Readers’ comments: October 11, 2024

Appreciate professionalism
Dear editor:
This last week, some of our meals on wheels volunteers attended the Claremont Courier’s ribbon cutting ceremony. It was very interesting hearing about the changes the paper has gone through and finding out how the changes have resulted in fewer employees.  With the quality that comes out with so few employees, we’d never know. We at Claremont Meals on Wheels want you to know we thoroughly appreciate the professionalism Andrew Alonzo shows every time he attends one of our events and produces articles for us. We are fortunate to have made a great connection with him and treasure both him and the local paper. On behalf of the board, thank you for all you do for the community.
Barbara Gonzalez
President
Claremont Meals on Wheels

Silence is not safety
Dear editor:
As reported in The Claremont Independent, 11:30 pm. Sunday, September 15, approximately 60 demonstrators gathered at Marston Quad on the Pomona campus, summoned to this location and time by an earlier Instagram post from Pomona Divest from Apartheid (PDfA). The post read “We remember our enemies,” signaling out Pomona President Gabi Starr who stood up to protestors on April 5. Many of the protestors wore masks or keffiyehs.
Twenty minutes later the group moved toward Pomona President Starr’s residence. Two campus safety vehicles were parked on either end of her street.
Protestors began yelling and chanting against Starr, chanting for the Intifada revolution, and typical anti-Israel chants. Protestors disbanded around 12:10, spilling red paint (perhaps symbolizing blood) on the president’s walkway, and red dye in the Smith Campus Center fountain.
This is the second pro-Palestinian demonstration since the beginning of the fall semester. Will this be the last? Will the campus security truly secure the campus and the president’s house from these unruly, dangerous, and threatening protests? Who will take charge to break up a group of narcissist children having their temper tantrums, postured under “freedom of speech,” and posing threats to students, faculty and administrators who do not relinquish to their demands? At what point will smart and courageous adults take charge again, and send these unruly children back to their homes to figure out how to be grateful that they have the opportunity to be at an elite institution of higher education and benefit from discourse and discussion, and not demand allegiance through fear? These behaviors must be condemned. What we allow will take over and become normalized. If we want threats and terrorism on our campus then leave it be. If, however, we envision something different from our campuses then we must contain and stop these behaviors NOW.
Carol Oberg
Ventura, prior resident of Claremont and graduate of CGU

Vision for the future
Dear editor:
A recent Courier letter alleges that Rachel Forester, who is running to represent City Council District 1, made up the fact that 30% of Claremont residents are tenants and suggests that she would be biased toward this “fabricated population.”
However, the facts support Forester, and the concern ought to be that her opponent, a 20-year incumbent, is biased against renters.
Political Data Inc. (PDI), is the gold standard for political data in California political campaigns. According to PDI, 48.9 percent of District 1 registered voters rent either apartments or homes compared with 40.5 percent of registered voters Claremontwide (this does not include non-voters such as children).
Given this, it is reasonable for Forester to highlight that Claremont currently has no tenants on its city council, and to tout her successful advocacy in groups like Inclusive Claremont and Claremont Tenants United — two groups with whom her opponent refuses to meet. It’s also reasonable for her to emphasize the unique challenges they face. Renters have just as much right to representation as homeowners.
Housing is an issue for all Claremonters, tenants and homeowners alike, and is one of the major challenges of our time. One of the reasons the Democratic Club of Claremont endorses Forester is because she is serious about tackling this issue and has a track record of successful advocacy. In contrast, her opponent, a 20-year incumbent, has obstructed housing development, throwing up obstacles to Larkin Place, and presiding over a council that, until the Baseline project, supported no affordable housing in Claremont since Courier Place more than a decade ago, despite growing need in the community.
Rachel Forester has a vision for the future of all Claremont residents, and we are proud to endorse her.
Chris Naticchia
President
Democratic Club of Claremont

Renters need more of a presence in our local government
Dear editor:
A letter you published last week accused one of our city council candidates of making up figures related to the number of renters in our city. The author called those renters a “fabricated” population, and suggested that referring to those population statistics demonstrated “a propensity to make up facts.”
Those accusations sounded serious to me, so I did some investigating. I found the numbers readily available in the City of Claremont’s own Housing Element, which was brought before city council as recently as July. The Housing Element, in turn, cited the 2000 U.S. Census along with 2010 and 2019 estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS) as its sources.
In the time since city staff gathered their data, 2020 census data has been released, along with more recent ACS estimates. Wanting to be thorough, I checked them all. Every source agreed: over 30 percent of Claremont homes have been renter-occupied for the past 20+ years. District numbers are harder to pin down, since our council districts don’t align with census tract boundaries, but my rough calculations suggest that as a whole, District 1’s housing distribution is not significantly different from the rest of the city.
If those numbers are surprisingly high to some of my fellow District 1 homeowners, that seems like an argument that renters like Rachel Forester need more of a presence and voice in our local government. I’ve reached out to Rachel, asked her detailed questions about housing policy, and found her deeply informed and eager to get to work to address the needs of all members of our community — renters and homeowners alike — while seeking practical, actionable solutions to address our collective needs.
Julie Medero
Claremont

Power interruptions
Dear editor:
With several different power outages, it can be confusing for Californians to understand if, when, or why their power might be interrupted during hot months. That’s why we’ve broken down several types of power outages and what you can do to prevent one type of power outage.
The first type of outage is called a public safety power shutoff. These occur when wind speeds are high and conditions are dry. Strong winds can knock down powerlines, which can cause dangerous fires when those lines come into contact with dry tinder. Public safety power shutoffs are sometimes called in cities or regions to prevent that from happening. You can do nothing to prevent a public safety power shutoff, but this type of outage helps prevent a potential disaster.
The second type of outage is called a flex alert. These occur during hot months, usually between 4:00 and 9:00 p.m., when there’s more demand than the grid can handle. But you can make a difference. A flex alert is issued the day before a preventable power outage letting you know to reduce your energy use from 4:00-9:00 p.m. If we work together and reduce energy use during a flex alert, we can avoid a preventable power outage.
Every Californian should sign up for notifications when a flex alert is issued. Go to PowerSaverRewards.org and sign up to receive flex alert notifications and to enroll for free in the power saver rewards program. With power saver rewards, you get a bill credit when you reduce energy use during a flex alert.
Larry Grable
Executive Director
Service Center for Independent Life

Deep frustration
Dear editor:
I am writing out of deep frustration with the continued lack of engagement from Mark Reynoso, candidate for the CUSD School Board. Despite repeated attempts to connect with him on social media and even directly via email, he has failed to respond. As someone seeking public office, Mr. Reynoso’s complete disregard for the community’s concerns is deeply troubling.
My unanswered email has now been sitting idle for over five days. I recognize this comment is longer than the ones you typically post but, as someone who has dedicated nearly a decade serving the Claremont community and our schools, even the lack of acknowledgment of my email should be cause for concern. His silence speaks volumes about his unwillingness to be accountable to the very people he claims to want to represent. If a candidate cannot be bothered to engage with the public or answer basic questions about their policies, how can they be trusted to make decisions that affect our children’s education and the future of our schools?
This election is too important to let apathy or avoidance slide by unnoticed. Mr. Reynoso’s refusal to engage is not just disrespectful; it’s a blatant rejection of the values of transparency, accountability, and respect that this community holds dear. I urge him to reconsider his approach to public discourse or seriously rethink whether he is fit to represent this community.
Rolondo Talbott
Claremont

Vote for Cheryl Fiello
Dear editor:
In this election year, we need to remember that voting is not just our right as citizens, it is our responsibility. It is imperative that we make informed decisions about candidates and issues. I would like to recommend to you an outstanding candidate for Claremont’s Board of Education, District 5: Cheryl Fiello.
For nearly 20 years, Cheryl worked in the Claremont Unified School District (CUSD) teaching science at Claremont High School and overseeing district-wide technology initiatives. She is still deeply invested in quality education for our students. As the parent of two children at Chaparral School, she serves on the School Site Council as well as the board of Claremont Educational Foundation. Currently, Cheryl is the quality assurance manager for her family’s dairy processing facility, which has given her real-world business experience.
I first met Cheryl when I served on the CUSD board from 2005 to 2013. I admired her as an energetic, committed, informed teacher and administrator. She communicated clearly and knows how and when to collaborate to reach decisions that benefit students. In fact, her focus has always been on what’s best for students.
Cheryl is highly qualified and will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Claremont Board of Education If you live in School District 5, I encourage you to support and vote for Cheryl Fiello.
Mary Caenepeel
Claremont

My vote for Rachel Forester
Dear editor:
As a longtime Claremont resident and a former City of Claremont employee, I understand that the city council sets the tone for our community and articulates our residents’ values. One of the values that I hold dear is my right to vote. I believe that my vote for a city council member should translate into that member voting on my behalf. Unfortunately, that is not how District 1 residents have been represented. When tough items come before the council, I want my representative to do their research, talk with the community, and vote. I may disagree with your vote, but I am grateful you dared to cast a vote. Your voice matters, and it should be heard in the city council.
Rachel researches the issues, talks with all community members, not just those who agree with her, and then votes. Rachel understands that intergovernmental relations, whether federal, state, and local, or the city and school district, are critical to holistically addressing the concerns and answering challenges as we move forward as a community.
Rachel does not have to paint anyone or any level of government as the enemy. We are all working for better, stronger, safer communities and must ensure that our city staff gets proper cost of living raises and fair compensation for their work. Making complex issues simple and saying that you will never vote for a cost-of-living raise for our incredibly hard-working city staff and police officers is a sign of a closed-minded and ridged agenda.
As a committed volunteer, past president of the League of Women Voters, former community and human services commissioner, and mother of three, she understands that a community that works together moves forward. I urge you to join me in supporting Rachel Forester for District 1 and the entire City of Claremont.
Anne Turner
Claremont

Rachel Forester for City Council
Dear editor:
It’s been too easy this season to become subsumed by political races at the state and federal levels. As a result, local campaigns like those for city council can be overlooked. However, important issues — like affordable housing — help make city council elections worth careful consideration.
Rachel Forester is seeking to unseat five-term incumbent Corey Calaycay in Claremont’s District 1. Given the housing crunch across California, affordable housing has become a focus. After reading their campaign websites and Courier features, it is clear that (i) the views of Rachel and Corey are notably different, and (ii) Rachel is the better choice.
To mitigate the housing shortage, Claremont is required to add 1,711 affordable housing units by late 2029. On this requirement, Corey inferred that the state has too much oversight on this matter, adding that certain high-job regions like City of Industry have not been required to build housing. Although perhaps unintended, the tone of these comments comes across as a downplay of Claremont’s responsibility to remedy its housing shortage. Rachel offers a more attentive view. She recognizes that not enough has been done historically to address the housing needs of Claremont’s wide range of different family incomes. Rachel values the approximately 30 percent of our population who are renters. She seeks better protections for tenants and the unhoused, and innovative ways to increase affordable housing. Rachel sees the importance of the city working closely with the schools and colleges for effective housing planning. Generally, Rachel will promote policies that address Claremont’s housing needs in an equitable, holistic way.
Rachel also has reasonable and forward-thinking views on other topics including transportation, safety, preserving Claremont’s green spaces, and sustainability, which can be found on her campaign website. It’s time for a fresher, more effective approach to these contemporary matters — let’s elect Rachel.
Patrick Ferree
Claremont

Support for Rachel Forester
Dear editor:
I enthusiastically endorse Rachel Forester for Claremont City Council, District 1. She grew up in Claremont and is a working mother of three school-age children who works full-time running her own business. Her key policy issues include housing, transportation, education, open space and parks, and sustainability.
Rachel and her family are tenants. Tenants make up about one-third of Claremont citizens. She understands the issue of affordable housing first hand and her perspective as a tenant is not currently represented on the Claremont City Council. She will advocate for housing policies that are environmentally sound, protect tenants, and prevent homelessness.
Rachel served as president of the League of Women Voters of Mt. Baldy Area, and vice-chair of the Community and Human Services Commission. She will work for a safe and accessible transportation network in Claremont with emphasis on walkability and strong consideration for older adults, people with different abilities, and children.
With three children in Claremont public schools, she understands the challenges to CUSD presented by declining enrollments and how the high cost of housing effectively forces young families to move away from our community. Rachel will reinforce her relationships with the school board, city government, Claremont residents, and the colleges to continue providing all children of Claremont with a high-quality public education.
It is time for a change in District 1 and I look forward to the day when Rachel Forester will provide the district and our community with the fresh leadership it needs. Please vote Rachel Forester for Claremont City Council District 1.
Michael Boos
Claremont