The Village Marketing Group has a new cause on their radar, one that will bring a little extra entertainment to the typically tranquil Shelton Park, located at the corner of Bonita and Harvard Avenues. The Claremont City Council Tuesday, June 25, will review the group’s proposal to build a stage at Shelton Park, 100 W. Bonita Ave.
Marketing group members have focused efforts on raising money for a new band stage to be constructed at the little corner park, and had planned on gifting the stage to the city.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 26, Claremont businessfolk will take an afternoon break for accolades at the annual Claremont Chamber Awards and Installation Luncheon. The event takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Claremont DoubleTree Hotel, 555 W. Foothill Blvd.
The Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Board of Trustees unanimously elected Dr. Lucinda McDade the eighth executive director.
Dr. McDade is the Judith B. Friend Director of Research at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSABG) and chair of the Claremont Graduate University Department of Botany; positions she has held since 2006.
She served as the RSABG interim executive director from November 2012 until May 2013.
With the appointment, Dr. McDade becomes the first female executive director since Susanna Bixby Bryant founded the Garden in 1927. Ms. Bryant served as executive director from its formation until 1946.
By now everyone in Southern California is aware of the Supermoons that lit up the sky this weekend. Sunday, June 23 was the official date where the moon was going to be the brightest, even though it was difficult to tell from earlier in the weekend. Photographing the moon proved difficult because it rose later in the evening just after 8:30 p.m. The dark sky made it impossible for the camera to expose correctly for the moon and ambient light. In this case, I let the moon go bright so you could see part of the palm tree near my North Claremont home. Take a picture of the moon? Check out our Facebook page and post. COURIER photo/Peter Weinberger
At their last meeting, members of the Claremont Unified School District Board of Education gave direction to the architects at Flewelling & Moody to draw up plans for placement of a new Service Center on the grounds of the CUSD District Office at 170 W. San Jose Ave. in Claremont.
At the Thursday, June 20 school board meeting, James Moreto, principal/architect of Flewelling & Moody, presented the board with a few options for placement and configuration of the district’s center of operations.
The estimated construction cost for the southwest corner option is $1,405,410 plus a soft cost of $252,974 for unexpected contingencies, making for a total project cost of $1,658,384, according to Mr. Moreto.
Claremont officials are calling out the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for lack of transparency as the MTA board prepares to approve changes to a multi-million dollar expenditure plan, which includes the expansion of the Gold Line light rail.
This Thursday, June 27, the board will consider amending the expenditure plan approved by voters in 2008 as part of the Measure R Traffic Relief and Rail Expansion. Measure R imposed a half-cent sales tax increase in order to fund critical highway and transportation projects throughout the county, including the Gold Line.
Workers use an excavator to demolish the historic Pitzer Ranch foreman’s residence on Wednesday near the corner of Padua Avenue and Base Line Road in Claremont. The property’s developer had attempted to sell the fieldstone structure earlier in the year but could not find a buyer. The site is being cleared to make way for a 50-unit condominium development. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
The undeveloped lot at Base Line Road and Towne Avenue, known to many as Claremont’s “Strawberry Patch,” may be getting a makeover similar to other vacant stretches along the north Claremont Highway.
Planning commissioners Tuesday conducted a preliminary review of developer City Ventures plan to build up the empty 6-acre lot with townhomes. Similar townhome developments are filling in vacancies along Base Line Road at both Padua Avenue as well as Mountain Avenue.
Despite concerns over parking at the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park, the city’s efforts to survey the problem have been received with lacking interest, according to Claremont officials.
Of 220 surveys mailed out to residents living on streets near the bustling park, only 81 surveys—37 percent—were returned, shared City Manager Tony Ramos.
Since the opening of the park’s expanded north parking lot, and enforcement of the lot’s now metered parking, many locals have vocalized concern that eager Wilderness Park hikers are finding loopholes to avoid paying.
With Claremont temperatures reaching the upper 80's, it's easy to see why 4-year-old Kai Bush was the first to eagerly run through the Memorial Park wading pool Tuesday morning, June 18. Now there are even more ways for the family to beat the heat as pools all around Claremont are officially open for the summer. The Memorial Park pool hours are Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. until August 23. For more information call 399-5490. COURIER photo/Collette Weinberger
The Claremont Folk Festival, held on Saturday at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (RSABG), was a rousing success this year, with guests raving about the lineup and the scenic new venue. There’s no sugarcoating it. With the festival running all day starting at 10 a.m. and with temperatures approaching the 90s, the event was a real scorcher. There were plenty of trees to duck under, however, and with vendors selling snow cones, ice cream and cold beer, there were plenty of ways to beat the heat.
“It was really enjoyable. The crowd was surprisingly mellow and manageable,” reported Emily Moultrie, co-owner of Claremont Craft Ales, whose brews proved to be one of the festival’s more popular wares.
COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
At its commencement on May 21, the Claremont School of Theology awarded an honorary doctorate to Dr. John Cobb Jr., PhD. Dr. Cobb is a renowned process theologian and United Methodist. Dr. Cobb has written, co-written, or edited more than 50 books, including Christ in a Pluralistic Age, God and the World, and For the Common Good (with Herman Daly), which was the co-winner of the Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order.
Claremont police responded to a second armed robbery this weekend after a pedestrian was robbed at gunpoint at Yale Avenue and Second Street on Saturday June 15 at about 11 p.m., according to the Claremont Police Department.
The suspect displayed a semi-automatic handgun and demanded the victim’s cell phone, then fled southbound towards First Street. The suspect is described as a male Hispanic, approximately 25 years old, standing 5-feet, 6-inches tall and weighing approximately 190 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was said to be wearing a blue T-shirt and baggie blue jeans.
An armed robbery occurred at about 4:40 p.m. today, Friday, June 14, at Yum- Yum Donuts located at 366 S. Indian Hill Blvd., in the Peppertree shopping center in Claremont.
According to police, the suspect entered the business, brandished a handgun then demanded cash from the register. The clerk complied and handed the suspect an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect then fled on foot southbound through the parking lot, which is located on the corner of Indian Hill and Arrow Highway.
The suspect is described as a male Asian or Hispanic with dark hair, 21 to 27 yrs old, 5 feet, 6-inches tall and weighed approximately 160 to 170 pounds. He was wearing a white shirt with dark stripes, blue pants and black shoes with white laces.
Anyone with information in this case should contact the Claremont Police Department at 399-5411.
