Checkpoints. I am very happy that our council voted in it's favor and this is the first chance I've had to add my 2 cents. What I'm not fully understanding is why so many have made this an issue other than what it is. Plain and simple...it's a safety issue. Legislated laws that are in place to protect me and mine. You and yours.
I am 1/2 Latina. My first language was not English. But because I was educated by my immigrant grandparents that I must obey laws, I today have a valid driver's license, my car is insured and registered. My passengers are buckled up and if they are littles, they are in the car seat. I also understand that if I drink and drive...I just might be breaking the law. So guess what? I don't drink and drive. How do I know all of this?? Because I'm just a raving beauty? Awww...that would be a no. I do believe that I know all of this, because I was educated to these very important facts. At a very early age education has been an important part of life for me.
These rules that we live by are necessary for our survival. They are in place for all who want to take advantage of this wonderful society we call America. It matters not what color our skin, our choice of religion, or language that we speak. What does matter to me is that we have a system in place to protect me and my family. A system in place that is there to protect you and yours.
We will achieve nothing by waving warning placards or making videos. If any group feels so strong that checkpoints are there only to discriminate against certain ethnic populations, perhaps all that strong energy could be channeled in a more positive way. Educate, reach out and educate. The more you educate about our legislated laws, the less in jeopardy they will place themselves.
Get one of the churches to have a table or booth at the checkpoints for those that find themselves without transportation home and provide that transportation for them.
When I clean up my property the morning after one of these checkpoints and I see the beer bottles that have been flung up against my fence, and find drugs in my bushes...I do get really mad. But I also find comfort in knowing that just maybe that person or persons did not continue on their way that night and harm someone or someones child.
ciao
Sunday, October 25, 2009
More School Board Stuff
Gosh...there are some pretty good blog comments out there! I love it! I did not get to attend the meeting Thursday night, but did get to the one on Wednesday at the Antioch Baptist Church. I see that there will be one at the Diamond Bar Center this coming week. I'm not sure about the time or the day.
Wednesday was a little enlightening for me. I really liked what Adrienne Konigar-Macklin had to say. She seemed to be right on her game as well as Hank Mollet. I like Hank. I introduced myself after the meeing and had a chance to chat with him in the parking lot for a while.
Absent from the meeting was Robert Torres and also Jason Rothman. I would have liked to hear what they had to say. I would also like to know since they are Pomona kids, what schools they attended.
One of the questions asked that evening of the candidates is the issue of the achievement gap within our district. Y'all know how I feel about this issue. I am so totally not impressed with a candidate that states that parents should be given more opportunity to send their children to other schools. Let's not take care of the problem...let's just do more busing. Wake up Wong.
Ms. Konigar-Macklin introduced me to Maria Garcia who is a liason between the district and parent leads who pass on important information to other parents at their school. Ms. Garcia attached a schedule for H1N1 free vaccinations that are being given at the Bunny Clinc. The clinic is located at 200 E. 7th Street in Pomona. Vaccines will be provided during the regular clinic hours of Tuesdays 1:30-6:00 p.m. and Thursdays from 1:30-3:30 p.m. I do hope we can get this information out to as many as need be.
ciao
Wednesday was a little enlightening for me. I really liked what Adrienne Konigar-Macklin had to say. She seemed to be right on her game as well as Hank Mollet. I like Hank. I introduced myself after the meeing and had a chance to chat with him in the parking lot for a while.
Absent from the meeting was Robert Torres and also Jason Rothman. I would have liked to hear what they had to say. I would also like to know since they are Pomona kids, what schools they attended.
One of the questions asked that evening of the candidates is the issue of the achievement gap within our district. Y'all know how I feel about this issue. I am so totally not impressed with a candidate that states that parents should be given more opportunity to send their children to other schools. Let's not take care of the problem...let's just do more busing. Wake up Wong.
Ms. Konigar-Macklin introduced me to Maria Garcia who is a liason between the district and parent leads who pass on important information to other parents at their school. Ms. Garcia attached a schedule for H1N1 free vaccinations that are being given at the Bunny Clinc. The clinic is located at 200 E. 7th Street in Pomona. Vaccines will be provided during the regular clinic hours of Tuesdays 1:30-6:00 p.m. and Thursdays from 1:30-3:30 p.m. I do hope we can get this information out to as many as need be.
ciao
Monday, October 19, 2009
Pomona Schools
Meg...you lit a fire under me. I read the article on the candidates and the forum that was held last Thursday. What am I missing here? The disparity within our schools in this school district as to the state rankings is embarrassing! Can anyone tell me what can be done about this? Why do I have to drive to Diamond Bar everyday in order for my children to have the benefit of a school that ranks 10 as opposed to attending the one that they should be going to that has a rank of 1? I'm referring to API scoring and school ranks for the state of California.
Throwing the responsiblility back into the laps of parents as to motivating their children when upwards to 50% of them haven't even finished high school themselves is insane. Pomona school rankings & API Scores The education ship in our district is sinking folks. How can we help these kids when the teachers and parents need so much help themselves.
I suck at math and I have a college degree. So how do I help with Algebra?? The last time I studied for Algebra and Geometry was to cram for the CBEST and I prayed through the whole thing. Our kids are getting Algebra in 7th grade now. Lucky for Lizzie that she was able to get tutoring every morning last year from her Algebra teacher. But, she had to get up extra early for the whole year and get to school an hour early every day. God Bless Mr. Tim over at Lorbeer. Last week she got her progress report and there was an A+ in Algebra.
Credit recovery programs are helpful, but this is after the fact. If we can't take care of these kids on the elementary/middle school levels, they are certain to be candidates for a credit recovery program once they start to fail on the high school level because we have let them down.
What I want to hear is how we can get Lincoln, Lopez, Kingsley, Madison, etc. which all have ranks of 1, 2 or 3 up to the rank of Decker (rank 8) and Ranch Hills Elementary with a rank of 10. How do schools here in MY neighborhood such as Palomares Middle school (rank 1) get to the level of Lorbeer Middle school with a rank of 10. How do we get Garey HS (rank 3), Ganesha (rank 2) with Diamond Ranch which has a rank of 9 and is also listed along with Village Academy as one of the top 500 high schools in the United States. What can we do for the parents of these kids that have to struggle in this depressed economy, so that they can motivate their children? What do we do for the kids that want to attend these higher ranking schools but can't get lucky enough in the lottery? And why do we have to even think about busing them when we should able to offer them the same opportunity here in our neighborhood. Do we just keep handing out bandaids when they start dropping out??
I know the state is out of money and that our schools have been stripped naked. It was very painful to watch really great teachers having to fear for their jobs earlier this year. I wish I had a wand to wave over the whole place...because I really feel deeply about our children and that they should each and every one of them be entitled to a very rich education. My hat is off to all our teachers that have had their hands tied by this sorry state of affairs we are living with in California.
So candidates....let's put some meat into this. Dazzle me. The Diva needs to be dazzled.
Throwing the responsiblility back into the laps of parents as to motivating their children when upwards to 50% of them haven't even finished high school themselves is insane. Pomona school rankings & API Scores The education ship in our district is sinking folks. How can we help these kids when the teachers and parents need so much help themselves.
I suck at math and I have a college degree. So how do I help with Algebra?? The last time I studied for Algebra and Geometry was to cram for the CBEST and I prayed through the whole thing. Our kids are getting Algebra in 7th grade now. Lucky for Lizzie that she was able to get tutoring every morning last year from her Algebra teacher. But, she had to get up extra early for the whole year and get to school an hour early every day. God Bless Mr. Tim over at Lorbeer. Last week she got her progress report and there was an A+ in Algebra.
Credit recovery programs are helpful, but this is after the fact. If we can't take care of these kids on the elementary/middle school levels, they are certain to be candidates for a credit recovery program once they start to fail on the high school level because we have let them down.
What I want to hear is how we can get Lincoln, Lopez, Kingsley, Madison, etc. which all have ranks of 1, 2 or 3 up to the rank of Decker (rank 8) and Ranch Hills Elementary with a rank of 10. How do schools here in MY neighborhood such as Palomares Middle school (rank 1) get to the level of Lorbeer Middle school with a rank of 10. How do we get Garey HS (rank 3), Ganesha (rank 2) with Diamond Ranch which has a rank of 9 and is also listed along with Village Academy as one of the top 500 high schools in the United States. What can we do for the parents of these kids that have to struggle in this depressed economy, so that they can motivate their children? What do we do for the kids that want to attend these higher ranking schools but can't get lucky enough in the lottery? And why do we have to even think about busing them when we should able to offer them the same opportunity here in our neighborhood. Do we just keep handing out bandaids when they start dropping out??
I know the state is out of money and that our schools have been stripped naked. It was very painful to watch really great teachers having to fear for their jobs earlier this year. I wish I had a wand to wave over the whole place...because I really feel deeply about our children and that they should each and every one of them be entitled to a very rich education. My hat is off to all our teachers that have had their hands tied by this sorry state of affairs we are living with in California.
So candidates....let's put some meat into this. Dazzle me. The Diva needs to be dazzled.
Top Notch Job Heritage!
A great event this past Sunday and everyone needs to take a bow! Although I didn't get to take the tour I was very impressed with the event at the Ebell Club. What a grand building and well turned. Nice to see so many familiar faces and thanks for the well wishes. I even managed to spy the Pomona Goddess....thought you got by me eh?
The event was not without note. One of the vendors had some valuable jewelry stolen. My concern being that the same person that helped themselves was also going to tour the houses. Let's hope all went well. What a sleazy thing to do.
There's a big smile on my face as the construction of my little shed nears completion. A place where I can actually once again have a space of my own to work. Being a true Yankee, I bartered the Pomona Queen necklace that I had made for Sunday to Dawn, who in turn is going to fill my window boxes full of herbs and wonderful stuff. Color me sooooo happy.
I didn't have a chance to blog after that rain last week, but meant too (the road to hell being paved with.....) I opened the trailer door to find that I now had beach front property!! Visions of cabanas with women reclining in chaise lounges wearing big floppy hats and sipping drinks with tiny umbrellas danced in my head. I considered it do-able until the next day when the whole damn thing dried up. Pomona Beach was such a loverly little dream. I think that when the dozers arrive, they had better not leave me alone with one....Pomona Beach....hmmmmmmm.
If y'all happen to be driving through Diamond Bar and are at the corner of Golden Springs and Diamond Bar Blvd...and if you happen to glance up at the Lorbeer bulletin board...yes that is my Elizabeth who made student of the week again. That girl does make me proud considering that all she was able to salvage from the fire was her Bible, her green violin, her journal and her teddy bear. Awwwww sweet youth.
caio
The event was not without note. One of the vendors had some valuable jewelry stolen. My concern being that the same person that helped themselves was also going to tour the houses. Let's hope all went well. What a sleazy thing to do.
There's a big smile on my face as the construction of my little shed nears completion. A place where I can actually once again have a space of my own to work. Being a true Yankee, I bartered the Pomona Queen necklace that I had made for Sunday to Dawn, who in turn is going to fill my window boxes full of herbs and wonderful stuff. Color me sooooo happy.
I didn't have a chance to blog after that rain last week, but meant too (the road to hell being paved with.....) I opened the trailer door to find that I now had beach front property!! Visions of cabanas with women reclining in chaise lounges wearing big floppy hats and sipping drinks with tiny umbrellas danced in my head. I considered it do-able until the next day when the whole damn thing dried up. Pomona Beach was such a loverly little dream. I think that when the dozers arrive, they had better not leave me alone with one....Pomona Beach....hmmmmmmm.
If y'all happen to be driving through Diamond Bar and are at the corner of Golden Springs and Diamond Bar Blvd...and if you happen to glance up at the Lorbeer bulletin board...yes that is my Elizabeth who made student of the week again. That girl does make me proud considering that all she was able to salvage from the fire was her Bible, her green violin, her journal and her teddy bear. Awwwww sweet youth.
caio
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Is is really October?????
1901 Halloween Card - amazingly Harry Potter
Today is the Herb Fest and although there is much work to do here, I'll be popping through the fence.
As for the projects here...that grand old cottage is finally gone. In it's place will be an equally charming cottage, but without the wonderfulness that the 1887 cottage had. I'm trying to be very positive here! There's just only so much one can do when you can't replace that which was irreplaceable
Any day now one should be able to see some positive flow around here. Perhaps even the sound of a hammer or too. All in good time. There are just so many hoops to jump through...and someone keeps holding them higher. Lend me a ladder for the next one...lost mine in the fire.
In a more pleasant note..my knitting class decided that our project this semester is to make small caps for "newborns" and the donation will be to Pomona Valley Hospital. So even if you aren't in the class and still feel that you would like to contribute, drop me a note or stop by. I can even email you the patterns in knit and crochet. The other project that we are working on is making two afghans to be given to the homeless shelter. The rectangle pieces measure 7" x 9"...either crochet or knitted. Any color, but worsted weight. Need guidance? I have stitch patterns for this also. Call me anytime 909.319.2519.
caio
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