Opinion

Holding education hostage Dear Editor: Once again the sage of Sumner, David Nemer, sets up a Halloween strawman to attack the logical conclusions of Mr. Hammill’s opposition to Prop 30 published Wednesday, October 17. Not only is it child’s play to provide a patently obvious ‘viable explanation’ to Mr. Nemer, but it also shows why […]

by Mellissa Martinez One look at the readers’ comments on page 2 of any COURIER confirms that Claremont residents are fond of debate. Topics such as water prices, school board decisions, administrator missteps, sanitation fees or plans for the Wilderness Trail can quickly become contentious. This month, however, there are wider considerations at hand. Debate […]

by Claremont Mayor Larry Schroeder We applaud the COURIER’s attempt to educate Claremont residents on their water bills. As your recent article, “Drop by Drop,” correctly points out, water bills in Claremont are not only difficult to understand but they also include additional charges on high water users, as well as charges for those who […]

The evolution of a water bill Dear Editor: The explanation of our water bills published in the COURIER on Wednesday, October 10 induced me to run through my Excel budget files since 1994. Here are the interesting results I discovered. From 1994 through 1997, I paid an average of $600 per year for water. In […]

Walrus Team 6 Dear Editor: The water bill primer was quite informative. However, the real meaning of some of the acronyms was not provided. Thanks to the extremely dangerous undercover work undertaken by Walrus Team 6 (not quite as elite as Seal Team 6), we are able to provide the definitions Golden State Water does […]

Yes on Proposition 32 Dear Editor: A recent Readers’ Comment entitled “Silence the opposition” in the October 3 COURIER urges a “no” vote on Proposition 32. The author claims that billionaires and corporations would corrupt the political system through “big money” donations and thus drown out “employment organizations” (aka: “Union”). I have a different opinion. […]

by Peter Weinberger What do you get when there are 150 community newspaper publishers in one room?  Two great ideas. I attended my first National Newspaper Association (NNA) annual conference last week in Charleston, South Carolina. Being it was kind of a nice city to visit, that’s the excuse I gave to my wife as […]

by Jeff Hammill I believe the Claremont school board’s unanimous endorsement of Proposition 30 is proof that our board members are        victims of the “Stockholm Syndrome.” This is not intended to disparage any individual board member or even the board as a whole, for they truly are captives. The board is the government’s first line […]

by Ray and Barbara Fowler We appreciate the many hours devoted by many people to the study of extending the Metro Gold Line trains between Azusa and Montclair along the early train lines that bisect the older core hearts of Glendora, San Dimas, north Pomona, La Verne and Claremont.  While many smaller safety and noise […]

by John Pixley The last time I saw Gerald Haynes, he could barely talk. It was difficult to hear and understand him, his voice scarcely above a hoarse whisper, as he lay in the hospice bed that had been brought into his room at a Claremont retirement home, all but too weak to lift his […]

by Jan Wheatcroft Okay, so here I am writing another piece about food. I guess I do spend a large amount of time and energy thinking about and eating food. I watch a great variety of food programs on television, read recipes as if they were short stories and can get lost in any kind […]

Flushing out the truth Dear Editor: You can’t read body language from a PR piece that is crafted by an outsourced communication firm. Thank you for publishing Freeman Allen’s analysis in the Wednesday, September 26 edition of the COURIER, which pokes huge holes in Golden State Water’s propaganda mailer. As for GSW Vice President Denise […]

by Steve Sabicer It was in the Negev Desert on an archaeological excavation when I first thought about building a cistern in my backyard. I was a Pomona College sophomore on a summer internship when I climbed to the top of Masada, the ruins of King Herod’s desert palace. Perched on the edge of a […]

by Freeman Allen [Editor’s note: The following viewpoint was submitted in an effort to refute claims made by Golden State Water in their letter to Claremont customers that was distributed September 11, 2012 by Denise Kruger, senior vice president of GSW. The original letter can be viewed at http://www.gswater.com/csa_home pages/claremont.html. —KD] Claim: Water rates. Customer […]

Dodging bicycle traffic Dear Editor: I just wanted to share a safety heads-up with Claremont residents who frequent the Village. Recently, my husband, who is recovering from surgery, stepped out of a business onto the sidewalk and was dealt a glancing blow by a cyclist who was speeding by. She stopped immediately and apologized profusely […]

by John Pixley “When will this hot weather end?” I wondered. “I’m so tired of it.” I was getting ready for bed one night last week, and something much more than the day and all its activity was weighing in on me. I was tired—literally—of the summer heat. It wasn’t just one night, though. I […]