claremont courier 6.14.13

7/28/2019 Claremont Courier 6.14.13

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Here come the graduates: Congratulations CHS Class of 2013COURIER photo/Peter Weinberger

Claremont High Schools 2013 graduating class try and stay cool as they wait outside the schools gymnasium to prepare for their entrance to the graduation cer-emony on Thursday afternoon. Complete coverage will be online today at www.claremont-courier.com. Our coverage of the high schools Baccalaureate is in to-

days edition on page 14.

SMITH V. RAMOS: WATER FIGHT TAKES AN UNEXPECTED TURN/PAGE 3

Friday, June 14, 2013 u One dollar

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Courerilaremont

claremont-courier.com

LETTERS/ PAGE 2

CALENDAR/ PAGE 20

More news and photo galleries

every day at: claremont-courier.com

POLICE BLOTTER/ PAGE 4

SUMMER OPPS/ PAGE 12

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Volunteers kick off

the Summer toEnd Homelessness

PAGE 16

El Roble students flip out over end of year party/ PAGE 28

Merrick Hummer took the Boot Camp Challenge to heart as he wrestled hisway through the blow up obstacle course at El Robles eighth grade party.

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Parking problems? Great!Dear Editor:

Forty-two years ago, there were 7 eat-ing places in the Village and, except for 2,they were not open after 6 p.m. No yogurtshops, no coffee bars, no juice bars, no

bars, period! There are now over 40 suchbusinesses in the Village. There werecomplaints about parking even in the1970s.

Thirty years ago I was part of a restau-rant ownership group that signed a con-tract with the city of Claremont regardingour parking obligations at the corner ofFirst Street and Harvard Avenue. The citywas paid tens of thousands of dollars tohelp provide parking in the Village area.The money went into the Village Parkingfund, designated to improve and provideparking in the Village, where appropriate,and for the general good of the businessarea. A number of newer food establish-ments in the Village have had these con-

tracts in past years. The whole Village hasbenefited by contributions to the fund withadditional parking provided in variousprojects.

The parking fund was not expected toprovide The First St. Bar & Grill with 10or 12 specific spaces. We also did not ex-pect that buildings would be demolishedor modified to provide parking close toour business.

The parking garage on the west side ofIndian Hill Boulevard in the Village is anexcellent example of the use of thesefunds, if indeed the Village Parking Fundswere used in this project. It not only pro-vides parking for public transportationusers as designated by the terms of theFederal Transportation grant received byClaremont but it benefits the whole Vil-

lage. What would parking be like withoutthe additional 250 or so spaces provided inthis building?

I say, Parking challenges in the Vil-lage? Great! That means that there is eco-nomic vitality and interest in goods andservices being provided. I only hope that

most of the spaces are being used by cus-tomers and not by employers and theiremployees.

Karen M. RosenthalClaremont

Train crossing safetyDear Editor:

Last year, I came out of a store andwalked south across the tracks toward mycar parked on First Street. The roadway isvery broken and I was concentrating onmy path, thinking of another errand, whenI suddenly realized I heard a loud, clang-ing noise.

I looked around, the rails were down,and I was in the middle of the tracks. Thetrain was about a block away and I wasable to retreat, but it was a close call.

My heart goes out to Michael Ro-driguezs friends and family. The trainstravel too fast, and it only takes a momentof inattentiveness to die.

I do have a suggestion that might help.In Canada and England, they paint Stop,look for trains on the sidewalks ap-proaching the pedestrian crossing areas. Itmight catch the walkers attention. Also,walkers should re-consider wearing ear-pods while walking. You also need to hearthose careless car drivers who are runningstop signs all over Claremont.

Constance ConditClaremont

READERS COMMENTS

Agendas for city meetings are avail-able at www.ci.claremont.ca.us

GOVERNING

OURSELVES

Tuesday, June 18Planning CommissionCouncil Chamber, 7 p.m.

Thursday, June 20CUSD Board of EducationKirkendall Center, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, June 24Tree CommitteeCouncil Chamber, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, June 25City CouncilCouncil Chamber, 6:30 pm

Wednesday, June 26Architectural CommissionCouncil Chamber, 7 p.m.

ADVENTURESI N H A I K U

Tears remembering

Fertilizing Claremont's soil

Nurturing new growth

Kathy Felton Zetterberg

Haiku submissions should reflect upon lifor events in Claremont. Please email entrieto [email protected].

Claremont COURIER/Friday, June 14, 2013

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READERS COMMENTS/page 7


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The proper treatment ofstormwater, accordingto new regional re-

quirements, is coming at ahigh cost to the city of Clare-mont and other local cities.Claremont officials estimatemore than $400,000 will beneeded to comply with a newset of stringent guidelines putinto place by the Los AngelesRegional Water Quality board.And thats only for starters.

The Claremont City Council Tuesdayunanimously approved moving forwardwith plans to adhere to the water qualityboards new rulesnot because ofagreement with the stricter standards,but because they believed there was no

other choice.We either pay the fines and fees [im-posed by the water quality board] or wepay the consultants, said Councilmem-ber Sam Pedroza.

The newly adopted Municipal Sepa-rate Storm Sewer System Permit (MS4)further regulates the treatment ofstormwater runoff that recedes into thewaters of the San Gabriel Valley Water-shed, providing for water conservationamong many other benefits.

In order to comply with the new un-funded mandates, cities must compile areport detailing their plans to complywith these stricter rules.

Among many concerns, local offi-

cials have voiced frustration that allcities are being held to the same strictstandards, regardless of their positionalong the watershed. Claremontmuchmore upstream, resulting in fewer pollu-tantsmust comply in the same way asthe beach cities, where most of the pol-lutants are found. Acting City EngineerLoretta Mustafa emphasized the finan-cial burden that results.

She also noted the financial demandsof the preliminary consultant work toput the water quality boards guidelinesinto place. A consultant was needed toadvise as to which water managementplan the city should adopt, yet moreconsultants are needed to draft the dif-

ferent water management plansbothfor the San Gabriel Valley Watershed aswell as the Santa Ana River Water-shedand a part-time consultant willbe needed to manage all the plans.These consultant fees plus preliminarytasks associated with water manage-ment for 2013-2014 is estimated at al-most $500,000.

To combat the financial impact, theClaremont City Councilhas directed staff to joinforces with the cities of

La Verne, Pomona and San Dimas toprepare a group water managementplan. It is hoped this joint venture willhelp save money for all cities involved.

While council members recognizedthat seeking out grants and other finan-cial help might be worth exploring inthe future, they momentarily concededto the water boards feesdirectingstaff to draft a notice of the citys intentto complyin order to avoid yet morecosts. Despite the financial burdens,closer examination of the citys runoffcould provide the opportunity for poten-tial environmental gains, noted Coun-cilmember Joe Lyons.

We should turn this challenging op-portunity into creative solutions, Mr.Lyons said. Especially with regards towater and our location, it does offer usopportunities to come up with someout-of-the-box thinking that might serveour long term sustainability needs.

Discussion on litigation continuesThe Claremont City Council dis-

cussed ongoing litigation between thecity and longtime Village eatery Pizza

N Such in closed session prior to thecouncils regularly-scheduled meeting.

Mike and Sue Verbal, owners ofPizza N Such, recently filed a com-plaint against the city of Claremont al-leging city officials violated anagreement made in regard to more than$150,000 of in-lieu parking fees paid bythe Verbals to the city.

The Verbals believe the city misusedthe money, which they believed was in-tended to pay for development of park-ing for use by customers dining at theirrestaurant in the Village. Mr. Verbalsays he later learned his money wasused for the 4-story parking structure

just west of the Packing House on FirstStreet in Village West.

City officials, denying any wrongdo-ing in the case, remain tight-lipped overthe lawsuit: We have given our lawyerdirection, Mayor Opanyi Nasiali statedon behalf of the council after returningfrom closed session.

No other comments were presentedfrom the council, the citys attorney ormembers of the audience.

Club islands still under reviewCity officials postponed further re-

view of the Claremont Club neighbor-hood hardscape, despite an expected citycouncil discussion on Tuesday night.

The city council is being tasked with thfinal decision on whether or not to leavseveral Club islands on Davenport,Elmhurst and Stanislaus Circle intact.

City Manager Tony Ramos an-nounced the postponement, stating in-formation received from a law firmprior to the council meeting required futher review. It is unknown when the itemwill be back on the councils agenda.

Im not sure how long its going totake to get the information that I need iorder to validate what [the lawyers] aresuggesting, Mr. Ramos said.



It started on May 20 in a letter to Mr.Ramos where Mr. Smith, the author of aneconomic study thatsought to outline costsassociated with the citysproposed purchase of the water company,requested that Mr. Ramos retract state-ments made in his April 25 mailer to res-idents.

In the April 25 mailer, Mr. Ramos chal-lenged the objectivity of Mr. Smithsstudy, noting that the economic study wascommissioned and paid for by GoldenState, and thus it says exactly what the for-profit company wants it to say.

Mr. Smith took offense to the sugges-tion and in a letter to Mr. Ramos assertedthere was no basis for your statement at-tacking the credibility of my work.

Mr. Smith went on to write, Yourstatement claiming the study was con-trolled by Golden State provides a trou-bling insight into your own value system.The city, undoubtedly, has invested tax-payer dollars for consultants to providereports on many different issues. Does

the city really tell its consultants that theirreports must say exactly what the citywants it to say? If so, that would be un-ethical.

He gave a May 24 deadline for the cityto respond to his request for retraction ofwhat Mr. Smith deemed as an irrespon-sible and inflammatory statement.

On behalf of the city of Claremont,Kendall H. MacVey of Best, Best &Krieger, the citys law firm, responded inwriting to Mr. Smith on May 24.

The April 25 letter simply notes whatyou have acknowledged, Mr. MacVeywrote, that the report provided to thepublic by Golden State Water Companywas a report paid for by Golden State

Water Company. The letter does not ac-cuse you of unethical behavior.

Mr. MacVey references an op-epieceauthored by Mr. Smith and pulished in the Inland Valley Daily Buletinwhere Mr. Smith emphasizes whhe sought to prove in his economic studA city takeover of the water companwill have negative consequences for reidents for generations to come.

The city stands by Mr. Ramos asses

ment, Mr. MacVey said, and does not fethat his remarks warrant a retraction. MMacVey also notes that Mr. Smith seemto be acting as an advocate for one sidof the public discussion.

The volley continued on June 10 withe submittal of another letter from MSmith, which proclaims that MMacVeys meager attempts to change thsubject are not at all satisfactory. His rsponse is nonsense.

The letter includes a public records rquest asking for all written work produof any and all city consultants you rviewed in reaching your conclusion thStratecons study says exactly what th

for-profit company wants it to say.

A total of 6 requests for documents alisted, each relating to meetings, corrspondence, emails and letters, whicmight support Mr. Ramos suggestiothat the study says exactly what the foprofit company wants it to say.

Mr. Smith says he intends to take anecessary steps to protect his reputatio

Stratecon will pursue a resolution its satisfaction, either by a written formretraction by the city or by the legmechanisms available to hold officiaaccountable for their actions, Mr. Smisaid.

As far as the public records requesMr. Ramos says the city will responappropriately and under the guidelin

of the law. Kathryn [email protected]

Stormwater treatment proves to be costly endeavorCITY NEWS

The battle between Claremont and Golden State Water hatrickled into unchartered territory as Claremont CityManager Tony Ramos and Rodney Smith, president of

Stratecon Inc., campaign to discredit one another through ongo-ing correspondence.

Sideshow ignites in the

battle with Golden State

Final plans being made forcitys Fourth of July celebration

The 2013 Independence Day Com-mittee invites all Claremont residents toenter the annual House Decorating Con-test. Decorations must be outdoors andvisible from the street. Judging will takeplace on June 23 and will be based onspirit, appearance, and creativity.

The Grand Prize Winner will receiverecognition at the pre-parade reception,a special place in the parade, fireworkstickets and an American Flag that flewover the Capitol. Entry forms are avail-able at www.Claremont4th.org.

The Fourth of July Celebration is a

time-honored tradition in the city ofClaremont. The celebration consists ofa 5K run, pancake breakfast, flag rais-ing, festival area with games, a paradeand a Fireworks Sky Show.

Four time slots remain open between1:20 and 2:20 p.m. for the T. WillardHunter Speakers Corner. Speakers arelimited to 8 minutes of oration on anytopic of interest. No foul language, nonudity and no promotion of commercialgoods or services is allowed.

To sign up, email Karen Rosenthal [email protected].

WATER

ISSUES

CITY

COUNCIL


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Wednesday, June 7A resident in the 3400 block of Grand

Avenue dug up something unexpected

when working in the garden Wednesdaynight. The resident was planting somebushes when she came across humanbones buried about a foot deep in herflowerbed. The residents have lived inthe home since 1988 and believe thebones might be part of a speculated In-dian burial ground, according to Detec-tive Rick Varney. The Los AngelesCounty Coroner is conducting a follow-up investigation of the remains.

Thursday, June 6An early morning, alcohol-induced ar-

gument quickly escalated at the PackingHouse parking garage on Thursday, leav-ing 2 with minor injuries. Police made

their way to the structure down the streetafter a struggle was heard in the back-ground of a 9-1-1 call. According to thereport, 20-year-old Casey Farlow ofClaremont punched another man on theside of the face before pulling out a knifeand allegedly threatening to kill him.Two others tried to break up the fight andwere cut by the blade in the processone on the chin, the other on the hand.Police arrived to intervene. Mr. Farlowwas arrested for assault with a deadlyweapon and criminal threats. It is un-known what intensified Mr. Farlowsanger, but its believed that booze was in-volved, according to Det. Varney.

Saturday, June 8A trio of Claremont College students

fought a losing battle with police earlySaturday morningthe fact that theywere trying to outrun a police vehicle in

a golf cart should have been their firstclue to their missions futility. The stu-dents were attempting to get away afterbeing caught taking a joyride in one ofthe Pomona College golf carts withoutauthorization. The police pursuit endedwhen the driver of the golf cart crashedthe vehicle into a mailbox on ContraCosta Way. The students attempted totake off on foot, but did not succeed ingetting away. Donald Okpaluga, the 23-year-old driver, was arrested for thestolen vehicle, hit-and-run and for resist-ing arrest. Jung Cha, 22 was arrested forthe stolen vehicle and resisting arrest. Je-remy Hilledwards, 22, was also arrestedfor resisting arrest.

Sunday, June 9If you believe 36-year-old Donald

Spott, Claremonts AbilityFirst has reallythin windows. That or his story is shorton credibility. Around 5:30 p.m., policemade their way to AbilityFirst after theburglary alarm was activated. Officersarrived to find a tube sock and an emptybeer can outside a broken window. A K-9 unit from Chino was called in to searchthe building, but no one was found in-side. Though it had appeared the crookhad gotten away, he hadnt gotten veryfar. Mr. Spotts was seen at a gas stationdown the street, carrying a radio andcovered in blood. Video surveillance

found at the scene positively identifiedMr. Spotts jumping into a patio area at

AbilityFirst. However, it did not showwhether or not he was responsible for thebreak-in. Mr. Spotts gave up that part ofthe story himself. Questioned by police,Mr. Spotts said he had jumped into thepatio area to smoke meth without detec-

tion, according to Det. Varney. Heclaimed he had leaned up against thewindow and it had broken. It was thenthat he spotted the radio.

I was like, Oh, damn, theres aradio, Mr. Spotts recalled to police. Ididnt really want it, but I figured I couldsell it. Mr. Spotts, who is on parole forkidnapping, was arrested for the bur-glary.

* * * *The saga of the black cow statue con-

tinues. In April, police took possessionof the ceramic figurine, which had mys-teriously appeared in the 200 block ofSixth Street. Just a couple weeks after thecow was returned home to the 400 block,

it vanished once more. The heifer was re-ported missing once again on Sunday

evening. This time, however, the residewas able to obtain video footage of thattack. Four men were seen carting thcow off into the night. Police are rviewing the footage and will be conducting a follow-up investigation.

Monday, June 10Raymond Donahue, 34, of Alta Lom

was caught red-handed vandalizing thClaremont Villages newest eatery oMonday night. Mr. Donahue tried enter Petiscos, the former location oShrimps on First Street, but was prvented from entering the building, whicis closed off to the public. Instead, he phis fist through a glass windowpane bfore taking off on his bike. Mr. Donahuwas located down the street at City Hanursing a bleeding hand, which he sawas the result of falling off his bike, acording to Det. Varney. He was arrestefor vandalism and public intoxication.


POLICE BLOTTER

This summer, Chaparralsixth-grader FaithNishimura is putting

her social studies homeworkand geography lessons into

real-world application.The straight-A student prepares to

travel across the globe this month to rep-resent her Claremont elementary schoolthrough the People to People StudentAmbassadors program, a competitive ed-ucational travel course designed to pro-vide students with global awareness.

Faith will trade Claremont for Cam-bridge and County Cork as she goes soloto the United Kingdom and Ireland for a3-week program abroad.

Becoming a student ambassador is anaccomplishment in and of itselfonly aselect amount of students are invited toparticipate in the program each year.Three letters of recommendation and an

interview are part of that selectionprocess. Faith was nominated for thedistinction by Anne Dierken, one of thefifth grade teachers at Chaparral who hasbeen a leader with the ambassador pro-gram for the last 4 years.

Student embarks on world travel as Claremont ambassador

CITY NEWS

COURIER photo/Steven FelschundneChaparral sixth-grader Faith Nishimura is raising money to pay for a trip to the United Kingdom to be part of a global learing program called People to People Student Ambassadors. The Claremont Police Officers Association donated $300 hewith Faiths travel expenses.

A 26-year-old man identified as An-thony Hernandez was taken into custodylast week after evidence connected himto last weeks string of smash-and-grabburglaries near the Claremont HillsWilderness Park. The Chino resident isalso connected to several other car bur-glaries throughout neighboring cities.Police served Mr. Hernandez a searchwarrant, suspecting him of involvementin a series of car burglaries at the Upland24 Hour Fitness.

The search revealed stolen property

from a variety of other car burglaries the area, including Claremont and Rancho Cucamonga, according to Det. Vaney, who says Mr. Hernandez has beetargeting vehicles parked near local traiheads. Police remind residents visitinthe wilderness park and other local traito be aware of their surroundings annever leave purses and other personitems in plain sight within their vehicle

Mr. Hernandez pled guilty to the cburglaries and is serving 28 months icounty jail.

Police nab man connected to string of burglaries

AMBASSADORcontinues on the next page


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EDUCATIONClaremont COURIER/Friday, June 14, 2013

It takes a certain drive and tenacity toembark on the ambassador journeyand travel alone at such a young age,

Ms. Dierken recognized. Beyond thetravel, students must complete 2 onlinecourses and several orientations follow-ing their excursion. While the programcan be grueling for some, Ms. Dierkenfelt it posed an exciting new opportunityfor Faith.

Faith was one of the few I thought hadthat drive, Ms. Dierken said. Some kidsare interested at first, but it takes a lot ofhard work to stay in the program.

Faiths teacher, Kimberly Walters, canattest to her students hard working spirit.

Faith is an extra-hard worker, alwaysgiving 110 percent, Ms. Walters shared.You couldnt ask for a better student. Sheis always prepared and has a positive atti-tude.

With the help of Ms. Walters, Faith hasspent a section of the past school year fa-

miliarizing herself with global geographyand maps of the world, including theplaces she will visit. She has also takenthe time to study world cultures. Shelooks forward to learning more firsthand.

I cant wait to share my culture with

other people and learn about their culturesas well, Faith said.

Putting her classwork into action isonly part of the excitement surroundingher impending trip overseas. Traveling toIreland and England is a dream-come-truefor the avid readershe gets giddy at themere thought of traveling along the sameroutes as many of her favorite writers,Shakespeare included. Shakespeareshome is among the top of her list of must-visit destinations. Perhaps shell drawsome inspiration.

I love writing and improving my writ-ing, she shared.

While excited about the trip itself, Faithadmits her nerves start flaring any time

she has to climb aboard a plane, let alonethe 12-hour flight she will be taking by

herself. However, she has a game plan.Im trying to stay calm and do other

things, she said. Her plan includesadding to her book knowledge with someof the classics, including Harper Leesiconic To Kill A Mockingbird. She willalso throw in some math practice with heralgebra book in tow.

Its an equally thrilling and nerve-wracking venture for the Nishimura fam-ily. Faiths mother, Freya Nishimura is notonly preparing to send her daughter off tothe UK, she is also saying goodbye to herolder son, Brent, who is traveling to Aus-tralia, also with the ambassadorship pro-gram.

Im proud and broke, Ms. Nishimurajoked.

Despite the expense, Ms. Nishimurahas taken the opportunity to impart an-other valuable lesson to her children be-fore they travel cross-country. Faith andher brother have been tasked with earning

their way overseas by fundraising to helppay for their $7000 trips. Over the last 6

months, they have been hard at worhelping to run yard sales and sellinValentines and Mothers Day cards another items. Faith took it upon hersewith the advice of her teacher KimberWalters, to also reach out to the ClaremoPolice Officers Association, which dnates a certain percentage of club moneto worthy causes in the community.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportnity, Detective Rick Varney said Faiths trip, and the associations decisioto donate $300 to her ambassadorshfund.

Ms. Nishimura is pleased to give hchildren the opportunity to see the worlwhile representing the family and hChaparral community. She says hdaughters drive and spirit, inspired by holder brothers, is something to be reckoned with.

Faith has no fear, her mother saiShe is something else.


There was a special treat at theThursday, June 6 gathering of theClaremont Unified School District

Board of Education when the Pledge ofAllegiance was followed by a rendition of

The Star Spangled Banner as performedby districts Elementary Strings Orchestra.

The showcasing of student talent continued when,with a clinking of medals, a number of 4th through 6thgraders stepped to the front of the board room to behonored for their success at the recent Los AngelesCounty Office of Education Math Field Day. Addition-ally receiving kudos was Jessica Jackman-Uy, a fifthgrade teacher at Chaparral Elementary who coordi-nated the districts participation in the event.

Congratulations were also given to members of theClaremont High School debate program who havequalified to attend the National Championship Speechand Debate tournament to be held in Birmingham, Ala-bama next week, followed by a laudatory presentationby CHS theater director Krista Carson Elhai.

Ms. Elhai took time to enumerate some of theachievements of her students such as the awards theytook at the California State Thespian Festival held inUpland on March 22-24. A number of her students didso well in the festival they have now qualified for theInternational Thespian Festival, to be held at the Uni-versity of Nebraska on June 24-29.

With 5 productions, a move to a new theater and itsassociated opening gala plus their annual F.O.O.T. auc-tion and a sing-along with the cast ofWicked, Ms.Elhai and her thespians are wrapping up a dizzyinglybusy school year.

I dont even remember what musical we did lastweek, Ms. Elhai laughed. Were very excited to becelebrating our 50th year in our new building that wenever leave.

The board next bid farewell to 2 high school stu-dents, Carolyn Bird of Claremont High School andAimee Orcasitas of San Antonio High School,

who had joined the school board at meetings in orderto report on doings at schools throughout the district.

Please dont think this has to be your last boardmeeting, board member Steven Llanusa joked.Youre welcome any time.

During the public comment period, Freeman Allen,co-chair of Sustainable Claremont, stepped up to thepodium to appeal to the board to renew the position of

Community Garden Coordinator. Sustainable Clare-mont values the position so much it hopes to contribute$2000 to help finance the job, up from $1500 last year,he said.

I see these gardens as an outdoor laboratory that isabsolutely crucial in giving students real-world lessons

in what nature is like, Mr. Allen, a re-

tired Pomona College chemistry profes-sor, said.

For the last year, the district has employed DessaDAquila at 25 hours per week as the CUSD gardencoordinator. Along with helping oversee gardens at var-ious schools, including San Antonios Food JusticeProgram and the new biomes project at OakmontSchool, which has staff, kids and volunteers cultivatingthe landscapes of 4 California native landscapes, in-cluding desert, grassland, shrub land and forest.

Much of Ms. DAquilas time, she explained prior tothe meeting, is also spent connecting teachers hoping toembark on gardening projects with staff and studentsfrom local colleges as well as community membersthat hope to donate time or resources to Claremontschools.

As we go forward, were going to have a much

more successful program if we have someone to coor-dinate it, Mr. Allen said.

Board approves Service Center sale,disagrees on sale process

There were some moments of tension as the boardprepared to vote on whether to approve the offer for theService Center Property that D.R. Horton made at anauction held at the end of May. The homebuilderagreed to the districts $7 million asking price, accom-panied by a $10,000 deposit.

While the board and district at large seemed pleasedwith the results of the auction, Mr. Llanusa expressedchagrin that the auction yielded no other conformingbids and no attendees other than D.R. Horton. It shouldbe noted that there were 2 other bids submitted bycompany representatives before the auction, but one

fell below the districts price tag at $4.5 million andneither bid was accompanied by the required securitydeposit.

Mr. Llanusa said he urged the board and the districtto reach out to a number of real estate agencies prior toselling the Service Center Property, located at 700 BaseLine Rd., in order to find the most motivated buyer. In-stead, the district opted to use the services of Tierra De-velopment, which helped CUSD promote and sellanother property, 4.35 acres located at its former dis-

trict offices. D.R. Horton also purchased the propertyfor $6.2 million.

I am hugely disappointed, Mr. Llanusa said. Thedistrict opted for expediency over efficacy. This is aHobsons choicetake it or leave it.

Im sure [Tierra Development] reached out to hun-dreds of companies, Lisa Shoemaker, assistant super-

intendent of business services, said. Its very commothat wed get mostly nonconforming bids.

Board member Jeff Stark asserted that the bid re-ceived from D.R. Horton was twice what people toldthe board and that district the Service Center propertywould be worth in 2006, at the height of the real estatemarket. The district benefited from relying on expertshe emphasized, such as the Surplus Property commit-tee who made recommendations as to the sale of theproperty and on a real estate company that had previ-ously made good on its promise of netting the districtthe top-dollar amount for a property. If the district hadset a lower price for the Service Center property, then would perhaps have received many more bids. Mr.Stark stressed that the plan all along was to appeal to abig company with deep pockets.

I think its important for the board to understand

what our role is in this, Mr. Stark said.Bill Fox, former president of William Fox Homes

Inc. in Ontario, is a member of the districts SurplusAdvisory Committee, also known as the 7-11 Committee. The committee is composed of volunteers with expertise in the real estate industry who donated manyhours to helping the district sell its properties. Mr. Foxsaid he strongly objected to Mr. Llanusas assertion thwork conducted by the 7-11 Committee and by the district utilized inferior methods this time around.

Im proud of what the committee has done, hesaid. Im proud to be a resident of Claremont and Improud to be a part of the process.

After the discussion, the board voted on whether ornot to accept D.R. Hortons offer for the Service Centeproperty. Everyone on the 5-member board voted yesexcept for Mr. Llanusa, who cast a dissenting vote.

Escrow on the former district office property, onwhich D.R. Horton plans to build a 50-plus unit condominium development, will close in the very near fu-ture, Ms. Shoemaker said. That happened morequickly than the district expected, and, given that D.RHorton has already jumped over many of the hurdlesthat would apply to an adjacent housing project, theService Center property should close even morequickly, she projected. Sarah Torrib

[email protected]

CUSD

NEWS

Property sale finalized at CUSD board meeting

AMBASSADOR

continued from the previous page


6/40

Genaro Molina is my friend and analmost son. I met him manyyears ago when he worked as the

photographer for the Claremont COURIERand I sold ads. He even lived with us for awhile. He is a photographer for theLos An-geles Times now and lives in the SantaMonica area with his girlfriend, Patty. I amlucky. They treat me very well indeed.

On Mothers Day, Genaro created a real treat that heknew I would love: A tour of Los Angeles to see thePublic Art spaces created by artists and locals on walls,fences and spaces that could be reached by man. It tooka lot of research on his part to locate these places andthen find out the history behind as many as possible.

The day was hot and we got caught in traffic. Wejumped out at overpasses, underpasses, walls, mechan-ical coverings and bridges. We struggled to find park-ing places and even received a parking ticket as anon-gift. But it was an unforgettable day; one filled with

art, color and soul.The first place we went to was the evening before atthe Ballona Water Canal bike path in Santa Monica.This was part of the Peoples Art Project, which is com-prised of different faces and exists all over the world.This one was way up on the plinth of the canal over-pass but so high up that one wonders how anyone wasable to get up there. There are 3 little faces, 2 babiesand a woman in the center.

The next morning we went for a breakfast on theVenice boardwalk, all foggy and cold. Who knew whatheat would be waiting for us later on? Then we movedover to Abbot Kinney Boulevard at Palms to the BrigBuilding to see Brandellis Brig by Arthur Mortimer.This is a mural inside a mural; a painting of the barsowner and wife being painted by the painter. We couldstand in the parking lot and photograph it.

Then we went to see a large group of wall graffiti,which turned out to be one of my favorites. It was inCulver City on Washington Boulevard. It was at a for-mer Hyundai Car Dealership and is soon to be torndown, which is really sad. The title is Branded Arts andthe paintings are by a number of known artists with theonly rule being nothing negative. Some of these werein a cartoon vein, others with outlined, fat letters. My fa-vorites were the large pieces that covered an entire wall

and went into alley ways and central courtyards or park-ing areas. The area is now littered with glass andgarbage, but people stop to see and photograph the art.It is really sad to think that soon they will all be gone.

We drove up Robertson and Third Street. At a gasstation, there is a very small Banksey of a boy peeinglow down on the corner of the wall. A trail of pink drib-bles up the street. The Banksey style is very obvious,stencil art that is sprayed on and is usually in black withred. I saw a lot of this work in Paris.

We then drove into West Hollywood to the librarywhere murals are painted on the parking structure. Thelargest and most dominant and exciting was the West

Hollywood Peace Elephanta black and white figureon a yellow and red background. This was painted byShepard Fairey, who rose to artistic fame when he cre-ated the Hope poster of the then-presidential candi-date, Barack Obama. The elephant is a very bold andpowerful design and wonderful to look at.

In the Fairfax District beginning at Melrose andOgden, we discovered treasures on walls and buildingsand fences by just driving around, in and out of alleys.My favorites were a Banksey of a boy on a rocket, agroup of marching soldiers and a dog pulling a man ona skateboard painted on a metal fence. There were manymore woven into parking lots and alleyways. A reallyfunpainted onto a backdoor and on the sidewalkwas a red pair of shoes at the end of candy striped legs.If one has the time, and enjoys the hunt, it is amazingwhat can be discovered.

We drove down into Korea Town on Vermont atWilshire, where there is a huge mural on 2 sloping wallscalled the Big Bowl of Rice Finished, Waiting for GiantSoy Sauce Packet. It was made from a digital photo intoa painting.

On Glendale Boulevard on the underpass of Sunset,are 2 sets of large and bold paintings on both sides.These are the Eyes Murals where the artist, Ruben Soto,has focused on the eyes area of the face. Here, we were

able to park and walk along both sides to get a greview and photos as well.

We stopped in Silverlake on West Sunset Boulevafor a break at the Silver Lake Coffee bar (intelligentscoffee). I had read about this place as having firsourced Ethiopian Coffee and wanted to try it. It w

not, however, the right season so we had Kenyan Cofee instead, which was delicious. Their pastries weexcellent, as well. After some people watching and gaing at the beautiful floral arrangements coming frothe shop next door (it was Mothers Day after all) wdrove on down Sunset towards Echo Park, stopping photograph the chickens and cats along the cemewalls by Cache, which have become quite the lanmark. Apparently Cache and 2 other painters climbeladders and spray-painted while a small band of onlookers gathered to watch. He began painting his sinature chickens in 2001.

The next stop was at theLos Angeles Times parkinlot to see the Newlyweds by Kent Twitchel and a triute to the 1934 and the 1984 Olympics at the VictClothing Building.

Our last lot of murals and wall art was in the Art Di

trict in Downtown LA. Here, we parked and walkaround the various streets that had been brought to liwith paintings and action. At one building there wasgroup filming a music video, using people who we

just walking around holding cardboard signs. Hanginout of a window aboe them was a beautiful black anwhite husky dog. It made a great picture. There wasmural of 3 wolves on a pink backdrop, which I founvery effective. There was a purple JFK under the worBeware Hipsters. Another of a woman standing inpolka-dotted bowl. The masculine faced Mona Lisa habe tagged, sadly. Then there was a whole wall ofblack and white elephants. The whole area within ablock radius was alive with artwork.

It was a super day filled with bold images thshouted out, I am someone,and I was here. Thisnt about gang tagging or words you cant read or uderstand. This is street art. It is about looking at wheyou are and being there for a few moments yourself.is bold expression, humor, a swash of color in an oftedrab place. It shouts Look at me! And I did. It ispart of the soul of the people of Los Angeles, differefrom what I saw in Paris or London, perhaps its brightand more bold here. It was a terrific gift to me andsuper way to explore Los Angeles.


Happy Fathers Day.

The walls of Los Angelesby Jan Wheatcroft

Debbie Carinis OUT OF MY MIND/page


7/40


[Editors note: The following letter wassent to the Claremont City Council, witha copy forwarded for publication. KD]

Conflict with citys law firmDear City Council members:

Your list of future council agendaitems includes the contract with BestBest and Krieger for legal services.

For many years, it has troubled methat the city attorneys law firm may also

represent the city in litigation. This cre-ates a conflict of interest.Our city attorney should be advising

you how to minimize litigation and alsowhether to accept the recommendationsof its litigators. Litigators have a reputa-tion for promoting further litigation in-stead of settlement, and mediation can bepreferable to litigation despite being lesslucrative for attorneys.

In addition, by not having a contractwith one law firm for legal services, youcan engage the most expert law firm forthe topic when you are required to liti-gate. A city attorney should give inde-pendent advice, which is at leastawkward if his or her own firm is com-

peting to be selected, and which is notpossible at all if the firm has a monop-oly.

Any conflict of interest should beeliminated. I hope that you will do thiswhen the legal services contract is up forrenewal.

Meanwhile, I request that you publisha breakdown of our citys expenses dur-ing the current legal services contract pe-riod before you calendar its renewal. Weshould know how much is paid to whomfor what.

Bob GereckeClaremont

Invalidating whats validDear Editor:

Are you kidding me? Is our legislaturereally that clueless? We want to givevalid IDs to illegals and felons who arebreaking our laws by being here to beginwith. We want to thereby grant them im-mediate access to all sorts of social serv-ices that most of them dont pay into (notaxes withheld from under the tableworkers).

Lets look at some of the drawbacks.(1) Birth certificates and proof of res-

idency are required to obtain these doc-uments. These can be created by

hundreds of counterfeiters who are cur-rently supplying them to anyone with theprice to pay.

(2) These documents can be obtainedunder any name the perpetrator of thiscrime chooses, thereby allowing for mul-tiple IDs for criminals and terrorists who

wish to remain anonymous.(3) Once obtained, the holder of these

documents can roam freely throughoutour country and never fear that they willbe jailed or deported. This will allowcriminals and terrorists free rein to de-stroy any building, installation or group

that they have targeted because, ifstopped, they will have valid ID.

(4) This law will make the term validID meaningless and once again thisstate will be the laughing stock of thecountry and the world.

Hayden LeningClaremont

Drop the personal attacksDear Editor:

May I express my gratitude for EllenTaylors unstinting and generous serviceto the community of Claremont.

Without her diligent and yes, unbiasedinformation, we would be hard-pressedto analyze, cogitate upon and resolve

many political issues.As a registered Republican, I am

grateful for people such as Ms. Taylor,who are devoted to the concept of com-munity service. I do rely on her analysisand perspective as a community leaderto provide information and balancedevaluation to the political conversation.

I am so sorry to see a letter to the edi-tor turn into a personal attack, and I mustsay that as a fellow property owner I ab-solutely agree with Ms. Taylors re-sponse to the Girl Scouts incident (andhavent we heard enough ignorant opin-ions about this topic?). The Girl Scoutswho wanted to sell cookies could have

benefited from a lesson in civics as thewent to city hall and obtained a permfor their sales; instead the Girl Scouwere thrust into a situation where thelearned nothing and probably felt bad.

We are not all privileged enough own property, but any property ownknows that liability starts whenever anone sets foot upon their property If thGirl Scouts had been allowed to commence selling cookies upon private pro

erty, any one of their customers couhold the property owner liable for ansmall infraction, real or imagined.

Ms. Taylor was right to defend hproperty. Unfortunately, most insurancompanies require police reports or othofficial documents to back up properowners claims or information. Ms. Talor was right to call the police to document the situation. This is the bizarnature of the legal climate; most growadults understand this.

I used to be a Girl Scout in this community and I have raised 4 children Claremont. I know personally that the amosphere within this community strivto be forward-thinking and positive to

ward youth. Please drop this inane pesonal attack and stick to serious issues

Carla JohnsoClaremo

READERS COMMENTS

READERS COMMENTS

Please send readers comments via [email protected] or by mail hand-delivery to 1420 N. Claremont Blvd. S205B, Claremont, CA 91711. The deadline fsubmission is Tuesday at 5 p.m.

The COURIER cannot guarantee publicatiof every letter. Letters are the opinion of twriter, not a reflection of the COURIER. We serve the right to edit letters.Letters should nexceed 250 words.


8/40


real estate broker

Geoff T. HamillBroker Associate, ABR. CRS. GRI,

E-PRO, SRES, D.R.E. #00997900

Wheeler Steffen Sothebys International Realty

Phone: (909) [email protected]#1 in Claremont sales & listings since 1988

Best Possible Price Achieved,Every Time!

tax preparation

D. PROFFITT, E.A.Claremont, CA 91711

Phone: (909) [email protected] my website atwww.dproffittea.com

Income Tax Specialist since 1981

Payroll Service Accounting

child & family therapy

ANN BINGHAM NEWMAN,PH.D., MFTChild SpecialistChildren have problems at home, atschool and with friends...Is your child having difficulties?I can help.

Individual, Child and Family Therapy

(909)398-1984

SRS GENERALCONTRACTOR, INC.909-621-1559www.srsgeneralcontractor.com

Practical design, tastefully executed.

Residential Remodel Restoration of Unique & Vintage

homes Room additions.

design/build

PETER T. IGLER, D.D.S.D. INGRID ROJAS, D.D.S.Cosmetic & General Dentistry

615 W. Foothill Blvd.Claremont, CA 91711

(909) 624-68151 Hour In-Office Bleaching, Veneers, White Fill-

ings, Dental Implants, Dentures.

LIGHTFOOT RALLS& LIGHTFOOT LLP

Certified Public Accountants

675 W. Foothill Blvd., Suite 300Claremont, CA 91711

(909) 626-2623Tax Planning & Preparation Accounting

c.p.a.

MIKE F. OBRIENAttorney at Law

212 Yale AvenueClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 626-9999www.mikefobrien.comSpecialist in personal injury andwrongful death cases.Se habla espaol

BUXBAUM & CHAKMAKA Law Corporation

414 Yale Avenue, Suite KClaremont, CA 91711

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41 years experience in: Business Law,Probate, Family Law, Estate Planning,Real Estate Law, Civil Litigation, Bankruptcy.

architect

WHEELER & WHEELERA.I.A. Architects, Inc.

133 South Spring StreetClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 624-5095www.wheelerarchitects.com

Building a better Claremontsince 1985

attorney attorney

attorney

PAUL L. BRISSONAttorney at Law

112 Harvard AvenueClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 553-2182

Bankruptcy, Civil Litigation,Wills & Living Trusts, Mediation

attorney

Kendall & Gkikas LLPAttorneys at Law

134 Harvard Avenue, 2nd FloorClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 482-1422

Specializing in Family Law in Claremont

since 1994: Divorce, Custody, Visitation witChildren, Property Division, Alimony, Child

Support

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE DIRECTORY

financial consultants

SUZANNE H. CHRISTIANCERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER

Professional Securities offered throughLPL FinancialMember of FINRA/SIPC

419 Yale Ave. Claremont

(909) 625-1052Your financial security is my priority

Ann M. Johannsen, O.D.

Brad A. Baggarly, O.D.

OPTOMETRY695 W. Foothill Blvd.Established 1972

(909) 625-7861www.claremontoptometry.com

Eyemed - VSP - MES - Medicare

chiropractor

DR. MARTIN S. McLEOD411 N. Indian Hill Blvd.

Claremont, CA 91711(909) 621-1208 Joint & Muscle Pain Headache Sciatica Pinched nerve Most Insurance accepted

Personal injury

ANNA M. TORRES, O.D.OPTOMETRY1420 N. Claremont Blvd.,Ste. 209-B

Claremont

(909) 621-0057www.visioncenterofclaremont.com

United Healthcare VSP MES Medicare

optometry optometry

dentist

NEW CAR GUIDE

CRESTVIEW CADILLAC

2700 EAST GARVEY SOUTH,

WEST COVINA

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NEW AND CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED SALES

LEASING PARTS BODY SHOP

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CALL: SAM NASRI (909) 605-5700

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CALL CHRIS OR DON (909) 605-8843

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WE REFUSE TO BE UNDERSOLD

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508 AUTO CENTER DR., CLAREMONT

(909) 625-1500

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HARTMANBALDWINDESIGN/BUILD

100 West Foothill Blvd.Claremont, CA 91711

(909) 670-1344www.hartmanbaldwin.comSince 1984Residential remodeling, historicrestorations, and custom home building

architect/contractor


9/40

Splish, splash at citywading pools

Claremont parents and kids 5 andunder have a bonus way to stay coolthis summer. The community wadingpools reopen for the summer season be-ginning this Monday, June 17.

The pool at El Barrio Park is open onTuesdays and Thursdays, the pool atWheeler Park is open Mondays,Wednesdays and Fridays while the Me-morial Park pool is open Mondaythrough Friday. Operating hours are11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through Friday,August 23.

For more information, includingweekend rentals, call 399-5490.

Camp Claremont atWheeler Park

Camp Claremont kicks off this Mon-day, June 17 at Wheeler Park, 626 VistaDr., and continues through August 9.

Camp Claremont is held at the localpark on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.Participants will engage in team-build-ing exercises, arts and crafts and sports.The curriculum also includes escapingthe summer heat with some watergames.

The city-funded program requires aone-time registration fee of $10, in ad-dition to the $15 cost per week/perchild. The price includes a camp shirtand breakfast and lunch provided bythe Claremont Unified School District.For more information, call 399-5490.

Drop in and get fit atthe Hughes Center

Claremonts Community and Human

Services Department is offering a vari-ety of drop-in exercise classes in addi-tion to the typical summer offerings at

the Hughes Center. Classes include anaerobics and Pilates combo on Monday,Wednesday and Saturday mornings at8:30 a.m. and Wednesday evenings at7:15 p.m. and Super Fit on Tuesdayand Thursday mornings at 9 a.m.

Additional drop-in classes includeStroller Strides, Jazzercise and Zumba.The drop-in fee is $10 to $12 per class.The Hughes Center is located at 1700Danbury Rd. For more information,call 399-5490.

Self-defense class forteens and adult women

A course on self-defense for womenwill take place this Saturday, June 15from noon to 2 p.m. at the Hughes Cen-ter, 1700 Danbury Rd.

Hosted by the Community andHuman Services Department, the pro-gram will provide a comprehensive

course of practical self-defense tipsgeared towards teen and adult women.This class is based on the psychologyof victim-avoidance combined withthrowing, grappling, striking and othertechniques typically found in Judo.Cost for the workshop is $25 per per-son.

Hey, teens: Get social,play games

The Claremont Library will host freeteen game days every Tuesday fromJune 25 through July 30 from 1:30 p.m.to 3:30 p.m. Locals aged 12 to 18 areinvited to socialize over new and clas-

sic board games. For more information,call 621-4902 or visit the librarys web-site at colapublib.org.

Claremonter graduateswith honors

Lauren Heminger of Claremont justreceived her bachelors degree in lib-eral arts with department honors andsumma cum laude from the Universityof La Verne. She will return to ULV inthe fall to begin studies toward earningher masters degree.

Ms. Heminger attended Condit, ElRoble and Claremont High schools.She has also traveled to Ireland andLondon and will be going to Budapest,Hungry with her sister and ReviveChurch on a mission trip this July.

Two Pilgrim Placeresidents honored forachievements

At its commencement on May 21,the Claremont School of Theologyawarded an honorary doctorate to Dr.John Cobb Jr., PhD. Dr. Cobb is arenowned process theologian andUnited Methodist. Dr. Cobb has writ-

ten, co-written, or edited more than 50books, including Christ in a Pluralis-tic Age, God and the World, and Forthe Common Good (with HermanDaly), which was the co-winner of theGrawemeyer Award for Ideas Improv-ing World Order.

Dr. Cobb was the Ingraham professorof theology at CST, Avery professor atthe Claremont Graduate School, Full-bright professor at the University of

Mainz in Germany and visiting professor at Vanderbilt, Harvard and ChicagoDivinity Schools. He pioneered a theoogy that is both Christocentric as wellas accepting in its approach to otherfaiths, and includes ecological concernas an essential and interrelated part ofthat theology, for the sake of futuregenerations.

Pilgrim Place resident Paul Minus, retired educator and later involved inseveral nonprofits linking ethics andeconomics, received the Social Resposibility Award from LeadingAge Cali-fornia, the states leading advocate forquality, not-for-profit senior living andcare.

The most recent achievement of MrMinus involved raising funds for a re-modeled resident activity center at Pil-grim Place called the Napier Center foCreative Change, in honor of deceasedresidents Davie and Joy Napier.

Mr. Minus realized that the potentiafor the program extended further andspearheaded the effort to create theNapier Awards, a fellowship programthat brings together students from theClaremont Colleges interested in proj-ects reflecting various aspects of sociaresponsibility, and matching them withmentors and elders at Pilgrim Placewith experience in similar programs.

Mr. Minus was recognized at theLeadingAge California Annual Conference, held earlier this month in Mon-terey, California.


OUR TOWN


10/40

Seventeen years ago, I volunteered tohelp make the caps for my daugh-ters preschool graduation class. It

seemed impossible, at the time, that shewas already on her way to kindergartenhadnt she just mastered walking and talk-ing and eating with the big girl spoonand fork?

As an inveterate crafter, I always have some yarnon hand, so I offered to put together the tassels thatwould dangle from the sides of the traditional mortar-boards that other parents were gluing together fromrecycled file folders. The kids colored these and,voila!, a graduating class was on its way to the bigtimereal school, with ABCs, 123s and...drumroll...a permanent record!

As I sat in the audience watching my 4-year-oldmarch across the stage to the tune of Sir EdwardElgars Pomp and Circumstance to receive her

diploma, I couldnt help but recall my own kinder-garten graduation from Sacred Heart School in Lynd-hurst, New Jersey.

In 1965, Vatican II was on its way to modernizingthe Catholic Church, but I was still being taught by

nuns who were draped in layers of fabric, wimplescovering all but their eyes, noses and mouths (Im justgoing to admit it right here that I spent most of the 3years that I attended Catholic school, from the ages of5 to 7, wondering if my teachers had hair, and if theyslept in their habits and, also, why did they all havemens names?).

At the Sacred Heart ceremony, we donned minia-ture caps and gowns that were rented from some Lilli-putian professional costume company (my cap keptsliding off my unusually large headstill an issuewith hats and headbandsso my mother stuck Bobby

pins in it to hold it in place, an early form of acupunc-ture).

Sister Frederick kept time to the classic piece byslapping her ruler against the palm of her hand as wemarched, in procession, with the words Sister James

had taught us days earlier fixed in ourbrains: Lets do the slow walk, handsdown by your side.

Now, think of the musicPomp andCircumstanceand imagine repeating thos

words to yourself, over and over. So deeplyingrained in me was this mantra, that I foun

myself repeating it at my high school, andthen college graduations. I am the one who is notwaving to her parents in the home movies of these ocasions because my hands are down at my side!

Two weeks ago, Sir Elgars March No. 1 rang outagain, this time as my darling daughter proceeded towards The Green at Tufts University to receive herbachelor of arts degree (with honors, proud mamamoment!!). Of course, I thought of Sister Frederickand her round, wire-rimmed glasses, and her om-nipresent ruler.

As the music started, I sat, hands down at my sideand watched with mixed emotions. I felt immensepride and melancholy (are we all really this old?) and

just a little bit of envy (gosh, to be 22 again!) as mydaughter did the slow walk up to the podium, to abright future, and a world filled with exciting oppor-tunities.

Claremont COURIER/Friday, June 14, 2013 1

The graduateby Debbie Carini


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Pirates movie screen-ing, dinner to benefitCHS students

The Claremont High School Class of2016 is saluting the start of summer witha fundraiser, Swashbuckling SummerStarter Dinner & Movie Night, set forSaturday, June 29 from 5 to 10 p.m.

For $10, guests can enjoy dinner, pop-

corn and a screening of the 2003 Disneyfilm Pirates of the Caribbean: TheCurse of the Black Pearl starringJohnny Depp. Dinner is a hamburger or2 hotdogs, chips and a drink. All pro-ceeds will go to fund the CHS Class of2016s senior grad outing.

This is a great way for students andtheir families to kick off the summer andenjoy an evening with fellow class-mates, said Jesse Baltazar, 2016 classcommittee president.

The event will take place at TaylorHall, next to Claremont High School.

For more information or to purchasetickets, contact Jamie via text at (626)278-5259 or by email at jayram2208@

yahoo.com or [email protected].

Claremonter completesbasic military training

Natasha Couts completed basic mili-tary training from the Air Force out ofLackland, Texas. Now an Airman First

Class, Ms. Couts is at technical trainingschool, being trained in aerospace med-ical services.

Ms. Couts was a 2005 graduate ofClaremont High School and a 2011 grad-uate from Univeristy of California,

Irvine. She plans on applying for the Of-ficers Candidate Program. Her first as-signment of duty will be at Langley AirForce Base in West Virginia.

Ms. Couts is the daughter of Darrinand Yvette Walker of Rancho Cuca-monga, and George and Christy Couts ofVictorville.

Library to host eventsaimed at summer funfor kids

The Claremont Library has an array offun activities, may of them co-sponsoredby the Friends of the Library, set forWednesday afternoons throughout Juneand July.

On Wednesday, June 19, the librarywill kick off its Summer Reading Pro-gram with a program showcasing JohnAbrams Animal Magic Show. Kids inkindergarten through 8th grade willenjoy a lively mix of magic, music andlive exotic pets. Performances will be

held at 2 and 3 p.m. Signups are required.On Wednesday, June 26, kids can

learn about Treasures in the Tidepool.They will be able to examine ocean spec-imens and touch live tidepool animals.This program, held at 2 and 3 p.m., isrecommended for kids in 2nd through8th grades.

On Wednesday, July 3, kids will betaken on a Historical Journey throughAmericas Music, just in time for the up-coming Fourth of July. This celebrationof Americas music, from its roots to thepresent day, will be held at 2 p.m. and isrecommended for children preschoolaged through 8th grade.

On Wednesday, July 10, the LizardWizard will stop by to take kids on a fas-cinating journey into the world of rep-tiles. Signups are required for this event,which takes place at 2 and 3 p.m. and isrecommended for kids in grades K-8.

On Wednesday, July 17 at 2 p.myoungsters are invited to savor Incredble Edible Science. How does popcopop and ice cream freeze? Children wlearn these answers and more at thevent, which is set for 2 p.m. and aimed at kids in grades K-8.

On Wednesday, July 24, kids cagather for a Musical Barnyard Extravganza at 2 p.m. Kids can gather for rootin tootin time with their favoribarnyard animals. The program is reommended for preschoolers througeight graders.

And on Wednesday, July 31 at 2 p.mkids can marvel at The Found ObjeJuggling Show. This fun and fast-pacshow is recommended for grades K-8

The Claremont Library is located 208 N. Harvard Ave. in Claremont. Finformation, call 621-4902.

Margaret F. Hinshaw, a formerClaremont resident, died on April 17,2013. She was 92.

A memorial service for Ms. Hin-shaw will be held on Saturday, June15, 2013 at 11 a.m. at ClaremontUnited Methodist Church, 211 W.Foothill Blvd. Following the services,

attendees are invited to a no-host lunchin a reserved area of Walters Restau-rant.

In lieu of flowers, the family sug-gests that donations be made to theClaremont United Methodist Church

or to Planned Parenthood.

Margaret F. Hinshaw


Once a week in print.

Every day online.

www.claremont-courier.com

621 4761

Cour eriClaremont

claremont-courier.com

OUR TOWN


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Before the pandemonium ofcommencement weekwhich culminated last night

with graduationClaremont andSan Antonio high school seniorstook a moment from gazing towardtheir futures for a quick look back.

Bob Dylans Forever Young and JamesTaylors Lonesome Road set the tone asstudents gathered together last Sunday for theannual Baccalaureate celebration, held at the

Claremont United Church of Christ. Spon-sored by the Claremont Interfaith Council inconjunction with the graduating seniors them-selves, the event represented a hiatus fromyearbook-signing, grad trip-planning and col-lege preparation.

It is a reflective time on what these last 4years has meant to them, said Mary JeanNeault of the Claremont Interfaith Council.It sets the tone for graduation.

Each student in Sundays ceremony pro-vided their own personal response to that sen-timent, whether through song, speech orspoken word. Seniors selected the lineup forthe multi-disciplinary service after 3 days ofauditions.

Among the performances and flashbacks

chosenabout a dozen in all, played out in

Graduates ready to move forward after reflection on years past

COURIER photos/Steven FelschundneMembers of the Class of 2013 laugh at the comments of fellow student Angel Ku on Sunday during Claremont High School s Baccalaureate Service at Claremont UniteChurch of Christ. The multi-disciplinary religious service featured readings from students, music and the Baccalaureate address from Reverend Edward Acosta.

Cantor Paul Buch of Temple Beth Israel plays guitar for 5 graduates as they sing Leonard Bernsteins Hashkiveinu Sunday during the CHS Baccalaureate.BACCALAUREATE/continues on next page


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front of a packed audienceAlyssa Tep-per lent her voice to Carrie UnderwoodsTemporary Home, Ibrahim Gsibat pre-sented a poised thank-you to those in theClaremont community who have providehim with a diverse upbringing, and AngeKu provided a humorous yet sincere commentary on his high school experience.

Zaina Goggins provided a moving tribute, drawing laughs and chills alike withher original spoken word, Who Knew.

Who knew that wed change fromwho we were to who we are or that wepossessed the power to get this far? Zainrecited. We envisioned caps, gowns, tis-sues and tears, a moment without regretand limits or fears, so while our hearts remind us, while our minds tell us thatchildhood is through, my heart tells methat these thoughts are still untrue...highschool is just the start of our incomprehesible journey.

Soon, these seniors will be making theway to schools and careers across thecountry, leaving Claremont behind, if onl

physically. Eva Landsberg maintains hereducation at CHS is coming along for theride as she travels to Yale University thisfall. Eva will pursue a major in history anplans to pursue a career in law.

CHS has prepared me extremelywell, Eva shared. As part of the International Baccalaureate program, I learnedhow to do research, debate and speak witadults. Its helped me get ready for whatnext.

Friend Michaela Mosswho joinedEva and other pals in a sung rendition ofthe Jewish prayer Hashkiveinuaddedthat her education at CHS has gone be-yond the classroom. Through an electivephotography class, Michaela had the op-

portunity to display her artwork through-out the community, including an exhibit Some Crust Bakery. While she has appreciated the ability to develop her hobby,Michaela says its the friendships she hasforged at CHS through extracurricular activities that she will miss the most whenshe leaves Claremont for Berkeley thisfall.

At Claremont, you can be a part of aldifferent groups, she said. You arentlimited to just your own social group. Weare all close.

The collaboration displayed Sundayproved that to be truein the stomp-andclap rhythm accompaniment classmatesprovided for classmate Kristiane

Bizkarras a cappella performance, and inthe tears and hugs shared by youngerclassmen and the graduating seniors afterthe Chamber Choirs tribute to the Classof 2013.

While Eva, Michaela and friend JamieBorer admit the tears have been flowingleading up to graduation, they lovinglyhold on to the past 4 years of fond memories as they take the next step forward. Asclassmate Jahnavi Curlin reminded themduring her Baccalaureate speech, its notthe destination but the joys of the journey

Visit www.claremont-courier.com forpictures of yesterdays graduation cere-mony, to be included in the Friday, June21 edition of the COURIER.


BACCALAUREATEcontinued from the previous page

Jahnavi Curlin delivers one of the sacred readings delivered by students on Sunday during the 2013 Claremont High School sBaccalaureate. A total of 7 students gave similar addresses that reflected a wide range of religious backgrounds.

Members of theClass of 2013begin the pro-

cessional onSunday during

the CHS Bac-calaureateservice at

ClaremontUnited Church

of Christ. Grad-uation was

held yesterday,Thursday, June13 at 4 p.m. onthe CHS foot-

ball field.

Members of the Class of 2013 applaudone of their classmates following a sa-cred reading on Sunday during Clare-mont High Schools Baccalaureate. Theservice was held in the grand mid-cen-tury modern sanctuary at ClaremontUnited Church of Christ.

Visit www.claremont-courier.com for pho-

tos from yesterdays commencement.


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COURIER photoSteven Felschundne

Karen Chapman Lenz,Paul Wood and KarlHilgert act out a typicascene at a state welfaroffice on Saturday during a training sessionfor volunteer homelessadvocates at St. Am-brose EpiscopalChurch in Claremont.During the session MsChapman Lenz playeda homeless person, MrHilgert was a state bu-reaucrat and Mr Woodwas her advocate.

Volunteers begin work to assisthomeless this summer

Summer may be the season of relax-ation and an occasional getawayfrom the usual workload, but mem-

bers of the Claremont Homeless Advo-cacy Program (CHAP) are just gettingstarted with their latest assignment.

Last month, the local nonprofit kicked off its Sum-mer to End Homelessness project, geared at helpinghomeless individuals obtain permanent housing. OnSaturday, about 50 volunteers gathered for the firsttime at St. Ambrose Episcopal Church to train for theweeks of work ahead.

Contributing to the workload is the fact that thisproject is a brand-new endeavor, built from theground up by project directors Paul Wood and MaryCooper and a handful of core members, includingKarl Hilgert, the retired executive director of an or-ganization back east that provides for the homeless,and Andrew Mohr of the Claremont Area Living As-sistance Program. They are taking the effort in stride

as they seek to reverse the numbers of those stuck onthe streets.

Like any social problem, we to tend to close oureyes to it and pretend it doesnt exist or at least mini-mize it. Mr. Wood said. We hand out the obligatory$3 or $4, which is well intended, but does not get tothe root of the problem.

The advocacy campaign started in the fall of 2012with the creation of a subcommittee of ClaremontsReligious Society of Friends (Quaker). The commit-tee was formed to more seriously address the issue ofhomelessness in the community after recent events inClaremont shed light on the extent of the citys home-less situation.

Los Angeles County holds the nations highesthomeless population. A count conducted last Februaryindicated that at least 30 homeless individuals reside

in the streets of Claremont. Some speculate that num-ber may be conservative. Given the breadth of what

defines homelessness, those numbers could vary, Mr.Wood acknowledged.

Certainly, there are the stereotypical cases peopleoften think of...but we have also discovered a groupof homeless individuals who are actually working but

dont make enough to pay for a sustainable place tolive, Mr. Wood explained. Since the financial crashthere are more people living in cars or motels andgoing from place to place.

Mr. Wood and CHAP volunteers want to providethe assistance for those who seek it. However, with-out enough money or the forces to properly aid theirefforts, the groups campaign had reached a cross-roads.

We realized we were kind of powerless, Mr.Wood said. We needed more help.

The Friends turned to other community membersinterested in a project like the Summer to End Home-lessness campaign. Dozens signed on, including Fa-ther George Silides, pastor at St. Ambrose EpiscopalChurch in Claremont. Before joining the St. Ambrosecongregation in 2012, Fr. Silides was instrumental in

running a relief center for the homeless in Juneau,Alaska, where he worked as the former pastor of an-other Episcopalian congregation. Other than his workwith St. Ambrose, Fr. Silides admits he has had a dif-ficult time rooting himself into his new hometown.Being a part of the advocacy groups efforts, he says,has given him the renewed sense of purpose he wassearching for.

This project has helped me find a way I can makea difference in this community, the reverend shared.

In Alaska, Fr. Silides worked collaboratively with anetwork of local churches to keep the relief shelterrunning. He believes the network of CHAP volunteerswill be equally instrumental in creating change inClaremont, helping to highlight the need of the localhomeless population for those in city governmentwho make a difference.

SUMMER TO END HOMELESSNESScontinues on the next page


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For now, they are taking matters intotheir own hands.

Mr. Wood, who has helped a fewhomeless individuals find permanenthousing in the past, has modeled theSummer to End Homelessness projectafter his own experiencetaking intoaccount his successes and steeringaway from the learned pitfalls. Such asestablishing volunteers as advocates.

I found if I called myself a friend,

I was told to go away, he explained.If I introduced myself as a personsadvocate, I was taken seriously.

There is also the challenge of navi-gating agencies in order to obtain sus-tainable housing and needed services.

There can be a lot of paperwork andprocedure, Mr. Wood noted. And somecases can be more challenging than oth-ers, like when an individual does nothave identification or even a birth cer-tificate.

Every time I went through theprocess it was different, Mr. Woodsaid. You learn something new everytime.

CHAPs core team will be availableto assist volunteers, who will be paired

up in teams of 2, should they need thehelp. Within the next few weeks, Mr.Hilgert and Mr. Mohr will be steppingin to seek out homeless individualslooking for guidance. By the end of the

summer, volunteers hope to at leasthave begun taking a more active steptowards helping those that need it.

We realize you cant just wave awand and end all homelessness, but wcan certainly end it for certain individuals seeking the help, Mr. Wood said.

For more information on the Sum-mer to End Homelessness campaign ofor details on how to get involved, contact Paul Wood [email protected] or Mary

Cooper at [email protected] Hartne

[email protected]


COURIER photos/Steven Felschundneff

Paul Wood leads a workshop for potential homeless advocates on Saturday at St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in ClaremonThe event was part of a larger effort called the Summer to End Homelessness.

SUMMER TO END HOMELESSNESS

continued from the next page


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Claremont COURIER/Friday, June 14, 20131SPORTS

Claremont players show flashes of brilliance, but go down in defeat

The USTA Southern California Sec-tional Tournament provided thestage for 2 of Claremonts young

tennis stars to play against some of thestrongest competition in the country.Raquel Pedraza and Toby Miclat, bothteenagers, each played for the honor ofgetting one step closer to qualifying forthe famed US Open.

At The Claremont Club on Monday, Pedraza fell toElizabeth Lumpkin in the first round of the ladies sin-gles bracket, 3-6, 2-6. The next day, Miclat and her

partner Alex Kitto were defeated 1-6, 6-2, 3-6 byLumpkin and Konstantin Lazarov in mixed doubles.

In the sixth installment of 13 sectional US Openqualifying tournaments this summer, hard-hitting 15-

year old Raquel Pedraza squared off againstNaperville, Illinois golden girl Elizabeth Lumpkin.

This year alone, Pedraza has won 2 tournamentsand appeared in quarterfinals 6 times in both doublesand singles. Pedrazas most recent win came in an-other USTA Regional Tournament in January 2013,where she defeated Albanys Allison Chuang, 6-3, 6-4.

This time, however, Pedraza would be competingagainst the 27-year old former UCLA athlete Lump-kin, a 3-time All Pac-10 scholar-athlete.

Pedraza held serve during the opening game of the

first set. She then hit a running forehand passing shoin the second game, and broke Lumpkins serve tomake it 2-0. It was clear Lumpkins calibration wasoff in the beginning of the match, but she would soo

hit her stride. Pedraza served again, and lost a bit ofmomentum when she hit a shot down the line. Theball hit close to the line, and Lumpkin controversiallcalled the ball out. This was to be the swing in mo-mentum Lumpkin needed.

The next 4 games went to Lumpkin. She hit a dropvolley after a 20-plus shot rally, then hit a cross-courapproach winner to take the lead, 3-2. Lumpkin addeto the lead with a perfectly executed lob that had Pe-

US OPEcontinues on the next pag

COURIER photos/Steven Felschundneff

Claremont resident

Raquel Pedraza, 15,came out strong duringher match against Eliza-

beth Lumpkin on Mon-day winning the first 2games. She was notable to hold that mo-mentum and eventuallylost 6-3, 6-2.


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SPORTS Claremont COURIER/Friday, June 14, 2013 1

draza sprinting, in vain, back toward her own base-line. Pedraza was able to temporarily turn it aroundwhen losing 2-4. Pedraza made a fantastic play at 15-all when she chased down another angled approachshot by Lumpkin, and planted her forehand deep inthe court for a winner. After another long rally at 40-30, Pedraza hit a passing shot cross-court to get backinto the match, 3-4.

Lumpkin soon took charge and closed out the set.After a quick game, Lumpkin hit another volley win-ner to make it 5-3. She then closed out the first set instyle. Pedraza pulled a slice short for a drop shot, andLumpkin ran it down to cheekily flip the return cross-court. The game went to deuce after a colossal over-head smash by Pedraza, but Lumpkin got her anglesright on the next 2 points. Another topspin lob at setpoint sealed the first set for Lumpkin.

In the 2nd set, it appeared Lumpkin had gainedcontrol. Pedraza displayed some powerful, yet inac-curate serving, hitting 3 double faults, but also grab-bing 2 service aces. Pedrazas athleticism was clearlyimpressive, but her mental resolve did not match herimmense talent. Leading 4-2, Lumpkin took the final

2 games to seal a 2-set victory.Pedraza was candid on her performance and what

the near future holds.I can definitely improve on knowing when to go

for the right ball, and not pulling the trigger too earlyKeeping inside the point and being consistent, andplaying more high percentage tennis will help mewin. I will be playing in the girls 18s sectionals coming up, and in some other tournaments on both clayand hard courts. I just came back from playing in acouple of pro tournaments in Mexico, and I got in la

night, so its been a long day. I got to the quarterfinathere, and hope to keep gaining experience.

The tandem of Claremont High girls tennis captaiToby Miclat and male partner Alex Kitto from Jack-sonville, Florida did not fare much better. Lumpkinwas again the opponent, paired with Irvine nativeKonstantin Lazarov. Miclat and Kitto dropped thefirst set, then rallied to take the second set. Lumpkinand Lazarov closed out the final set to move on to thnext round.

Although this particular tournament did not pro-duce any hometown victors, we can be sure that bothwomen will be back in action soon.

Chris [email protected]

US OPENcontinued from the previous page

Claremont resident Raquel Pedraza, 15, returns a shotfrom her opponent Elizabeth Lumpkin on Monday dur-ing the second round of the sectional qualifying for theWomens US Open National Playoffs. Pedraza playedwell but was unable to hold of her older adversary los-ing in straight sets 6-3, 6-2.


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CALENDARClaremont After HoursCharity event at Hotel Casa 425raises funds for education.

Page 21

Festival focusLindley to perform atClaremont Folk Festival.

Page 25

FRIDAY NIGHTS LIVE Dine down-town, then stroll the Village to hear freelive music performances from 6 to 9

p.m. This weeks performers includeSugar Mountain Mamas (Public Plaza),Tannins (Claremont Chamber) andTechnopagan (City Hall).

CLAREMONT MODERN 2013film series screens Eames: The Archi-tect and the Painter. Co-sponsored byClaremont Heritage and the Arts Coun-cil of the Claremont School of Theol-ogy. A discussion will follow. 7 to 9

p.m. in the Claremont School of The-ologys Mudd Theater, 1325 N. Col-lege Ave. Suggested donation of $10.621-0848. www.claremontheritage.org.

CLAREMONT FOLK FESTIVALfeaturing live music, workshops, kid-

friendly activities, garden tours, artvendors, craft booths and gourmetfood and libations. The musical line-up includes David Lindley, HenryRollins, Janet Klein and her ParlorBoys, Peter Harper, Moira Smiley andVoco, Leon Mobley with Da Lion andmore. The festival opens at 10 a.m.Tickets are $25 for general admission,children 12 years and under may at-tend for free. Rancho Santa AnaBotanic Garden, 1500 N. CollegeAve., Claremont. For more informa-tion, visit www.folkmusiccenter.com,www.facebook.com/folkmusiccenteror call 624-2928.

LIVE JAZZperformance on the BlueFin patio at 2 p.m. 665 E. FoothillBlvd., Claremont. 946-1398.

PLANES OF FAME Air Museum ofers free admission for dads on Father

Day today. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $11, $4 for childreages 5 to 11 years and free for childreunder 5 years old. 7000 Merrill Ave. #1Chino. www.planesoffame.org. 597-372

BEAT THE HEAT, BABY The community wading pools, available to chidren 5 and under, open today at MemoriPark (Monday through Friday) anWheeler Park (Monday, Wednesday anFriday). The El Barrio Park wading poopens tomorrow (Tuesday and Thurday). Pools will be open from 11:30 a.mto 1:30 p.m. on their respective days. Thwading pool season operates througFriday, August 23. For information, including weekend rentals, call 399-5490

Friday, June 14 to Saturday, June 22

YOUR WEEK IN 9 DAYS

JuneFriday 14

June

Saturday 15

JuneSunday 16

JuneMonday 17

9-DAY CALENDAcontinues on page 2


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Jenelle Rensch covers the calendar, arts and entertainment. Deadline:Thursday at 5 p.m., one week before publication. Include date, time, ad-dress, a contact phone number and fee for admission (if applicable). Email:[email protected]. Phone: 621-4761. Fax: 621-4072. Ad-dress: 1420 N. Claremont Blvd., Suite 205-B, Claremont, 91711. There isNO guarantee that items submitted will be published.

Mi Casa Es Su Casa was a greatexcuse to sip and sample ourway through a Sunday evening.

The Claremont Educational Foundation (CEF) andClaremont Community Foundation (CCF) joinedwith Hotel Casa 425 to put on the 6th annual Mi Casa

Es Su Casa charity event.We moseyed in to the Hotel Casa 425 courtyard in

our summer clothes and greeted the new friends wevemade over the past few months attending various Clare-mont events. Weve come to expect quite a lot from ourventures, and Mi Casa Es Su Casa did not disappoint.

The beautiful courtyard setting with strings of twin-kling lights was classy and comfortablea perfectplace to stuff your face and enjoy conversation. Therewas also a flamenco/jazz band, the Vahagni Trio, play-ing some upbeat instrumental tunes that set the mood.

We started our tasting tour at the 50-Fifty Asian fu-sion booth, sampling delicious stir-fry and tantalizingcurry pockets. We then moved on to one of our fa-vorite local businesses, Claremont Craft Ales, wherewe talked to the owner, Emily Moultrie.

These events are great. Its always nice to meetpeople you have only heard aboutpeople youvealways wanted to meet, she commented.

Next on our culinary soire was La Parolaccia Oste-ria, who served up a unique take on bruschetta pairedwith a cheesy pasta that was to die for. While enjoying

our pasta, we got the chance to talk to a 5-year particpant of the event, Daniel Kentner. Mr. Kentner said thevent has changed and grown over the years to includthe addition of beer and liquor to the tasting optionHis all-time-favorite food at the event was a slidemade especially for the event by The Back Abbey.

There were an array of wineries present from neand far including Franciscan Estates Winery, all thway from Napa Valley. We learned that the hotel wa

integral in getting all of the wineries to participatgraciously inviting and housing them for the event[Editors note: Read the full story and see the slide shoat www.claremont-courier.com. Click on ClaremonAfter Hours on the lower left-hand side of the page.]

Jessica Gustin and Jenelle Rensc

Mi Casa Es Su Casa: charity event raises money for education

COURIER photos/Jenelle RenscFlamenco/jazz band the Vahagni Trio play instrumental tunes during Mi Casa Es Su Casa at Hotel Casa 425 on SundaJune 2. The event was a fundraiser for the Claremont Educational Foundation and Claremont Community Foundation

Outgoing Claremont Educational Foundation presidentKen Corhan makes announcements at Mi Casa Es Su Casa.

The bloggers behind the COURIERs Claremont AfterHours visit Mi Casa Es Su Casa fundraiser and samplean array of delectibles.

CLAREMONT AFTER HOURS


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CASA DE SALSA: 415 W. Foothill Blvd. This is arestaurant that offers weekly live entertainment. 445-1200.

Thursday: Michael Ryan and Friends. 6 to 9 p.m.Friday through Sunday:Romantic guitarist VicenteVictoria. 5 p.m. to closing.

Sunday: Mariachi San Pedro. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.EUREKA CLAREMONT: 580 W. First St., Clare-mont. Open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight Sundaythrough Thursday and closes at 1 a.m. Friday and Sat-urday. Hoppy Hour daily from 2 to 6 p.m. 445-8875.Mondays: Local Mondays featuring $3 Dale Bros.Brewery pints.Tuesdays: 50 percent off all wines by the glass.Wednesdays:Steal-the-Glass craft beer of

claremont courier 6.14.13

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