Opinion

Cameras Dear Editor: Unreasonable search, really? In theory, I am all for self-policing to protect our rights. Unfortunately, reality is that not enough of us do so, and we have government agencies to help. Douglas Lyons, do you find having a police officer look at your license plate for current registration an unreasonable search? If […]

Late on Thanksgiving Day, Devon Hartman sent an email message from his retreat in the mountains to note that he was thinking of Sustainable Claremont—the satisfaction of working with like-minded people toward a sustainable future and the prospects for the year to come. Devon is dedicated to realizing the many benefits of improved whole-house energy […]

Unreasonable search Dear Editor: Last Wednesday, the COURIER provided us an overview of the city’s recently-installed automatic license plate reader cameras. [“Hi-tech cameras keep watchful eye on Claremont,” November 21.] Our city council’s decision to install these cameras raises serious civil liberties issues. In order to clarify what may be muddy waters, it usually helps […]

Building Bridges Dear Editor: It was wonderful to see the story about Pomona College’s Bridges Auditorium in the November 17 issue of the COURIER. It is a beautiful space and a great resource to the college and to the community. I’d like to clear up some confusion about the venue’s ownership history. Although constructed on […]

by Mellissa Martinez In the wake of the recent election, it was impossible to avoid the unrelenting political commentary on Facebook. Yes, there were thoughtful posts from Romney supporters and appropriate celebratory messages from fellow Obama faithful, but the overwhelming overload of grumbling took much of the fun out of Facebook. My homepage was filled […]

Respect for the one percent Dear Editor, I am sure I am not alone in enjoying politics as the perfect blood-sport, one which allows us to watch politicians of all stripes and flavors to run their plays and peddle their fact-free mythology…and then get bloodied one way or another by the smarter members of the […]

False claims by Golden State Dear Editor: On November 9, Denise Kruger, senior vice president of regulated utilities for Golden State Water’s parent company, released a statement which purports: “In 2006, the League of Women Voters suggested the value of the system could be $100 million and noted that it would cost taxpayers almost $200 […]

by Debbie Carini There are lots of things that people inherit—money (think Rockefellers, Du Ponts Vanderbilts), titles (Prince Charles, Count Dracula), talent (the Mannings, the Fondas, the Wyeths), red hair (from some long-lost relative who only ever appeared in a black-and-white photo so I’m not really sure how I ended up as a carrot top), […]

Claremont’s disclosure practices Dear Editor: The city staff’s proposed amendment to the city’s conflict of interest code is on the council agenda for Tuesday, November 13. I’ve read the proposal and noticed a few features that concern me: 1. The City Clerk will be required to make financial disclosures of subordinate officials available for public […]

by Jan Wheatcroft I have moved house, city and country quite a fewtimes. Some of the places I have lived in have madea big impression for various reasons such as weather,activities in the area and the person or people I was withat the time. However, one country had the power to giveme intense joy and […]

by Susan Schenk “And then my heart with pleasure fills And dances with the daffodils.” —William Wordsworth This pretty much sums up my feelings about gardening. As a kid, I happily planted succulents donated by neighbors thinning their beds, and bought more with my allowance. I planted vegetables and pulled up a carrot or radish […]

by John Pixley It took me a minute. I should have known. It said “Luna” at the top of the opening. Inside, there was a large stuffed dog and several dog food bowls and bones, along with plenty of the usual skeletons—including dog skeletons—and votive candles. The back wall was a mosaic of photographs of […]

By Peter Weinberger Now that we have elected a president, it’s time to take a break from all the rhetoric between friends, families and, of course, politicians. Was it just me or did it seem it was almost impossible to have a civil political conversation with people of differing views? It’s clear we have become […]

Teachers support Prop 30 Dear Editor: We are voting yes on Proposition 30 because we believe our students do not deserve another $6 billion in cuts to education. We are voting yes on Proposition 30 because we believe our students should not suffer the effects of attending under- funded schools, in class sizes too big […]

By Peter Weinberger When I first heard we were going to interview Ruth Bobo for a story in today’s edition about efforts to raise money for her healthcare costs, I jumped at the chance to see her again. During my illustrious career at Claremont High School from 1970 to 1974, I was a student of […]

Addressing errors Dear Editor: In response to my October 17 letter in defense of Proposition 30, Joe Farrell presented a rambling discourse that is fraught with errors and irresponsible conclusions (COURIER, October 20). Mr. Farrell’s first sentence refers to me as “the sage of Sumner.” This is very interesting and humorous, since I have never […]