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Claremont Unified School District’s Board of Education heard staff and students from Vista del Valle and Sycamore elementary schools deliver progress reports on their respective goals and planned actions to improve academic achievement for the 2024-2025 school year at its September 19 meeting. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

On Friday evening, September 27, more than 100 donors, subscribers and friends attended what was possibly the biggest party in Courier history, our Sip and Socialize and 116th birthday celebration at the Garner House. The event included our staff and representatives from city hall, including Mayor Sal Medina, and from U.S. Representative Judy Chu’s and County Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s offices, all paying tribute to our local nonprofit newsroom. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo.

“This is the way I look at it: if you learn ancient music, you’ll be able to play music forever.” Though this axiom sounds as if it might be carved into stone somewhere in Appalachia, it’s actually from veteran singer-songwriter Tim Easton, who returns to Claremont this Saturday, September 28 for a show at the intimate, artist-friendly Folk Music Center. Photo/by Chad Cochran

Fire crews remain in Mt. Baldy Village perched along Baldy Road, while helicopters could be heard overhead. It’s also clear Bridge Fire conditions to the east — Baldy area — are far better than the west, including Wrightwood. Check out the latest photos. Courier photo/Peter Weinberger

At press time Thursday, more than 400 firefighters on the ground and in the air had mercifully begun to slow the massive Bridge Fire’s advance, saving most of Mt. Baldy Village and keeping the blaze from making its way into the southern foothill communities, including Claremont. The fast moving fire burned into Mt. Baldy Village late Tuesday afternoon. Fire crews scrambled to the area but were unable to save the 20 homes that burned there. Photo/by David Mix 

Wednesday was the critical day for firefighters to save Mt. Baldy Village from the Bridge Fire. By setting up a series of perimeters west of the village, most of the small town that had not seen a fire in a century was saved. The fire has burned 51,167 acres as of Thursday morning. Courier photos/Peter […]

The Bridge Fire continues to advance toward foothill cities, with residents in north Claremont around Fergus Falls and Mt. Baldy having been advised to prepare to evacuate. The fire — now the largest burning in the state of California at 47,904 acres — burned some 13,000 acres overnight Tuesday and impacting structures in Wrightwood, including damage to the power infrastructure there. Thus far it has destroyed 20 homes in the Mt. Baldy area, and is currently backing down the slopes near Mt. Baldy Road, threatening additional structures there. Photo/by Alex McDonald

The Bridge Fire “continued to exhibit extreme fire behavior” overnight Tuesday, according to fire officials, burning some 13,000 acres and impacting structures in Wrightwood, including damage to the power infrastructure there. The fire had grown to 47,904 acres as of 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. Photo/by Alex McDonald

The Bridge Fire grew overnight from 2,995 acres to 3,786 acres, but some 300 firefighters held it within its perimeter, with support continuing to arrive. It remains 0% contained. California Interagency Incident Management Team 5 assumed command of the fire at 7 a.m. Tuesday, following a sustained effort by U.S. Forest Service Quick Reaction Force night-flying helicopters, which dropped fire retardant on the blaze for more than five hours overnight. Photo/courtesy of USFS

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officials ordered the evacuation of all residents north of the San Antonio Dam up to Mt. Baldy Resort late Monday afternoon after the Bridge Fire more than doubled in size in a matter of hours, going from 1,225 acres at 1 p.m. to 2,995 acres by 7:30. The blaze remains 0% contained, with high temperatures and strong winds continuing to aid in its expansion. Photo/by Catherine McIntosh

Though the Bridge Fire has rendered the sky in Claremont a sickly yellow and the air is thick with ash, the U.S. Forest Service reports structures in the City of Trees and the unincorporated areas directly northwest of town are not in danger. Photo/courtesy of U.S.F.S.

A fast moving fire near the Glendora Mountain Road in the San Gabriel Canyon, seen from Grand Avenue in Claremont, continued to burn into the night as firefighters attempted to get control of the growing 200-acre blaze. Courier photo/Peter Weinberger

“One of the cool things about this project is, usually when people see drums, they just think banging along,” Powell said. “But for me being a drummer and percussionist, I hear drums as music. I don’t need anything else.” Courier photo/Peter Weinberger