by Mick Rhodes | editor@claremont-courier.com

Mercifully, Election Day has come and gone. Good riddance.

Aren’t we all relieved the campaigning is over? It was a bruising cycle for everyone.

Last week my kids and I were talking about the upcoming election and my 18-year-old brought up John McCain’s famous, “No ma’am, he’s a decent, family man citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues,” defense of then Senator Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign after a rally-goer said she thought he was “an Arab.” The kids were giggling, and I understood why. All they’ve known is the dishonorable, slash and burn attack politics of the last few election cycles. McCain’s integrity and civility were a shock to their system.

What a bummer, eh?

I fear my kids will never know another way. Their lot is to live with the tawdry personal attacks and insults, the weaponized mis- and disinformation, and fire and brimstone declarations that (insert candidate here) will end this country as we know it!

The current model of American politics is unsustainable. And, it has degraded our well-being.

“Modern politics — its daily controversies, incivility and ineptitude — puts a regular emotional burden on Americans,” according to Matthew Feinberg, Ph.D., professor of organizational behavior at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, who co-authored a recent study on the effects of following daily political news published by the American Psychological Association.

The real life consequences of our super-heated atmosphere are increasingly dangerous to life and limb. And climate change is pretty scary too.

But there’s no getting the genie back in the bottle. John McCain is dead. Add our brutal, broken politics to the long list of shameful remnants our kids are going to have to deal with after we’ve joined him. I’d like to think there’s a better world out there in which the old white guys (like me) who run our two-party system call a timeout and reckon with their mess, but let’s face it, that ain’t happening.

So kids, this is where we are, some 250 years into this thing. Maybe you can figure something out. Here’s your Kevlar and fire extinguisher. Set aside some dough for a good therapist. We’re done.

What a bummer, eh?

Au revoir, Laemmle?

After a couple years of “no news is good news” from the powers that be at the Claremont 5 Laemmle Theatre, it appears the plug has been pulled once and for all.

The beloved but under-supported arthouse theater at 450 W. Second St. will be up for auction at noon Monday, December 2. May Realty Advisors has the listing, with bidding beginning at $1 million at various online portals, including bizbuysell.com, and loopnet.com.

Of course there’s no word yet on what sort of new business might occupy the space, assuming the auction has a winning bidder. “This space presents an opportunity to repurpose into hotel or retail operations, perfectly aligning with the center’s synergy,” reads the auction description.

This is the latest in a yearslong string of attempts by the Laemmle Company to unload its underperforming Claremont location. It has been on the market intermittently in some form since July 2020. The 18,743 square-foot property was previously listed on loopnet.com for $4.7 million.

The five-screen theater opened in 2007. It closed in March 2020 amid the initial wave of COVID-19-related shutdowns before reopening in April 2021, after which the film-loving community attempted to rally support for the theater, with mixed results. I’ve been writing about this saga for more than four years, and this is exactly what I feared might happen if we didn’t work hard to show our appreciation for the Laemmle. This isn’t me pointing fingers either: I certainly could have patronized the Laemmle more often.

The Laemmle has been a jewel in the city’s crown for nearly 20 years. Barring another theater chain stepping in, as Landmark did at the former Laemmle location in Pasadena, our days are likely numbered for watching films on a big screen in Claremont.

Not a bummer? Nevada City

The wife and I attended a wedding in gorgeous Grass Valley this past weekend. It was lovely, the event and the town. On Sunday we drove up Highway 49 to check out another ancient (by U.S. standards) gold rush town, Nevada City, and we were blown away. The fall colors. The historic architecture and jewel-like downtown. Nestled in the heavily wooded western Sierra foothills with a population of 3,224, the circa 1856 Nevada City is a gem that Lisa and I immediately decided was on the list of possible retirement-era destinations.

If you’re ever in Sacramento, I highly recommend driving an hour northeast and giving it a whirl. It’s the flipside of Los Angeles’ grime, crime, and concrete. If you wait long enough you just may catch us wandering down Broad Street.