Readers’ comments: April 3, 2026

Appreciation for ‘old weird stuff’
Dear editor:
Enjoyed your column about old and weird things [“Old weird stuff: it smells like … victory,” March 20] and it added a little color to something I’ve had on my mind lately. The enclosed pin has been floating around our store about as long as I have. It’s from the late 1800s, it’s silver and it’s interesting — not interesting enough to have ever sold, but I don’t have the heart to take it apart either. Seems just right to pass it on to someone with an appreciation for the things we keep and let go.
Sometimes, I wish I knew the stories that go with the jewelry we buy when people come in to sell, trade in or find out more. Who made it? What store sold it and when? Who bought it and for what celebration? Did she love it and wear it all the time or not really? And what circumstances led it to our store?
What has been on my mind, as I’ve sat with people bringing in their collections of family jewelry, is how personal it is. Sometimes it’s from a close relative they loved, sometimes they’ve kept it safe and in mind for years. Sometimes it’s joyous and sometimes it’s really hard to let it go. And while often I’m the bearer of the bad news that grandma’s pearls are actually just beads, I sometimes get to tell someone they have something magnificent and they either get to wear it with a new sense of excitement or sell it for more than they thought. Mostly though, it’s an honor to sit with people through personal and emotional moments as they remember the person who loved this thing, mixed with a smile or tears, quite often from both of us.
We’ll keep rehoming fun things; old, new and occasionally weird. I hope the next journey this pin goes on with you/yours is a fun (and victorious) one.
Ray Lantz
Claremont
Lantz is the owner of The Diamond Center in Claremont.

We like to think so too …
Dear editor:
How could we stay connected within our extended Village Claremont community without our beloved Claremont Courier? I do not even want to think of such a thing.
I cherish and appreciate deeply your collective as well as cooperative contributions you have made to my life and many others. We celebrate all of you with your keen eyes for detail in addition to your heartfelt shared goals.
To the next generations to come.
Jack Phillip Hauck
Claremont

Happily ‘Walking away from driving’
Dear editor:
[Re: “Walking away from driving,” Senior Spotlight special edition, March 27]
Seven years ago, when I turned 80, I decided it was time to get off the road; best decision I’ve ever made, and I’ve not regretted it for a moment! For a retired person living in Claremont, it was a no brainer and amazingly liberating. With the colleges, vibrant Village, availability of public transportation and active senior program, there is so much to do locally that a car just gets in the way … not to mention it’s incredibly costly! I honestly had no idea how ridiculously expensive car ownership was until I didn’t have to pay for insurance, registration, gas, maintenance, AAA membership, etc., etc., etc.
Today I’m healthier, happier, and more involved in the community than I ever remember being. I can literally walk everywhere, and if I get tired or have heavy shopping, Uber or Lyft is just a phone tap away. I notice more of my surroundings, see more of my neighbors, and it all costs a tiny fraction of what I was paying for the “privilege” of driving a car and polluting the environment.
Granted, being a pedestrian has a bit of a learning curve, what with drivers ignoring stop signs and kids on electric scooters zooming around sidewalk corners at full speed, but, at least for me, it’s been well worth it.
Nancy Jones
Claremont

Lots of questions, few (if any) answers
Dear editor:
What’s the penalty for lying to Congress under oath?
Where is the proof that South American fishermen are trafficking drugs?
Why are ICE agents masked out on the streets and unmasked in airports?
Why were the names and images of Epstein’s victims released while the names of perpetrators remain hidden and protected?
Why is Kristi Noem still employed by the federal government?
How has the Trump family amassed more than $1.5 billion in the last 18 months?
Where is Christ in Christian nationalism?
Who elected Stephen Miller?
Where are the rest of the Epstein files?
What happened to the Emoluments Clause?
What happened to the rule of law?
And due process?
Where’s Congress?
Susan Hunter Hancock
Claremont

Lies do not become us
Dear editor:
Using lies to make public policy kills democracy, which is the basis for good governance.
Opanyi Nasiali
Claremont

The call is coming from inside the House … and Senate
Dear editor:
Let’s take a moment to step back or pull back on the current state of the United States of America. We have all been inundated with rather extremist views from all sides of the political spectrum for over a year now. It seems that onanism is the preferred method of governing on both sides of the aisle. A lot of talk and circling. It makes them feel good but, in the end, nothing is getting carried out for the betterment of our country.
Then, on February 28, an ill-conceived attack was launched by the United States and Israel. There was no communication, congressional briefing or sought approval for this incursion, or any attempt to get feedback from the public. In other words, a secretive few started a regional military conflict that may well commit resources, personnel, and billions of dollars for years to come. Can we say Iraq and Afghanistan?
The rest of the world has been very direct on their position about today’s situation. I suppose that if this is the true meaning of America first, then blame needs to be laid at the feet of the Republican Party for destroying what the founding fathers conceived 250 years ago and what the people of the United States have so long and hard fought for. It seems the existential threat to this country is in the District of Columbia.
Larry Horowitz
Claremont