Knit nights at Colors 91711 in September

Knitters are invited to Colors 91711, 248 Harvard Ave., in the Claremont Village, to join in “The Power of Pink,” by making pink scarves on Wednesday and Friday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. and Friday evenings throughout September.

Scarves will be donated to patients undergoing breast cancer treatment at local centers including PVHMC Robert and Beverly Lewis Cancer Care Center, City of Hope, Kaiser in Fontana and Ontario, and San Antonio Hospital.

Since 2006, approximately 7000 pink scarves have been donated.   

Knitters are offered a 10 percent discount on pink yarn purchases during the event. A limited quantity of complimentary pink yarn is available to those wishing to make a scarf.

Guests will receive a drawing ticket for each hour at knit night(s) and one lucky winning ticket will be drawn at the end of September to win a Colors 91711 gift certificate.

Home tour to benefit Claremont Heritage

The 30th annual Claremont Heritage Home Tour is scheduled for Sunday, October 14. Tickets are currently on sale to tour 6 homes located on historic Indian Hill Boulevard between Harrison Avenue and Foothill Boulevard.

Guests can enjoy a docent-led tour of these classic homes and their interiors. Architectural styles include Tudor, craftsman, foursquare, English cottage and New Orleans Mediterranean. 

Tour check in will be at the Garner House in Memorial Park, 840 N. Indian Hill Blvd. 

A performance by the Claremont High School Jazz Band is scheduled during lunch, which will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch will be provided by Buca di Beppo, and is available for $10.

A special pre-home tour reception is planned for Saturday, October 13 at “The Sycamores,” 641 N. Indian Hill Blvd. The evening will feature tours of the beautifully restored craftsman home owned by John and Karen Neiuber. Mr. Neiuber is the current president of Claremont Heritage.

Professor Bob Herman will speak on Claremont history while guests enjoy wine, gourmet hors d’oeuvres and dessert. Space is limited for the preview. Tickets are $20 or $15 for Heritage members and students.

To purchase tickets for either event, please visit www.claremontheritage.org or call 621-0848.

Police increase presence in school zones

With the start of the public school year this week, the police department will be increasing visibility and enforcement in and around all of Claremont’s public schools over the next several weeks, according to the city manager’s report. Parents are encouraged to take extra time to allow for traffic at all K-12 schools, wear seat belts, drive at the appropriate speeds, park legally (no red zone parking) and not let children exit the car while stopped in a traffic lane. 

According to police, there will be zero tolerance for the use of cell phones (non-hands free), and students riding bicycles to school must use a helmet, ride with traffic and obey all the rules of the road.

Storm drain and Auto Center entrance project launched

Sully-Miller Contracting Company of Brea will begin construction on the Indian Hill Boulevard and Auto Center Entrance Project starting Monday, September 10.   

The project includes the installation of a storm drain on Indian Hill Boulevard from Oak Park Drive to American Avenue; median work south of San Jose Avenue; widening of the right turn lane into Auto Center Drive; widening of Auto Center Drive at the entrance from Indian Hill Boulevard to accommodate an additional eastbound left turn; and, the upgrade of all handicap ramps to meet current ADA standards, according to the city manager’s report.

The storm drain will resolve flooding problems on Indian Hill Boulevard and improve pedestrian and traffic safety. The improvements to the area of the Auto Center Drive intersection will improve traffic flow in and out of the retail center. The Auto Center Drive improvements were recommended as a result of the recent traffic impact report for this area. 

The work on Indian Hill Boulevard from San Jose Avenue to American Avenue will be performed at night to minimize the impact to motorists and businesses. Freeway ramp closures and detours will be utilized when working in the area of the freeway ramps. City staff has been working with the city of Pomona to help facilitate the extension of the storm drain connection to the county facility located at San Bernardino Avenue and Indian Hill Boulevard.

The project cost is $1.3 million, of which $900,000 is funded through a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant. The remaining $400,000 is funded through drainage fees collected from new development.

The project should be complete by December.

Questions or comments regarding this project may be directed to the city’s engineering division at 399-5465.

Claremont Eagle Scout completes bat conservation project

Erik Hodges, a boy scout from Upland Troop 608 and a resident of Claremont, recently completed the service project for his Eagle Scout Award and Hornaday Badge.

Erik’s project involved building and installing 6 large houses for rare and endangered species of bats. Erik’s project contributes to the effort to restore the original ecosystem on the Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency’s Lake Mathews-Estelle Mountain Reserve, including a self-sustaining population of bats. 

There are 5 native species of bats in the Lake Mathews-Estelle Mountain Reserve that were left without roosting sites when the area was used for commercial agriculture.

Brian Shomo of the Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency sponsored the project as part of the effort to restore the land to a flower and grassland dominated community for the endangered Stephen’s Kangaroo Rat. The restoration will also create excellent foraging habitat for bats that feast upon the insects flying above these newly-created meadows.

Erik supervised 30 scouts and other volunteers for a total of 237 hours of labor. The bat houses were built to Bat Conservation International specifications and have been mounted 18 feet off the ground on residual power poles that were left over from the orange groves.

The experiment for Erik’s Hornaday badge was to determine the optimal habitat temperature for bats in the region. Bat houses were painted 3 different shades of gray, which should lead to different internal temperatures in the bat houses. The population data from this experiment will be sent to Bat Conservation International to serve as additional information for the installation of bat houses in the future.

Education society welcomes public to local meeting

The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Beta Mu Chapter will hold a meeting on Tuesday, September 18 at 5:30 p.m.

The gathering, which will be held at 724 Marlboro Court in Claremont, will include reports on the honor and service organization’s state and international conventions, a 2012-13 program review, the appreciation of distinguished members, and a presentation on the “Adopt a School” project by Maia Dean, director of the Claremont Unified School District’s CLASP program.

Delta Kappa Gamma is an international society for key women educators. Anyone interested in educational issues is welcome to attend the meeting. For information, call 625-2841.

Claremont Place celebrates Assisted Living Week

Claremont Place has a number of events planned for its commemoration of Assisted Living Week, September 9-15, themed “Art for the Ages” and open to the community.

On Sunday, September 9, Claremont Place will host “Art for the Generations,” a Grandparents Day celebration beginning at 3 p.m. Guests are invited to artfully decorate ice cream sundaes, enjoying the treats with their grandchildren while sharing stories from years gone by.

 On Monday, September 10, also at 3 p.m., guests are invited to a demonstration called “The Art of Mixology.” A local expert will teach participants about mixed drinks, old and new, and serve up tasty appetizers and cocktails.

On Tuesday, September 11, Claremont Place invites you to a cupcake decorating contest, playfully titled “Cupcakes Gone Wild: Senior Edition.” Local dignitaries will judge the event, which runs from 10 a.m. to noon. The contest, open to seniors aged 55 and older, is free, but guests are asked to RSVP. 

On Wednesday, September 12, there will be demonstrations and hands-on practice in “The Art of Fruit Carving,” a workshop beginning at 3 p.m. Appetizers and beverages will be served. On Thursday, September 13, Claremont Place will hold an “Art festival Extravaganza,” in which guests are invited to tour the community as it showcases local and resident artists. Wine and cheese, and performances by resident musicians will be offered during this event, which runs from 3 to 6 p.m.

And on Friday, September 14, the celebration will take on a floral focus during a 10 a.m. presentation titled “The Art of Flower Arranging.” A local florist will share the latest trends in posy presentation, and each participant will go home with a bouquet.

Claremont Place Senior Living is located at 120 W. San Jose Ave., Claremont. To RSVP or for information, call Judith Jones at 447-5259.

Dems to discuss ‘The Paul Ryan Effect’ at meeting

The Democratic Club of Claremont will hold its first luncheon meeting of the fall on Friday, September 14.  at noon at the LYL Gardens in the Sprouts shopping center All are welcome..

The speaker, Professor Amanda Hollis-Brusky of the politics department at Pomona College, will discuss  “The Paul Ryan Effect.”

Ms. Hollis-Brusky teaches courses on American politics, constitutional law and theory and legal institutions at Pomona. Her research focuses on the political construction and diffusion of legal and constitutional ideas; the dynamics of constitutional change (and the role “support structures” play in that process); and how networks of elites shape the development and articulation of law and legal policy.