by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

From large local protests over various Trump administration policies, exploring declining school enrollment and local burglary trends, to seeing the long-awaited A Line open, 2025 kept the Courier quite busy.

Cielo Rojo Dance Company performers pictured September 25 at Padua Hills Theatre during a Hispanic Heritage Month event by Claremont Heritage and Nosotros. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

This year’s news cycle opened January 7 with the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires, which claimed the lives of 31 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures. Among those impacted were Altadena residents Gracie and Gilbert Gonzalez and Gilbert Gonzalez Jr., who shared their evacuation story and subsequent plan to rebuild their lives. The situation also prompted city officials to re-evaluate its own public safety efforts as Claremont Mayor Corey Calaycay established the Emergency Preparedness Ad Hoc Committee.

A rescue story emerged from the ashes of Altadena. On January 8, LA County Sheriff’s Deputies Quinn Alkonis, a Claremont native, and Nicholas Martinez rescued two elderly women who had been inadvertently left behind during earlier evacuation efforts. “This was just another day,” Alkonis said. “But we are glad that it resulted in two ladies being saved.”

On January 23, Claremont Police Department officers responded to reports of gunfire in the 600 block of Colgate Place, where they arrested Erik William Guevara for felony attempted murder. He was later charged by the LA District Attorney’s office with three felony counts of attempted murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, also a felony. Guevara pleaded not guilty to all charges on February 18, and the case is still being adjudicated. He’s due back at Pomona Superior Court on January 14, 2026.

February saw the Claremont City Council began hearing calls to create a rental registry, which it rejected by a 3-2 vote on May 13.

(L-R) Lillith Edeson, youth vestry member at St. Ambrose Episcopal Church, and parishioner Donna Clarke at the June 1 “drag Eucharist.” Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office filed a felony charge of forced oral copulation against former CPD officer Gabriel Arellanes on March 7 following allegations of an on-duty sexual assault by an unnamed Highland, California woman in 2024. He was arrested on March 14, released on bail the following day, and pleaded not guilty April 30. The case is also still being decided. Arellanes is due back in court January 27, 2026. In a separate but related civil lawsuit brought by the same plaintiff, in June the City of Claremont settled with her for $3 million “in exchange for the release of claims against the City, the former officer, and [10] unnamed defendants.”

Lewis Park’s new playground opened March 22, and the Woman’s Club of Claremont celebrated its 100^th anniversary on March 27.

Former Claremont Chief of Police Aaron Fate retired in April, with Mike Ciszek sworn in as the department’s 14th chief on April 17. On April 19, thousands gathered at Indian Hill and Foothill boulevards for the first of three “No Kings” protests.

In May, the Courier reported on declining enrollment numbers for Claremont, Azusa, Upland, Glendora, and Pomona school districts.

Claremont residents reported increased coyote sightings and acts of aggression in 2025, spurring the May 23 story, “Coyote sightings, reports of aggression, spiking in Claremont.” Inland Valley Humane Society and SPCA President and CEO Nikole Bresciani said “her agency has logged 19 calls about coyotes from Claremont since January 1, five regarding aggression and 14 reporting sightings.” “In 2024, the agency logged eight calls for the entire year, one regarding an aggressive coyote and seven sightings. In 2023, it received just one call, which followed seven in 2022.”

Mountain View Elementary first grader Uriah Reyes reacts after touching a bearded dragon lizard held by Allie Petago, veterinary technician at Terra Vista Animal Hospital, on May 23. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

At its June 10 meeting, the city council approved a tract map for a 70-unit townhome development in south Claremont that meant the developers, City Ventures, could subdivide the 2.67-acre lot south of Motel 6 along American Avenue. The decision upset neighboring residents who raised fire, traffic safety, and congestion concerns.

The second “No Kings” rally on June 14 drew a massive crowd, estimated at 5,000. The peaceful demonstration saw people of all ages flood the sidewalks near Indian Hill and Foothill boulevards for several hours as President Trump turned 79 that same day and celebrated with a military parade in Washington, D.C. that coincided with the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary.

The City Council met with California Assembly member John Harabedian (D-Pasadena) on July 31 to discuss the state budget, pending legislation, south Claremont concerns, open space acquisition, and local control.

CUSD students returned to school August 27. The district later adopted earlier start dates of August 19 and August 18 for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years. On August 29, the Courier published its analysis of residential and commercial burglary trends, “10 year study: burglary on decline in Claremont.”

In September, Claremont Faculty Association and CUSD reached a collective bargaining agreement that included the union’s push for a 1% raise for teachers and other union members. Similar 1% raises were later approved for other CUSD unions, the district’s executive cabinet, and Board of Education. The new Metro A Line extension from Pomona to Azusa opened the following day.

Claremont High freshman Tanner Hudson during the school’s October 17 homecoming parade. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

First grader Abyssinia Encarnacion was promised seven years of good luck after kissing a sea cucumber during a Project Think assembly on June 25. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

Upland’s Aaron Medellin at the June 14 “No Kings” protest in Claremont. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

(L-R) Desmond Bergmann, 10, and Mila Cox, 8, traverse the climbing structure at the new Lewis Park playground on March 22. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

A third “No Kings” protest was held October 18, the same day President Trump posted an AI  generated video to his Truth Social account depicting him dropping fecal matter on protestors from an airborne plane.

Throughout the year voters weighed the implications of Prop 50. Its passage by a wide margin in November meant California will redraw its 52 U.S. House of Representatives district maps in 2026 and Claremont will lose long-time 28^th District Congressional rep Judy Chu and move to the 35^th District, represented by Norma Torres.

On November 17, Claremont and Guanajuato, Mexico renewed their long dormant sister city agreement. Mayor Corey Calaycay and Council member Sal Medina later traveled to Guanajuato for a signing ceremony with the city’s mayor, Samantha Smith.

Thirty-year-old Rancho Cucamonga Diego Rios died November 28 following a traffic stop by Claremont police near Claremont Boulevard and Andrew Drive. On December 9, Rios family members demanded transparency in the ongoing investigation at a Claremont City Council meeting.

In December, the Courier reported Claremont Unified School District anticipated a deficit of $11.49 million for fiscal year 2025-26, nearly double the district’s June estimate of $5,991,246.