As it was

Dear Editor:

John Pixley’s “Claremont, as it was, as it is,” published February 20, was a most interesting, even captivating, account.

As one who loved Claremont and moved away for 16 long years (to Ohio, no less), then had the happy opportunity to return for 11 years now, John’s account helped fill in some gaps and brought back lots of memories of what “was.”

We missed the round-about and returned to the massive black tarps hiding who-knew-what along Indian Hill. “As it is” still has the Village atmosphere, just more of it and many more friends and new neighbors finding their way to enjoy it. Thanks, John, for the piece.

Mary Dyer

Claremont

Sign of the times

Dear Editor:

Claremont boasts of “sustainability, recycling and save our planet” motives and pursuits. Yet, the city sends out their workers on Saturday and Sunday with overtime pay to pull down our yard sale signs. 

Signs posted on the very poles we pay our taxes and utility bills to maintain, thus interfering with our neighborly repurposing pursuits.

Yes, there are some yard sellers who are sloppy and do not remove their signs after the sale. This ruins it for those of us who do by creating an annoyance. 

The city of Claremont should instead send out its sign removal crew on Monday, during normal business hours, to take down all the signs. This would be a win-win for everyone. City workers can still excitedly take down signs and we buyers and sellers can still have our fun!

Terri Jacobsen

Claremont

Objection to tree designation

[Editor’s note: the following letter was sent to City Manager Tony Ramos, with a copy forwarded for publication. —KD]

Mr. Ramos:

Earlier this week, one of our homeowners on the corner of Shenandoah and Gettysburg (who also happens to be the vice president of the HOA Board of Directors) received a notice that the California Black Oak tree that had been planted by the city, and subsequently died, would be replaced by a Chitalpa or Chinese Flame tree, apparently arbitrarily chosen to be the new “street tree” for Shenandoah. 

At our board meeting last night, the board requested that I write to strenuously object to this change in strategy, which we feel will be detrimental to the appearance and quality of our community and adversely affect home values.

Over 12 years ago, the city came up with a plan to replace the 30-year-old Calabrian pine trees with the California Black Oaks on a nine-year plan to replace one-third of the trees every three years.

After the first phase was completed, the city responded to the demands of a special interest group not related to our HOA to abandon that plan and leave the dangerous and overgrown trees that your own arborist declared as inappropriate for the area in place. The city decided to only replace them when the trees (not the residents) were in danger of dying, despite our strenuous objections. Nonetheless, when the pine trees were replaced, they would be replaced with the California Black Oak.

This has left our neighborhood with an inconsistent look of very old and misshapen pine trees next to very young small oaks. However, over time (certainly after I am long gone), the oaks will dominate the neighborhood and the look of continuity and balance will return.

The two new varieties being introduced will never grow to the size and shape of either the pines or the oaks and will create a less-than-balanced and consistent look for the main street that runs through our neighborhood. 

Please do not introduce these new trees on to Shenandoah and stay with the original plan that was approved so many years ago. If you still believe that the HOA board does not have the right to speak for the 309 homeowners (contrary to what is explicitly stated in our CC&Rs and Articles of Incorporation approved by the city in 1980), we can circulate a petition among our homeowners to show you the consensus of their feelings on the matter.

Dennis Vlasich

Claremont