Readers comments: September 2, 2022

Kudos for Claremont history coverage

Dear editor:

A special shout out to new COURIER Editor Mick Rhodes for making an inclusive decision to write articles on the 75th Jubilee of Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church (written and photographed in the August 26 COURIER by Peter Weinberger) and El Barrio Park’s 50th anniversary (written and photographed by Steven Felschundneff in the 2022-23 Claremont COURIER Almanac).

In the tradition started in the mid-1960s by the late COURIER Editor Martin Weinberger, the Claremont COURIER has continued to include the excellent and truthful histories of Claremont communities that have experienced past racial and religious discrimination.

Peter and Steve truly “aced” the articles.

Al Villanueva

Chairperson, Arbol Verde Preservation Committee

Congress should support new suicide hotline

Dear editor:

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. As a volunteer advocate with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, I am calling on my members of Congress to pass legislation to prevent suicides and support crisis care.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline must be sustainably funded so that confidential, voluntary services by trained counselors are accessible. H.R.7116, the 988 Implementation Act, would provide federal funding and guidance to states for 988 crisis services across the nation.

An alternative to 911 for mental health crises, 988 connects callers to Lifeline centers. These centers de-escalate 98% of crisis calls without dispatching emergency services. Well-resourced crisis support systems can connect callers with local resources, including someone to talk to (call centers), someone to respond (mobile crisis teams), and somewhere to go (crisis stabilization centers). We must ensure that every state has the capacity to provide comprehensive crisis response services to help save lives.

For more info, go to afsp.org/988.

Join me in urging Congress to take action to #StopSuicide!

Faviola Murillo

Murrieta

Family, new to city, is disillusioned

Dear editor:

Recently, Claremont Mayor Jed Leano left a flyer soliciting citizen feedback. My response remains unanswered. Our family moved to Claremont five years ago for the vibrant small community, scenic parks, and schools. Like any city though, there are opportunities for improvement.

We live on Towne Avenue, a loud and busy semi-truck thoroughfare between the I-10 and CA-210 freeways that partially divides Pomona and Claremont. We anticipated traffic noise when we bought our home but were surprised by the reality of it. Repaved during the pandemic, Towne has become another drag strip 24 hours a day.

The Claremont Police Department hesitates to respond to frequent calls for street racing, suspicious vehicles parked overnight, or illegal fireworks. We’ve reported incidents to CPD only to have the dispatcher ask us for the specific direction of travel or address shooting off fireworks as if we could see but more concerned that it may instead fall under Pomona PD’s jurisdiction. We have one CPD officer assigned to our city zone area and no streetlights on our stretch of road.

Claremont unwisely permits new housing developments despite higher water rates and cutbacks amidst a drought. The Jamboree Larkin Place being built next to Larkin Park and El Roble middle school is a terrible idea that will result in more crime in the immediate vicinity, possibly against vulnerable kids and seniors.

Our utility bills and county property taxes have increased each year we’ve lived here. The city street sweeper cannot consistently sweep our crumbling asphalt street, a service we pay for mind you. Yet, the city council votes to raise rates annually and beautify Foothill Blvd. Unless Claremont can course correct, it will hemorrhage families like ours to more affordable, quieter, and safer communities. Any mayoral candidate seeking our votes in November must attempt to address these issues.

Ian B.

Claremont