Check point Friday

The Claremont Police Department will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint this Friday, February 1, from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., at an undisclosed location within the city.

Drivers will be stopped long enough to ensure they are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Officers will also be checking for valid drivers licenses and seat belt use.

CUSD music students to perform at El Roble

Claremont Unified School District instrumental music students in fourth through eighth grades will perform 2 concerts at El Roble gymnasium.

Strings and Orchestra students will perform on Tuesday, February 5 at 7 p.m. The Band and Percussion students will perform on Wednesday, February 6, also at 7 p.m.

Both performances are open to the public and free of charge.

US?Bank to go solar

US Bank, located at 393 W. Foothill Blvd., has received city approval to install solar electric panels on the roof and on 4 new carports located in the parking lot.

The roof-mounted panels will not be visible from the street due to their low profile orientation and 12-foot setback from the edge of the building’s flat roof. The carports will be located both north and east of the building, approximately 100 feet from Indian Hill and 125 feet from Foothill Boulevard.

While state law prohibits local regulation of solar panels for purely aesthetic reasons, the applicant has agreed to design the carports in a way that blends with the color and architectural style of the main bank building due to its historic and cultural importance.

La Puerta fields closed for renovation

The La Puerta Park soccer fields will be temporarily closed for renovation now through Monday, March 4.

The renovation will include aeration, fertilization and the reseeding of thinning turf areas. In order to ensure that the newly-seeded areas germinate, the watering schedule for field areas will be adjusted to include one mid-day watering. This watering practice will be implemented as needed until the fields reopen for the spring youth sports season.

The city will continually monitor the watering schedule to ensure that the renovation is completed in the most sustainable manner possible.

Questions regarding the La Puerta field renovations should be directed to Kristin Turner, community and human services manager, at 399-5433.

Hey, students, get a hot meal at the YAC

Join the Youth Activities Center (YAC) for dinner on Thursday, January 31 at 4 p.m.

The warm meal will be free for the first 40 students who sign up. Students may sign up by presenting their YAC membership sticker on their school ID card.

For more information, call the YAC, located at 1717 N. Indian Hill Blvd., at 399-5360.

Explore our changing world at a League of Women Voters presentation

The League of Women Voters of the Claremont Area will host “The United States in a Changing World,” presented by Ed Haley, author, professor and director of the Center for Human Rights at Claremont McKenna College, on Saturday, February 9, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Mr. Haley will speak to the challenges our country faces in an unpredictable world. The WM Keck Foundation professor of international strategic studies has served on the staffs of members of the US Senate and House of Representatives. He is the author of more than 10 books and dozens of articles on foreign policy.

Enjoy desserts from around the world as you engage in the global discussion. The presentation will take place at Padua Hills Theatre, 4467 Padua Ave. Tickets are $30. Reservations must be made by February 4 by check or through Pay Pal using the donations button at www.claremont.ca.lwvnet.org. Checks must be made payable to the League of Women Voters of the Claremont Area, PO Box 1532, Claremont. For more information, call 624-9457.

Free tax help to seniors

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is available free to taxpayers with low- to moderate-incomes, with special attention to those 60 and older. Beginning in February, appointments will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays to help you file your 2012 tax documents. To schedule an appointment at the Joslyn Center, call 399-5488. For more information including additional sites, visit www.aarp.org/money/taxes/.

Start selecting this year’s Fourth of July dignitaries

The 2013 Independence Day Committee is now accepting nominations for Grand Marshal, Honored Citizen and Honored Community Group to be recognized at the Fourth of July celebration.

Nominations must be submitted to the Alexander Hughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Rd., by Thursday, March 28. Applications are available at the event’s website, www.claremont4th.org.

All honorees will be presented with certificates at the pre-parade reception on July 4 at the Garner House in Memorial Park. Honorees will also appear in the official parade in their own decorated vehicle.

Last year, the Blue Ribbon Committee selected 2012’s Grand Marshal Mike Alpert, Honored Citizen Sandy Baldonado and Honored Community Group Sustainable Claremont.