The eight- and nine-year-old students filed into the multipurpose room at Vista del Valle Elementary School and took their seats on the floor in neat rows.
Laid out on tables in front of the class were musical instruments, along with pictures of The Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles.
They fidgeted a bit, like most third graders, but once the presentation started they were all ears.
The Evey Canyon parking area has long been a popular spot for hikers to access the Wilderness Park from the east side. It’s also been a popular spot for car burglaries because of the lack of security and remote location along Mt Baldy Road. This past week, five cars were broken into, usually because of an unlocked car, or valuables in view, making it easy to throw a brick through a window and run.
The Our Lady of Assumption $5 million construction project is in full gear as workers replace the roof, strengthen the walls and move the altar in the main church at Bonita and Berkeley Avenues. And that is just the beginning. The groundbreaking ceremony was November 10, celebrated by a blessing and throwing dirt in the air. Many parishioners also got their first look at the temporary digs on the north end of the property. The construction is scheduled to take 10 months, completed in the fall of 2019. Photo by Stephen McKenna
The project will cost $16 million, but the improvements along Foothill Boulevard will be quite noticeable. One key addition will be sidewalks, which either need repair, or do not exist. The recent gas tax increase will also pay for $7 million of the cost. Always nice to get something back. Look for a more complete story in upcoming editions of the COURIER.
The city of Claremont may be moving to district-based elections in the future.
The council voted unanimously to explore district-based elections, saying it is a way to pre-empt a challenge from voting rights groups that could lead to Claremont getting sued for violating the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA).
District-based elections—where a councilmember or candidate lives in and represents a certain part of the city—are nothing new.
Claremont resident Ingrid Tjon reads The Mighty Robot to her son Tobias, 5, and his friend Yuto Takeuchi, 5, while her other son Thijmen, 6, reads his own book on Monday during the grand re-opening of the Claremont Public Library. The library had been closed for seven months for an extensive renovation including new HVAC, remodeled restrooms, improved lighting, new computers and new landscaping. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
On Friday and Saturday December 7, 8, 14 and 15, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden’s trails and landscapes will glow with more than 1,000 luminarias in a cherished holiday event, Luminaria Nights.
Special for this year, the Garden will transform venues with Japanese lantern installations and traditional Japanese music to celebrate the ongoing Origami in the Garden 2 exhibition, which features large-scale metal origami sculptures.
Mt. San Antonio Gardens recently shared that Sodexo, who provides dining services, has been recognized with the Showcase Award that distinguishes them as one of two model Sodexo accounts in all of California. The president of the board of Claremont Meals on Wheels was given the $5,000 gift by the Sodexo regional manager on Tuesday, November 20 at a dinner at the Gardens.
Volunteers are sponsoring a “Friends Campaign” this year, which focuses on improving the city’s daily lunch and nutritional program by eliminating wasteful fiberboard plates, flimsy plastic cutlery and moving to reusable plates and flatware.
City staff, along with volunteers, provide hot meals five days a week for seniors in the community. More than 25,000 meals are served annually.
On Sunday, December 2 the Democratic Club of Claremont hosts its annual free and open to the public holiday party with special guests including Congressmember Judy Chu and Assemblymember Chris Holden, who will speak at the 4:30 p.m. gathering at Pilgrim Place’s Napier Center, 660 Avery Rd.
The new and improved Claremont Library is set to open Monday, and workers are making moves.
Library employees spent much of last Monday moving books and furniture back into the Claremont Library, ahead of its grand re-opening on November 26. About 40 to 50 boxes full of books were moved from the temporary express library in the Alexander Hughes Community Center to the library.
Walking into Lost Levels, the new arcade that opened in the Claremont Packing House on October 27, is like stepping through a time machine.
You’re immediately met with those familiar beeps and boops of classic arcade games such as Frogger, Mario Bros and Pac-Man.
For co-owner Steve Torres, re-introducing retro gaming to Claremont is more than just a smart business model; it’s a passion.
As of Tuesday evening, just 47 votes separate Ed Reece and Zach Courser for the third and final spot in the city council race, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder.
While still close, this represents a small jump in favor of Mr. Reece, who was leading by only 21 votes on Friday, November 16.
Mr. Reece currently has 5,904 votes (18.07 percent), while Mr. Courser has 5,857 votes (17.93 percent).
The city took advantage of an unexpected general fund surplus by giving bonuses to city employees.
A total of 143 employees will be receiving a one-time bonus of $718, according to Finance Director Adam Pirrie.
General fund expenditures for the year totaled $26,002,503, not including settlement payments to Golden State Water Company, general liability and workers compensation, medical insurance and subsidies and Measure SC election expenses.
