Opinion

by John?Pixley It’s funny how a certain memory will stick. I guess I will always remember my mother raving about the horn player. It must have been when I was in elementary school. My parents had gone to a concert. There had been a horn soloist, and my mother said repeatedly that she had never […]

By Peter Weinberger This column is not going to be an emotional plea to the Golden State Water Company (GSW) to stop messing around with our water rates in search of more profits. Nor will it side with the unpopular minority views stating that Claremont residents use tons of water, costing huge resources to maintain, […]

Change the rules Dear Editor: John Pixley’s June 21 Observer column, “Don’t Like the Game? Change the Rules,” was right on. What perplexes me is the portion about the city spending $165,000 for doubtful “traffic calming measures” when it seems a simpler and less expensive solution is available. The state ruling on continuously re-setting speed […]

by Mellissa Martinez One of the best things about summer is the taste of a succulent peach. Since Claremont trees are almost ready for the picking, why not look a little further into the root of this delicious fruit? Sometimes the etymology of a fruit can lead us back to its country of origin and […]

It saddens me a bit to say that I will be leaving the COURIER. Although it has been fulfilling to work in the newspaper industry with my wonderful colleagues this past year, my decision to accept a position with a healthcare and wellness center represents my dream to be a part of a new age […]

by John Pixley “After attendance at the hot topic presentations begun to dwindle, Ms. Glaudi begun seeking ways to revamp the program.” Sounds simple enough. And smart. Sometimes, when things are not working out, it’s good to revamp, shake things up and try something new. Sort of like getting a new perspective. That’s what Shannon […]

Annie’s big day Dear Editor: Like so many other proud Claremont families, today we celebrated the graduation of one of our family members. Our granddaughter, Anabelle Monroe, is a member of Claremont High School’s Class of 2013.  We attended the culminating event and cheered as our Annie received her diploma. We were among thousands of […]

[Editor’s note:?The following letter was sent to the Claremont City Council, with a copy forwarded for publication. —KD] Conflict with city’s law firm Dear City Council members: Your list of future council agenda items includes the contract with Best Best and Krieger for legal services. For many years, it has troubled me that the city […]

by Debbie Carini Seventeen years ago, I volunteered to help make the caps for my daughter’s preschool graduation class.  It seemed impossible, at the time, that she was already on her way to kindergarten—hadn’t she just mastered walking and talking and eating with the “big girl” spoon and fork? As an inveterate crafter, I always […]

SCHOOL SPIRIT A student of an unnamed Claremont graduate school called the COURIER recently to say she had received a speeding ticket from the Claremont Police Department. She wasn’t concerned about her name appearing in our Police Blotter, but that printing the name of her college would bring undue shame. Talk about school spirit. Sammy […]

by John Pixley I didn’t know him, but I knew he wasn’t just another kid in the line. As I saw him waiting on that bright, fresh Saturday morning with the sun poking out from clouds to walk under the arch of orange and white balloons, I knew he wasn’t another kid but a son, […]

Homegrown success story Dear Editor: I have been a Claremont resident and patron of Pizza ‘N Such for over 30 years.  It is very disheartening to see the city and Mike and Sue Verbal litigate over the use (or misuse?) of their $165,000 in city parking fees required to expand their restaurant in 2002. Mike […]

By Peter Weinberger There have been many odd things newspapers have done over the past several years when addressing the changes in reader habits, advertising and the bottom line. The most popular approach is to cut their way to profits, hoping subscribers won’t notice the impact on quality. The result has been significantly smaller staffs […]

by Mellissa Martinez During a recent news broadcast, I heard the word ‘transparency’ used 6 times in the course of a 10-minute interview—as an adjective, a verb and a noun. The reporter spoke of a “transparency agenda,” and later his guest suggested that people be more “transparent in their efforts to promote transparency.” Perhaps the […]

City council votes for unknown Dear Editor: When is a “resolution” not a resolution? Welcome to Claremont City Council’s Tuesday night meeting!   In reference to the Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) petition, Councilman Larry Schroeder stated: “It’s not a resolution, although the agenda says it is a resolution.” City Manager Tony Ramos, in an effort […]

by Steven Llanusa This past week has been great for arts education in Claremont. Friday was opening night of a ceramics exhibit in the Ginger Elliott Gallery at the Garner House. Works by students from both Claremont High and El Roble were featured. Anne Mumper of CHS, Wendy Kubiak of El Roble and their students […]