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 but it was still a scare. 

A few days later, he was sitting outside the same business, where a bicycle was parked on the sidewalk. Another cyclist going by tapped the parked bicycle and it fell over onto my husband, a friend’s dog and the table we were sitting at.

Also, a fragile senior citizen narrowly avoided injury as a bystander shouted a warning to stop in the doorway as a skateboarder was speeding directly towards her.

Curious about traffic restrictions in the Village, I sent an email to the Claremont website and Chief Cooper has responded:

“There are no local ordinances or Vehicle Codes prohibiting riding a bicycle on the sidewalk in the Village or anywhere else in the city. Skateboards are prohibited in the Village area whether they are on the street or the sidewalk. There are also no ‘parking’ restrictions on bicycles, other than section 21210 of the Vehicle Code, which states, “No person shall leave a bicycle laying on its side on any sidewalk, or shall park a bicycle on a sidewalk in any other position so there is not adequate path for pedestrian traffic. There are numerous bike racks throughout the Village that riders are encouraged to use, but nothing in place that legally forces them to utilize them.”

Bottom line: Be careful and watch for cross traffic when you step out of Village businesses. Look both ways! Cyclists, please park your bikes at the bike racks.  Let’s be safe.

Wendy Hampton

Claremont

Where’s the beauty?

Dear Editor:

Come on, Claremont. What is going on? I am all for conserving water, but let’s do it right. What has happened to our beautiful city? The city of trees, our quaint little town? Where I used to see beautifully well- kept homes, I now see overgrown plants, “drought resistant” weeds, front yards covered in mulch and very poorly maintained gardens. 

If you feel the need to let your lawn die and go with a drought-resistant landscape, please do it right. Make it look nice and keep it that way.

In the old days, I would see letters from the city posted on doors of homes where the yard maintenance was not up to Claremont standards. Haven’t seen any of those lately. Seems like Claremont is okay with this. I certainly am not. It makes me sad to drive around town and see how the beauty of Claremont has declined. 

Let’s not allow this to happen to our little treasure. Please folks, let’s make Claremont beautiful again.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Margaret Johnson

Claremont

First Baptist Church

Dear Editor:

According to an ad in the Wednesday September l9 COURIER, a new church is beginning at the corner of Harrison and Mountain Avenues in Claremont. This is the property of the First Baptist Church,  which meets each Sunday for traditional worship at 9:30 a.m.

We are alive and well. The “new” church is renting space to use after our worship service.

Kit Tournay

Claremont