SCHOOL SPIRIT

A student of an unnamed Claremont graduate school called the COURIER recently to say she had received a speeding ticket from the Claremont Police Department. She wasn’t concerned about her name appearing in our Police Blotter, but that printing the name of her college would bring undue shame. Talk about school spirit. Sammy notes that speeding ticket offenses aren’t typically listed in the crime reports.

JOHN?GETS?A?TONY

Former Claremonter John Lee Beatty won a Tony Award for set design in the broadway play The Nance. Mr. Beatty’s father was the dean of students at Pomona College for many years. His mother, Carolyn, also worked at Pomona College and was reportedly very active in the League of Women Voters and Community Friends of International Students. 

MAKING THE GRADE

California received an “F” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to an annual report by the CALPIRG Education Fund. 

The report describes California as a “failing state” because, even though it contains some checkbook-level data for contracts and grants, it lacks other important information to allow residents to monitor state spending, including checkbook-level data on non-contract spending and information about which companies benefit from economic development tax credits.

California is also one of 2 states in the country without searchable vendor-specific spending information. California also fails to provide information on “off-budget” agencies as leading transparency states have begun to do.

As a result of rising transparency grading standards, California’s “D-” grade from last year dropped to an “F” this year. In order for states to keep up with rising transparency standards, they must strive to keep their doings crystal-clear.

A SLICE OF KINDNESS

Claremont’s Relay for Life had over 120 students signed up to run/walk for pledges for the American Cancer Society at the Claremont High School track. 

Organizers note that it was very difficult to secure donations and, at the 11th hour, the volunteers had yet to come up with vendors to donate food for the students.

By Friday at 5 p.m., with the walk set to start the following morning, Round Table Pizza on Base Line came through with 10 extra-large assorted pizzas (120 slices) for the event.

FUN-DING

Casa Colina raised about $450,000 at its 75th Anniversary Gala, which was attended by nearly 700 people, held Saturday, June 1 at the Sheraton Fairplex Conference Center in Pomona. The money raised will go to Casa Colina’s Free Care Fund and Wounded Warrior Fund.

WOMAN TO WOMAN

LA County Supervisor Gloria Molina will make a visit to Claremont next week as Scripps College launches its summer institute called “New Leadership” for undergraduate women in California who are interested in becoming political leaders.

PECKING ORDER

Several years ago, the COURIER ran a story about Metrolink riders being swooped down onand hit by a mother hawk’s wings as she was protecting her nest above the parking lot. Tony Krickl, the COURIER’s city reporter at the time, headed down toward the area near the Depot to check it out and was plucked on the head.

A reader notified us that the mother hawk has returned.

“Most mornings, I walk through College Park on my way to the train,” she wrote. “I was swooped and hit on the head by the hawk last year, and it happened to me again this morning around 7:15 a.m.!”

The aggressive hawk was last seen near the trees between the Depot and Pooch Park.

LLANUSA REACHES OUT

The Los Angeles County School Trustees Association (LACSTA) recently selected CUSD Board Vice President Steven Llanusa to its executive board.

The Los Angeles County School Trustees Association is an organization of school board members created in 1937 by the County Superintendent of Schools. Nearly all of the 93 school and community college districts in LA County, as well as the County Board of Education, are members of LACSTA.

Under the auspices of the Los Angeles County Office of Education, LACSTA provides school board members with training, information and networking opportunities. LACSTA also cooperates with the California School Boards Association and other organizations for the betterment of education.

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Until next time,

Sammy

sammy@claremont-courier.com