Monday, June 30, 2008

Empoprise-IE Rooster - Ontario Mills

Part of the Mills string of malls all over the place.

http://www.ontariomills.com/ or http://www.ontariomillsmall.com/ (both of which point to a page on simon.com)

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Inside the Epicenter

High Desert Mavericks beating Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, top of 5th.

Empoprise-IE Rooster - Montclair Plaza

This shopping center was here when I arrived in California in 1983, although it was only a single story at the time.

http://www.montclairplaza.com/

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Why is a death in Tent City more newsworthy than a death on Armsley Square?

The predecessor to this blog was a blog that was solely focused on Ontario, California, and that blog spent a lot of time discussing Tent City.

The Daily Bulletin just ran some news about Tent City, under the headline "Man found dead in Tent City." The man in question was John Virgil Allsup, a 54 year old man who hadn't been seen by his friends in two days, and whose body was found on Wednesday, June 25.

Considering all of the controversy about Tent City, the article headline is bound to grab attention. Was the man beaten up? Did the man have an overdose?

But once you delve into the article itself, you see this statement from police officer Bill Russell:

There's no foul play at this point.

In other words, this death is just like any other death in Ontario, California. People die in Ontario all the time, but they don't merit Daily Bulletin articles about their death. In this case, the only reason to run the article was the "Tent City" factor.

Oh, well. It sells papers, I guess.

Empoprise-IE Rooster - Sound Machine of the Inland Empire

Sadly, this appears to be of historical interest only. Founded in 1984, the band became inactive in about 2006.

http://www.soundmachine.org/

Friday, June 27, 2008

Empoprise-IE Rooster - KCAL FM

This station is apparently so hot that my employer has blocked access to it. But here's the link anyway:

http://www.kcalfm.com/

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Richard (Dick) Mandella and an Inland Empire perspective on horse racing fatalities

Earlier this week, Sharon Cobb wrote a post that talked about an Associated Press study. This study identified 5,000 thoroughbred horses that had died since 2003.

5,000. That works out to a rate of over 3 horses per day.

But then, in my personal blog, I linked to a Washington Post story that noted that they only had records for 5,000 deaths. Some states and racetracks don't even keep track of horse deaths, so the 5,000 death estimate is low.

Well, I did some further research, and found this KPCC story that casts a local light on the subject.

[Molly] Peterson: Hall of Fame trainer Dick Mandella is from Beaumont in the Inland Empire. He's turned out more than a hundred stakes winners, including six million-dollar races in a row. He cuts a route each morning between his barns at Santa Anita and the rail just past Clockers' Corner, where he keeps his eyes and a digital stopwatch glued to horses working out....

[Dick] Mandella: See the horse galloping with the pony over there on the other side? Mainly just keeping him with the pony to make sure he stays under control, and doesn't get all excited and take off and then injure the foot we've healed, 'cause it's not strong enough yet to take any real punishment.


Peterson then addresses a change in the California horse racing tracks:

Peterson: Two summers ago, seven horses went down in the first seven days of racing at Del Mar. State racing officials now require synthetic surfaces where dirt tracks had been.

The impact?

Peterson:Dr. [Rick] Arthur [of the State Racing Board] says with synthetic tracks in place, bone injuries are down 50%, and race day injuries that require euthanasia now happen only half as often.

So will synthetic tracks be adopted in other states? Maybe, maybe not.

Peterson: Industry handicappers also say whether synthetic tracks catch on in other states could depend on the handle, or betting pool, at California tracks. If betting's up, other states might welcome the synthetic surfaces....

Peterson: But with new tracks and new rules in California, some trainers have sent their horses to New York or Kentucky. Dick Mandella says he's not going anywhere.

Mandella: Some people get crazy, some people get curious, but you don't change anything in this game very easy.

Peterson: After the Triple Crown, horseracing's next major event is the Breeder's Cup in October. It's a full day of racing on national TV that'll feature the nation's top thoroughbreds. They'll be running at Santa Anita, on a synthetic track.


So I guess that if you want to make horse's lives better, you should encourage California gambling.

I was searching for additional information on Mandella, and ran across this 2007 article:

The procedure, a digital surgical neurectomy, commonly known as heel nerving, was performed on the horse Refinery July 15, 2006, by Dr. Rick Arthur. On Dec. 2, 2006, Refinery ran in a $50,000 claiming race at Hollywood Park, and was claimed from owner [B. Wayne] Hughes and trainer [Richard] Mandella by [Leslie W.] Blake, through trainer Dan MacFarlane. When Blake and MacFarlane brought the horse to Arizona and entered him in a stakes race at Turf Paradise, they were informed Refinery could not run in the state, which bans any horse that has been heel nerved.

There is no such ban against the procedure in California. "I will not take a beating on this because I have not done anything wrong," stated Mandella. "We always thought he was a better horse than he showed, so we did a nuclear scan that showed a cyst-like spot at the end of his coffin bone. We thought the procedure might make a difference. The fact is, he ran just about the same after the procedure as he had before." Refinery was claimed in his fifth race back following the procedure.

"It has always been legal in California, and the procedure is no danger to the horse," said Mandella. "I have been the chairman of the necropsy study since its inception here 15 years ago, and I've never heard the words 'heel nerve' come up in any discussion about why horses break down. And we study 200-300 cases a year. In addition, in my 32 years of training, I've never correlated a horse breaking down with heel nerving. It's like getting a root canal for a tooth. It doesn't mean you can't taste or feel your lips, it means the tooth that was hurting doesn't hurt anymore. There's just a small portion of the foot they can't feel, but they know where their foot is going." Mandella added that Refinery's problem was uncommon, adding that he's only tried it on "a couple" of horses in his training career.


The National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame has a biography of Mandella:

Known as one of the nicest guys in racing, Richard Mandella maintains a stable on the West Coast but has won major stakes all over the country. Through 2000 he had won 1,447 races or 17% of his starts for earnings of $80,394,048. He has trained two champions: 1993 Horse of the Year Kotashaan and 1993 2-year-old champion filly Phone Chatter.

Mandella is a California native and the son of a blacksmith. While still in high school Mandella began breaking and galloping horses for Connie Ring. He spent 18 months as an assistant to trainer Lefty Nickerson in New York in the early 1970s before leaving to work as a private trainer for Roger Braugh in 1974. Mandella opened his public stable in California in 1976 and had his first major stakes winner the following year with Bad N'Big.

Richard Mandella had one of his best years in 1993 when he saddled Kotashaan to win the Breeders' Cup Turf and Phone Chatter to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Both horses received Eclipse Awards at the end of the season.

Empoprise-IE Rooster - X103.9

Another Inland Empire radio station, though I confess I haven't listened to them much since Lisa Axe left (partially because of the bad reception out west; perhaps it's improved now).

http://x1039.com/

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

It's us against the commies - or shall we work with them?

Claremont Insider linked an LA Times editorial. Unbeknownst to your uninformed blogger, the Gold Line extension decision won't just be decided on its own merits.

Who deserves a light-rail line more, the people of Azusa or the people of Santa Monica? Which line makes more sense, one that would serve the future needs of fast-growing communities to the east, or the current needs of the traffic-choked Westside?

So we're up against Soviet - I mean Santa Monica. But the Times has a solution:

L.A. doesn't need one or the other of these projects, it needs both. There is ample room for a compromise, because a measure expected to appear on the November ballot would ask county voters to approve a half-cent sales tax increase to fund public transit. If the measure passes, there will be enough money to build both light-rail lines. The long-range plan should be redrawn with this in mind; meanwhile, local officials should be working harder to secure federal funds for both projects.

Daren Lane Flickinger, 1924-2008

I was working on some future "Empoprise-IE Rooster" posts (I happen to be working through radio stations right now) when I found this story from last Saturday:

Daren Lane Flickinger, the manager of KCAA-AM 1050 radio in San Bernardino and the husband of Moreno Valley City Councilwoman Bonnie Flickinger, died Wednesday of complications from diabetes.

He was 83.


More here. Flickinger had been with KCAA since it began broadcasting talk in August 2003:

A former Big Bear radio station that has moved "down the hill" is broadcasting a talk format that reaches much of the Inland Empire and parts of Orange and Los Angeles counties.

KCAA-AM 1050 moved to its studios at 28899 San Timoteo Canyon Road in Redlands earlier this year and went on the air June 24, General Manager Daren Lane Flickinger said.


But Flickinger also provided wedding chapel services, sold waterbeds, and did who knows what.

Empoprise-IE Rooster - KGGI

Time to look at Inland Empire radio. Here's where Jeff Pope works.

http://www.991kggifm.com/main.html

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Empoprise-IE Rooster - Conspiracy of Thought

I saw them years and years ago at an Alexa's Wish show. And Conspiracy of Thought is still active.

http://www.jointheconspiracy.com/

http://www.myspace.com/conspiracyofthought

Monday, June 23, 2008

How Bert Shepard made Ted Williams laugh his head off

Over the weekend, the news broke about the death of Bert Shepard at a nursing home in Highland, California.

At The Baseball Guru, John B. Holway told why Shepard was significant:

In the spring of 1944 minor league pitcher Bert Shepard walked off a baseball diamond in England and strapped himself into the cockpit of a P-39 fighter; a few hours later a German doctor was amputing his right foot.

In the spring of 1945 Shep walked down the steps of Walter Reed Army hospital and strapped on an artificial leg; a few hours later he was pitching for the Washington Senators.


But in the long run, he wasn't good enough to stay on the field, even for the Senators. Which leads to this batting practice pitching story from 1946 (don't forget that Ted Williams was also a veteran):

In 1946 Bert was pitching batting practice again. A lefty, he raised his right leg to pitch -- and the shoe came off. He landed on his stump and followed through as though nothing had happened.

The shoe was hanging on by a few threads of his sock, and he kicked it into centerfield. Ted Williams, who knew about the foot, laughed his head off, though the Boston fans, who didn't know, sat in horror.


Shepard moved on:

Shepard turned to selling typewriters for IBM, then became a safety engineer. He and his wife, Betty, married in 1953 and moved to Southern California. They lived in Hesperia for many years and divorced a few years ago.

But baseball players only care about this: his ERA was 1.69.

Empoprise-IE Rooster - Eisenhower High School

In Rialto, California.

http://www.rialto.k12.ca.us/eisenhower/

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Hot

102 degrees at Costco Montclair, and it's only 11:15.

Lucky I'll be at a pool party this afternoon.

Empoprise-IE Rooster - Pomona College

I went to a liberal arts college myself, so I can appreciate Pomona College, even if it left Pomona 100+ years ago.

http://www.pomona.edu/

Friday, June 20, 2008

And then I'll get in a bathtub with a hair dryer. And then I'll pay my 2008 taxes.

This is a poorly titled website:

Hospitals in Inland Empire - Things To Do in the Inland Empire

I wouldn't exactly classify hospital-visiting as a recreational activity.

Redefining the Inland Valley

I bought Bob Smith's book Redefining the Inland Valley back when it first came out.

You'll note that Smith referred to the "Inland Valley" instead of the "Inland Empire," probably borrowing the term from the newspaper, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (previously discussed here). If you go to the Los Angeles Newspaper Group website, they'll say that the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin was founded in 1885, which implies that the term "Inland Valley" has been around for over 100 years. However, the Los Angeles Newspaper Group has kinda sorta condensed the history of the paper, which actually came into existence when the Ontario Daily Report and Pomona Progress Bulletin merged into a single entity on April 30, 1990.

Smith's book is still available on amazon.com.

Empoprise-IE Rooster - City of Fontana Home Page

Smack dab in the middle of the Inland Empire.

http://www.fontana.org/

Thursday, June 19, 2008

So what is in the 9th Circuit's SMS messages?

Yes, this Inland Empire blog is going to veer into politics.

If an employer gives you something, one would naturally assume that it belongs to the employer. My employer has provided me with a cell phone, a laptop, and various other items, and there is presumably an expectation that the devices would be used to further the goals of my employer.

Similarly, the Ontario (California) Police Department issues items to its employees. Specifically:

Ontario issued 20 two-way pagers to employees, including police workers, in 2001. The devices were capable of sending and receiving text messages.

Some users routinely exceeded their monthly message limit, prompting the service provider to bill the city for excess use.


This prompted the police chief (Lloyd Scharf) to investigate, and as part of the investigation, Scharf discovered that

some of the workers were using their pagers inappropriately, such as by transmitting sexually explicit messages.

Now if I did this, chances are that my employer would fire me. But in this topsy-turvy world, several employees and a spouse sued the city, claiming an invasion of privacy.

Eventually the case made its way to the 9th Circuit. You can predict what happened next.

This case arises from the Ontario Police Department’s review of text messages sent and received by Jeff Quon, a Sergeant and member of the City of Ontario’s SWAT team. We must decide whether (1) Arch Wireless Operating Company Inc., the company with whom the City contracted for text messaging services, violated the Stored Communications Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2701-2711 (1986); and (2) whether the City, the Police Department, and Ontario Police Chief Lloyd Scharf violated Quon’s rights and the rights of those with whom he “texted”—Sergeant Steve Trujillo, Dispatcher April Florio, and his wife Jerilyn Quon—under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 1 of the California Constitution....

As a matter of law, Arch Wireless is an “electronic communication service” that provided text messaging service via pagers to the Ontario Police Department. The search of Appellants’ text messages violated their Fourth Amendment and California constitutional privacy rights because they had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the content of the text messages, and the search was unreasonable in scope. While Chief Scharf is shielded by qualified immunity, the City and the Department are not shielded by statutory immunity. In light of our conclusions of law, we affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand to the district court for further proceedings on Appellants’ Stored Communications Act claim against Arch Wireless, and their claims against the City, the Department, and Glenn under the Fourth Amendment and California Constitution.


The general argument of the 9th Circuit is that the employees should have just been required to pay the overage charges without having the contents of the text messages revealed. The court relied upon an informal policy of Lieutenant Steve Duke, rather than the formal written policy of the Department, in making this determination.

It will be interesting to see if this decision holds up, and if it is expanded in more general terms. If so, then the age of employer-provided communication devices may go away.

Empoprise-IE Rooster - Lake Elsinore Storm

Beautiful stadium visible from I-15, by the say.

http://www.stormbaseball.com/

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Metro Gold Line to Ontario Airport...maybe someday

I missed the meeting, but Claremont Insider linked to the Metro Gold Line Extension to LA/Ontario International Airport Study. (It pained me to type "LA/Ontario International Airport," but I did so in the interest of accuracy.)

The fact page

A 10-month strategic planning study has just begun to evaluate extending the Metro Gold Line from Montclair to LA/Ontario International Airport. The study will evaluate the feasibility of connecting the light rail system to the airport, the best routes to consider, potential station locations, the number of riders that would use the system, and more.

The route options will be narrowed during the study process to identify one or more preferred alignments to connect the light rail system from Montclair to the airport. These options could include stations in Upland, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga.

Under current requirements set forth by the Federal Transit Administration, it can take up to 25 years for a transit project like this to go from inception to completion. This initial study is the first step in this lengthy process.


Of course, the fact that we have to go to the Feds for funding in the first place illustrates how bizarre our funding system has become. The way in which taxes move from the localities to Washington and back again reminds me of some lines written by David Byrne in "The Big Country":

They grow it in the farmlands
And they take it to the stores
They put it in the car trunk
And they bring it back home


If we didn't send it to Washington in the first place, we wouldn't have to wait 25 years to get it back. But that's just me...

Empoprise-IE Rooster - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

My team. Dodgers schmodgers.

http://www.rcquakes.com/

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Empoprise-IE Rooster - Cati Porter

Yes, I missed an Empoprise-IE Rooster post on Monday, June 16. We're resuming today with a local blog, Cati Porter, which discusses "poetry, motherhood, and other creative endeavors."

http://catiporter.wordpress.com/

Why am I featuring this blog? Because her previous blog was called Cati Porter's Procrastination Infatuation. Somehow it seemed fitting.

Monday, June 16, 2008

About FBOP and Cal National

Perhaps people who (still) bank at Pomona First Federal should meet the new boss:

FBOP Corporation is a privately-held, well-capitalized $14.6 billion multi-bank holding company based in Oak Park, Ill. Until early in 1990, FBOP Corporation owned just one bank, First Bank of Oak Park, which had $125 million in assets. The company has continually expanded since then by acquiring select financial institutions in Illinois, California, Texas and Arizona.
The firm is built on a community banking philosophy that allows local autonomy in business development and customer relationships. This strategy has allowed for FBOP Corporation's sustainable growth and outstanding performance.


And Cal National Bank has done some growing of its own:

Cal National Bank has grown from one branch in 1996 to 68 branches today in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. Our retail branches represent the fastest growing community banking network in Southern California. With assets of more than $5 billion, we are one of the largest banks headquartered in Los Angeles.

The bank has produced strong earnings and continues to maintain a capital position that ranks in the top 10% of the nation.

The purchase of one-branch Torrance Bank in 1996 brought our parent company, FBOP Corp., to the L.A. market. In 1998, following the purchase of the five branches of Topa Savings and Topa Thrift, California National Bank was officially established. Growth of the branch network accelerated with the purchases of People’s Bank of California in 2001 and Fidelity Federal Bank in 2002. Cal National has continued to grow over the last few years through new branch openings – nine new branches since mid 2003.


FBOP owns other California banks: Pacific National Bank, and San Diego National Bank.

How did PFF Bancorp become not PFF Bancorp?

I just posted the news of the PFF Bancorp acquisition, but I was on vacation when the last chapters of PFF Bancorp were played out.

Here's part of what the Claremont Insider said on June 9:

PFF Bancorp (NYSE: PFB) was back in the news Friday. The Daily Bulletin's business reporter Matt Wrye had a brief article noting that PFF Bancorp was looking to generate $460 million. The Rancho Cucamonga-based banking company had to ask for an extension on a $44 million overdue loan at the end of May and is looking to pay that off.

Matthew Wrye said:

In the midst of a booming, inflated housing market, CEO Kevin McCarthy signed off on loans to housing developers who can't repay what they borrowed.

Some experts speculate PFF is on the verge of government receivership if private equity doesn't come to its rescue, or if the bank isn't bought out.


Well, the bank was bought out. We'll see what Wrye has to say about this.

PFF Bancorp Acquired

From the press release:

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., June 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PFF Bancorp,
Inc. (NYSE: PFB) ("PFF Bancorp" or the "Company"), the holding company of PFF
Bank & Trust (the "Bank"), Glencrest Investment Advisors, Inc., and
Diversified Builder Services, Inc., today announced the signing of a
definitive merger agreement under which FBOP Corporation ("FBOP"), the parent
company of California National Bank, will acquire PFF Bancorp. Under the
terms of the agreement, upon the consummation of the transaction the
stockholders of PFF Bancorp will receive $1.35 in cash for each share of PFF
Bancorp common stock held. In addition, in order to maintain the Bank's
"adequately capitalized" regulatory status, FBOP will immediately loan $7
million to PFF Bancorp in exchange for a secured note convertible into
preferred stock of the Company with voting rights equivalent to 19.9% of the
outstanding voting stock of the Company. Also, in connection with the merger,
the maturity date of the Company's secured commercial bank loan with a current
outstanding principal balance of $44.0 million was extended from June 16,
2008, to June 16, 2009.

"We have admired PFF Bank & Trust for many years and believe that our
shared cultures and steadfast commitment to principles of community banking
and customer service will lead to a seamless merger that offers great benefits
for PFF's customers and employees," said Greg Mitchell, President and CEO of
California National Bank. "While PFF and the Inland Empire are facing
economic challenges, we see this market as 'a land of opportunity' and look
forward to working with PFF's employees, community leaders and business owners
in building for a stronger tomorrow."

"After much thoughtful consideration, our Board of Directors determined
that this transaction is in the best interests of our stockholders, creditors,
customers and employees," said Kevin McCarthy, President and CEO of PFF
Bancorp. "PFF has a long and rich history in the communities we serve and we
believe that even before the merger is completed we will benefit from the
support and financial resources of CalNational and FBOP. Together we will
enhance our position in the region. Our shared commitment to providing
'Customers First' service will result in being the bank of choice in our
communities today and into the future."

PFF Bancorp's Board of Directors has unanimously approved the merger and
has recommended that the Company's stockholders approve the transaction.
Certain directors and executive officers of the Company have signed agreements
to vote their shares in favor of the proposed merger. These agreements apply
to approximately 800,000 of the Company's outstanding shares. In addition,
the Company's financial advisor, Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P., provided a
fairness opinion to the Board of Directors that the terms of the transaction
are fair to PFF Bancorp's stockholders from a financial point of view.

PFF Bancorp has agreed to certain covenants that will limit the permitted
activities of PFF Bancorp and its subsidiaries until the consummation of the
merger. These covenants include, but are not limited to, limitations on:
declaring, making or paying dividends or making other capital distributions;
incurring, issuing or rolling over debt, increasing any current lines of
credit or guaranteeing the debt of any entity; entering into, renewing or
revising any contractual arrangements related to compensation or benefits with
any senior or executive officer; and otherwise engaging in transactions
outside the ordinary course of the Company's business. Additionally, PFF
Bancorp and the Bank have agreed to similar limitations with the Office of
Thrift Supervision and have agreed not to take any such actions without the
agency's prior approval, including making any payments on existing debt.

Consummation of the merger transaction is subject to approval by PFF
Bancorp's stockholders and regulatory approval, as well as the satisfaction of
other customary closing conditions. Although it cannot be assured, the
transaction is expected to close by the end of September 2008.

The Company will be filing a copy of the full merger agreement with the
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on Form 8-K.

In connection with the transaction, Sandler O'Neill + Partners, L.P. is
acting as financial advisor to PFF Bancorp and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
and Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP are serving as legal counsel to PFF
Bancorp.

PFF Bancorp also announced today that it will be filing with the SEC later
today a Form 12b-25, Notification of Late Filing, in connection with its
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008.
Additional time is needed to finalize the Company's financial statements due
to the fact that: (i) the Company's management, internal finance and audit
departments have been required to expend substantial time and effort in
connection with identifying and negotiating potential recapitalization
transactions which have generated additional demands on time and resources
that otherwise would have been focused on completing and filing the Form 10-K;
and (ii) an analysis of the Company's capital and liquidity in light of
execution of the definitive merger agreement has not yet been completed. The
Company expects to file the Form 10-K within the fifteen-day extension period.

The Company expects to report in the Form 10-K a consolidated provision
for loan and lease losses of approximately $232 million for the quarter ended
March 31, 2008, resulting in a consolidated net loss of approximately $204
million for the quarter.

The proposed private placement offering previously announced by the
Company on June 5, 2008 has been terminated in connection with the execution
of the merger agreement.

About PFF Bancorp

PFF Bancorp is the holding company of the PFF Bank & Trust, Glencrest
Investment Advisors, Inc., and Diversified Builder Services, Inc. The Bank
operates 38 branches in eastern Los Angeles, northern Orange, San Bernardino
and Riverside counties. Glencrest Investment Advisors, Inc. also provides
trust and wealth management services from its offices in Claremont and Irvine,
while Diversified Builders Services, Inc. provides financing and consulting
services to home builders and land developers.

About FBOP Corporation and California National Bank

FBOP Corporation is a privately-held, multi-bank holding company and
operates community banks in California (3), Arizona (1), Texas (3) and
Illinois (1). FBOP Corporation and its affiliated banks are "well capitalized"
and hold total assets of $16.3 billion.

California National Bank is headquartered in Los Angeles and maintains 68
branches serving Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino
Counties. Following completion of this merger, the consolidated entity expects
to maintain 106 offices spanning an area from southern Orange County to
Ventura and from Indio to the Pacific Ocean.

Important Additional Information About the Merger

This communication is being made in respect of the proposed business
combination involving PFF Bancorp, Inc. and FBOP Corporation. In connection
with the proposed transactions, PFF Bancorp, Inc. plans to file with the SEC a
proxy statement as well as other documents regarding the proposed transaction.
The definitive proxy statement will be mailed to stockholders of PFF Bancorp,
Inc. SECURITY HOLDERS OF PFF BANCORP, INC. ARE ADVISED TO READ THE PROXY
STATEMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR
ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION.

Security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement
(when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by PFF Bancorp, Inc.
through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Free copies
of the proxy statement (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC
are also available on the investor relations portion of PFF Bancorp's website
at www.pffbancorp.com

The Company and its directors and executive officers and other persons may
be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the
proposed transaction. Information regarding the Company's directors and
executive officers is available in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended March 31, 2007, which was filed with the SEC on May 30, 2007, and its
proxy statement for its 2007 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed
with the SEC on July 26, 2007. Other information regarding the participants in
the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect
interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the proxy
statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they
become available.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this news release may constitute forward-
looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may relate to, among
other things, expectations of the business environment in which the Company
operates, projections of future performance, perceived opportunities in the
market and statements regarding the Company's strategic objectives. These
forward-looking statements are based upon current management expectations and
may therefore involve risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results or
performance may differ materially from those suggested, expressed, or implied
by forward-looking statements due to a wide range of factors including, but
not limited to, the general business environment, the California real estate
market, competitive conditions in the business and geographic areas in which
the Company conducts its business, regulatory actions or changes, actions by
lenders and customers, the possibility of a going concern explanatory
paragraph in our independent registered public accountants' opinion on the
Company's March 31, 2008 consolidated financial statements, the risk that the
merger is not consummated due to failure to receive regulatory approval,
stockholder approval or due to other events, and other risks detailed in the
Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including
the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007. The
Company disclaims any obligation to subsequently revise or update any forward-
looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such
statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated
events.

Contact

PFF Bancorp
Kevin McCarthy, President and CEO, or

Gregory C. Talbott, Senior Executive Vice President, COO/CFO
1-909-941-5400

FBOP Corporation/California National Bank
Gregory A. Mitchell, President, California National Bank
1-213-443-1801

SOURCE California National Bank Parent and PFF Bancorp


[ADDITIONAL INFORMATION HERE.]

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Gas pains

Because I was on vacation, this is the first time in June that I have filled up my gas tank.

Today at Costco Montclair, I spent $62.15 to get 13.814 gallons of gas at $4.499/gallon.

What are you experiencing?

Empoprise-IE Rooster - Hidden Valley Golf Club

Yes, the Norco golf course that has made the news in the past for at-risk kids (supported by the course) and prostitution (not supported by the course).

http://www.hiddenvalleygolf.com/

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Friday, June 13, 2008

Empoprise-IE Rooster - San Bernardino Gas Prices

Yes, I'm back to timely updates to Empoprise-IE Rooster, and what could be more timely than this GasBuddy website?

http://www.sanbernardinogasprices.com/

Thursday, June 12, 2008

More no...

Followup to a May 29 post, when I was lamenting that the Arco on Mountain and Mission (in Ontario) was charging $4.019 a gallon.

Those were the days.

While I was on vacation in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Georgia, I was seeing what I thought were slightly lower gas prices (the highest that I saw was $3.999).

But now I'm back from vacation, and I drove by the Arco on Mountain and Mission this morning.

$4.459. That's an increase of 44 cents in two weeks.

I dread having to fill my tank again.

Empoprise-IE Rooster - Graber Olive House

Though the olives aren't grown in Ontario any more, they're still prepared in Ontario.

http://www.graberolives.com/

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

And as we leave these hallowed halls...

Chaffey High School, Ontario, California.

Before Chaffey High School graduation

Empoprise-IE Rooster - Chaffey High School

Unlike Chaffey College, Chaffey High School has remained in Ontario.

http://www.chaffey.org/

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Friday, June 6, 2008

Empoprise-IE Rooster - University of Redlands

They have campuses all over...even in Redlands!

http://www.redlands.edu/

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Empoprise-IE Rooster - Inland Empire 66ers

San Bernardino's minor league baseball team.

http://www.ie66ers.com/

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Ballotpedia

Foothill Cities Blog linked to this site.

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=June_3%2C_2008_California_election_results

99 passed. Kiss the Pomona bicycle shop goodbye.

Empoprise-IE Rooster - City of Grand Terrace

I haven't listened to KCAL's Jimbo in years, but he used to refer to this city as "Grand Ter-ah-chee."

http://www.cityofgrandterrace.org/

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

When I saw the Harlem Globetrotters in the Inland Empire

Several years ago, my brother in law arranged for us and our kids to go see the Harlem Globetrotters. They were playing at Cal State San Bernardino, at the Coussoulis Arena, so we didn't have to go far.

Now for someone of my age, it was an interesting experience, because these weren't the Globetrotters that I remembered. I had never seen them live, but I had seen them on TV in all their Hanna Barbera glory. Now when I saw the Globetrotters, Meadowlark and Curly were on the floor. Well, Meadowlark and Curly weren't on the floor in San Bernardino. I can't remember who their star player was during the game, but he certainly was entertaining.

The other thing that I remember about the game was the extra entertainment. Try to picture the surroundings. We weren't at the Staples Center or Carnegie Hall, but in a gymnasium at a university campus - I'm not knocking the university, or Mr. or Ms. Coussoulis, but I'm just noting that it's not necessarily an A-list destination. In this location, we not only got to see the Harlem Globetrotters, but also Myra, who was riding a wave of popularity at the time. My daughter may have even gotten her autograph, I can't remember.

But the thing that counts is that everyone had a good time. We enjoyed the Globetrotters' play, we enjoyed Myra's singing, and we went home happy.

But if you wanted to see the Harlem Globetrotters on June 3, 2008, it's too late:

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS

ANTARES
Route de Tours
72000 LE MANS

Le mardi 03 juin 2008 à 20:00
Basketball


But they'll be in Dijon on the 4th.

Empoprise-IE Rooster - California State University, San Bernardino

I've only visited the campus once, but it's there.

http://www.csusb.edu/

Monday, June 2, 2008

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Hint - this fundraiser didn't take place in Alta Loma

Yes, a Cow Chip Bingo fundraiser was held in Chino Hills over the weekend.

http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_9442660

http://cowbingo.ayalabac.org/

But if this event continues, what will they do when the ag preserve is no more? Import cows?

Empoprise-IE Rooster - Ontario International Airport

Yes, I realize I'm using an inaccurate name here, but I refuse to use the "L" word.

http://www.lawa.org/ont/