Opinion
My earliest memories of Claremont are from the mid-1970s, when my mother and I would make the trek from Glendora to eat at Griswold’s Smorgasbord and I would devour every Swedish meatball in the 91711.
I see parents in films and on television basking in the loving warmth of a close-knit but quirky family, experiencing lovable hijinks, facing obstacles, overcoming them through some sort of life- and love-affirming process, and in the third act laughing and dancing in slow motion at a beachside barbeque while wearing matching white clothes. When is my third act coming? Is the ugly truth that it’s all just heartbreaking, all the time, then you die? I’m beginning to wonder.
With the morning 5k race pushed to another day and the parade held earlier at 10 a.m., the synergy from one event to the other was gone. Fourth of July Committee volunteerism was down about 75%, which impacts not only the parade, but the contribution volunteers make to other events.
The US was created in part as a refuge for the free exercise of various religious beliefs, or none at all. The First Amendment gets to it straightaway: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The founders were clear: religion has no place in our government. Yet here we are in 2023 seeing more and more school boards (and water boards, and city councils) infiltrated by those who would restrict students’ freedom — often, ironically, in the name of “religious freedom” — to learn about slavery, racism, and LGBTQ+ Americans. And these restrictions aren’t just happening in conservative bastions like Texas or Florida. Increasingly, they’re creeping into California and even nipping at the city limits of Claremont.
Aging seems to happen slowly, then in big lurches; your hair starts losing its color, revealing the gray, and your belly starts to protrude. This goes on for some time until one day you wake up, your hair is white, and you’re shaped like a pear. There’s no warming up to it. It’s just here: your new body.
So, Trustee Area 4 voters will finally decide next week who will represent them on Claremont Unified School District’s Board of Education.
“To borrow a line from the great Ron Sexsmith, music is a “forever endeavour.” It’s something you “practice” throughout your life. There’s no “arrival,” at least for me. It’s a constantly fascinating, maddening, exhilarating, frustrating, and never-ending journey.”
Last July 8, on the occasion of being named the Courier’s seventh editor in its then 114-year history, I wrote, “I will stumble. I will make mistakes. I will likely make you angry once in a while. Again, that’s life, and that’s journalism. I know I don’t have to tell our readers that letters to the editor are always welcome here at the Courier.” Well, y’all have certainly responded with gusto. I’m thankful our Readers’ Comments section continues to offer a vibrant public forum. And I’ve certainly made mistakes.
The most problematic issue seems to be the parade’s 10 a.m. start time. Move it back to the afternoon. That gives more time for preparation for those in the parade, more time for people to show up early to Memorial Park, then simply walk over and watch the parade. Let’s make it easy to sign up to participate if your business or organization qualifies. A 50% drop in parade numbers needs to be addressed. It’s noticeable. Have the residents of Claremont simply lost interest?
The Citrus College Administration of Justice program has been meeting the needs of local law enforcement agencies for nearly 60 years. The program has adopted a theory-based curriculum that brings a variety of experiences and viewpoints to students. Additionally, the program is unique in its emphasis on degree completion and transfer to four-year institutions. The result is graduates who are well-prepared for law enforcement careers.
The history of Claremont is riddled with systemic racism and racially restrictive covenants. In the early 1900s, Mexican indigenous pioneers escaping the Mexican Revolution settled in the east barrio, known as “tierra de nadie.”
Martin and Janis Weinberger were only married two years when they decided in 1955 to purchase a small community newspaper called the Claremont Courier. And it didn’t take long for Claremonters to figure out the Courier — and Claremont — were going to change dramatically in every sense of the word. Find out the real impact to Claremont and other communities without responsible local news to inform.
Three weeks ago the White House released The U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. This national approach is the first of its kind here in the US and includes more than 100 action steps, touches on all aspects of society, and involves all governmental agencies. With this as a backdrop I feel it is important to share what the Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys has been doing locally to combat antisemitism.
If Willie Nelson’s iconic guitar, “Trigger,” had an automotive counterpart, my 2001 Toyota Sienna van might very well qualify.
“I don’t know what the answer is, but it would seem we know what it is not: ostracization, humiliation, exclusion, denial of care, and laws based more on fear and hate than informed by scientific facts. As the high suicide rate would indicate, this is a much bigger problem than the rare case of a trans female in sports.”
I met my father when I was 28. More accurately, I remember meeting him at that age, as he had split when I was a year old, never to return.