Heavy-hitting news like the presentation of the Classified Staff Member and Teacher of the Year awards, which went to Oakmont office manager Rosie Bister and Chapparal kindergarten and first grade teacher Karen Corrette, respectively, was overshadowed by the D’Emilio controversy.

So was the instatement of Jim Elsasser, EdD as the new superintendent of the Claremont Unified School District. It was 9:30 p.m. by the time Mr. Elsasser was called to the podium to sign his contract after a unanimous vote of approval by the board. Having showed great patience through a long meeting, Mr. Elsasser’s wife, Lori, and 3 children were on hand to watch as he received a standing ovation. The new superintendent, who is 6 foot 6 inches, was photographed towering over the board members.

After joking about the new administrator’s unusually contentious welcome meeting, Mr. Stark presented Mr. Elsasser with a Wolfpack T-shirt, a Diet Coke (apparently the new superintendent has a weakness for the soft drink) and his contract.

“When I started doing research on the district, it didn’t take long for me to realize its tremendous success,” Mr. Elsasser said. “I look forward to building on that excellence.”

Readers can expect a feature next week on both the new superintendent and CUSD’s teacher and employee of the year.

—Sarah Torribio

storribio@claremont-courier.com