Opinion

by John Pixley I didn’t know him, but I knew he wasn’t just another kid in the line. As I saw him waiting on that bright, fresh Saturday morning with the sun poking out from clouds to walk under the arch of orange and white balloons, I knew he wasn’t another kid but a son, […]

Homegrown success story Dear Editor: I have been a Claremont resident and patron of Pizza ‘N Such for over 30 years.  It is very disheartening to see the city and Mike and Sue Verbal litigate over the use (or misuse?) of their $165,000 in city parking fees required to expand their restaurant in 2002. Mike […]

By Peter Weinberger There have been many odd things newspapers have done over the past several years when addressing the changes in reader habits, advertising and the bottom line. The most popular approach is to cut their way to profits, hoping subscribers won’t notice the impact on quality. The result has been significantly smaller staffs […]

by Mellissa Martinez During a recent news broadcast, I heard the word ‘transparency’ used 6 times in the course of a 10-minute interview—as an adjective, a verb and a noun. The reporter spoke of a “transparency agenda,” and later his guest suggested that people be more “transparent in their efforts to promote transparency.” Perhaps the […]

City council votes for unknown Dear Editor: When is a “resolution” not a resolution? Welcome to Claremont City Council’s Tuesday night meeting!   In reference to the Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) petition, Councilman Larry Schroeder stated: “It’s not a resolution, although the agenda says it is a resolution.” City Manager Tony Ramos, in an effort […]

by Steven Llanusa This past week has been great for arts education in Claremont. Friday was opening night of a ceramics exhibit in the Ginger Elliott Gallery at the Garner House. Works by students from both Claremont High and El Roble were featured. Anne Mumper of CHS, Wendy Kubiak of El Roble and their students […]

by Jan Wheatcroft My friend Barbara and I decided that a country break was just what we needed; a good getaway to somewhere close enough so as not to spend too much time driving there. We just wanted to be in another place for a day or 2. I had talked about Ojai so much […]

[Editor’s note: The 250-word limit for letters to the editor continues through June 14. Thank you all for rising to the challenge.  —KD]   City should settle with Pizza ‘N Such Dear Editor: In recent weeks, I have followed the saga of a favorite Claremont eatery—Pizza ‘N Such—and the development of parking in the Village. […]

[Editor’s note: As much as I love your letters (it truly is one of the highlights of my job), I must at last lay down the law. Let’s have a test. For the next 4 editions, I will not publish any letter that exceeds the 250-word limit. Should a letter beyond the 250-word count be […]

by John Pixley Amy Andrews isn’t someone we see as part of the Claremont community. We don’t think of her in Claremont. We don’t want to think of her in Claremont. Amy Andrews was a sex slave. She was a victim of human trafficking. This happened when she was in her early teens, about 14. […]

by Debbie Carini I went on spring break with a college student last month. I’m not going to lie—it was pretty wild. We stayed up late, ate crazy things and gambled. As a middle-aged (I hope I live to be 100!) adult, there are certain things I miss about my youth: A. My mom cooking, […]

Wilderness Park misinformation Dear Editor: It’s no wonder that Wilderness Park users are creatively imagining what the city really cares about in the park hours imbroglio. Officially stated reasons are unconvincing and, at times, disingenuous, and none are offered with much evidence. Mayor Opanyi Nasiali’s “Viewpoint” piece of April 12, intended to “clear up some […]

Even though I know Paul Darrow’s work has graced the COURIER pages for longer than I can remember, it’s been 20- plus years since we spoke in person.  As I recall, we met with my father Martin, when Mr. Darrow hand-delivered his work directly to the COURIER office. I remember little about the actual meeting […]

by John Neiuber May is Preservation Month and preservation organizations across the nation will focus their efforts on celebrating history and historic places.  The theme this year, as designated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is See! Save! Celebrate! and in Claremont we have much to celebrate when one considers our history and historic […]

by John Pixley “Nochella.” That’s what the sign said. The sign that was hand-printed and taped on a lamp post when I was going up College Avenue. The sign with the arrow, pointing over there. The sign that made me take a detour in my afternoon. It was Saturday afternoon of the first weekend that […]

Liquidambar trees [Editor’s note: The following letter was sent to Claremont City Manager Tony Ramos, with a copy forwarded for publication. —KD] Dear Mr. Ramos: We have lived on West 11th Street for 5 years and are deeply concerned about the dangerous, as well as unsightly, year-round drop of seed balls from the liquidambar trees […]