claremont courier 6-12-15

8/21/2019 Claremont COURIER 6-12-15

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ARE HOME BURGLARIES INCREASING? MAYBE NOT/P AG E 3

Friday, June 12, 2015 $1.50

Cour er iclaremont-courier.com

OBITS/ PAGE 8, 9

CALENDAR/ PAGE 18

Wolves are on the loose.

Visi t claremont-courier.com.

BLOTTER/ PAGE 4

LETTERS/ PAGES 2, 7

Practice makesperfect for theClaremont High

School Class of 201

l remont

SPORTS SPECTACULAR/PAGE 23

IN THIS EDITION Athletes blaze

through Clare-

mont during the

Special Olympics

torch run/ PAGE 15

COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff

A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop during a wildfire training ex-

ercise on Wednesday in the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park. Los An-

geles County firefighters from across the region got some worthwhile

practice in this week as they prepare for the hot summer fire season.

FIRE DRILLS AT WILDERNESS PARK/P AG E

Abovetheclouds

The Claremont High Schoolgraduation was held Thursdayevening on the school’s footbalfield. To make sure the eventgoes off without a hitch, 2015graduates assembled on thefield Thursday morning to re-

view the program with schooladministrators.

COURIER photo/ Peter Weinberger


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Water savingsDear Editor:

This letter is in response to Chet andEileen Jaeger’s “Water Woes” letter pub-lished in last week’s COURIER, as wellas Bob Gerecke’s letter of concern aboutthe fairness of the required 32 percent re-

duction in water use.I am able to reduce our water use by

more than 32 percent and would like toshare some of the extra savings with fam-ilies in our community, like the Jaegers,who have done what they can to savewater. Maybe we can set up a water sav-ings pool to do this.

I also want there to be water to sustainour urban forest to provide shade and bet-ter air quality and close the carbon cycle.Part of our heritage as a “City of Trees”includes these benefits, which improve thequality of life and the value of property inClaremont.

Even though my home uses only abouthalf the water of a typical Claremont res-

idence, with a more efficient washing ma-chine and improvements to our irrigation,I am able to achieve additional savings inwater use, while still adding seven morecitrus trees. Many others can reduce theirwater consumption even more, comparedto what they're currently using.

The Low-Water Landscape Expo onSunday, June 14 at the Sustainability Re-source Center in Rancho Santa AnaBotanic Garden is intended to help youlearn how to do that.

In the future, by acquiring the watercompany, Claremont should be able toharvest and allocate water fairly as a com-munity.

Let’s use water wisely, and encourage,

not penalize, those who save.Let’s invest water we save to sustain

our green infrastructure.Mark von Wodtke FASLA

Co-Chair, Tree Action Group (TAG) ofSustainable Claremont

Pepper Tree SquareDear Editor:

My name is Gabriel and I am a boyscout with Troop 411 in La Verne. WhileI attend my scouting events in another city,I live here in Claremont.

I would like to raise awareness of an is-

sue that I have been following for quitesome time, and that is the status of PepperTree Square on Indian Hill Boulevard andArrow Highway.

A while back, I used to have my martialarts studio in one of the buildings in thecenter. It was really convenient for mesince the only other Red Dragon Karatedojo was in San Dimas. About three yearsago, the owner of Pepper Tree Squareevicted the studio and, shortly after,evicted a market that used to be in thebuilding next to it. They have both beenempty since.

As I understand, the owner of the cen-ter has been out of contact with the city forquite some time, seemingly negligent of

his land and the businesses that are still init. Without the market or the karate studio,the other shops and restaurants have hadless people coming through to supportthem.

Perhaps someone in the paper can writea small piece about what is happening tothe square and the remaining businessesthere to raise awareness on the topic.

I know it might not be the biggest thingto write about, but the businesses in thesquare were really struggling for a while.I believe some more awareness mightlessen the strain that is being put on them.

I enjoy the articles that are already in thepaper and the COURIER is doing a great job on the topics it chooses. Thank you for

your time. Gabriel GeorgeClaremont

[ Editor’s note: Thank you for writing, Gabriel. Economic development is extremely important to both the COURIER and the residents of Claremont. The story has been assigned to ourcity reporter. Consider it done. —KD]

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Claremont COURIER/Friday, June 12, 2015

READERS’ COMMENTS/ page

READERS’ COMMENTS

Agendas for city meetings are avail-able at www.ci.claremont.ca.us

GOVERNING

OURSELVES

Monday, June 15Tree Committee—Cancelled

Tuesday, June 16Planning Commission

Council Chamber, 7 p.m.

The Claremont Courier (United States Postal Serv-ice 115-180) is published once weekly by theCourier Graphics Corporation at 1420 N. ClaremontBlvd., Suite 205B, Claremont, California 91711-5003. The Courier is a newspaper of general circu-lation as defined by the political code of the state of California, entered as periodicals matter September17, 1908 at the post office at Claremont, Californiaunder the act of March 3, 1879. Periodicals postageis paid at Claremont, California 91711-5003. Singlecopy: $1.50. Annual subscription: $56.00. Send allremittances and correspondence about subscriptions,undelivered copies and changes of address to theCourier, 1420 N. Claremont Blvd., Suite 205B,Claremont, California 91711-5003. Telephone: 909-

621-4761. Copyright © 2015 Claremont Courierone hundred and seventh year, number 24

ADVENTURESI N H A I K U

High school graduates

Receiving their diplomas

Relieved, proud, thankful

—Nancy Arce

Haiku submissions should reflect upon life

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[email protected] or by mailor hand-delivery to 1420 N. ClaremontBlvd. Ste. 205B, Claremont, CA 91711The deadline for submission is Tuesday at5 p.m. Letters are the opinion of thewriter, not a reflection of the COURIER

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Claremont COURIER/Friday, June 12, 2015CITY NEWS

Things are going to look a little dif-ferent here in Claremont. Soon willbe gone the green grass and ineffi-

cient sprinkler systems peppered throughoutthe city and in their place will be smart, up-

dated irrigation technology and water-wiselandscaping.Despite the fact that project cost estimates and con-

struction bids currently exceed the available budget foreach project presented at Tuesday night’s meeting, the citycouncil unanimously gave the green light for city staff tomove forward with a number of water-conserving land-scape projects including those at Shelton Park, City Hall,College Park and the Indian Hill Boulevard median.

The projected estimated costs for all projects total$1,188,805, although the current budget allows for$351,100 in expenditures. With pending rebates at$116,131, the city council will be required to appropriatean additional $721,574 down the road to complete theprojects as planned.

City HallThe plan for Claremont City Hall will include drought-

tolerant ground covers in passive use areas, a decomposedgranite plaza to accommodate more active use, planterbeds featuring drought-tolerant flowering perennials, avegetative bioswale, site furnishings and native trees.

The irrigation will be upgraded by replacing existing

spray heads with a combination of drip systems, mi-crospray heads and the installation of deep-water bubblersto new and existing trees.

The project is anticipated to reduce water consumptionby 54 percent compared to the existing design and wouldtake 45-60 working days to complete. The goal is tocomplete the project before Village Venture on October24; however, some areas will be off limits to the publicuntil winter 2016 as the plants become established in theirnew location.College Park

In years past, College Park has experienced a highfrequency of irrigation breaks that are disruptive to thecommunity—particularly the Claremont Little League—which uses the park as its primary location for prac-tices and games. With input from the organization, city

staff worked with Architerra Design Group and cameup with a plan for improving irrigation. The plan in-cludes removing turf from select areas of the southernand eastern portions of the park and installing a new,efficient irrigation system with a smart controller andcentral controls to improve monitoring and minimizewater usage. The existing artesian well would be inte-

grated into the park as usable turf, and trees would beput in separate irrigation zones to be watered independently. At the request of Claremont Little League, sev-eral mulched areas around the baseball fields will beconverted to decomposed granite and the outfieldwarning tracks would be expanded for safety purpose

City staff anticipates a recommendation to award acontract that will be brought back to council in lateJuly, with construction beginning in August. It wouldtake 90 working days to complete.

It was also noted that in order to meet the commit-ments to Claremont Little League, the project must becompleted by January 1, 2016, to allow the scheduledlittle league season to begin.

Campbell Wright, president of the Claremont Little

Irrigation, water-wise landscaping dominates council meeting

Home burglaries have Claremont residents on high alert

Claremont residentshave been buzzingabout the amount of

residential burglaries that haveplagued the city since the be-ginning of the year.

Many people believe that the passingof Proposition 47, a referendum that re-defined some nonviolent offenses asmisdemeanors rather than felonies, andthe implementation of AB 109, the so-called “realignment” legislation that ul-

timately results in the early release of some inmates, has increased low-levelcrimes in the community.

Although neighborhood watchgroups and social media have broughtlocal crimes to the forefront of ourminds, leading to the impression thatcrime is on the rise, data provided bythe Claremont Police Department chal-lenges that assumption. The first quar-ter of 2015 shows that there has beenno increase in residential burglariesfrom the same period the previous year.In fact, the numbers show a slight de-crease from 2014.

2015 2014January 6 9

February 19 19March 18 11April 9 15Total 52 54

What has changed from year to yearis just how these thieves operate.

“We’re seeing some pretty sophisti-cated groups out there,” says Clare-mont Police Chief Paul Cooper. “Cellphone groups [a team of thieves con-nected via mobile] will come into acommunity, drop off three or four guysand the car will sit on the outside so it’sreally hard to catch them. We’ve spent$25,000 in overtime putting out extrapeople—in plain cars as well as black

and whites—trying to catch folks whoare stationary as well as patrols in cer-

tain areas where we think they aregoing to hit. We’ve been successful incatching a couple, but it’s not just onegroup.”

No doubt about it, burglars are get-ting increasingly brazen as evidencedin the COURIER police blotter.They’ve proved willing to strike at anytime of day and every day of the weekusing various methods to gain entry toa residence. Sometimes thieves break awindow or a sliding glass door or, moraggressively, kick in the front door to ahome.

On March 26, a resident on the 3900block of Northampton Avenue reportethat two black male adults broke intothe residence by kicking in the frontdoor. At the time of the home invasiona 20-year-old male resident was homewith his headphones on. He heard twoloud bangs and came to the front of theresidence, where he saw two suspectsfleeing the location. An unknown vehicle was heard leaving northbound fromthe location. The would-be thieveswere never caught.

Although some criminals get awaywith their crimes, the vigilance of homeowners and residents has been anasset to police in leading to their cap-

ture.On April 9, Claremont police caugh

the bad guys thanks to the keen eye of homeowner following a burglary inprogress at her residence. Officers re-sponded to the 1000 block of PomelloDrive at 3:20 p.m. after the victim ar-rived home and saw the door to thegarage was open. She called into theresidence and a male came walking ouholding an iPad, telling her he was acontractor doing work and then walkedpast her as she entered the home. Atthat point, the resident realized herhome had been burglarized and later reported over $250,000 in jewelry stolenThe victim told police she saw a car

backed in at the northeastern portion o

Based on information obtained from the Claremont Police Department, resi-dential burglaries are not concentrated in any specific neighborhood but, asseen here on the map, are spread city-wide. Although burglaries are down

when comparing 2014 to 2015, police encourage residents to be mindful of un-known vehicles or strangers in their neighborhoods. BURGLARIES/ page

CITY COUNCIL/ continues on page


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Claremont COURIER/Friday, June 12, 2015CITY NEWS

Tuesday, June 2A burglar expanded his investment

portfolio after stealing governmentbonds from the home of a Claremontresident. According to Lieutenant MikeCiszek, the unknown thief entered aresidence on the 800 block of Mary-hurst Drive between 8:10 p.m. and 9:30p.m. by kicking in the rear French patiodoor. After ransacking the place, the

thief located $4,000 in US bonds andfled the scene undetected. The investi-gation remains ongoing.

Wednesday, June 3A Claremont resident driving errati-

cally through city streets was arrestedfor possession of heroin. Around 3p.m., a Chevy Cobalt caught the eye of CPD as it traveled at speeds of up to 75miles per hour near Black Hills Driveand Mills Avenue. The vehicle contin-ued south on Mills near Chaparral Parkwhere children were playing in anearby schoolyard. Police pulled overthe 27-year-old driver for numerous in-fractions including speeding, tailgating

and changing lanes without signalingand a search of his vehicle turned upheroin wrapped in tin foil. The localman was booked at Claremont jail andlater released on $1,000 bond.

* * * *Three is an unlucky number for one

man caught with a trio of roadies andnearly thrice the legal drink-drive limit.Juan Salvador was traveling near FirstStreet and Harvard Avenue around10:30 p.m. when he blew through astop sign and was stopped by Clare-mont police. A records check revealedthe 41-year-old driver had an outstand-ing warrant for his arrest and was driv-ing on a suspended license. Officers

arrested Mr. Salvador for the warrantand placed him in the back of their pa-

trol unit. A search of his Hyundai Ac-cent turned up three beer cans—twounder the passenger seat and one underthe driver’s seat—still cool to thetouch. The Pomona man was found tobe three times the legal limit, arrestedfor driving under the influence and re-leased on $5,230 bond.

* * * *Claremont High School seniors are

thought to be behind the latest hijinkson campus that resulted in $700 indamage to school property. Sometimebetween 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. the follow-ing day, unknown suspects sprayed allseven of the main office doors andlocks with a foamy glue-like substance.Officers responded to the school anddiscovered the foam had expanded anddried in the keyholes to the locks, pre-venting school staff from entering thebuilding. A school administrator toldClaremont police the vandalism wasmost likely a senior prank. Whileschool may be out for the summer, theinvestigation remains ongoing.

Thursday, June 4A safe at Pomona Valley Health Cen-

ters Urgent Care containing prescrip-tion medication was compromised andit may have been an inside job. Accord-ing to Lt. Ciszek, sometime betweenMay 7 and June 4 unknown suspectsstole three cases of hydrocodone fromthe coffer inside the facility. Each casecontained 20 bottles with 30 pills each.There were no signs of forced entry andmultiple employees have access to thelockbox. The investigation remains on-going.

* * * *A West Covina man almost avoided

arrest but he just couldn’t hold it to-

gether. Officers were called to PianoPi-ano regarding three intoxicated

individuals at the location. Police madecontact with the trio, who then left thedueling piano lounge with a soberdriver. As they were pulling out of theparking lot, John Siemer jumped out of the vehicle, took off his shirt and beganretching outside. With his girlfriendyelling at him to get back into the car,Mr. Siemer stumbled off the sidewalkand onto the grass with the sprinklersrunning. Police again arrived on thescene and arrested the 23-year-old forpublic intoxication.

Friday, June 5Bodily force was the weapon of

choice for burglars who ransacked ahome on the 700 block of RockfordDrive. Officers were called to the sceneafter the unknown intruder kicked in apedestrian garage door between 7 and8:45 p.m. in order to gain access to thehome. Once inside, the thief stole jew-elry and a pillowcase from the masterbedroom and fled the scene undetected.The investigation remains ongoing.

Saturday, June 6A man with a fancy ride played

bumper cars with the curbs of Clare-mont and was arrested for drivingunder the influence. Officers werecalled to Arrow Highway and IndianHill following a call of a golden sedanhitting the curbs while traveling in thearea. Police located a 2002 gold Lin-coln and conducted a traffic stop,speaking with driver Rene Gomez, whosmelled of alcohol and exhibited signsof intoxication. Further investigationrevealed the 33-year-old West Holly-wood resident was four times the legallimit. Mr. Gomez was booked at Clare-mont jail and later released on $20,000bond.

Sunday, June 7An Upland gal short on cash didn’t

let that stop her from discoveringClaremont. Erica Davis walked to

Norm’s from the Metro station, had ameal with a friend around 1 p.m. andthen skipped out on the $33 bill. A witness confronted the 23-year-old dasherand detained her until officers arrivedto the coffee shop. Ms. Davis told po-lice that she’d had $40 but must havelost it while walking to the eatery.When she realized she only had $7 andthe cashier asked if she’d paid her bill,she said “yes” and then walked out. “Ishould have said no but I panicked,”she told officers, adding, “I can’t go to

jail. I was just arrested for evading po-lice about two weeks ago!” Claremontpolice didn’t see it that way and ar-rested Ms. Davis for defrauding aninnkeeper. She was later released on$500 bail.

Monday, June 8A Pomona resident with a penchant

for mail theft was arrested by the Claremont Police Department for possessioof stolen property, identity theft andvandalism. Around 2:45 p.m., a resi-dent in the 1000 block of Fuller Driveheard a loud noise, looked outside andsaw her mailbox leaning over with a female standing near it. Officers re-sponded and located the suspect’svehicle, an older black sedan, and con-ducted a traffic stop. Police questionedand arrested the driver, Raquel Carrilloafter finding between 100 to 200 pieceof mail inside the vehicle that did notbelong to her. The 43-year-old womanremains in custody at Century RegionaDetention Facility in Lynwood and isbeing held on $200,000 bail. In total,detectives and officers located 13 con-firmed victims of mail theft; 9 victimsfrom Claremont and four victims fromsurrounding cities. Anyone with infor-mation regarding this crime shouldcontact the Claremont Police Depart-ment at (909) 399-5411.

—Angela Baile

[email protected]

POLICE BLOTTER

Demolition of Rich Prod-ucts, the vacant indus-trial building located in

Village West, began last weekwith workers gutting the belly of

the beast.Crews were on site June 1, dismantlingthe extensive refrigeration system withinthe building’s interior and removing itemsfor salvage in preparation for the struc-ture’s demolition expected in the nextseveral weeks.

“The workers will begin their day at 8a.m. as opposed to the usual 7 a.m.,” ex-plained David Bolour, vice president of Denley Investments and Management,during a tour of the property. “It wassomething asked of us by nearby resi-dents, and we’re happy to accommodatetheir request.”

Denley is the mastermind behind TheVillage Lofts, a four-story mixed-use

project located along First Street betweenOberlin and Cornell Avenues. A target

date for completion is March 2017.At approximately 10,000 square feet,

the first floor of The Village Lofts willconsist of restaurant and retail space andthe “work” portion of 10 live/work loftspaces. The second, third and fourthfloors will offer 64 residential apartments.

Plans are set for a two-level, 180-spaceparking structure on the first and secondfloors. Neighboring residents have ex-pressed concerns given the parking is-sues already plaguing the area.

Parking near the Packing House will beimpacted as fencing has been installedaround the building’s perimeter and “NoParking” signs posted along Oberlin andCornell.

Demolition is expected to last throughmid-August, with construction of TheVillage Lofts beginning shortly there-after. Work was originally scheduled tobegin in April but was pushed back untilthe Los Angeles-based developer ac-quired a permit from the South Coast Air

Quality Management District.—Angela [email protected]

Demolition of former Rich Products well underway

COURIER photo/Steven FelschundneWorkers begin the demolition process at Rich Products last week in the Clare-

mont Village. The building will have equipment removed from the inside for thenext few weeks and then full demolition will begin. Fencing around the site has

been installed, with “no parking” signs placed on Oberlin and Cornell.


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her property and provided a description of the maleand female suspects and their vehicle that would lead

police to an arrest.During routine patrol the following day, a Clare-mont officer spotted the vehicle on the 400 block of Auto Center Drive and followed it as it entered east-bound on the 10 freeway from Indian Hill Boulevard,The female driver, Esther Setiawan, 27, and male pas-senger, Angelo Barsotti, 42, were stopped by police,detained at the scene and arrested for residential bur-glary following identification from the homeowner.Property from the Pomello burglary as well as otherswas located inside the vehicle. Both suspects hadprior arrests for burglary, forgery and other offenses.

On April 18, alert residents again helped Claremontpolice who arrested 29-year-old Ryan Coon, a tran-sient who burglarized a home on the 300 block of West Harrison Drive. A witness saw the burglary inprogress and then chased the suspect while nearbyresidents called 9-1-1. Claremont police set up aperimeter and a K-9 unit from the Pomona Police De-partment as well as a helicopter from the Ontario Po-lice Department that arrived to assist. After anapproximate 45-minute search, Mr. Coon was locatedhiding beneath a house on Sixth Street and was ar-rested.

Claremont police credited the observations andquick phone calls of Claremont residents in aiding inthe suspect’s capture.

“You would not believe how many people call usafter the fact,” Chief Cooper said. “Even if it turns outto be nothing, we’d rather us come out than come outafter the fact and have someone be victimized.”

The Department on Homeland Security’s cam-paign, “If you see something, say something,” appliesto local law enforcement, and alert residents play anintegral role in keeping the community safe.

“If a resident sees something suspicious or out of the ordinary, call the police and let us come out and

figure out whether it is or isn’t, because that’s the onlyway. Most of the time when we catch these people,it’s because a resident was paying attention,” saysChief Cooper. “Everybody has that sixth sense thatsomething is wrong, and they need to listen to it.”

Be proactive

To prevent your home from beingburglarized, there are several stepsyou can take to deter burglars or

make it difficult for them to break in.1) Lock all your doors, windows, garages, sheds

and vehicles when you leave your home or go to bedto make it difficult for burglars to enter without at-tracting the attention of others. Put locks on yourgates because burglars are going into the backyard tostay out of view, but they don’t want to have to hop afence.

“We’re still getting people who are leaving theircars unlocked in the driveways,” Chief Cooper says.“My wife will tell you, I’m a freak at night. Before Igo to bed, if the cars are in the driveway—not thegarage—I turn the alarm on. I check the front doorsand sliders and make sure everything is locked. Iworry just as much as residents because five of thehomes that have burglarized are within two blocks of my own house.”

2) Install motion-sensor lighting outdoors. Outdoormotion lighting will startle a thief or burglar outsideyour home and will likely send them elsewhere. Besure to install your security light high enough and outof reach so it cannot be tampered with or purchase avandal-proof model.

3) Install a home alarm system.“People should getalarm systems and use them. If they have the moneyto get cameras, that’s great. It helps police,” explainsthe chief. “Dogs are always helpful, because burglarstry to avoid dogs. They still bark at people they don’tknow.”

4) Teach children what to do if someone comes tothe door and you’re not home. If you have a kid thatstays home or is sick, Chief Cooper recommends thayou prep the kids ahead of time so they’ll know whato do. “They don’t have to answer the door but theyshould say through the door that they aren’t inter-ested. At least the bad guy knows someone is homeand they’re going to leave. If they persist, call police

5) Perform routine tasks and clean up your properton a regular basis to show you are occupying yourhome. Collect newspapers from your driveway,empty your mailbox regularly and pick up discardedtrash that has landed in your yard. Trim bushes so thathere is a clear view to the doors and windows arounyour home. If a burglar can’t find cover, they are lesslikely to break in.

6) Don’t leave valuables visible in your car. Recreational users of the Claremont Hills Wilderness Parkparticularly those who park at Evey Canyon, are atrisk for theft. “Thieves know that if cars are there,their drivers are going to be up there for at least an

hour or more while people are hiking. They look forpurses on the floorboards so people have got to securstuff in their trunk or, at the very least, don’t take youpurse with you,” Chief Cooper advised. “If you’re hoand sweaty, you’re probably going to go home andtake a shower anyway. Just have your driver’s licensyour cell phone and your cash. If they can break intoyour car, they can get into your trunk.”

While the mission of the Claremont Police Department is to serve and protect, remaining alert, report-ing suspicious activity and being a good neighbor isthe responsibility of the entire Claremont community

“I could add five more cops tomorrow or I couldhave 100 cops, that doesn’t mean we are going to becrime-free community,” Chief Cooper said. “Even ifwe get crime levels low, it really takes that partner-ship between the community and the department to

make it work.” —Angela [email protected]

BURGLARIES/ from page 3

League, appeared before councilrepresenting the 400 families whoparticipate in the local program andurged the city to move forward withthe project.

“We had a mainline break onOpening Day that flooded thedugout and we had a lot of wastedwater. It seems to me it’s a neces-

sary evil to redo the system in thepark,” Mr. Wright expressed. “Myprimary concern is that we have anarrow window to get this done sowe can be ready for spring.”Shelton Park

With the construction of the new Shelton Parkperformance stage un-

derway, city staff has anticipatedsignificant damage will be done tothe park’s existing turf and irriga-tion system.

To rehabilitate the park, Ar-chiterra Design Group was retainedby the city to prepare conceptualplans to remove select turf and install

new irrigation and drought-tolerant wa-ter conserving landscape. The project isexpected to reduce water use by about65 percent than what is used in thepark’s current design.

Community Services Manager KristinMikula noted the city has submitted anapplication for a turf reduction rebatethrough Metropolitan Water Districtwith a final decision expected in latesummer 2015. If approved, the rebatecould offset up to $28,524 of the pro-

jected costs.

The project will also include relocat-ing the existing public art piece to a bor-dered landscaped area to serve as itsown vignette, as well as improved sitefurnishings and park lighting.

Bids will be solicited and presented tocouncil next month, with constructionon the project anticipated to begin in Au-gust 2015 and take 30 working days tocomplete. The goal is to open SheltonPark prior to the Holiday Promenade onDecember 4.

Indian Hill median

City council went against citystaff’s recommendation to rejectthe current bids for the Indian

Hill Boulevard Median Turf ReductionProject. Council opted instead to pro-ceed with awarding a contract to thelowest bid and will appropriate$150,728 from the city’s Maintenanceof Operations Reserve later this month.

Professional Design Associates origi-nally drew up the plans to create cli-mate-appropriate landscape along Indian

Hill from Foothill Boulevard to BaLine Road. Staff recently solicitedbids for construction of the 36,000square feet of planting area. On Ma5, the city received three bids: Kasacame in with the lowest bid at$253,828 followed by LA Engineering at $289,000 and, lastly, LSS at$309,430.

The city’s community servicesmanager, Ms. Mikula, informed

council that the city received ap-proval of a turf reduction rebatethrough MWD valued at $63,000,which can be applied toward thetotal cost of the project.

In an effort to manage costs, citystaff recommended rejecting the bidand wanted to put down mulch andretrofit irrigation to water existingtrees in the median. At a cost of $40,000, it was a stopgap measurethat didn’t sit well with Coun-cilmember Opanyi Nasiali.

“It’s a choice of pay now or paylater,” he told the council during discussion. “We’ll ultimately have to

tear it out and do it correctly down the

road. I’d rather pay now, and I think itwill be cost effective in the long run todo whatever is possible.”

After further discussion, fellow councilmembers agreed to move forwardwith the Indian Hill Boulevard project.

“Anytime Councilman Nasiali wanto spend money, who am I to get in thway?” quipped Mayor Pro Tem Sam Pdroza.

—Angela [email protected]

CITY COUNCIL/ from page 3

COURIER photo/Steven FelschundneffThe city council tackled a number of landscaping projects at Tuesday’s meeting, includ-ing approving a budget to replace turf with water-wise plants along Indian Hill Boulevard.


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William Butler Yeats wrote,“How can we know the dancerfrom the dance?” That’s easy:

if you’re looking for me on the dancefloor, I’m the one trying to push my poorhusband all over the place.

I can’t help it. It’s like Fred Astaire famously sang(and Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen wrote), “Ilike to lead when I dance.” Upon first hearing thislyrical bit of bossiness, I thought it simply applied toanyone who liked to be in charge. When I was littleand played “house” with my sister, we pretended todance like grown-ups and I always led.

In grade school, we had square dancing for PE (andthis was not Appalachia—it was Covina, California,circa 1969). I simply could not abide being pushed,spun and flung by a prepubescent male who thoughtthe whole exercise (and this counted as a cardiovascu-lar workout on a rainy day) was the dorkiest thingever. I always tried to dance with another girl so that Icould lead.

In junior high, I learned how to “slow dance,” andit was nothing like Fred and Ginger. It was Dennis D,

who was one of the shorter boys. As everyone paired-up for a slow twirl to Michael Jackson’s “Ben,” (animprobably romantic song about a rat), Dennis oftensought me out as I was one of the few girls who wasmore height-challenged than he. With his hands at mywaist and mine on his shoulders—arms straight, el-bows firmly locked—so there was at least a foot of space between us, I found I was able to steer himabout the auditorium/cafeteria with ease.

I’ll skip right over the high school dances—sufficeit to say, lots of polyester (Quiana had just been trade-marked in 1968) and more swaying.

Onward to the wedding. And the first big dance.My dress featured a swishy skirt, and I so wanted

to emulate Deborah Kerr in The King and I during

our inaugural spin as man and wife that I talked mythen fiancé into dance lessons at an Arthur Murray

Dance Studio on 5th Avenue in New York City (mygosh … what this man hasn’t done for me!).

Our instructor was Manuel. He was tall and youngand he tried very hard to teach us to waltz and cha-cha and merengue. One-two-three, two-two-three,Manuel twirled me about the studio, but his handswere a little clammy and I like to think that’s why Iwasn’t able to concentrate as well as I should have.

My husband and I did enjoy an exuberant firstwaltz that was truly, mostly, dancing on air (I wasvery happy at the reception—happy to be married anhappy to have made it through a Jewish ceremonywithout having to speak a word of Hebrew).

Over the years, other than bar and bat mitzvahs, whaven’t had many occasions to trip the light fantasticor each other for that matter, until this past weekendwhen we attended a ballroom-themed birthday partyfor a good friend. A pair of professional dancerstaught us the “east coast swing.” My husband and Itried, we really did. And in the end, we realized thatwe are often most truly in sync when we are laughinand that I am never going to learn how to do every-thing Ginger Rogers did with Fred Astaire, backwardand in high heels.


Taking the leadby Debbie Carini

“I swear that middle palm winked at me.”

Municipal storm sewer systemtalk highlights Active Claremontmeeting

Brian Desatnik, Claremont’s director of communitydevelopment, and Loretta Mustafa, city engineer, willdiscuss the development of a municipal separate stormsewer system at the next meeting of Active Claremontat 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 18 in the Santa Fe room of the Hughes Center, 1700 Danbury Rd. The public is in-vited. For information, call (909) 621-1235.

Cactus and Succulent Societyis coming to ClaremontAs the city looks for ways to reduce water usage by

32 percent, Pitzer College will host the Cactus andSucculent Society’s biennial convention from June 14to 19. Tours of Pitzer’s drought-tolerant, low-water

landscaping will be led by the college’s arboretummanager Joe Clements, who is also the Succulent So-ciety’s longest-serving board member as well as a for-mer curator at the Huntington Library Gardens.

A plant sale will be open to the public from June 16to June 19. Day passes are available for purchase.

Mr. Clements says the time and the place is rightfor the CSSA’s convention, which is being held lessthan three months after California Governor JerryBrown issued an executive order that calls for con-

verting 50 million square feet of front yards fromthirsty turf to naturally sustainable space.“We’ve got to get over our heavy use of lawns,”

Mr. Clements said. “We can do that with succulentsand Mediterranean plants.”

For information, contact Gunnar Eisel [email protected].

Children’s illustration exhibit wildare kids, families to IMAGINE

Imagine!, a gala art show of colorful illustrationsfor children’s books, opens today, Friday, June 12, atthe dA Center for the Arts in Pomona. Illustrators anauthors will be available to discuss and sign theirbooks at the opening reception, held this evening fro5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the dA. The public is invited tothe free event.

Joe Cepeda, president of the Society of Illustratorsof Los Angeles, is the featured artist. More than 20other illustrators will have their work on display. MrCepeda is the award-winning illustrator of more than20 children’s books including What a Truly CoolWorld, Big Bushy Mustache and, his latest, Mice andBeans.

The dA is located at 252 D S. Main St. For infor-mation, call (909) 397-9716 or visit daartcenter.org.

OUR TOWN


7/36

The Claremont Collegeshave built outstandinggallery programs and

collections for many years that

have enhanced our commu-nity’s rich artistic legacy.The Florence Rand Lang Gallery at

Scripps opened in 1939 followed by theGladys K. Montgomery Gallery atPomona in 1958. Every artist that thecity of Claremont has embraced as oneof its own has been associated with oneof the Claremont Colleges.

I find it odd and greatly disappoint-ing that some members of the Clare-mont community appear not at allenthusiastic about the proposed art mu-seum at Pomona College but arewholly supportive of the future Clare-mont Lincoln University PerformanceStage at Shelton Park.

Here are my observations.Shelton Park was the last open area

in downtown Claremont that provided atranquil respite for our community andvisitors. We already have a fantasticmusic venue in Memorial Park adjacentto the Claremont Heritage Foundationwhich is considerably larger and estab-lished as an important venue for a vari-

ety of city events.The website for the new performance

stage advertises a list of potentialevents that seem a bit farfetched andoften unnecessary such as: art shows, anew venue for use by children from the

Claremont school system; and TheClaremont Colleges students and fac-ulty music, art, thesis and doctoral pre-sentations. I don’t think so. Mostschools in Claremont have auditoriumsor multipurpose rooms to stage theirevents and, with budgets as they are,would not easily be able to hold per-formances off-campus. Art shows? Noway. And how did student thesis anddoctoral presentations make it on thelist? Really?

On the other hand, Pomona Collegehas proposed building a state-of-the-artmuseum to exhibit, house and conservetheir collection of art, while bringingmajor artists, collectors, researchers,

students and visitors to the campus andto our city

In addition, a significant architec-turally designed building will only addto our other architectural jewels in thecity designed by architects: MyronHunt, Charles and Henry Greene, Gor-don Kaufmann, Richard Neutra, Ed-ward Durell Stone and Fred McDowell,

to name just a few. Machado and Sil-vetti, the architects designing the new

PCMA, are also internationally-renowned and have recently been in-volved with more than a dozen artmuseum projects including the GettyVilla in Malibu, The Ringling Museumof Art in Sarasota, Florida and the MintMuseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.

As far as I understand, the PomonaCollege Museum of Art will be paid forand maintained by Pomona Collegealone, while the Claremont LincolnUniversity Performance Stage at Shel-ton Park is being funded by CLU anddonations from the community-at-largeand will be maintained by the city of Claremont at a cost to the taxpayers.

As for encroachment and parking,

the property is already owned byPomona College and they have had amuseum, music department and per-forming space just across the street formore than 40 years without any prob-lems to speak of. Pomona College alsobuilt a parking structure on First andColumbia that more than covers anyoverflow visitor parking. The buildings

on the southwest corner of Bonita andCollege are only noteworthy becausethey were once a part of the old Clare-mont Inn, which sadly was historic anwould have been important to save.

Don’t get me wrong, the Claremont

Lincoln University Performance Stageat Shelton Park is an fine example of the community’s desire for more ven-ues of quality in our town, though I dofeel this one is redundant consideringour existing outdoor stage. But pleaseremember, PCMA has a proven exhibition record and has devoted many houof sharing their collection with ourschool-aged children and their familie

The considerable amount of timethey have devoted in developing a valuable resource for students, the Clare-mont community, out-of-town visitorsand outside museum professionals isembedded in the college’s mission andwill enhance all of our lives for many

years to come. With that in mind, I en-courage you to support the PCMA’snew art museum site.

Kirk Delman is the Collections Managand Registrar for the Ruth ChandleWilliamson Gallery at Scripps College


VIEWPOINT

Pomona College Art Museum in Claremontby Kirk Delman

Visit our website for photo galleries.

www.claremont-courier.com C

our er iClar emont



8/36


Margaret Woosley died on May 30,2015. She was 96.

Mrs. Woosley was born in Los Ange-les on July 21, 1918 to Vera and JonasFrownfelter and spent her early years inUpland. After her family moved to Al-

hambra, she graduated from AlhambraHigh School.

In 1978, she married Dean Woosley, aformer high school classmate and long-time friend. They enjoyed spending timearound the pool and traveling to visitMargaret’s sister Mary in northern Cali-fornia.

Mrs. Woosley did some bookkeepingfor May Company and the Lerner’s dresscompany. Much of her time, however,was spent caring for others. She cared forher husband after he became ill. Mar-

garet lived with her mother her entirelife, even after marrying Mr. Woosley.After Dean died in 1986, she continued tocare for her mother until her death at age98. After her mom died, Mrs. Woosley’soldest sister Vera came to live with her

and she cared for her until she died in herlate 80s.

While she had no children of her own,Mrs. Woosley was the go-to babysitterfor her nephews and nieces. Over theyears, she took great pleasure in the com-pany of Dean’s children, grandchildrenand great-grandchildren. Mrs. Woosleywas a fine cook, renowned for her lemoncake. She loved word puzzles, moviesand TV, and got a kick out of watchingthe weekly exploits of Chuck Norris in“Walker, Texas Ranger.” Every Sunday,she spoke on the phone with her older sis-ter Mary, who is 98, and she visited withher other sister, 89-year-old Thelma, asoften as possible.

Six years ago, Mrs. Woosley moved tothe Pilgrim Place Health Services Center.She enjoyed making friends there andtaking part in the many activities offeredto residents.

“She would look out for her friends’

wellbeing. It was just her nature to bfriendly and outgoing and help peopleher stepson Don said.

Mrs. Woosley and two fellow PilgrimPlace residents, Janis Weinberger anLois Keating, had a standing weekly din

ner date for the past two-and-a-half yearJanis’ son, COURIER publisher PeteWeinberger, would join “the girls,” bringing In & Out and pizza from Pizza Such on an alternating basis. MrWoosley was sharp as a tack right up until the end of her life, according to famil

“She was easygoing, had a good senof humor and loved being with familyher stepson Don said. “She was a sweeheart.”

Mrs. Woosley is survived by her siters, Mary and Thelma; her stepson anhis wife, Don and Linda Woosley, antheir sons Brian and Brad; by her stepdaughter Deanna, her son Marc and hdaughters Lori and Carri and by six grea

grandchildren.A funeral was held at Forest Lawn an

a memorial service was held at PilgrimPlace. In lieu of flowers, the family askthat donations be made to the PilgrimPlace Health Services Center.

Margaret WoosleyLoving wife and sister, natural caregiver

Joanne HoboJoanne Hobo, a La Verne resident

who was involved in the Claremontcommunity with her daughters andgrandchildren and also worked for theClaremont-based certified public ac-counting firm Gray, Salt & Associates,died on June 8, 2015. She was 80.

A memorial service will be held onSaturday, June 13 at 3 p.m. at SierraVista Church, 1589 W. 9th St. in Up-

land. A reception will follow. In lieu oflowers, the family asks that contribu-tions be made to the Challenges Foundation (challengesfoundation.org), anorganization aimed at improving thelives of veterans and foster kidsthrough sailing.

A full account of Mrs. Hobo’s lifewill be included in a future edition of the COURIER.

OBITUARIE


9/36


Every Friday in print.

Every day online.

claremont-courier.com • 621 4761

Cour er iClar emont


Alexis Marxmiller Owings, a formerClaremont resident, died on May 27,2015. She was 42.

Ms. Owings was born in Upland onJuly 29, 1972, moving with her familyto Claremont when she was 8. She at-tended Chaparral and Vista elementaryschools and El Roble IntermediateSchool, graduating from ClaremontHigh School in 1990. She attendedHumboldt State University and earneda Bachelor of Science degree from Uni-versity of Phoenix.

She spent several years working forPadua Village, a program through CasaColina providing long-term assistancefor developmentally disabled adults.“She cared very deeply for the resi-dents,” her mother Margaret Winning-ham said.

Ms. Owings spoke fluent Spanish,loved Mexican and Mediterranean cui-sine and especially enjoyed eating at

Walter’s Restaurant in Claremont. Asyoung as 14 months of age, her favoritefood was spicy homemade enchiladas.She was fascinated by the art of FridaKahlo, and her mother remembers withfondness the year Alexis showered herwith Frida Kahlo and other Mexicanart. For Mothers’ Day, she took hermom to a touring exhibition of Frida

Kahlo appearing in La Jolla. For hermother’s birthday, Ms. Owings tookher to see the film “Frida.” And forChristmas that year, Ms. Owings gave

her mother DVDs of “Frida,” “LikeWater for Chocolate,” “Real WomenHave Curves” and “The Milagro BeanField War.” All in all, remembers Ms.Winningham, it was a glorious year.

Ms. Owings was committed to pre-serving the environment and endan-gered species. She was an outdoorsenthusiast who enjoyed backpacking in

the Sierras with her father and step-mother. She also enjoyed many sailingtrips with them to Catalina.

Ms. Owings will be remembered forher marvelous sense of humor, regalingfamily and friends with her witticismsand infectious laughter and often shar-ing work by her favorite cartoonistGary Larson. She will also be remem-bered for her caring and compassionatenature. She did not reckon people bytheir ethnicity, their abilities or theirsocio-economic status but rather byhow kind and compassionate they weretoward others, especially those less for-tunate. Two of the most memorableevents in her life were hearing NelsonMandela speak in Los Angeles andmeeting Archbishop Desmond Tutu atan Episcopal Church conference inAnaheim.

Ms. Owings was especially passion-ate about the marginalized in our soci-ety, particularly veterans, and was verysupportive of programs and initiativesproviding them with tools to better liv-ing. She supported Habitat for Human-ity and Heifer International, and wasalways willing to roll up her shirt-sleeves to support politicians she feltwere worthy. She volunteered with the2008 Obama for President Campaign

and for Gloria Negrete McLeod’s campaigns for State Assembly and StateSenate.

Ms. Owings was also dedicated tohelping at-risk animals, both endan-gered species and the abused animalsthat end up in shelters across the coun-try. She lent her support to Best FriendAnimal Society, Search Dog Founda-tion, World Wildlife Fund, 96 Ele-phants and the SPCA.

Ms. Owings is survived by hermother Margaret Winningham of Pomona, by her father and stepmotherTim and Diane Marxmiller of Escon-dido, by several aunts and uncles andby numerous cousins.

Honoring her commitment to helpinhumans and animals alike, donationsmay be made in Ms. Owings’ memoryto Search Dog Foundation, a nonprofitpairing rescued dogs with firefighters find people buried alive in the wreck-age of disasters. You can donate viatheir website at www.searchdogfoundation.org/donate or send checks to TheNational Search Dog Foundation, 501E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, CA 93023. Dona-tions should indicate they are in honorof Alexis Megan Owings.

A private remembrance service willbe held in the future.

Alexis Marxmiller OwingsBeloved daughter, activist for human and animal rights

Rosa AugustoRosa Louisa Letechi Augusto, a longtime Clare-

mont resident, died peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, June 6, 2015. She was 95.A mass in her honor will be held at Our Lady of

Assumption Church, 435 N. Berkeley Ave. in Claremont, on Friday, June 12 at 1:15 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mrs. Augusto’sname to the Friends of Claremont Senior Founda-tion, 660 N. Mountain Ave., Claremont, CA 91711.

A full account of Mrs. Augusto’s life will appearin a future edition of the COURIER.

OBITUARIE


10/36

Claremont COURIER/Friday, June 12, 2015 1

architect

WOOTTONARCHITECTURE595 Clarion PlaceClaremont, CA 91711

(626) 536-9699www.woottonarchitecture.com

Client-conscience, Design-conscience,

Environment-conscience

MIKE F. O’BRIENAttorney at Law

212 Yale AvenueClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 626-9999www.mikefobrien.comwww.facebook.com/moblawoffices

Specialist in personal injury and wrongfuldeath cases. Se habla español.

BUXBAUM & CHAKMAKA Law Corporation

414 Yale Avenue, Suite KClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 621-4707

41 years experience in: Business Law,Probate, Family Law, Estate Planning,Real Estate Law, Civil Litigation, Bankruptcy

architect

WHEELER & WHEELERA.I.A. Architects, Inc.

133 South Spring StreetClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 624-5095www.wheelerarchitects.com

Building a better Claremontsince 1985

attorneyattorney

attorney

Christine D. ThieloAttorney at Law

480 N. Indian Hill, Suite 1AClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 624-0733Focused on Family Law, Divorce, Child

Custody and Criminal Law Matters

www.thielolaw.com

attorney

WILKINSON &WILKINSON

341 W. First StreetClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 482-1555

Certified Specialists in Trusts, Probate

and Estate Planning. Litigation of same

attorney

Christiansen AccountingCorina L. Christiansen, CPA140 W. Foothill Blvd., Suite EClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 447-6802www.christiansenaccounting.comwww.facebook.com/christiansenaccountingcpa

Specialize in small business accounting

and tax planning since 1962.

accounting

Kendall & Gkikas LLPAttorneys at Law

134 Harvard Avenue, 2nd FloorClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 482-1422

Specializing in Family Law in Claremontsince 1994: Divorce, Custody, Visitationwith Children, Property Division, Alimony,Child Support

PROF SSION L

Call Mary Rose at(909) 621-4761for information.

real estate broker

Geoff T. HamillBroker Associate, ABR. CRS. GRI,

E-PRO, SRES, D.R.E. #00997900

Wheeler Steffen Sotheby’s International Realty

Phone: (909) [email protected]#1 in Claremont sales & listings since 1988

Best Possible Price Achieved, Every Time

Meticulous care and attention to detail

tax preparation/EA

D. PROFFITT, EAClaremont, CA 91711

Phone: (909) [email protected] my website atwww.dproffittea.com

Income Tax Specialist since 1981

Payroll Service • Accounting

SRS GENERALCONTRACTOR, INC.909-621-1559www.srsgeneralcontractor.com

Practical design, tastefully executed.

• Residential Remodel• Restoration of Unique & Vintage

homes • Room additions.

design/build

PETER T. IGLER, D.D.S.D. INGRID ROJAS, D.D.S.Cosmetic & General Dentistry

615 W. Foothill Blvd.Claremont, CA 91711

(909) 624-68151 Hour In-Office Bleaching, Veneers,White Fillings, Dental Implants, Dentures.

LIGHTFOOT • RALLS& LIGHTFOOT LLP

Certified Public Accountants

675 W. Foothill Blvd., Suite 300Claremont, CA 91711

(909) 626-2623Tax Planning & Preparation • Accounting

c.p.a.

financial consultants

SUZANNE H. CHRISTIANCERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®

Professional Securities offered throughLPL Financial

Member of FINRA/SIPC

419 Yale Ave. Claremont

(909) 625-1052“Your financial security is my priority”

Ann M. Johannsen, O.D.

Brad A. Baggarly, O.D.

OPTOMETRY695 W. Foothill Blvd.Established 1972

(909) 625-7861www.claremontoptometry.com

Eyemed - VSP - MES - Medicare

chiropractor

DR. MARTIN S. McLEOD411 N. Indian Hill Blvd.

Claremont, CA 91711(909) 621-1208

• Joint & Muscle Pain • Headache• Sciatica • Pinched nerve

• Most Insurance accepted

• Personal injury

optometry

dentist

COX and PATEL, DDSWayne Cox, DDSKrutav Patel, DDS326 N. Indian Hill Blvd.Claremont, CA 91711

(909) 626-1684

www.CoxandPatelDDS.comSedation, Laser Bleaching, ImplantsSame Day Crowns, Digital X-rays

dentist

SERVICE DIRECTORY

HARTMANBALDWINDESIGN/BUILD

100 West Foothill Blvd.Claremont, CA 91711

(909) 670-1344www.hartmanbaldwin.com

Since 1984

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Burwell Center forBetter SleepRobert Burwell DDS2050 N. Mills Ave.Claremont, CA 91711

(909) 367-4554Helping people who can’t wear CPAP.

Medicare and PPO insurance accepted.Burwellcenterforbettersleep.com

snoring/sleep apnea

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PAMELA J. ZEDICKCERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®

Securities and advisory services offeredthrough National Planning Corporation.

Member of FINRA/SIPC, a registeredinvestment advisor

393 W. Foothill Blvd, Suite 110

Claremont, CA 91711

(909) 626-1947Intelligent solutions, Exceptional service


11/36


The 2014-2015 schoolyear has been very ex-citing for staff and stu-

dents throughout ClaremontUnified School District. Teach-ers have spent tireless hours cre-ating and teaching new units of study aligned to the CaliforniaStandards, formerly known asthe Common Core State Stan-dards.

Throughout the spring, students ingrades 3 through 8, as well as high school

juniors, were required to take the Califor-nia Assessment of Student Performanceand Progress (CAASPP), which are sum-mative assessments in English languagearts and mathematics.

This was the first statewide administra-tion of new online tests, replacing the pa-per-based, multiple-choice StandardizedTesting and Reporting (STAR) program.The state’s new assessment system repre-sents the next step in California’s plan forproviding high-quality teaching and learn-ing in every school, including higher aca-demic standards, more decision-making inthe hands of schools and communities andmore resources dedicated to schools and tostudents with the greatest needs.

In preparation for the new online as-sessments, technology was purchased thatcould be used not only for state assess-ments but could also provide engagingeducational opportunities.

After extensive exploration of various

devices, iPads were selected because of the myriad ways they support teachingand learning. Teachers have gone throughextensive training on how to effectivelyuse and implement iPad technology as aninstructional tool in their classrooms. As

a result, students are using technology inmeaningful and exciting ways to demon-strate mastery of the California Standards.

A fifth grade class at Chaparral workedin teams to create and share infomercialsto summarize their trip to camp. UsingiMovie and iMovie Trailers, students cre-ated short films that illustrated the geog-raphy of Idyllwild, the science standardstaught in their curriculum and the overallexcitement of their learning experience atcamp.

Condit third graders worked collabora-tively to complete and present researchprojects on biomes using Green ScreenVideo Technology from within the biome.They then pieced the video clips, photosand narrative descriptions of animal andplant adaptations into an iMovie produc-tion, creating sophisticated audio/visualpresentations that truly redefined the cur-riculum in a previously unimaginable way.

Danbury students, who may experiencedifficulties with fine motor skills and thusshied away from writing, are now usingiPads as assistive technology throughoutthe writing process.

Sixth grade students at Mountain Viewhave created diverse, standards-basedprojects that have allowed them to re-search, analyze, share, explain, compare,create and import images and videos, pro-ducing high-quality keynote presentationsand videos in iMovie.

Social studies has become very engag-ing for a fifth and sixth grade combinationclass at Oakmont. Rather than reading achapter from their textbook and writing asummary on the Fertile Crescent region,students created infographics (a visual

representation of data) and presented theirfindings to their peers, showing how thedevelopment of agriculture supported thegrowth of cities in Mesopotamia.

A class of fifth grade students at Sum-ner researched debate topics, completedtheir pre-writing in Flip, created dialoguein Notes or Pages, read drafts into AudioMemo and presented their debates usingiMovie. The culminating activity involvedparents using a QR reader on their smart-phones to access their child’s debate dur-ing open house.

Second and third grade students atSycamore researched and created aniMovie for their chosen biography. Eachmovie required students to import pic-

tures, narrate footage and use editing tech-niques to add music. Students then ex-ported the content into a class moviedocumenting the lives of 24 significantpeople in history.

After learning about the different formsof figurative language, students in a fifthand sixth grade classroom at Vista delValle created a figurative language book inBook Creator. Students demonstrated theliteral and figurative meaning of a sen-tence or phrase through illustrations, eitherthrough drawing their own pictures,downloading pictures they took them-selves or a combination of both.

A group of eighth grade students at ElRoble participated in an Early Republic

Newscast project. They worked in teamto research a topic and write a script iGoogle Docs, and created a professionnewscast in iMovie that was shared withe entire class.

Students in an eleventh grade soci

studies class at Claremont High Schoostudied the Cuban Missile Crisis througthe use of an app called The Brink. Thapp took students to the National Archiveand John F. Kennedy Library and Museum. Students experienced this momenin time in a way that truly made histortangible by having access to primarsource documents, which included declassified photos, memos, documentrecordings and films. Students used thitems from this collection to write aanalysis on an aspect of the Cuban MissiCrisis.

San Antonio High School is the onlschool in CUSD where every student hatheir own iPad. Seniors were engaged in

cross-curricular project for their senioEnglish and government classes. Studenused Keynote to give presentations owhat they had learned throughout the smester and, through the use of iMoviwrote, filmed, edited and produced publservice announcements that contributeto media education.

If you are interested in observing somof the exciting projects that are takinplace throughout the district, please contact my office to arrange a tour wheschool resumes in the fall.

On behalf of the board of educationwould like to thank you for your continuesupport of Claremont Unified School Ditrict.

Superintendent reflects on a busy year at CUSDby Jim Elssaser, Claremont Unified School District superintendent


12/36


F

rom being the vice president of theSoup for Alzheimer’s Soul Club to

competing in the state competitionof the Science Olympiad, valedictorianSarah Tran is ready to begin a new stageof her life at Brown University.

Sarah plans to major in health and human biologyto achieve her ultimate goal of becoming an obstetri-cian-gynecologist. With a diverse community of ener-getic students, Sarah immediately felt at home wheninteracting with other admittees on the Brown Face-book page. She found that they were the most outspo-ken students of any college page that she joined andcould not help but be drawn to their vivacity. Often-times, students would post trivia questions or evenask for fashion help on the Facebook page.

It was this energy and willingness to befriend totalstrangers that convinced Sarah that Brown was theschool for her; however—it is not just the cama-raderie that made her smile as she continuously sawpeople of all different races and religions join togetherand dissolve boundaries—but also the challenge of living in a new environment.

As she takes this next step in her life, Sarah looksto her role model, actor Ken Jeong, for encourage-ment. Mr. Jeong, the epitome of versatility in hereyes, has always been able to bring happiness to thosearound him through doing what he loves most, acting.With a desire to bring joy to others and a unique per-

sonality to match, Sarah feels a clear connection be-tween the two of them and strives to embody his viewof happiness.

“Just like him, I want to be able to bring joy tothose around me with my quirks,” Sarah said.“Maybe I will accomplish this goal while interactingwith patients in the hospital or possibly onscreen, but[either way], I want to be able to make other peoplehappy.”

Throughout her high school career, Sarah im-mersed herself in not only the academic aspects of CHS but also the social life, always embracing herwitty and outgoing personality. She will always re-member the time she played Usher in the modern ver-

sion of the Our Town play, as she did not hold backfrom expressing his quirky character or busting her

own moves alongside her classmate.“I think I scared him with mydance moves, but I have no re-

grets,” Sarah said.With her experiences at

CHS, Sarah will easily beable to begin a new life atBrown, for CHS has givenher a foundation of diver-sity, one which offered her

an introduction to new cul-tures and different perspec-

tives. At CHS, Sarah couldready for the new cultures and new

experiences that college will bring her.As this valedictorian finishes her high school ca-

reer, she does not want to simply be remembered forher hard work and dedication to her studies. Instead,she wants her charisma and wit to be thought of wheher classmates and teachers hear the name SarahTran.

“I hope to leave behind the laughter and humor I

brought to my classmates through my in-class per-formances, my ‘locas’ dance moves, and my duckface,” she said.

Sarah is sure to make the Wolfpack proud as shebegins the next chapter of her life at Brown Univer-sity this fall. She will take with her the experiencesand memories had at CHS as she paves the way for abright future as an obstetrician-gynecologist.

—Arianna MosEditor-in-Chief, Wolfpack

CHS valedictorian excited to become Brown’s newest bear[ Editor’s note: Feature stories highlighting the Claremont

High School valedictorian and salutatorian are reprinted with permission from the Claremont High School student newspaper, The Wolfpacket. —KD]

Senior Vivian Luo has made thedream of many a reality: to becomesalutatorian of CHS. From working

hard in her many AP classes to competi-tive figure skating to being a member andcaptain of the CHS dance team—not tomention many other extracurricular activi-ties—Vivian has made the most out of herfour years at CHS.

With high school behind her, Vivian is very excitedto move on to the next step in her life: college atDuke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Vivian has several fields that she is interested ingoing into at Duke. Duke does not have their studentsdeclare majors or minors until the end of sophomoreyear, so Vivian is going to explore the fields she is in-terested in now before she has to commit to a majorand minor. When she toured and learned about theuniversity, she was most interested in going into theirpre-law program with a major in political science orpublic policy. She is also interested in double major-ing or minoring in neuroscience. She believes expert-ise in that field will help her further her knowledge of the cognitive process if she goes into law, or it willhelp her become a more well-rounded medical stu-dent if she decides to go into medical science.

While remaining second in her class, Vivian partic-ipated in many extracurricular activities around CHSthat made her well-known by many students on cam-pus. At college, she plans to continue with speech inforensics, would like to continue skating in college,and is interested in joining many new groups whenshe gets to school.

Vivian received many scholarships for college as a

result of her extracurricular activities, such as a schol-arship from the National Figure Skating Association,a Scholastic Honors Team Award, and scholarshipmoney from being a National Merit finalist.

Once seeing the schools that accepted her, Vivianhad a hard time deciding between two leading schoolsin the US: Duke and UC Berkeley. Although the deci-sion was tough, she knew that no matter what hap-pened, she would find enjoyment in whatever schoolshe chose.

“I knew I would be happy at both places. There isalways a little regret for the school you didn’t choose,but I know I will be happy where I’m going,” Viviansaid.

Vivian has many incredible memories from herfour years at CHS, but a point where she believes shetruly grew as a person was her freshman year on thedance team under the instruction of Dance CoachLisa Germano. This was the year the team made it to

finals in two events at nationals, which had not hap-

pened in recent years. Vivian believes the time shespent working with Ms. Germano shaped her highschool experience and affected many of her decisionthroughout school.

“She pushed me beyond my limits. She reallytaught me how to be a leader, and I learned a lot of how I lead today from her example,” Vivian said. “Iam just very grateful that I was able to be one of herstudents.”

Along with being a member of the dance team forthree years at CHS, Vivian dedicated much of hertime to speech in forensics, National Honor Societyand CSF. She volunteered, met new people and madelasting memories through participation with these different groups. One memory that stands out to her isthe Senior Citizen Prom the National Honor Societyrecently held.

With her love of knowledge and growth at CHS,Vivian has advice that is valuable to all CHS studentWhether or not a person is planning on becomingvaledictorian or salutatorian, her advice resonateswith the value it has for all CHS students, no matterwhat the future holds.

“You have to know your priorities,” Vivian said.“And sometimes that might mean taking away fromone aspect of your life, but know that your investmenthat you’re making right now is going to lead towarda better future.”

Vivian is on the fast track to success as CHS Classof 2015 Salutatorian. But beyond her incredible workin school, she has pushed herself in many sports andactivities that have made her a hardworking and dedicated person who is devoted not only to her studies,but also to the world around her. —Alexa Tispoulo

Assistant Editor-in-Chief, Wolfpack

Salutatorian to become a Blue Devil at Duke University

Photos by Phumanee Nosavan/WolfpacketSalutatorian Vivian Luo, left, and valedictorian SarahTran will head off to Duke and Brown University, re-spectively, after immersing themselves in social andacademic activities for four years at Claremont HighSchool. At right, Sarah shows off her karate moves.

CHS salutorian Vivian Luo participated in dance,forensics and figure skating throughout her highschool career.


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Lit mag showcases literary, visual works by CHS students

What do you get when you mixcreativity and initiative? In thecase of incoming Claremont

High School senior Shea Seery, the an-swer is a startlingly professional literary

journal highlighting the writing, art andphotography of CHS students.

Anomaly is a glossy, full-color, nearly 50-page ex-plosion of expression, giving readers a glimpse intothe hearts, minds and imaginations of local teens.

Shea, who has always had a passion for writing, gother first chance to participate in a literary journalwhen she attended The California State SummerSchool of the Arts the summer after her freshmanyear.

Over the course of the two-week program, which inher case emphasized creative writing, she and herpeers put together a literary magazine. It wasn’t astate-of-the-art production, more of a ‘zine, but itwhetted Shea’s editorial appetite.

The next inspirational move was when she appliedand got accepted to the Idyllwild Arts Academy.While she decided not to attend, she perused a copyof the school’s literary journal.

“It blew my mind. It was a tangible production of writing and art, all combined,” she said. “I liked it be-cause there was an aesthetic aspect as well as a liter-ary aspect.”

When she was a sophomore, she tried to start a lit-erary journal at Claremont High School, but it didn’ttake off. This past fall, she returned to school deter-mined to make it work. She decided the best bet forgarnering student participation was to make it a club.CHS English teacher Allison Evans gamely agreed toserve as advisor.

Before she got the ball rolling, Shea figured out thecosts involved. Her mother Kim Peasley, a graphicdesigner, helped her create a production budget.

Shea is historian for the Interact Club, a junior ver-sion of Rotary. Once she had a price tag, she ap-proached Rotary of Claremont asking for a grant.While she waited for grant approval, she talked to thepublisher of the COURIER seeking financial supportand applied for a grant through the city of Clare-mont’s Teen Committee.

“I was really scared of relying on profit to pay forit,” she said.

Shea needn’t have worried. In the end, she receivedfunding from all three sources. With money in thebank, the club formed and a few friends roped intoeditorial roles, it was time to look for content.

Shea plastered the school with posters, and adver-tised on the student-run Wolfcast broadcast, of whichshe is a member. She decided to allow students toenter work anonymously if they preferred.

“One of the biggest challenges was actually gettingstudents to be courageous enough to submit,” she ex-plained. “I know there is artistic talent at my school inmultiple forms, but it’s high school so people arescared what other people think of them.

“I knew people would be hesitant to expose them-selves like that in such a widely-viewed publication.Writing, especially, tends to be kind of personal,”Shea continued. “A lot of people felt more comfort-able or only agreed to submit once being anonymouswas an option.”

Soon, the entries started to pour in: photographs,paintings, line drawings, short stories and poemstouching on things that really matter to the talentedteens. Topics include the night-lit city and sun-kissednature, love and heartbreak, depression and dreamsand the common struggle for self-esteem.

“I was surprised by the diversity of it,” Shea said of

the submissions. “We even have a QR code with anapp on your phone that leads to an original piece of

music from a junior who makes electronic music.That’s what surprised me—the ingenuity of mypeers.”

O

ne of the more moving pieces isa poem celebrating the short lifeof Esmé Page, a well-liked and

creative freshman who committed sui-cide at the end of March. “We will re-member you who kicked up the dust/andgave a life to the rise and fall of the sun,”the anonymous tribute reads.

Shea feels it is a healing thing for the literary jour-nal and the community to mark a momentous loss andpay tribute to a remarkable person.

“It was peculiar, because you don’t think of a posi-tive outcome of something like that,” she said of theaftermath of Esmé’s death. “But everyone felt thesame way at the same time. There are usually somany variations going on in everyone’s life. It’s hardto be on the same level. But the week after, everyonewas there for each other.

“The teachers were very understanding, and thestudents comforted teachers,” she continued. “Thebarriers were kind of broken down. There was no

judgment that week, no hostility on campus. It soundslike there isn’t a link between such a tragedy andcoming together, but there really was.”

Shea is hugely grateful to her mom for her help de-signing the publication and for the members of theCHS community who have already bought the publi-cation. She set the price tag for students low, $3, be-cause she knows that teens aren’t made of money. Thecharge for adults is $5.

Shea sincerely hopes that Claremont High School’sliterary journal won’t be a one-off, some kind of “anomaly” that is printed once and disappears. Sheplans to helm the journal once more during her senioryear and then recruit a student willing to take overwhen she graduates.

In the meantime, the enterprising student is ready sit back and enjoy the accolades that have begunpouring in.

“People are really impressed,” she said. “I think thfact that it’s totally student-initiated, student-run andstudent-produced, with virtually no adult help, is em-powering and surprising for a lot of the kids atschool,” she said. “I don’t think they realized it woulbe so professional looking. Kids are excited seeing it

To get a copy of Anomaly, you can [email protected], visit The Colony atLoft 204 on the second floor of the Packing House ostop in the COURIER office, 1420 N. ClaremontBlvd., Suite 205 B, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

—Sarah Torrib

[email protected]

COURIER photo/Steven FelschundneffOutgoing Claremont High School junior Shea Seery,17, has published a new literary journal called “Anom-aly,” combining the talents of her fellow students.

Fed by Grandmother By Dalia Auerbach

Every winter my kitchen fills withthe strange combination of latkesand tamales. Potatoes and onionssizzle in the pan, golden brown,

thick and warm and comfortingwith oil that lingers on my lips and fingers that reach for more. Sharingthe stove, too close for comfort,thin papers and corn husks rustlesoftly, peeled off thick pockets of

pollo and maiz and just a twinge of heat that seems to only bequenched by digging into another.

A crisp New York accent piercesthe warm air, chastising myanxiety-ridden father for putting toomuch cinnamon in the applesauce.

In the rare moments of calm, othergrandmother speaks in broken

English, cautious and soft, so used to absorbing tension that it givesher pounding migraines. The latkesare rich, piled high on a silver

platter passed down throughgenerations of East Coast lawyersand professors, potato pancakessoaked in privilege.

The tamales are spiced with struggle.There are no silver platters, just

paper plates held by hands that have picked cotton in Chihuahua,held prison bars, locked doors

facing unpredictable Los Angelesstreets. When I get into college, Iwill be reminded of the legacies my

family holds at Yale, and at McDonalds. I sing the Kiddish and

Noche de Paz, smell breath tintedwith white wine and tequila.

And I eat. I eat to understand, toremember, to love amidst prisonand privilege. I eat as a Latina, as a

Jew, as a girl who is somehow stillsurprised when someone asks,“What are you?” Steam rises fromthe cultures on my plate. I say ‘thank

you’ in my two second languages,heap a spoonful of sour creamright in the center, and eat.

L’chaim, savta.

Buen provecho, abuelita.


14/36

In 1965, Lyndon Johnson was in hissecond full year as president, 34people died in the Watts riots, the

average American home cost $13,500,the Beatles had five number-one hits andEleanor Pierson reported for her first dayof work at Foothill Country Day School.

Last Friday, current staff, students and a fewmembers of the community came to honor Ms.Pierson’s last day of work, a tenure that spanned 50years.

With a giant bouquet of flowers on her lap Ms.Pierson, 94, sat in a chair at the front of the assem-bly room while the students sang the school’s themesong and Head of School Mike Silva spoke of herdedication and devotion to her job.

She held three jobs at FCDS: first she was assis-tant to the headmaster Howell Webb, next shemoved to admissions director and then toward theend, became the community outreach coordinator.As the outreach coordinator, her years of servicecame in handy because she was able to pen hand-written personal notes to the alumni.

Claremont Mayor Corey Calaycay gave her anofficial city commendation, a task he gladly ac-cepted as he is among the school’s alumni.

In his remarks, Mr. Calaycay stated that he onlybarely qualified for admission but that Ms. Pierson

decided to accept him. “I hope you feel that youmade the right call,” he quipped.

“Not many people work this long and even fewerat the same place,” he said. “You of all people de-serve this retirement.”

Mr. Silva’s comments focused not only on Ms.Pierson’s years of service but also on the many livesthat she influenced. “You have prepared so manystudents for their next phase in life,” he said. “It hasbeen our honor and privilege to have served withyou.”

Ms. Pierson’s son, Doug Pierson, came from Ari-zona for the party and to help his mother with thetransition. He said that Ms. Pierson believed in theschool so much that she enrolled him and his twosisters there.

She grew up on a lemon ranch not far from thenorth Claremont home where she still lives. She at-tended Claremont Elementary School, nowSycamore, followed by Girls Collegiate and eventu-ally Pomona College. Ms Pierson is also one of thecharter parents at FCDS, enrolling her daughter in1954.

Following the assembly, a handful of former stu-dents stood in line to congratulate Ms. Pierson andto thank her for the impact she had on them. Eachshared a personal story, with the commonality thatall seemed to agree Ms. Pierson made them feel im-portant.

It apparently worked both ways, because as thecrowd slowly made their way to the nearby recep-tion, Ms Pierson looked around and said, “I lovedworking here, I don’t want to retire.”

—Steven [email protected]

COURIER photos/Steven FelschundneEleanor Pierson holds her copy of Foothill Country Day School’s class of 2015 yearbook on Friday during a retirement party for her at the school. Ms. Pierson is onof the charter parents at the school and a 50-year employee.


Foothill Country Day bids farewell to longest-serving staff member

Claremont Mayor Corey Calaycay congratulates MPierson during her retirement party. Ms. Pierson workefor 50 years at the school performing a number of jobincluding admissions director. During the party, the chdren sang and the Head of Schools Mike Silva gave

heart-felt tribute to her many years of service. Mr. Calacay is an alumnus of Foothill Country Day.


15/36


Special Olympics torch run weaves through Claremon

T

he streets of Claremont were filledwith smiling faces on Wednesday

afternoon as members of the city’spolice department and local athletes hit thepavement to raise awareness for SpecialOlympics Southern California and theirmission.

Claremont police employees including explorers, dis-patchers, patrol staff, records clerks and jailers ran overtwo miles through the center of town as they participatedin the Law Enforcement’s Special Olympics Torch Runon June 10.

Athlete Michael Evans from the Pomona Valley Chap-ter of Special Olympics lead the charge, taking the torchfrom Upland PD before passing it off to his fellow team-mates and friends. Athletes Kenny Williams and AustinFrederick, both from Claremont, had their moment car-rying the torch, as did athletes Travis Ewert, Jimmy Eng-

lish and numerous runners from the Claremont police.“We look forward to joining the athletes every year

and participating in this run,” said Claremont CaptainShelly Vander Veen. “It’s great to see everyone come to-gether as a department and as a community to supportthe Special Olympics and their mission.”

During the latter part of May and June, Law Enforce-ment officers throughout southern California carry thetorch 1,500 miles across the southland through 200 com-munities with the purpose of spreading awareness to theSpecial Olympics and to promote unity and respect forall. This year, Claremont police staff that participated inthe torch run raised $550 in donations to SpecialOlympics.

The Claremont runners received the torch at FoothillBoulevard and Monte Vista Avenue at approximately1:50 p.m. and continued the pace westbound along Route

66 to Williams Avenue, where they handed off the torchto the La Verne Police Department.

For Russell Evans, area director of Special OlympicsPomona Valley, seeing the enthusiasm on the faces of those who participate is its own reward.

“The Claremont Police Department has always been astrong supporter,” he says. “Their support of the athletesis great, the turnout today is great. Who could ask foranything more?”

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is the kick-off of what is sure to be an exciting summer here in Claremontas the town prepares to welcome some of the finest ath-letes from around the world.

On January 27, the city council approved Claremont’sparticipation as a Special Olympics World Games 2015host town. The city will host approximately 100 athletes,

trainers and support staff as they prepare for their partic-ipation in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer

Games opening July 25, 2015 in Los Angeles. The atletic delegations will arrive to Claremont in the days prito the World Games to get acclimated, rest and train ftheir events.

The Host Town program in Claremont is a collabortion between the city, Pomona College, ClaremoMcKenna College and Scripps College to provide thdelegations with food, housing and entertainment duritheir stay in the City of Trees. To learn about how you cget involved, visit www.ci.claremont.ca.us.

For more information on the 2015 Special OlympiWorld Games, including volunteer and sponsorship oportunities, visit LA2015.org and on social media wi#ReachUpLA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

—Angela [email protected]

COURIERphoto/PeterWeinberger

ClaremontPolice Cap-tain ShellyVander Veengives a bigwelcome hug

to AustinFrederick ofClaremontbefore the

SpecialOlympicstorch hand-off at FoothillBoulevardnear MonteVista Avenueon Wednes-day. Mr. Fred-erick wasone of therunners who

helped carry

the torch 2.3milesthroughClaremont toLa Verne.

Here’s the official Claremont Special Olympics torch-carrying crew before they embark on a 2.3-mile mis-sion along Foothill Boulevard carrying the torch to Williams Avenue in La Verne on Wednesday.


16/36


Wildfire training puts local firefighters to the test

With summer right around the cornerand fire season now upon us, fire-fighters gathered at Claremont

Hills Wilderness Park earlier this week to par-ticipate in an annual training exercise de-signed to enhance their wildland firefightingskills.

More than 60 men and women

claremont courier 6-12-15

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