The economics of Ontario International Airport

Via podcast, I heard about a Riverside Press-Enterprise article that shared a troubling truth about Ontario International Airport - it's expensive.

A few snippets from Kimberly Pierceall's article:

Airlines land where there's demand, and there had been swelling populations in Riverside and San Bernardino counties wanting flights nearby.

But the region's housing-focused economy has been hit hard, and passenger airlines are cutting back. A larger percentage of seats were cut back at Ontario Airport last year than any other Southern California airport....

What the airport doesn't earn from concessions, parking permits, ATM transactions, rental car fees, advertising and luggage carts, it gets from its airlines. In its last fiscal year that ended in June 2008, the airport earned $72 million in revenue. Of that, $52 million came from airlines....

In March, the airport raised the annual rate it charges airlines for terminal space from $131.36 to $190.23 per square foot until June 30, more than other Southern California airports. It is an effort to overcome a potential $4 million shortfall in annual revenue. The airport may also raise parking rates.

San Diego Airport charges $73.35 per square foot and John Wayne charges $74.29 per square foot. Long Beach Airport and Palm Springs International charge $37.44 and $20.63 respectively.

Read the rest here.

In addition to declining passenger traffic, Ontario International Airport was hit by a case of bad timing and bad luck. Long a small airport, Ontario launched upon an ambitious expansion plan, building two new terminals in 1998 and planning for a third. Then September 11 hit.

So, what did you think of the festival?

Yeah, I missed it too. But the Los Angeles Times didn't:

The fourth annual Paid Dues Festival, held Saturday at the National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino, straddled the tenuous divide between serving as a celebration of the leading lights of the backpack breed of indie rap...and operating as a Petri dish for the flaws of the contemporary underground.

Despite an energetic slate of performers, the 120-acre sprawl of the NOS Events center often felt gloomy and vacant, with a 40,000 capacity but only a few thousand in attendance.

More here. Jeff Weiss notes that $40 tickets and $15 parking fees probably didn't help the attendance, but he did have praise for Atmosphere and Slaughterhouse.

And Antiquiet was ecstatic:

The annual event is a dream come true for fans of the indie/underground/backpacker scene, featuring appearances by hip-hop’s underground elite. Rap icon and core Living Legends member Murs put the festival together- which began in 2006- as a way to showcase the best & newest talent on the scene, as well as a collective of the best names in hip-hop today.

More here.

Let's get historical about Fontana

Here's another city history web page, this one from Fontana:

The earliest recorded landowner in the Fontana area was Don Antonio Maria Lugo, who received a land grant in 1813. A second grant secured the land known as Rancho de San Bernardino for his sons. The Lugo sons sold a portion of their land, which included part of what is now Fontana, to a group of Mormon settlers in 1851. The Mormon settlers eventually returned to Salt Lake City, and the Semi Tropical Land & Water Company gained control of the Rancho. Active development of the area, however, did not begin until the early 1900's when the Fontana Development Company acquired the acreage and began a community called Rosena a name that was changed to Fontana in 1913.

More here.

Granted, the Fourth Estate is in need of fixer-upping

The Claremont Insider spent some time looking at the earmarks from David Dreier, Nancy Pelosi, and Jerry Lewis, then asked,

By the way, has anyone seen the Fourth Estate poking around this information? Maybe it's too complicated or unsexy a story for a daily paper to delve into, but we think there's an audience for this, especially in these at a time when everyone's having to pinch pennies and cut back on expenses.

The thing is, the Fourth Estate doesn't have to poke into this, because, as I've noted, people like Jerry Lewis are bragging about what they've done.

The status of wireless 911 in Claremont

Wireless 911 has been problematic. Unlike a landline, where you know the exact jurisdiction in which the landline is located, wireless phones are obviously moving all over the place. While some have GPS, the positions of older phones can only be detected via triangulation between towers.

Pomona Neighborhood Watch noted the 911 capabilities in the neighboring city of Claremont.

When you dial 911 on your cell phone in the City of Claremont, the call no longer goes to the California Highway Patrol communications center; the call now goes to the Claremont Police Department communications center.

What's more interesting, however, is that the capabilities of the service depend upon your specific location, not just the city in which the phone is located.

If the caller is calling from the City boundaries the call could be sent to a surrounding city, additionally if the caller is calling from the freeway, within the City limits, the call is directed to the California Highway Patrol.


More here.

Let's get historical about Ontario

Ontario, California's web site includes the history of the city:

It was in the first week of August, 1881 when George Chaffey, a Canadian engineer, viewed the wastes known as the Cucamonga Desert and decided that this patch of land, if properly watered, could become productive and profitable. George and his brother William bought the "San Antonio lands," 6,218 acres with water rights for $60,000. This was the nucleus of their new model colony. They subsequently expanded to the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks on the south. On the north, they took in the Kincaid Ranch at San Antonio Canyon, an all-important source of water.

The Ontario Colony lands were quickly surveyed and went on sale in November, 1882. The centerpiece was Euclid Avenue, eight miles long and two hundred feet wide, the twin "driveways" separated by a parkway which was seeded in grass and lined with pepper trees. George named Euclid Avenue after the great Greek mathematician whose book Elements of Geometry had been a favorite subject for George in school.

The primary requirement, which had to be met before the land could be utilized, was that water had to be found and brought to the town. Chaffey laid miles of cement pipe for this purpose and later the San Antonio Water Co. drove a tunnel into the head of the canyon to tap the underground flow—then an innovation in the field. The need for electric power to lift water from deep wells led to the establishment of the Ontario Power Co.

More here.

Cal Poly Pomona in NCAA Men's Basketball finals. Yes, that's right.

Everybody and their mother is forgetting about the NCAA Division II basketball tournament.

Unless you track Cal Poly Pomona:

Cal Poly Pomona was the lowest seed in the Elite Eight and the largest school. Now they are in the Final Four of the NCAA Division II Championships.

And according to a link I found here, Cal Poly Pomona defeated Augusta State by a score of 74 to 70 today, and are going to the final on March 28. Also see this link.

I will be occupied elsewhere, but good luck to Cal Poly Pomona.

Mid-day car wash

I'm taking the day off to complete various errands, which means I can get a car wash on a weekday, in the middle of the day.

Haven't been to Valero (5515 Holt, Montclair) in a while. The interior store has been reduced in size, but presumably the wash is the same.

If it's Friday, it's checkpoint time - but what kind of checkpoint?

One of the blogs I follow goes by various names, but in essence the most accurate name is the name that is printed in the title area - the Inland Empire Crime Blog.

Last weekend, the blog had two separate posts about checkpoints that were held on Friday, March 20 - one in Coachella (a town southeast of Palm Springs) and one in San Bernardino.

First, in Coachella:

The City of Coachella conducted a DUI Checkpoint on Avenue 49 at Grapefruit Blvd on 3/20/09. The checkpoint was in operation between the hours of 7:00 P.M. and 2:00 A.M. A total of (1600) vehicles passed through the checkpoint during this operation and 1300 vehicles were screened.

Four people were arrested and booked for various crimes. Their names are in the blog post.

In addition:

The checkpoint personnel cited (26) drivers for the following vehicle violations:

1) (3) for driving on a suspended drivers license
2) (15) for driving without a drivers license
3) (8) hazardous equipment violation
4) (18) vehicles were towed

Meanwhile, in San Bernardino,

Traffic Sgt R. Lawhead explains that the San Bernardino Police Department conducted a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Friday, March 20, 2009 from 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM, in the 600 block of West Highland Avenue, in San Bernardino. During this operation a total of 842 vehicles were screened. A total 36 vehicles were impounded, 28 of which were held for 30 days. Officers wrote 46 citations, 37 of which were for unlicensed or suspended licensed drivers. There were also a total of 5 arrests on various charges.

The San Bernardino press release also took time to explain why they think DUI checkpoints are important:

DUI checkpoints are conducted to identify offenders and get them off the street, as well as educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving.

All too often, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers. This DUI/Drivers License checkpoint is an effort to reduce those tragedies, as well as insuring drivers have a valid driver’s license. A major component of these checkpoints is to increase awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and to encourage sober designated drivers.

A DUI checkpoint is a proven effective method for achieving this goal. By publicizing these enforcement and education efforts, the San Bernardino Police Department believes motorists can be deterred from drinking and driving.

As I've said before, however, most of the people who get in trouble at DUI checkpoints don't get in trouble for DUI. Even when you look at the four people who were arrested in Coachella, one was arrested on a weapons charge. While I'm not arguing that people engaging in criminal acts should run free, perhaps the "DUI checkpoint" is not named properly.

Your thoughts?

Red Cross Walk in Claremont

The Claremont Insider reports that the Claremont Red Cross will have a 5k fundraising walk on Saturday, March 28 at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden.

You have until Thursday, March 26, to register. Registration for adults is $25, for youths 3-17 it's $20, and it's $80 for families.

More here.

Sadly, there's a local angle to the Montana plane crash

Over the weekend, a plane crashed in Montana, killing all aboard. Both the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and the Los Angeles Times are reporting that, despite the fact that the plane crashed in Butte, there is a local angle to the story.

The Times article includes a picture of Amy Jacobson of St. Helena, California, and her family. Amy is the daughter of Redlands dentist Irving M. "Bud" Feldkamp III, and the sister of Vanessa Pullen. Amy and Vanessa were among those who died in the plane crash. Irving had driven ahead and was planning to meet his daughters and the rest of the family and friends who were on the plane.

See the linked news articles for more information.

There is also a statement from Loma Linda University:

On Sunday,March 22, a tragic plane crash inMontana abruptly ended the lives of six Loma Linda University alumni, and seven of their children.The professional pilot of the plane also died in this accident.There were no survivors.Our entire Loma Linda University andMedical Center family joins in expressing our sincerest sympathy to the grieving relatives and other loved ones at this time of unimaginable loss.

The deceased are:

Vanessa Feldkamp Pullen, School of Medicine (’98), husbandMichael Pullen,
School of Dentistry (’99), children Sydney (age 10) and Christopher (age 7) Amy Feldkamp Jacobson,DentalHygiene (’97), husband Erin Jacobson, School of Medicine (’00), children Taylor (age 4),Ava Grace (age 3), Jude (age 2) KristenMautz Ching, School of Nursing (’00), husband Brent Ching, School of Dentistry (’98), childrenHailey (age 5) and Caleb (age 4) Buddy Summerfield, pilot

Words cannot express the sadness we feel for our colleagues who are family members and friends of those who lost their lives.Numbered among the many who now mourn are those who serve with us in our educational and health ministries.

Our prayer is that our Lord will give us a special measure of his mercy as we share the deep sadness of this loss and as we reach out in love to embrace those who are grieving.

From the office of the deans of Loma Linda University School ofMedicine, School of Dentistry, and School of Nursing.

Everest - where to dine when you're getting evicted

Around the same time as the Pomobama hoopla, David Allen went out to eat at Everest in Upland.

It's another of those burger palaces that has a zillion items on the menu, sort of the spiritual opposite of In-N-Out: not only a dozen styles of hamburger but pastrami and other kinds of sandwiches, basic Mexican items, salads, breakfasts, even an "old fashioned Sloppy Joe" ($2.99).

I never even thought of BUYING a Sloppy Joe. Must check out.

One thing that Allen neglected to mention is that Everest Drive-In is a short walk from the Broadstone Foothill Apartment complex, which I haven't discussed in almost a month.

Paramount-Pomona???

An interesting item from a David Allen reader:

Sometime during the past few weeks, a mistake has appeared in Google Maps: The place name 'Paramount' has appeared on the west side of Pomona. I've lived in this part of town for more than 50 years, and Paramount has never been a local name.

I nosed around, and it's not just Google Maps. CitySquares:

Welcome to CitySquares, your local city guide to Paramount, Pomona! Take a few minutes to browse around and discover the neighborhoods and the businesses in Paramount, Pomona, as well as local news and events.

And then there's this:

We are # 1 Water Damage Restoration Company Proudly Serving Paramount, Narod, Sunsweet, Montclair, San Dimas in Pomona, CA

Now Pomona, Montclair, and San Dimas are local city names, and Narod is a historical name. I'm not familiar with Sunsweet.

Paramount, of course, is a city over 30 miles southwest of Pomona.

But then I found two things that made a bit more sense. Here's a SuperPages business listing:

Paramount Acme Duplex Inc
Pomona, CA 91766
(909) 397-9003

And then I found this MySpace profile for a Cal Poly Pomona student who originally comes from Paramount, and therefore lists her hometown as "Paramount/Pomona."

Though I hope that Google, SuperPages, etc. aren't getting their information from city names on MySpace profiles.

However, at least I now know that I can go to Pomona and become a movie star.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES is in the Services, N.E.C. industry in POMONA, CA. This company currently has approximately 250 to 500 employees and annual sales of $75,000,000 to $199,999,999.

386 S THOMAS ST
POMONA, CA 91766
Phone: (323) 956-5779
Key Facts
Location Type: Branch
Industry: Services, N.E.C.
Ownership: Public
Sales Range: $75,000,000 to $199,999,999
Employees: 250 to 500


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I knew Lindsay Lohan was hanging out in this area at one point, but I thought she was doing community service. I guess she was working.

The next step in brick and mortar elimination - do away with the polling place

Normally California is supposed to be the alfalfa-eating trendsetter for things, but Matt Munson noted that Washington and Oregon beat us to something, and that conservative Orange County was the next to adopt the new idea.

Orange County is doing something novel they are asking for permission from the state govenrment to make all elections mail only so they can save on staffing polling booths and sample ballot printing. Orange County expects to save $200,000 if the state approves this reform that is also used in Washington and Oregon.

It actually makes sense, inasmuch as everything has been computerized and centralized anyway. Provided that the mail works, this could be a good idea.

I just won't get an "I Voted" sticker any more.

I was against it before I was for it, part two

You can't have it both ways, Jerry.

From Inland Empire News:

Congress has approved a $410 billion federal spending bill that includes funds for San Bernardino and Riverside County projects sought by Congressman Jerry Lewis for needs ranging from a regional law enforcement fingerprint program to vital transportation and water system improvements.

The projects were approved as part of an omnibus spending bill that funds nearly all of the federal government’s operations beyond defense and homeland security. It will go into effect as soon as it is signed by President Obama.

Now I'm sure that if you honestly ask the rest of Congress about these things in Lewis' district, they'd confess that it's just a bunch of pork. But to Lewis, and to Lewis' constituents, these are extremely vital programs. You see, Congressman Lewis is against pork:

Lewis voted against the bill when it was considered in the House of Representatives because it includes massive new spending on programs that will not have an immediate effect on the faltering national economy.

So, in essence, Lewis is claiming credit for bringing funds to his district, even though he originally opposed the whole idea. And, in fact, the rest of the press release details every dollar that Lewis brought to his district. A sample:

The spending bill approves $2.8 million requested by Congressman Lewis to continue space radiation research through use of the Proton Beam Accelerator at Loma Linda University Medical Center. The project, which has received more than $50 million secured by Lewis over the past nine years, provides the National Aeronautics and Space Administration the ability to test human and spacesuit reaction to radiation levels that are expected to occur in space.

OK, I'm going to say something completely uncaring and cold. We've been sending people into space for almost a half-century now. Is it extremely critical and vital that we perform this testing right now? And how will this, in Lewis' own words, "have an immediate effect on the faltering national economy"?

The nerve.

Pomona on Obama in Pomona

When looking at Obama's visit to Pomona, it's best to look at the people who are in Pomona.

Goddess of Pomona has a business idea.

And speaking of t-shirts, the Daily Bulletin records one family's t-shirt inspiration. But they're from Chino Hills, so let's go back to...

Goddess of Pomona (again), talking about a man who was cruising down Holt Boulevard.

As was Original Skrip.

Sustainability Seminar in Pomona

M-M-M-My Pomona links to a Student in Pomona post about the 6th annual Sustainability Seminar, scheduled for Saturday, April 4, 2009 at 341 Kingsley.


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More information at http://www.regen.org/.

Foggy

Ontario, California.

Anti-government protest moves due to red tape

Follow-up.

Matt Munson's post at IE Politics says it all:

I recently let our readers know about a special event to protest against government abuse and waste in San Bernardino, but due to city red tape it got moved to Rancho Cuccamonga.

Here are the details:

Date: Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Time: 5pm-7pm

Place: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Foothill/Day Creek (on Foothill)
by Victoria Gardens

Dinner at Los Alazanes

850 N Mountain (at I), Ontario. The building formerly housed a Taco Bell, but it moved to a new building across the street.