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“Modest at best, sorta rundown at worst, it’s not fancy, and the views are unremarkable. But the people are great, and so is the food. I’m of course talking about Los Jarritos, the little strip mall Mexican joint at 3191 N. Garey Ave. that so many Claremonters love, which, quite sadly, is closing May 14.” Courier photo/Mick Rhodes
Congratulations to Brian Moraga, one of 11 readers who correctly identified last week’s “Where am I?” as the itinerant Canada Geese who have frequented Chaparral Park in Claremont of late. Brian is now entered into the year-end drawing for a one-year subscription to everyone’s favorite award-winning local newspaper, the Claremont Courier. So, “Where am I” this week? Email your answer, full name, and city of residence — and suggestions for future mystery photos — to contest@claremont-courier.com for your chance to win. Courier photo/Tom Smith
Declining enrollment is nothing new for Claremont Unified School District: it has been on the wane for the past seven years, falling 12% over that period, from 7,075 students in 2018 to 6,261 in 2024. All surrounding districts have experienced the same problem, some more than others. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
Here’s the lineup for the 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 3 Claremont Art Walk.
The Napier Initiative at Pilgrim Place recently held its annual celebration and presentation of awards, marking its 15th year by saluting 10 new Napier Fellows.
A fiery solo Tesla crash near Mills Avenue and Sixth Street in Claremont left two people dead early Monday. Claremont Police Department officers responded at 2:08 a.m. following reports that a car had caught fire after colliding with a tree. Los Angeles County Fire Department crews arrived shortly thereafter and extinguished the blaze. The driver and passenger were subsequently pronounced dead at the scene. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
“One afternoon in 2017, I had a transient ischemic attack. It’s sort of a mini-stroke. One minute I was fine, the next I could not recognize anything I was seeing. Words were unreadable. Letters seemed scrambled. It was terrifying. My first glimpse at a Welsh roadway sign was a little like that. ‘Gwernymynydd.’ ‘Tafarn-y-Gelyn.’ ‘Bodelwyddan.’ And the coup de grace, ‘Llanfairpwilgwyngyll.’ Every sign looked like the worst set of Scrabble tiles I’d ever seen.”
Saturday’s cool, damp weather didn’t seem to slow down a crowd of more than 700 from attending the 24th Taste Of Claremont at the Claremont College Services building on Mills Avenue. The Rotary Club of Claremont brought together dozens of local food and beverage vendors, offering guests scores of options created exclusively for the event. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
AgingNext, the Claremont nonprofit that connects people with services and resources related to aging, kicks off its 50th anniversary celebration at Padua Hills Theatre, 4467 Padua Ave., Claremont, at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 8.
Aaron Cayer, assistant professor of architecture at Cal Poly Pomona, was named among 26 Carnegie Corporation of New York’s 2025 Andrew Carnegie Fellows on April 16. Each recipient received a stipend of $200,000 to research political polarization, according to a news release at carnegie.org.
Children’s Foundation of America’s annual ChariTea fundraiser on April 19 raised $24,000 for children affected by abuse, neglect, and trauma. The event also saw CFA award grants to Shoes That Fit, $6,000; Women Rise Psychological and Wellness Center and dA Center for the Arts, $1,000 each; and Los Angeles County Parks Foundation, $500.
Fairplex Pomona was recently named a venue for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics for cricket, which is returning to the games for the first time since 1900.
A U.S. District Court has set a final pretrial conference hearing for May 20, 2026, with a jury trial beginning as soon as June 8, 2026, for a civil case that names former Claremont Police Department officer Gabriel Arellanes, the City of Claremont, and 10 city employees, alleging sexual battery and civil rights violations and seeking up to $25 million in damages. Courier file photo
Former Claremont Police Department officer Gabriel Arellanes, accused of felony forced oral copulation after a February 2024 arrest of a Highland woman, is due to be arraigned in Rancho Cucamonga Superior Court next Wednesday, April 30. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
The last few weeks have been a rollercoaster for Newcomers Access Center Board President Anne Thorward. “Our clients are very frightened,” Thorward said. “They’re scared. They’re uneasy. They don’t know what’s going to happen.” But the Claremont nonprofit continues to do the work it set out to do at its founding eight years ago: helping immigrants and refugees find their footing in the United States. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo
Congratulations to Alexandra Cira-Campbell, one of just four readers who correctly identified last week’s “Where am I?” as the “Be kind” fence display at Vista del Valle Elementary School in Claremont, a good reminder for all of us. Alexandra is now entered into the year-end drawing for a one-year subscription to everyone’s favorite award-winning local newspaper, the Claremont Courier. So, “Where am I” this week? Email your answer, full name, and city of residence — and suggestions for future mystery photos — to contest@claremont-courier.com for your chance to win. Courier photo/Tom Smith