Opinion

Claremont High School’s Theatre Department’s mid-year show, “Six” (teen edition), written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, is essentially a 90-minute rap showdown. It is performed without an intermission and with minimal props between the six wives of Henry VIII competing to see who had the worst time in their marriage, and ultimately reclaiming their own stories and identities. It is often funny and sometimes risqué as the queens, who never actually met, compare notes on putting up with the tempestuous, jealous, demanding and, at least later in life, not-so-attractive monarch.

“I know some of the kids who protested February 4 and why they were there. They have the same concerns we do; they stand against what the Trump administration is doing to our immigrant neighbors and those who are putting their bodies, livelihoods, and reputations on the line to protect them and document the abuses. Further, the Claremont kids are part of a long line — a grand tradition even — of American high school student protesters who have been maligned by adults as insignificant and unserious, unworthy of anything but derision and often, violence.”

“We have all heard of ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail,’ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 letter written while he was in jail for participating in nonviolent acts of civil disobedience. But have we ever taken the time to read the whole thing? It is long. MLK acknowledges as much at the end. But it is brilliant. It is a treatise on civil disobedience. It is passionate, but clear headed. As you read it, ask yourself, is Dr. King writing to me? It makes me yearn for such leadership now. And it is free on the internet.” Photo/courtesy of Micheal Avedon

“Here’s the uncomfortable truth: when a newsroom as storied and resourced as The Washington Post takes an axe to sports, books, and foreign coverage, it’s not just “another media layoff story”; it’s an admission that the old package — big footprint, broad coverage, high fixed costs — is getting harder to sustain even for brands with national reach, deep talent benches, and billionaire ownership. And the Post is not alone in wrestling with the same set of structural forces.”

“Though these horrific killings — some have called them executions — took place in Minneapolis, we are all in mourning. Many people turn to their faith in times like these. Here in Claremont and the surrounding communities, religious leaders are feeling their congregations’ pain, and some are mobilizing to be of service to our immigrant neighbors.”

Two Minnesotans are dead after encounters involving federal immigration enforcement, and the country is watching a familiar pattern unfold: what people can see on video versus what officials say happened. On January 7, 37-year-old mother Renee Nicole Macklin Good was shot and killed by ICE agents. On the 24th, ICE agents shot and killed ICU nurse Alexander “Alex” Pretti, also 37 (above). Those are facts. The deeper issue is what followed: a tug-of-war over reality itself. Photo/Wikimedia Commons

My interest in loss and grief began soon after my marriage disintegrated in 2013. A “conscious uncoupling” it wasn’t; it was ugly, and a heartbreaking by-product was an intensely strained relationship with my middle daughter, who was 11 at the time.

“Christy loved intensely. If you were in her circle, she had your back. She always had mine, and I hers. She gave the most frank, clear-eyed advice. She was there for me through every trauma and triumph, and I for hers. She was my first call for 38 years and knew everything about me. I like to think I knew her as completely.”

“After more than two years of working diligently as our advertising director, Anna Hoy has been named the first-ever general manager of the Claremont Courier. Yes, she will continue to sell advertising, but she will also partner with me to help keep the Courier publishing.”

“How about this for a New Year’s resolution: don’t let anyone steal your money. Simple as it sounds, avoiding financial scams gets more challenging by the day. Our electronic financial lives create a bonanza of opportunity for bad actors to separate us from our cash. The scams get ever more clever and sophisticated, with AI opening still new avenues of fraud.”

“The hardest discipline, especially now, is resisting the urge to declare truth before it exists. That patience — demanding facts, waiting for verification, and accepting uncertainty — may be the most important civic act left to us.”

“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.”