live plants along the front of the building. Del Taco just got painted and is even advertising their new look, Big 5 on Foothill has opened, as has Dollar General Market on Arrow and Garey (review coming shortly).

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Historic Home Tour Sunday: History, Art and Solar Panels

This Sunday is the Pomona Heritage Historic Home Tour. Pomona Heritage is kind of a like a homeowners association for historic home and business owners in Pomona. There are five Lincoln Park homes on the tour this year, including one of five solar-powered Regenerative Living Cooperatives. Also on tour, the renovated Mayfair Hotel (owned by a Lincoln Park family, giving the tour a decidedly Lincoln Park base) and AMOCA museum (home of the awesomist Millard Sheets mural). A great blend of history, art and environmental living.

I know there are mixed feelings about some of the particulars of the historic ordinance, with a few property owners getting caught up in red tape when they try to make changes or improvements to their piece of Pomona. This Sunday, we put all that aside and honor how good our neighborhoods look in the first place. Many years ago, a group of Pomona homeowners got together and fought an uphill battle to get Lincoln Park historic designation. It's hard to imagine but there were actually some neighbors vehemently against it. Certainly even the naysayers can look around now and see the obvious benefits. The Ordinance isn't perfect, nothing is, but at least we have one. I see a similar battle being waged currently in terms of those of us hoping drought tolerant and edible landscapes prevail over chemically-fed, water-intensive lawns.

So come out Sunday to check out the fancy wood work and even fancier drip irrigation systems.

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