Just over a year ago, when co-owner Madelyn Dillon first went into business with her father Thomas Rohde, she never thought Citrus Grove Distillers (CG Distillers) would pivot to create a different kind of product. But that was before a once in a lifetime pandemic changed the way we all live.
Now, instead of producing spirits in a 300-gallon vat named “Bertha,” Ms. Dillon’s business is focusing on making hand sanitizer for the masses.
As the weather begins to heat up for the summer, it is important that trees are watered properly. The most recent city manager’s report emphasizes that regular, responsible watering can reduce the risk of drought stress—a condition that may not kill a tree outright, but will weaken its natural defense system so it is more susceptible to serious damage.
One day when Athena Hahn was six years old, she and her father took a trip to the Claremont Post Office.
“That’s the first time I remember seeing murals,” she said, regarding Milford Zornes’ enormous 1939 masterpiece, “California Landscape,” which wraps around the four walls of the lobby.
“I looked at those images by Zornes that we all see all the time, and I was just completely blown away."
Claremont had another jump in confirmed coronavirus cases over the past 24-hour period as the recent surge in cases and hospitalizations countywide continues.
Claremont now has 155 cumulative cases, an increase of 4.5 percent from Friday and 27 percent from a week ago. The county is now reporting three cases in unincorporated areas of Claremont which include the Padua Hills area and certain neighborhoods above Base Line Road.
On Independence Day the baristas of Augie’s Coffee Roasters received the shocking news that they no longer had jobs.
The Redlands based company sent out a mass email informing 54 employees that due to the uncertain business climate created by the coronavirus and the recent surge in new cases, Augie’s was closing its five retail locations, including the one in Claremont’s Packing House.
During a news conference on Wednesday county officials delivered a clear message: if you believe that you are too young or too healthy to be affected by the coronavirus, think again. “I want to be very clear about this, COVID-19 affects everyone. It’s not limited to people over 65 or those who have medical conditions. Instead we continue to learn about young people having severe health impacts from COVID 19,” L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said.
It was 36 years ago that a young couple set out to offer delicious Italian fare in a somewhat fine dining atmosphere. Tom and Valarie Aruffo and their restaurant—aptly name Aruffo’s—have become a mainstay in the Village for family celebrations and romantic date nights.
The Aruffos are private people. They tend to avoid attention in the press, which might be due to the long hours the couple work in their small, but bustling dining room.
In light of the city of Claremont cancelling all in-person celebrations for the Fourth of July this year, the COURIER dug through the archives to look into traditions from previous years.
Every year, the city-appointed Blue Ribbon Committee has chosen an individual or individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to the community.
This Fourth of July holiday will be unlike any we have experienced before, to say the least.
Gone are the festivities, the parades, getting together to watch fireworks. And the fireworks we do have are both illegal and hardly something to celebrate, as the nightly barrage of explosions keep us awake and scare our four-legged friends.
Not to be deterred, some Claremonters are finding ways to celebrate even as the resurgence of the coronavirus forces many to rethink even small gatherings.
In some respects visiting the Claremont Village the afternoon of July Fourth was downright weird. Indian Hill Blvd and Memorial Park were quiet, as only a few enjoyed their time in the shade. One person even commented they "Expected a parade to break out" at anytime. But these are unusual times where we must protect ourselves from a virus that will not go away quickly. I included clips from the city's 2018 Fourth festivities, so none of us forget what's coming back next year! —PW
Our walking tour of Claremont continues. In part one, we started at the Depot, zig-zagged our way through the east Village, and explored the west Village, ending at The Packing House on First Street. Part two begins there.
Cross First Street and proceed north on Oberlin.
Any hopes that Los Angeles County’s recent surge of the coronavirus would subside were cast aside on Monday as public health officials reported another sharp increase in COVID-19 cases, including in the city of Claremont.
Claremont had 132 cumulative cases as of Monday afternoon which is a 14.3 percent increase over the holiday weekend and 22 percent more than a week ago. Fortunately, the confirmed number of deaths remains at two.
Governor Gavin Newsom delivered an update on California's response to coronavirus, including closing indoor operations in multiple business sectors in watch list counties, as well as all bars. California is following other states in tightening restrictions on social distancing, mask wearing and restaurants in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. These new updates do include Los Angeles County and take effect immediately.
This morning I had the privilege of listening to a gentleman by the name of Junior share his experience of growing up black in middle America. The first thing that came to mind was when he was six years old. His mother was putting him on the bus to school and the first words out of the bus driver’s mouth were, “Get your black tail to the back of the bus!”
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