Opinion
“OK 2026, how about a heads-up about what’s to come? You must have some insider info, right, being the new year and all? What do you mean it doesn’t work that way? Look, it’s crazy out here. The norms don’t apply. Is there anything you can do for us? Speak up, love thy neighbor, and vote? That’s all you have? Actually, that’s pretty good advice.”
“Hope you all had a merry and jolly holiday and New Year’s celebration. I’ve written numerous times about the lengthy and costly production process behind publishing a newspaper. As we enter the new year, here’s a brief roundup of the people who actually make the Claremont Courier happen …”
“Suffering doesn’t have to shut us down. We can be in crisis and still do good work. We can be in mourning and still help. In fact, any act of service or kindness works to mend our sorrow, even if only for that moment. It all matters; even the smallest action propels hope forward for us and the people it impacts.”
“It’s been a challenging year for fact-based journalism as misinformation continued to spread at both the national and local levels. For the Courier, that meant chasing stories that affected Claremont but originated elsewhere, forcing us to localize broader national issues for our readers.”
“To be honest, my stridently godless stance has become a drag. I used to align with boorish atheists like Bill Maher, and the late Christopher Hitchens. I felt smug along right along with them. I don’t feel that way anymore. Being holier than thou about not being religious just feels like a bad fit for this aging white dude, like skinny jeans.”
by Dr. Paula Izvernari As a dentist in Montclair, I have heard the same heartbreaking story from too many Latino parents. Their child wakes up crying from a toothache, unable to eat, sleep, or concentrate at school. In desperation, families spend days calling clinics, only to hear that the office doesn’t accept Medi-Cal or that […]
According to a recent Los Angeles Police Department news release, there has been a disturbing rise in “distraction thefts,” where thieves steal valuables through a sleight-of-hand trick.
“As we were saying goodbye it occurred to me once again that my version of contentment, safety, and happiness does not apply to anyone else. When we first met, I was on a crusade to get Cash healthy and housed. He had other ideas. I didn’t understand it then, but I do now. My version of his happiness was an invention of my own making. Who was I to try to convince him I was right?”
“I walked away encouraged. I’m not saying I wasn’t still seething with anger — I don’t see that changing as long as Trump’s in office — but spending an hour listening to two guys disagree on most things without resorting to insults was refreshing. It wasn’t hope, but it was glimmer of something like that, and that’s a welcome something to be cherished in today’s gruesome political hothouse.”
by Drew Ready, Char Miller, and Fred Roth It is vital to acknowledge the trauma and fear that recent windstorms and wildfire events have generated in Claremont. The instinct to protect our families, homes, and neighbors is universal. However, the recent call to preemptively remove 207 pines in Claraboya — based on the fear that […]
“As we pulled up to the restaurant there he was: ‘The Corral Kid’ in all his cartoonish cowboy glory, just as I remembered him. A good sign! Stepping inside, I was overwhelmed by an orgy of 1970s kitsch; the chuck wagon, the western paraphernalia — rifles, lassos, posters, old-timey lamps, steer horns, horseshoes, and various farm implements — all remained. It appeared largely unchanged from its 1965 beginnings. I could not believe what I was seeing. It was the best kind of flashback.”
by Anne Thorward Recently, one of the founders of Newcomers Access Center told me that the first wave of Syrian refugees arrived here in the Claremont area 10 years ago. Has it been that long? “I remember community folks helping the refugee families in the fall of 2015,” he said. Adnan Aswad would know. His […]
“All this this money, time, and energy spent on screwing poor people has translated into increased strain on food banks and pantries across the country, including locally. ‘This whole week we’ve been inundated with calls,’ said Gina Hernandez, food pantry manager at Service Center for Independent Life. ‘Where before we had one or two a day, now we’re having dozens.’”
“We were lucky in the Grand Prix Fire. It could happen again. It makes sense to consider the unlikely toppling of one of the large number our majestic Canary Island pines onto Mountain Avenue in a windstorm or fire creating a very real potential for injury or death. Notwithstanding arborists’ reassurances the pines are healthy (implying low risk), if residents can’t evacuate or if first responders can’t reach them in an emergency, we will rue the day we thought “it can’t happen here,” or that the risk is sufficiently low we can ignore the outsize consequences of being wrong. Reluctantly, the trees should go.”
“It’s been incredibly gratifying to see the outpouring of generosity and support from our readers. Since my last column four weeks ago, in which I offered an honest look at our financial picture, we’ve received a steady stream of donations, pushing us past $87,000 toward our $100K Challenge match goal. We are so close!”
“My kids and I have taken this ride on the A Line many times. It’s always a fun day. We spent a couple hours showing grandson Vincent some of the cool Japanese shops then had another great lunch at 53-year LA institution Oomasa, where he destroyed an entire plate of rainbow roll, some salmon sushi, and a bowl of rice. By then the sun, the walking, and the metric ton of food had done a number on the 10-year-old. It was time to go.” Photo/by Lu Rhodes