A Claremont teacher, frustrated by what he sees as persecution on the part of the Claremont Unified School District, now faces termination.
Over the past months, Claremont High School social studies teacher Dave Lukkarila has sent hundreds of updates on his struggles with CUSD administrators, teacher’s union representatives and school board members to the personal email accounts of nearly 200 members of the district community. See the full statement on this issue by CUSD Superintendent Jim Elsasser after the story inside.
In late March of 2012, Mr. Lukkarila was placed on paid administrative leave, pending dismissal under the Education Code.
The 31st Annual Claremont Folk Festival at the Santa Ana Botanic Garden on Saturday, May 31 was one of the hottest tickets in town. With the city’s own superstars Ben and Ellen Harper headlining the event, fans gathered in anticipation, eager to lose themselves in the sounds of the duo.
What they didn’t anticipate, however, was Mr. Harper’s darling duet with another Claremont native, 4-year-old Josef Luevano who ended up stealing the show.
The Claremont City Council held a special meeting and workshop Monday, June 2 at City Council Chambers to discuss the proposed revisions to the city’s Tree Policies and Guidelines Manual. Much like the previous workshops hosted by city staff, residents voiced their concerns about several of the proposed changes.
To the delight of the Tree Action Group (TAG), their voices are being heard.
“We’ve raised our questions and asked council to re-examine the use of poisons and the pruning policy for our city’s urban landscape,” says Mark von Wodtke with TAG.
Smiling faces and warm temperatures greeted members of the Claremont Police Department (CPD) and athletes from Special Olympics Pomona Valley as they ran side-by-side down Foothill Boulevard for the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg. Claremont Police Aides Yvette Walker and Zachary Martin ran alongside Sgt. Lori Davenport, right, and Police Aide Michael Hillman, center, who carried the torch with pride through the City of Trees. For first time runner Mr. Martin, the event presented an opportunity to show kids that everything is possible. COURIER photo/Peter Weinberger
With sunset arriving a little later each day now, it gives us more time to observe the many beautiful summer skies in the Claremont area. This photo was taken from Base Line Road looking north towards San Dimas Canyon. Expect pretty typical mostly sunny summer weather through the weekend. High temperatures will be in the mid-80s, with lows around 60. COURIER photo/Peter Weinberger
More than 4,000 officers and Special Olympics athletes proudly run throughout Southern California in May and June carrying the “Flame of Hope” as part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg. Claremont officers will proudly participate in the Southern Leg of the Torch Run on Wednesday, June 4.
Beginning around 1 p.m., the Claremont Police Department will take part in the run, congregating at the San Bernardino/Los Angeles County Line to accept the hand-off of the torch from Upland police officers.
Claremont community members mingled with glasses in hand Sunday at the seventh annual “Mi Casa es Su Casa” charity event benefiting the Claremont Community Foundation and Claremont Educational Foundation.
Hosted at Hotel Casa 425, around 170 Claremonters savored a variety of foods, prestigious wines, spirits and beers as they strolled through the courtyard to the sounds of the Brandon Bernstein Trio.
The event offered a little something for everyone with eats from Spaggi’s, Loving Hut, Viva Madrid and Hotel Casa 425 as well as libations from Dale Bros. Brewery, Claremont Craft Ales, VOM FASS, Plume Ridge and Chacewater Winery just to name a few.
Ben Harper and his mother Ellen Chase Harper perform a song from their new recording “Childhood Home” on Saturday during the 31st Claremont Folk Festival at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. The Harpers were the title act at the festival that included workshops, games, food and lots of great music. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
Jacqueline “Jackie” Withey, a student at the Webb Schools, will be presented with the Gold Scout Award—the highest award a Girl Scout can earn—in Pasadena on June 8.
Jackie’s Gold Award project was sparked by her concern for the underserved poor in her community that are in need of food and blankets. Because of unemployment and a poor economy, food banks are receiving less food. Through her leadership and organizational skills, she generated over 5,500 pounds of food and 75 blankets for the “His Hands Ministry” at St. Joseph’s Church in Upland.
Bill Waggener has been installed as the new president of the University Club of Claremont. Mr. Waggener, emeritus professor of biological sciences at Mt. SAC and co-director of handbells at Claremont United Church of Christ, takes office for one year. He replaces Celeste Palmer, whose term ended last month.
Two new members of the board of directors, Donna Bernard and Charles Cable, will serve three-year terms.
House of Ruth is a safe haven for those who have been victimized by domestic violence and affords victims a sanctuary where they can build a new life free from abuse and fear. The women learn that living in an abusive home does not allow for love, creativity or growth because the priority is keeping yourself and your children safe from harm.
The progress of the Claremont Water System Acquisition Project took another detour last week with Golden State Water Company challenging the city’s environmental impact report (EIR) for failing to analyze the direct, indirect and cumulative environmental effects of the project as a whole.
In court documents filed May 19 and obtained by the COURIER, the water company claims the city’s EIR is so “undefined and vague that meaningful review is not possible, and the final EIR improperly segments future actions that are necessarily a part of the project.”
The Claremont City Council quickly moved forward on several Consent Calendar items Tuesday night including the community’s participation in the Georgetown University Energy Prize (GUEP) and the adoption of the new fee schedule for the city’s sanitation services.
However, one item in particular, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Claremont and the various employee associations, was pulled from the calendar and discussed at length. Council members were quick to speak up and share their concerns regarding the proposed salary increases and the methods with which they were measured.
Fans of free outdoor gigs have a while to wait before Claremont launches its Monday Night Concerts in the Park series, which starts soon after the city’s July 4 celebration and whose sweet sounds regularly lure large audiences to Memorial Park. In the meantime, you can get your al fresco culture fix with the Scripps College’s Levitt on the Lawn music series. The first concert of the summer will be a Wednesday, June 25 performance by The Wild Reeds.
