Don’t give up on police station

Dear Editor:

I truly hope and pray that our wonderful Claremont police officers are not daunted by the failure of Measure PS this past Tuesday. After all, Thomas Edison had 1,000 ideas for the light bulb rejected before he finally saw the light (pun intended!).

Those who voted against the measure probably have the same notion: Yes, Claremont needs a new police station but no, this was not the way to do it. I believe that an alternative idea will be brought forth by those who are considering the new police station.

City Councilmember Sam Pedroza was right when he said that, at the very least, a need for a new police station has been established. As a resident of Claremont for over 30 years, I am well aware of what our city needs as far as facilities are concerned; I know that other alternatives will be forthcoming.

Mr. Pedroza also stated that the city council will be discussing alternate funding mechanisms. I will be pulling for the city council to come up with a plan to establish a new police facility…a plan that will please all sides.

On a side note, I saw that only 3,259 voters cast a “no” vote and that was 72 percent of the voters. This concerns me because I know that the city has more registered voters than this. I knew going in that this measure would probably not get much attention because that was the only item on the ballot. I certainly hope voters did not decide to cast a ballot because of this. Our city needs better voter support.

David Serbin

Claremont

Proposed park hours

Dear Editor:

What a difference an hour makes. The draft Master Plan for management of the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park (section 5.2.17) proposes to close the main entrance gate at Mills Avenue a full hour before the park closes. Closing the gate early will negatively impact a wide variety of park visitors, not all of whom aim to complete “the Loop.”

There is much to enjoy within just a few minutes of the gate. Those of us who visit just before dusk appreciate what a rich time that is to observe wildlife, to appreciate the last light on the hillsides and to transition from workday to evening. Early closure of the main gate will disproportionately affect working people, parents and their children and local school teams, none of whom are likely to be able to access the park in midday.

Finally, many park users—including those who run, bike or ride horses—are more than capable of completing the Loop in an hour or less.

Closing the park an hour earlier each day amounts to the equivalent of more than 15 days of park closures annually.

If the motivation to close the park early is to reduce impacts on neighbors, other solutions are more direct and effective. We can work together to educate park visitors who arrive by automobile that their park visit begins in the parking lots.

To preserve that special hour, let the main park gate stay open until the park itself closes.

Andy Lee Roth

Board member

Claremont Wildlands Conservancy

The next boondoggle

Dear Editor:

If it’s not one thing, it’s another, as my grandmother used to say. On top of Golden State Water Company charging us more for using less, Southern California Edison is warning us that their rates are about to rise. And if we don’t like our new bills, it will be our fault.

Among the “ways to manage your energy,” SCE informs us that washing clothes in cold water will clean them just as effectively. That is very interesting. I expect in their next communication they will point out that cold showers are also to be recommended. They were the norm for many years in British boarding schools, and look how well those chaps turned out to be in running the empire on which the sun never set.

If we complain that our electric bills continue to rise above our budget despite our efforts to manage our energy, SCE will probably point out the advantages of candles and coal fires. We seem to be at the mercy of utility companies. As my grandmother used to say, someone ought to be spoken to.

Ronald Macaulay

Claremont

Passing acquaintance

Dear Editor:

Since both Bill and Hillary Clinton have repeatedly demonstrated only a passing acquaintance with the truth, it is not surprising that Hillary’s recent testimony before the Benghazi panel reaffirms that perception in spades. However, I think she has given Republicans a gift—that being a campaign slogan that reads, “Hillary lied so people died,” a slogan that carries much more credibility than a similar one directed at George Bush years ago.

Michael Valentine

Claremont

Make Claremont the coolest city

Dear Editor:

Claremont is one of 22 California cities competing in this year’s CoolCalifornia Challenge to save energy. If you are a Claremont resident, please help us win by joining in the competition and ask friends to help.

Thanks to those who participated in last year’s CoolCalifornia Challenge, Claremont won second place and $22,800 in prize money. We came very close to beating Riverside, which earned slightly more points (and money) and the title of “Coolest California City.”

This year, by encouraging more people to reduce their carbon footprint and report their progress, Sustainable Claremont is organizing an effort to make Claremont the Coolest California City and earn the largest share of $100,000 in prize money. 

At the same time, this effort will help Claremont compete for the Georgetown University Energy Prize of $5 million that will go to one of 50 US cities competing for best energy use reduction programs through 2016. Claremont has been invited to participate in this national challenge.

Please visit www.cachallenge.org and click on “Sign-up now” to register. The sooner you start reporting, the more points Claremont can earn. This statewide competition started October 1 and runs through March. Just report your gas and electricity use and vehicle odometer reading each month for the next six months. There are other ways to earn points, as well.

By tracking energy use, you will find out how energy-efficient your household is compared to others in California. The website also provides many suggestions for improving the comfort of your home while reducing your carbon footprint. 

Please also help Claremont win the Georgetown University Energy Prize (our Claremont Energy Challenge). Visit www.ClaremontEnergyChallenge.net, and click on “Start Here” to register. For this competition, you don’t even have to report your energy use. It’s the overall city-wide reduction that counts and the utilities report for us. Register to get detailed updates on your energy use and have CHERP help you reduce your carbon footprint.

Sign up for both competitions today.  With your help Claremont can win both state and national competitions!

Devon Hartman

Freeman Allen

Mark von Wodtke

Sustainable Claremont

Clean Power Plan

Dear Editor:

The League of Women Voters opposes legislation in the US Senate that would undermine the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan. We urge all voters to contact our US senators to ask them to veto such legislation.

The League of Women Voters has been at the forefront of the environmental protection movement for decades, consistently supporting legislation to preserve our nation’s natural resources and protect public health. We support legislation that seeks to safeguard our country from the physical, economic and public health effects of climate change while also providing pathways to economic prosperity.

Climate change is a global catastrophe on a historic scale that will change the course of human life. Confronting climate change means turning the rising tides, protecting us from dangerous extreme weather, and cutting pollution. The impacts of climate change are costly and our country cannot afford to put off action.

Carbon pollution is the number-one contributor to climate change and power plants are the largest source of industrial carbon pollution in the US. The Clean Power Plan will protect public health, create thousands of efficiency-related jobs, reduce electricity bills for Americans and deliver power reliably. The EPA’s finalized regulations to limit carbon pollution from new and existing sources are the central components of a plan that fights climate change while strengthening the economy and protecting public health.

The US is in a unique position to lead the world in the fight against climate change—it’s time we step up to the challenge. World leaders will head to Paris in the coming weeks to set meaningful goals to fight climate change. Significant steps from the US to continue lowering emissions of dangerous greenhouse gasses—like the finalized regulations to reduce carbon pollution—could significantly impact discussions on the world stage.

The League hopes you will make a commitment to support people not polluters by supporting EPA’s Clean Power Plan. We encourage you to oppose all attempts to overturn, limit or undermine these important protections. The air we breathe and the health of our constituents depend upon it.

Ellen Taylor

VP for Advocacy

LWV of Claremont Area