When my wife Judy and I moved from northern California to Pilgrim Place in Claremont in August of 2012, we were not quite sure how we would fare in getting to know our 324 new neighbors. We got a bit of an inkling, however, when I wheeled the rental moving truck up in front of our new residence.
Trees. In addition to beauty and enhancing the value of property, trees are essential for a comfortable and healthy habitat. Properly feeding our urban forest helps sustain well-being, not just for us but for all living creatures. When we spread poisons on soil and trees we are poisoning ourselves and all other creatures that contribute to the health of our community ecosystem.
It is an exciting time for Claremont Unified School District. CUSD has had a long standing tradition of excellence in academics, the arts, athletics and extracurricular and co-curricular activities.
As the 2013-2014 school year comes to an end, I would like to highlight several of the accomplishments that have supported this tradition of excellence.
My life has been a love affair with the English language, an infatuation fostered by Tolkien and time.
I loved early readings of The Pokey Little Puppy, Little Golden Book Classic and personal bedtime story staple, with the same love I would find later for Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Soaking in the words of others, from Seuss to Stine, I also found my own. My first published piece lies in a flimsy, laminate-covered copy of The Snowmen, adapted by Mrs. Holt’s kindergarten class. It remains in a prominent place on my bookshelf.
Imagine entering Claremont from the freeways (210 or the 10) or by the highways (Base Line, Foothill or Arrow) and experiencing beautiful tree-lined streets with parkways that define our community. As we can see on Indian Hill Boulevard, street trees provide wonderful gateways that celebrate each season of the year.
The city is stumbling in its efforts to help foster the development of a fair and far-sighted Wilderness Park Master Plan aimed at resolving the variety of problems faced in our efforts to preserve and enjoy that wonderful asset to our north.
This concern was raised to a critical level last week when the Traffic and Transportation Commission approved a residential parking permit program for additional areas “below” the park.
When I was a little girl, I would imagine my wedding day as an extravagant affair in Paris complete with horse-drawn carriages, copious amounts of goodies and, of course, a show-stopping gown with an unreasonably long train. Perhaps I could even have my favorite songstress Joanna Newsom take the stage for the first dance.
No one ever stopped to tell me that I was living in a fantasy world.
I met Zachary Pfahler in 3D art class at Sonoma State University in 2008. He was an art history major while I was working on my studio art minor. Though neither of us were very good at creating 3D art, something beautiful did come from that class—our relationship.
When I walk around the city, I look for gardens, big and small, that seem not only to embody principles of sustainability, but which add to the beauty of Claremont.
I admire some that are simple, some that are complex, some that grow edibles, some given over to annuals or shrubs, some replete with California natives and some full of exotics
