Claremont School News

Kathryn Dunn may be a newcomer to Claremont politics but make no mistake: she is among a handful of residents who knows the city inside and out, and, of course, as a former longtime COURIER editor, where the bodies are buried. Dunn, 53, a lifelong Claremonter, will no doubt tap into that deep well of knowledge when she takes office December 15 on Claremont Unified School District’s Board of Education, representing Trustee Area 1. She is running unopposed in the November 8 election.

Richard O’Neill has the lucky fortune of being assured of winning his race to represent Trustee Area 3 on Claremont Unified School District’s Board of Directors, as the 71-year-old CUSD veteran of nearly three decades is running unopposed. Though he will be new to the board when he takes office December 15, he’s certainly no stranger to CUSD. His family’s connection to the district — perhaps not surprisingly after spending nearly three decades teaching at CHS and sending each of his four grown children through Claremont schools — is profound.

Saturday, October 15: Sue Robb hosts a coffee with Claremont Mayor and City Council District 4 candidate Jed Leano from noon to 1:30 p.m. Email jedforclaremont@gmail.com to RSVP and receive address. Sunday, October 16: Lina Patel and Dan Michon host a 10 a.m. coffee and conversation with Claremont City Councilmember and District 3 candidate Jennifer Stark at 1527 Lowell Ave., Claremont. RSVP via email to linskipatel@yahoo.com.

Claremont High

Claremont High School boys water polo: Results from the Varsity October Classic tournament: on Friday, October 7, the Wolfpack traveled to Rowland for two afternoon games. The team sunk Chaparral, 16-8, then beat Canyon Crest Academy, 11-7. Tournament play continued in Claremont on Saturday, October 8 when Troy dealt the team a 19-13 loss. The Pack then bounced back with a 13-12 win over Torrey Pines to conclude the tournament.

Aaron Peterson sees his run for the Trustee Area 4 seat on Claremont Unified School District’s Board of Education as a chance to make a difference. He was “talking with [his] wife about the chaos and everything that society has been through in the last two years,” Peterson said. “It’s one thing to armchair quarterback things, and say, ‘Well, they should have done something better,’ or ‘They should have done something different.’ But unless you’re actually willing to step up and do something about it and put yourself in a position where you can be a conduit for change, you might as well be yelling at a wall.”

First elected to Claremont Unified School District’s Board of Education in 2005, he sees his senior role on the body as something to be valued.

Llanusa is running against Aaron Peterson in CUSD Trustee Area 4, “for several reasons.” “Originally it was to make sure there was continuity in the school board with a new superintendent, then it became continuity on the school board with [board members] Dave [Nemer] and Nancy [Treser Osgood] retiring,” he told the COURIER. “Kathy [Archer] and Bob [Fass] are in their first term, Nancy and Dave will be replaced by two new board members, and if I didn’t run it’d be three brand new board members and two right in the middle of their first term. So, I thought for continuity’s sake it was worth having a veteran on the board.”

Saturday, October 8: Lani Fox hosts Claremont City Councilmember and District 3 candidate Jennifer Stark for coffee and marshmallows from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at 217 E. Annapolis Dr., Claremont. RSVP via email to jenniferstark2022@gmail.com; Sunday, October 9: The Democratic Club of Claremont hosts a 2 p.m. meet and greet with its endorsed candidate for Los Angeles County Sheriff, Robert Luna. The title of the event is “policing mental health.” RSVP via email to democraticclubofclaremont@gmail.com for address.

Police looking for a suspect in a murder investigation ordered three people out of their car at gunpoint Thursday afternoon after a traffic stop in front of Claremont High, resulting in a 30 minute lockdown at the school. The 3:56 p.m. incident was preceded by one of Claremont’s license plate reader cameras picking up on a Toyota Yaris that had been flagged by police in Victorville in connection with a murder investigation in that city. Victorville authorities cautioned CPD the person they were looking for was armed and dangerous.

Members of the School Resource Officer Working Group, Lynn King-Tolliver, left, and Medina Collie listen to comments from the Claremont City Council on Tuesday. After some lively debate, the council voted 4-1 to approve the group’s recommendations to reimagine school safety in Claremont, including keeping the school resource officer. Seated behind King-Tolliver and Collie are assistant to the city manager Katie Wand, police captain Mike Ciszek and police chief Aaron Fate. The recommendation now heads to the Claremont Unified School District Board of Education for a vote. Check this Friday’s COURIER for an in-depth story on the council action.

Pomona College recently announced its President G. Gabrielle Starr was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences at a ceremony held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Saturday, September 10. Starr was originally part of the 2020 cohort that included 276 total members such as singer Joan Baez, former United States Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., and author Ann Patchett. Due to the pandemic, ceremonies for the 2020 and 2021 cohorts were delayed until recently.

Claremont McKenna College government professor Christopher Nadon ignited a firestorm recently when he authored an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal questioning the school’s commitment to free speech, a contention the school disputes vociferously. In an August 26 statement, which was also published in the Journal, CMC President Hiram Chodosh rebuts many of Nadon’s claims, including that he was barred for teaching certain courses. This is where the differences of opinion begin.