Pomona, California

Infobox Settlement
official_name = City of Pomona, California
settlement_type = City


imagesize =
image_caption =


image_

---

mapsize = 300x300px
map_caption = Location in Los Angeles County and the State of California


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_name1 = California
subdivision_name2 = Los Angeles
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Norma Torres
area_note =
established_date =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 59.2
area_land_km2 = 59.2
area_water_km2 = 0
area_total_sq_mi = 22.8
area_land_sq_mi = 22.8
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0
elevation_m = 259
elevation_ft = 850
latd = 34 |latm = 3 |lats = 39 |latNS = N
longd = 117 |longm = 45 |longs = 21 |longEW = W
population_as_of = 2000
population_note =
population_total = 149473 (city proper)
population_density_km2 = 2524.9
timezone = PST
utc_offset = -8
timezone_DST = PDT
utc_offset_DST = -7
latitude = 34°3'39" N
longitude = 117°45'21" W
website = [http://www.ci.pomona.ca.us/ City of Pomona]
postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 91765-91769, 91797, 91799
area_code = 909
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 06-58072
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1661247
footnotes =

Pomona is the 5th largest city in Los Angeles County (after Los Angeles, Long Beach, Glendale, and Santa Clarita). As of the 2000 census, the city population was 149,473. In 2005, its population was estimated as 160,815 [http://www.dof.ca.gov/HTML/DEMOGRAP/E-1table.xls] .

Pomona is the location of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). This university was established on the site of breakfast cereal magnate W.K. Kellogg's ranch located on the city's west side. It is also the home of the Los Angeles County fairgrounds. While a fair in the nation's most populous county might seem quaint, Cal Poly Pomona is one of several major agricultural research facilities in the state, and the fair's livestock exhibits are a noted attraction.

Western University of Health Sciences is located in downtown Pomona, with programs ranging from veterinary medicine to nursing to osteopathic medicine.

Pomona is not the site of Pomona College. Although this private liberal arts institution was founded in the city in 1887, its campus has been in neighboring Claremont since 1889.

Since the 1980s, Pomona's newest neighborhood Phillips Ranch, experienced rapid growth with. Homes are still being built in the hilly area between Downtown and Diamond Bar. Today, Phillips Ranch is nearly all residential. Northern Pomona has seen some gentrification with additional housing units added and revamped streetscapes.

Aside from Pomona's educational assets, Pomona is also known for hosting the NHRA Powerade Winternationals Drag Racing venue.

Geography

Pomona is located at coor dms|34|3|39|N|117|45|21|W|city (34.060760, -117.755886)GR|1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 59.2 km² (22.8 mi²), all land.

Pomona is bordered by the cities of San Dimas on the northwest, La Verne and Claremont on the north, Montclair and Chino on the east, Chino Hills and Diamond Bar on the south, and Walnut, South San Jose Hills, and Industry on the southwest. The Los Angeles/San Bernardino county line forms most of the city's southern and eastern boundaries.

History

The city is named for Pomona, the ancient Roman goddess of fruit. Supplied by horticulturist Solomon Gates, "Pomona" was the winning entry in a contest to name the city. By the 1880s, the arrival of railroads and Coachella Valley water had made it the western anchor of the citrus-growing region. Pomona was officially incorporated on January 6, 1888. In 2005, Pomona citizens elected Norma Torres, the first woman of Guatemalan heritage to be elected to a mayoral post outside of Guatemala.
* Historic Sites in Pomona
** Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
** Barbara Greenwood Kindergarten, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
** Edison Historic District, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
** Lincoln Park Historic District, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
** Wilton Heights Historic District, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
** La Casa Alvarado, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
** La Casa Primera de Rancho San Jose, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
** Phillips Mansion, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
** Pomona City Stable, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
** Pomona Fox Theater, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
** Pomona YMCA Building, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
** Ygnacio Palomares Adobe, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
** La Casa Primera de Rancho San Jose, List of Registered Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 149,473 people, 37,855 households, and 29,791 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,526.8/km² (6,544.3/mi²). There were 39,598 housing units at an average density of 669.4/km² (1,733.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 41.76% White, 9.63% African American, 1.26% Native American, 7.20% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 34.93% from other races, and 5.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 64.47% of the population.

There were 37,855 households out of which 49.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.3% were non-families. 15.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.82 and the average family size was 4.22.

In the city the population was spread out with 34.6% under the age of 18, 13.0% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.1 males.

The total employment for Pomona as of 2005 is 57,870. The top employers include Pomona Unified School District, California State Polytechnic University, Hamilton Sundstrand, Pomona Valley Medical Center, Casa Colina Center for Rehabilitation, and Lanterman Developmental Center, and a large residential facility for persons for severe/profound developmental disabilities.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,021, and the median income for a family was $40,852. Males had a median income of $30,195 versus $26,135 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,336. About 17.1% of families and 21.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.4% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

In the state legislature Pomona is located in the 32nd Senate District, represented by Democrat Gloria Negrete McLeod, and in the 61st Assembly District, represented by Democrat Nell Soto. Federally, Pomona is located in California's 38th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of D +20 [cite web | title = Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest? | publisher = Campaign Legal Center Blog | url=http://www.clcblog.org/blog_item-85.html | accessdate = 2008-02-10] and is represented by Democrat Grace Napolitano.

Transportation

Pomona is served by several transit systems including:
* [http://www.metrolinktrains.com/ Metrolink] commuter rail (operated by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority)
* [http://www.metro.net/default.asp Metro] buses operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
* [http://www.foothilltransit.org Foothill Transit] buses
**see also Foothill Transit
* [http://www.omnitrans.org/ Omnitrans] buses
**see also Omnitrans
* [http://www.pvtrans.org Pomona Valley Transportation Authority] 's dial-a-ride services for certain areas and/or classes of riders
* [http://asila.org/accessparatransit/index.cfm Access Paratransit] for certain classes of riders
* [http://www.amtrak.com Amtrak] 's Sunset Limited trains.

Several freeways also run through the City of Pomona.

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Education

[http://www.cusd.claremont.edu/stu/images/boundary_main.gif] .Pomona has been criticized for its construction of Diamond Ranch High School in the city's more affluent area of Phillips Ranch while ignoring its other under-performing/moderate high schools such as (from most under-performing to moderate) Pomona, Ganesha, and Garey High Schools. Pomona contains a mix of both public and private schools. There are two private schools that are located on Holt Blvd, being St. Joseph Elementary School and Pomona Catholic High School.

Colleges and universities

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona is located southwest of the junction of the 10 and 57 freeways. [http://thesae.k12.ca.us The School of Arts and Enterprise] is a charter high school located on Monterey Ave. and Garey Ave.

Pomona College was founded in Pomona but moved to neighboring Claremont, California after just two years.

References in popular culture

*Pomona is mentioned in the lyrics to Ronny & the Daytonas' 1964 hit song "G.T.O." (the Pomona Raceway at Fairplex being a well-known venue for drag racing). Also Pomona is mentioned in the lyrics to "Honey Bee" by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.

*In an "I Love Lucy" episode, the main characters of the show "go out to the country" on a day trip to Pomona. This is now seen as odd due to Pomona since becoming quite urban. In 1940, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz spent their honeymoon in downtown Pomona.

*In the 1940 Disney animated short "Mr. Mouse Takes A Trip", Mickey is taking a train vacation from Burbank to Pomona. The conductor, Pete, won't let him bring Pluto, so he hides Pluto in his suitcase, and tries to hide him all throughout the trip without much luck. Pete thinks he's won when Pluto is hooked by a mail hook, and Mickey follows, but the twist is they actually got off the train in Pomona, as Mickey said "Look Pluto, Pomona, we're here".

*In Billy Wilder's 1950 film "Sunset Boulevard", Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) describes to Joe Gillis (William Holden) a melodramatic film version of Salome that she has written for her return to cinema. Gillis cynically retorts "They'll love it in Pomona" and Desmond fails to notice his sarcasm, responding, "They will love it every place."

*It's a myth that Walt Disney originally planned on having Disneyland built in Pomona, but the city council declined his offer, fearing that the park would not succeed and would cause the city to go into debt. According to Matthew Tresaugue, former reporter for the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, it was one of 71 considered cities, but was ruled out due to temperature extremes, i.e. too hot in summer and too cold at night. It is interesting to note, however, that author James Ellroy used Pomona as the setting for the fictional amusement park Dream-a-Dreamland in his novel L.A. Confidential. Dream-a-Dreamland and its fictional owner, the cartoon magnate Ray Dieterling, were based very closely on Disneyland and Walt Disney.

*In the 2006 comedy "Grandma's Boy", an American stoner film produced by Adam Sandler's production company Happy Madison, Peter Dante's permanently-stoned character decides to buy a lion in order to protect his stash of marijuana. In one scene, Dante can be seen smoking weed with an African tribesman, Dr. Shakalu, in his basement. When the main character, played by Allen Covert, asks Dante about the nature of his relationship with Dr. Shakalu, Dante indicates that he met the doctor at a cockfight in Pomona.

*In the "Treehouse of Horror XVI" episode of "The Simpsons", during the introductory scene, during the Springfield Isoptopes's game Pomona was used in a parody of 'The OC'. A poster background dipicting the word Pomona in a 'The OC' template. The announcer prompts Fox's newest endeavor 'Pomona' "it's even hotter "away" from the beach."

*The film "Inland Empire" contains a scene in which two homeless women on Hollywood Boulevard discuss people they know in Pomona and whether or not you can get there from Los Angeles by bus.

*Diamond Ranch High School has been used to film scenes for movies such as "Orange County" starring Jack Black and Colin Hanks, "The Cell" starring Vincent D'Onofrio and Jennifer Lopez, and " Serenity" starring Nathan Fillion and Gina Torres and directed by Joss Whedon. It has also been used in several car commercials as well.

*The downtown Arts Colony served as backdrop for several scenes of "Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat" starring Mike Myers, and several buildings are still painted the bright and vibrant colors.

*Scenes from Disney's "" were filmed at the LA County Fairground in Pomona.

*In the film "Die Hard", John McClane tells his wife that a friend has retired to Pomona; he accidentally calls the city "Ramona."

*Lela's, a restaurant in Pomona, was featured on the FOX television reality show "Kitchen Nightmares". The restaurant was shut down because of large debts, however.

*John Stewart, a singer-songwriter and graduate of Pomona Catholic High School, wrote the song "Back in Pomona". He is best known for being a member of The Kingston Trio and composing the song "Daydream Believer". Pomona Catholic is currently an all girls school.

*In an episode of Moesha, she tries to get connections to a cousin of hers in Pomona.

Trivia

* The manuscript for "Little Town on the Prairie" book by Laura Ingalls Wilder resides here at the "Laura Ingalls Wilder Room" of the Pomona Library.

*The Los Angeles County Fair, America's largest county fair in size and attendees, was established in 1922. The fair has been held continuously on the same site ever since, except during World War II when the grounds were used as Japanese American internment assembly camp, US Army ordnance and desert-training base, and POW camp.

*Pomona was in line to be the capital city of the once proposed state of Southern California in the 1920s. Perhaps the city was considered "the middle of Southern California" between Los Angeles and San Bernardino.

*In 1955, Pomona annexed the neighboring community of Spadra.

*In 1999 Pomona ranked third for the highest murder rate in California behind Compton and Richmond. Nationally, the murder rate ranked 25th in the nation. By 2006, however, Pomona has reduced its crime rate from this high. [ [http://www.morganquitno.com/cit99rank.pdf Morgan Quitno Press] ]

*USA Today wrote a news article about Pomona in 2002. The article stated that "Older suburbs" have become associated with intruding urban blight. The Pomona City Council defended the City. The City Council stated that the article was "offensive." The references on crime, drugs, gangs, racial issues, and poverty rates in the article are "untrue," as defended by residents, and based more on stereotypes than the actual 2000 census data on Pomona, which shows otherwise. Pomona is described by residents as a generally safe and diverse middle-class city.

*Lindsay Lohan served her ten day community service at the Red Cross in Pomona.

*In the film "Live Free or Die Hard" some of the special effect scenes were filmed at LA County Fairground White Av parking lot.

*Barbarita Nunez, a worker in the city's Veterans Thrift Store, returned $30,000, on March 9 2008, which belonged to a woman who had recently died, to her family. She had found the money in donated clothing. The family gave Nunez a cash reward. [ [http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/03/09/money.found.ap/index.html Thrift store worker finds $30,000 in cash; returns it] ]

Famous People Born/Resided in Pomona

*Richard Armour - author
*Hamza Abdullah - professional football player for the Denver Broncos
*Jessica Alba - Actress
*Alberto Davila - boxer, former WBC Bantamweight champion
*Kokane - rapper
*Suga Free - rapper
*Jim Keith - author
*Daniel Keys Moran
*"Sugar" Shane Mosley - boxer
*Millard Sheets - painter
*Tom Waits - American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor
*Rozz Williams - Original singer of Christian Death
*Vanessa Bryant - wife of Kobe Bryant
*Robert Tarjan - computer scientist
*Rich Yett - retired professional baseball player
*Above the Law - rap group
*Mark McGwire - retired professional baseball player
*Dan McGwire - retired professional football player
*Richie Sandoval - boxer, former WBA Bantamweight champion
*Bob Seagren - gold medal winning pole vaulter at the 1968 Olympics
*Jerry E. Smith - author
*Kevin Stewart-Magee - muralist who was lead artist on "Goddess of Pomona" mural in downtown Pomona.
*Mr. Marcus - Porn Actor
*Jill Kelly - Porn Actress
*Cold 187um - Rapper
*Slick Dogg - Rapper/GStyle Poplocker

ee also

*Pomona Valley
*Phillips Ranch

References

External links

* [http://www.ci.pomona.ca.us/ Pomona official website]
* [http://www.pusd.org/ Pomona Unified School District]
* [http://www.csupomona.edu/ Cal Poly Pomona University]
* [http://www.westernu.edu/ Western University of Health Sciences]
* [http://www.pom.devry.edu/ DeVry Pomona]
* [http://www.goddessofpomona.com/ Goddess of Pomona] a local blog.
* [http://www.topix.net/city/pomona-ca Pomona Local News]
* [http://www.pomonachamber.org/ Pomona Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.fairplex.com/fp/AboutUs/History/ Pomona Fairplex history]
* [http://www.pbase.com/themarmot/arts_colony Pomona Art Colony]