Opinion

by John Pixley “You know the Byrds?” “The what?” “The Byrds. B-Y-R-D-S.” “The Byrds?…The band?” “Yes.” Yes, my friend had heard of the Byrds. He is almost half my age and probably wasn’t even born when the band was playing, but I figured he had probably heard “Turn, Turn, Turn” or “Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man” […]

by Mellissa Martinez One day last week, I set my alarm early and headed out for a morning run. After about 10 minutes, I turned a corner and ran hard hit into an unwelcome surprise. Suddenly, I was slipping and sliding, unable to balance, precariously fumbling for traction on a sidewalk of ice. Yes, ice! […]

No place for violence Dear Editor: This weekend we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was killed 44 years ago by an assassin’s bullet, but whose legacy lives on in his words and actions. Now more than ever, Dr. King’s message of nonviolence is a powerful one that still […]

Transparency now Dear Editor: While we disagree with Ms. Marilee Scaff’s opinion that the time is now to forcibly acquire Golden State (“The Time is Now,” COURIER, January 12), the California Alliance to Protect Private Property Rights strongly believes that the time is now for the city to release its feasibility study to the public […]

by Chris Oakley [Editor’s note: COURIER Sports Reporter Chris Oakley took most of December off to travel to India for a friend’s wedding. We missed his jovial spirit in the office, but are thrilled he agreed to share his travel experience with us here. —Kathryn?Dunn] I received an invitation for the trip of a lifetime […]

by Debbie Carini “They’re h-e-r-e …” Those words, immortalized in the early 1980’s cinema classic Poltergeist announce the arrival of spirits who will turn an otherwise banal suburban home into a horror-fest—making glassware break and utensils bend, and moving furniture all over the place. Hey, wait. That sounds a little bit like having kids home […]

Supernaturalism is not the answer Dear Editor: Al Villanueva’s “Reflections on Sandy Hook” Viewpoint in Wednesday’s COURIER was confusing in that he continually vacillated between identifying concretely plausible and supernaturally unreasonable connections with that crime. Mr. Villanueva makes a plea for “pragmatic remedies,” and identifies several existing social conditions that are conceivably connected with our […]

Coates Cyclery a treasure Dear Editor: I was so pleased to read the article extolling the virtues of the bicycle shop we’ve had in Claremont/Pomona for so many years. Wes Roth and now Corey McCroskey of Coates Cyclery have been honorable businessmen and it has been a pleasure to be a longtime customer.  Their service […]

by John Pixley When I was in high school and college, and for many years afterward, my dad would see my hair and what I was wearing and ask, “Are you making a statement?” For years, I would adamantly deny it. “No!” I would proclaim hotly, both indignant and guilty. “I am not making a […]

Shape up Dear Editor: A new year and my goal to get in better shape started off by a 5-mile walk around the Claremont Loop. It was beautiful but a bit cool, which my knee did not care for but, just the same, I was going to stick to my guns and complete my walk.  […]

by Tim Corvin I was about 14 years old when I discovered the music of Frank Zappa and his band, The Mothers of Invention. I always felt that life would be more enjoyable with more humor and creativity, and Frank’s music provided me with that. It was often crude humor, and as a youngster perhaps […]

by John Neiuber Enacted by the state in 1972, the Mills Act grants participating cities and counties the authority to enter into contracts with owners of qualified historic properties who actively participate in the restoration and maintenance of those properties. In return, the property owners receive a reduced property tax. The Mills Act is a […]

Definition of insanity Dear Editor: Regarding the latest in an extremely long list of shootings in this country, I would like to make some observations:  we glamorize war and invade countries that didn’t attack us; we promote further violence by having a death penalty; we have 2-and-a-half times the per-capita gun ownership of any other […]

by Peter Weinberger Traditionally in your last column of the year, a writer will review highlights (and lowlights) to reminisce about key events in the world. This column is not going to be that. The COURIER will have an entire edition devoted to 2012 in our special year in review edition on Saturday, December 29. […]

by Mellissa Martinez It’s that time of year again, the end. As we look back and take inventory, how will 2012 be remembered? Was it ‘amazeballs’ or ‘bang tidy’? Did you ‘zoosh it up’ or was it filled with a lot of ‘squadoosh’? When it comes to summarizing such an eventful year, why stick with […]

Unwelcomed neighbors Dear Editor: At the city council meeting last week, an issue related to the present and future character of Claremont was, once again, the subject of discussion. The question was: “Should we discriminate between residents and non-residents when devising rules governing parking for the Wilderness Park and elsewhere?” Several months ago, the council […]