The Pomona Art Colony is a community recognized far and wide. It is an established community of artists and art lovers. It has spanned generations and has earned its respect. As a community the Pomona Art Colony is rare. We celebrate our diversity and our unity; we as a community have celebrated births, weddings, landmark birthdays, memorials, holidays and many other occasions. Our most memorable and loving Santa and Mrs. Clauses in the Pomona Christmas parade were George and Roylene Cuttress and Frank and Cathy Garcia, who are integral parts of the art colony. The downtown Pomona area was a celebrated part of California history in its early years. When the economy turned, it was the artists who came in to the old vacant buildings. It is still these artists who prevent crime, from small-scale graffiti to large-scale theft. We look out our windows; we walk our streets. We keep our heads high, our eyes open. We love our home and we take care of it. Does it make sense for us to be more like Pasadena, Brea, and Hollywood? Well, they already exist - so do we. Hollywood almost tore down its symbolic sign - the sign was old and battered. Are you ready to give up, Hollywood? Then why Pomona? Pomona has as deep and rich a history as Hollywood - it is even connected to Hollywood in many ways. Instead of removing our landmark sign, the city should be more worried about having the metro train stop at our downtown station, not just the North Pomona
station that does us little good. If that train made its stop on Artwalk or any other night of the week we could connect the east with the west and both would benefit. We are a city of landmarks, a tree with roots - we are unlike any other city. We are rich in history and big on community involvement. I challenge all to stand up and be proud of this wonderful city and give the credit to all those great people who have gone before and made this city a place to be proud of. Don't remove the signs - stand up and be proud they stand! JILL CAROL
Pomona