Opinion
On June 12, the Claremont City Council adopted “Planning Goals and Guiding Principles—Village South Plan,” a document drafted by Sargent Town Planning, a private firm located in Los Angeles. While this six-page document enumerated 11 “guiding principles” and 29 “goals” for the 17 acres south of the railroad tracks and on Indian Hill Boulevard, it […]
Invitation from Fairplex Dear Editor: I was surprised and disappointed to read your opinion piece in the September 14 edition of the Claremont COURIER. Surprised because I was taken aback by your statements that the COURIER hasn’t received any press releases from Fairplex and the LA County Fair, and disappointed at your conclusion that, “Clearly […]
by Debbie Carini Seven years ago, I wrote what I thought was my last column about the first day of school—it was my son’s last first: the first day of his senior year of high school. In that column, I reminisced about all the first days of school – captured forever in photo albums, random […]
I wrote in this space a couple of months ago how recent 30 percent newsprint tariffs were designed solely to damage the newspaper industry. It all started earlier this year, when the new owners of one Washington State mill filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC) that Canadian suppliers had an advantage because […]
Spending standard Dear Editor: Tuesday night, the city council approved the purchase of 14 new police cruisers at a cost of more than $500,000. Their unanimous decision was not based on rational economic analysis, but rather fear and the mere fact that the purchase was already in the city’s budget (because if it’s in the […]
Culture and heritage: when we string them together as in cultural heritage, what does that mean? Cultural heritage is an expression of the ways of living, passed on from generation to generation, which includes customs, practices, objects, artistic expressions and values. Cultural heritage includes physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that […]
by Susan Schenk There’s a rumor going around that needs to be addressed. The rumor is that the city is keeping the Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) out of the loop and ignoring its comments and desires in regard to development of the Village South Specific Plan (VSSP). This is not true. The city hired consultants […]
Sharing our sorrow Dear Editor: Reflecting on news of the deaths, in rapid succession, of Velma McKelvey, Ann Copple, Sam Mowbray and Louise Bell. Mid-July to Mid-August 2018 Death slips into ordinary life In ordinary words and ways. The news crops up in casual conversation— “Oh! You didn’t know she’d died?” Or from a story […]
by Mellissa Martinez I recently visited a local refugee family with my friend Jennifer, where we found ourselves surrounded by three extremely excited—and jumpy—young girls. Following their lead, we sat on the floor and started playing. Sitting across from the oldest, I placed my hands in the air and began to sing. As if following […]
by James Elsasser, superintendent of the Claremont Unified School District The Claremont Unified School District’s mental health program implements a continuum of district-wide supports including promotion, prevention, early identification, early intervention and treatment. The district’s mental health continuum supports students, families and school staff by aiming to improve educational outcomes by decreasing absences and discipline […]
Feel good Almanac Dear Editor: Just a note of appreciation and congratulations on a really excellent “feel good” COURIER Almanac showcasing Claremont’s amazing volunteers. In a climate of harassment of the media with everything being labeled “fake news,” it was uplifting to read about Claremont’s many volunteer organizations and committees and the incredible number of […]
Police station issue Dear Editor: Just over a year ago, the city of Upland dissolved its fire department and annexed into the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District. The Upland city manager has announced that the move, in one year, saved the city $4 million. Claremont made the switch to Los Angeles County Fire decades […]
The Almanac is always a time of reflection for us. We think about the year in news and how Claremonters reacted to our stories. With the police station bond measure, the high turnover in management at city hall and the upcoming city council election, this year felt more stressful than normal. Last week, city staff […]
by Debbie Carini One wall of a spare room in my parents’ home is lined with photo albums—they must number close to 30, maybe even more. My mom is starting to worry about what will happen to them. “Who’s going to take all of those?” she’s wondered about everything from her 1940’s childhood keepsake book […]
Voting is your voice Dear Editor: The League of Women Voters of the Claremont Area has begun a campaign to increase turnout for the November 6 election. We plan to use social media and community support to engage voters. We sponsored two contests last school year. The first was a slogan contest. Carlo Rufo, a […]
by John Neiuber Good architecture speaks to us. It fills one with awe. No matter how many times I see an iconic work of architecture, I get the same wonderous feeling, as if I am seeing it for the first time. Whether I am gazing at the Chrysler Building in New York, Disney Concert Hall […]