Opinion

Our global climate Dear Editor: Mark Merritt’s letter “What climate change?” in the September 18 issue of the COURIER illustrates well the confusion of some folks between local weather and global climate. A one-day local rain in southern California does not offset meteorological conditions in Africa, Australia, Europe, the Arctic and elsewhere. Even more important […]

by Mellissa Martinez In the ’70s and ’80s, the word ‘trend’ was associated with current fashion, popular culture and hip hairstyles. Trends seemed more durable, often lasting for months if not years. In my case, ‘trendy’ meant Jordache jeans, ruffle shirts, aerobics, sweatbands, crimped hair and side ponytails (you get the picture). Thanks to our […]

Claremont Craft Ales isn’t just home to a selection of beers with locally inspired names like Indian Hill, Café Padua and Station 101. It houses a couple of avid readers who like the written word as much as they do the brewed beverage. The COURIER recently caught up with cousins Emilie Moultrie and Natalie Seffer […]

by John Pixley   “And we’re back.” The trip was over. The weekend getaway was at an end. No doubt about it. For one thing, it was definitely time to put on the air conditioner in the van. It was suddenly hot. Seriously hot. Now that we were down off the mountain—a short half-hour drive—the […]

Put public safety first Dear Editor: On November 3, Claremont residents will have the opportunity to vote on a parcel tax to finance the construction of a new police station. It is instructive to compare the costs and benefits of this project with those of the proposed water system acquisition. The planned $50 million station […]

Summer’s end by Debbie Carini   Labor Day is a curious holiday. It was officially established in 1887 by Grover Cleveland and dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers, but most folks today think of it as a three-day weekend accompanied by big markdowns on patio furniture. It is always celebrated on […]

Peppertree Square Dollar Tree Dear Editor: As a Claremont resident and the owner of the firm responsible for leasing Peppertree Square, I want to respond to Mr. Auerbach’s September 4 letter and provide further information to Claremont residents regarding Dollar Tree, the ownership of Peppertree Square and the leasing process. First, the center has been […]

by Freeman Allen   I wanted to visit homes on Forsyth Place to talk about the Claremont Energy Challenge, but there was no place I could park. All the spaces were vacant but all were posted “Residence Permit Required,” even on nearby streets. That’s Claremont’s response to complaints about the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park attracting […]

It makes sense. I was explaining to a couple friends that there were lots of students in town, being dropped off by parents and moving into the dorms with computers and swivel chairs and an extra pair of bed sheets bought at the local Target, even though classes at the Colleges wouldn’t start for a […]

Claremont, City of Trees… Dear Editor: If you go to Google Earth and start navigating to a point over southern California, something very interesting happens. Claremont is easy to locate from quite a distance because it is greener than any of the communities surrounding it. Closing in on the image of our fair city, the […]

by Mellissa Martinez   There was a period of time last year when my mother regularly texted me using all capital letters. Each time I checked my phone, I felt worried and a little angry to see messages like, “WHAT TIME DO YOU WANT ME TO GET FELIX?” or “WHERE ARE YOU?” My mind would […]

  Saving the trees Dear Editor: The August 21 viewpoint by Mark von Wodtke, regarding the tree situation in Claremont was excellent. I am afraid the city has been remiss and very short-sighted in not watering the trees. This is “The City of Trees,” yet the city has not done anything to protect the trees […]

by Mark von Wodtke, FASLA Our community is a risk of losing a lot of trees. If Claremont loses 1,000 trees, which may be valued on average at more than $10,000 each (a large Elm at Memorial Park has been valued at about $80,000), we risk losing as much as $10 million in assets. These […]

Observer by John Pixley   Who knew that a can of vegetarian chili, a can of white hominy and some shredded cheese could taste so good? It was something my mom would just whip up when I was young and something I would have when I had my first apartment in college. Actually, after years […]

CHS jazz band director Dear Editor: Back in June, the Claremont COURIER reported that Claremont High School Jazz Band director, Mr. Rick Melanson, was removed from his position pending a criminal court proceeding on child annoyance charges. I was therefore quite surprised when no follow-up article was printed to inform the community that on July […]

by John Pixley   It turned out that Emma was taking us the long way. What should have been a 17-minute trip ended up taking 45 minutes. There were an awful lot of right and left turns, coming one right after the other, and we found ourselves driving on  the same roads and the same […]