Every year Claremont Heritage honors two recipients for their efforts to preserve Claremont history at its annual gala. These awards typically involve a lifetime of achievement, and that was certainly the case on May 17 at Padua Hills Theatre, when it honored Brian Worley with its cultural heritage award and Hartman-Baldwin with the Bess Garner Preservation Award.

This year’s gala was unique in that it included an additional honoree, the City of Claremont, in recognition of the passing of a cultural resources preservation ordinance. The ordinance, which went into effect May 9, is a milestone in the city’s preservative movement. It established objective criteria and procedures for structures on the local register, including a mandatory review for demolition of structures more than 45 years old.

Presenters Councilmember Jennifer Stark and Charles Phoenix keep an keen eye on the totals for a Claremont trivia challenge game for those in attendance. Courier photos/Peter Weinberger

It was an packed house at the Claremont Heritage Gala at the Padua Hills Theatre, on Friday May 17.