claremont courier 3.15.13

7/29/2019 Claremont COURIER 3.15.13

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COURIER photos/Steven Felschundneff

Solar panels are installed on a new covered parking area at the US Bank branch Tuesday on the corner of Foothill and

Indian Hill Boulevards in Claremont. The bank leased the panels from Solar City as a way to offset their energy costs

and create green power. Corey Fierro and Robert Franco of Champion Electric manage the installation.

GUN CONTROL ISSUE PACKS COUNCIL CHAMBER/PAGE 3

Friday, March 15, 2013 u One dollar

t

Courericlaremont-courier.com

LETTING THEsunshine in

SPORTS/ PAGE 28

CALENDAR/ PAGE 20

More news and photo galleries

every day at: claremont-courier.com

POLICE BLOTTER/ PAGE 4

OBITUARIES/ PAGE 8

tt

Get lucky with Some Crust PAGE 16

CHS girlssoftball has

rough startwith 5-0loss to La

Habra/PAGE 28

Charter school applicant makes second plea/ PAGE 5

PAGE 3

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Claremonts Melanie Lauer warms up before going up tobat on Monday during girls softball action in West Covina.


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Claremont COURIER/Friday, March 15, 2013

The Claremont Courier (United States Postal Service 115-180) is published once weekly by the Courier Graphics Corporation at 1420 N. ClaremontBlvd., Suite 205B, Claremont, California 91711-5003. The Courier is a newspaper of general circulation as defined by the political code of the state ofCalifornia, entered as periodicals matter September 17, 1908 at the post office at Claremont, California under the act of March 3, 1879. Periodicals postageis paid at Claremont, California 91711-5003. Single copy: One dollar. Annual subscription: $52.00. Send all remittances and correspondence about sub-scriptions, undelivered copies and changes of address to the Courier, 1420 N. Claremont Blvd., Suite 205B, Claremont, California 91711-5003. Tele-phone: 909-621-4761. Copyright 2013 Claremont Courier one hundred and fifth year, number 18

1420 N. Claremont Blvd., Ste. 205BClaremont, CA 91711

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InternOpen

City delays release of documentsDear Editor:

I am writing in response to Mayor LarrySchroeders letter to the editor (Friday,March 8) suggesting that the city has beenfully compliant with the intent and spirit of

the California Public Records Act (PRA).The California Alliance to Protect Pri-vate Property Rights, a California privateproperty rights organization, respectivelydisagrees with the mayors assertion.

For one, the city has not provided us allthe documents we requested, includingthose required by law. We know this to betrue because the city has been correspon-ding with other public agencies, and theseagencies have provided us the very samedocuments that the city of Claremont haschosen to withhold from our organizationand the public.

Secondly, the city has violated the spiritof the law by employing delay tactics todelay even the simplest requests. Such tac-

tics may be legal, but are designed to with-hold public information for the longestperiod possible.

Claremont residents share our interestin an open and transparent government.Even if the city can legally withhold somedocuments, there is nothing prohibitingthe city from releasing a simple statementthat explains how they intend to financethe taking of Golden State Water Com-pany's private property by eminent do-main and whether such action will in factlead to lower water rates.

We hope the mayor, city council andstaff reconsider their long held belief thatthe public is not entitled to know how thecity intends to use their tax dollars.

Nick Mirman

CAPPPR

Keep the Club treesDear Editor:

I have lived in The Club for over 15years. The big, mature pine trees that linemy streets are one of the reasons my fam-ily move here. Its also one of the reasons

that the people who live here, and so manyothers from outside the neighborhood,drive through, walk their dogs, push theirstrollers, jog and run here, not because thesidewalks and streets are a challenge towalk on or unsafe.

The removal of 59 trees now and othersin 4 years is because they are damaging thehardscape, not because they are diseased orat risk to fall. Their removal would drasti-cally change the appearance of our neigh-borhood and reduce the value of my home.

The proposed Tree Replacement Pro-gram would destroy valuable environ-mental assets that will take generations ormore to replace, and it would also set abad precedent for other neighborhoods

throughout the city of Claremont that arenow, or soon will be, facing the challengeof maintaining their mature trees.

I do not support the views of my HOAand the city staff. I support the current treepolicy!

Laura Grochowski

Claremont

READERS COMMENTS ADVENTURESI N H A I K U

Convivial cave,

Loaves, a bottlewhat a friendWe have in cheeses.

D. J. Kraemer

Haiku submissions should reflect upon life o

events in Claremont. Please email entries [email protected].

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

GOVERNING

OURSELVES

Tuesday, March 19City Council, Special MeetingCouncil Chamber, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 21CUSD Board of EducationKirkendall Center, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, March 25Tree CommitteeCouncil Chamber, 6 p.m.

READERS COMMENTSPlease send readers comments via email to

[email protected] or by mail orhand-delivery to 1420 N. Claremont Blvd. Ste.205B, Claremont, CA 91711. The deadline forsubmission is Tuesday at 5 p.m.

The COURIER cannot guarantee publicationof every letter. Letters are the opinion of thewriter, not a reflection of the COURIER. We re-

serve the right to edit letters.Letters should notexceed 250 words.

The Claremont City Council will hold special meeting on Tuesday, March 19 tselect the new mayor and mayor pro tem

In contrast to other cities, Claremont halong-held a tradition of councilmembers selecting the mayor, as opposed to it being aelected position. Mayor Larry Schroedewill pass the torch after a year as Claremonts mayor.

Also, Mr. Schroeder and Councilmember Corey Calaycay will be sworn back intoffice following their re-election. The ceremony takes place at 5:30 p.m. in the Cit

Council Chamber, 225. W. Second St.

Courericlaremont-courier.com

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3/40

Claremont COURIER/Friday, March 15, 2013CITY NEWS

After 2 hours of back-and-forth de-bate, the Claremont City Council de-cided not to vote on gun control, at leastfor another couple weeks.

With Sam Pedroza absent from theTuesday night meeting, the council sup-ported refraining from

a vote adopting a reso-lution in support of theAssault Weapons Banof 2013 until all were present. The deci-sion was made with a 3-1 vote. MayorPro Tem Opanyi Nasiali cast the dissent-ing vote because he believed the councilwas ready to make its decision.

With the same 3-1 vote, Mayor LarrySchroeder will also hold off on addinghis name to the Mayors Against IllegalGuns. Voting on the resolution and peti-tion is expected to take place at the nextcouncil meeting on March 26.

The assault weapons ban is currentlybeing considered by the US Congress inresponse to recent mass shootings. If ap-

proved, the ban would stop the sale,transfer, importation and manufacturingof military-style assault weapons andhigh-capacity ammunition feeding de-vices, according to Senator Dianne Fe-instein, author of the bill.

Refraining from a vote may not havebeen popular with all in the room, but themajority of the council, even with its dif-ference of opinion on the topic, left thevote undecided without qualms.

Whether you are a Democrat, a Re-publican, Libertarian, Tea Partier or de-cline to state, having a public debate ofsorts that we had tonight is a win-win sit-uation, said Mayor Larry Schroeder. Itairs the viewpoints of everybody.

The crowd amassed at City Hall was

reflective of the nations divison, withequal debate from all sides of the issue.There was standing room only in theCity Council Chamber despite the rela-tively light council agenda. And notwithout reason. Issues of gun controlhave been a dominant area of debate asClaremonters and citizens across thecountry ponder the recent succession ofmass shootings. In the wake of the tragic

events in Aurora, Colorado and New-

town, Connecticut among others, the na-tion has remained divided on the topic ofgunsis stricter gun control the answerto the problem or would it only infringeupon the Constitutional right to bearfirearms? Should guns be banned orproper gun education encouraged?

These were among the questionsposed to the city council before a deci-sion would be made. Claremont resi-

dents came to the meeting equipped with

their own array of answers, from thocalling for support of the ban to thocalling for the city to give it a rest wheit comes to localizing national issues.

What would be appropriate is tohave a discussion, in a different venueof course, on firearms and the SecondAmendment, suggested Claremontresident Douglas Lyon. What is not

Council shelves vote on gun control resolution

COURIER photo/Steven FelschundneWith a show of hands, residents indicate which side of the assault weapon ban they support during the Claremont City Councmeeting Tuesday evening. People on both sides of the issue voiced their opinions about a resolution that would include Claremoamong cities in California that support the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013, authored by Senator Dianne Feinstein. The council decided to delay voting on the issue until its next meeting due to the absence of Councilmember Sam Pedroza.

CITYCOUNCIL

While Claremont residents havecome to know and appreciatethe historic nature of the US

Bank building on the corner of Indian Hilland Foothill boulevards, there is a new as-pect to the old architecture thats grabbingattention.

It comes in the form of photovoltaic paneling. Clare-monts US bank is going solar.

Last month, the city approved the banks request to in-stall 200 solar panels on the roof and on the attached,shaded carport areas to the rear of the business, whichare expected to generate 185 kilowatts of energy per day.Thats enough to power much of the banks solar needson sunny days, according to bank spokesperson NicoleGarrison-Sprenger.

Each solar panel is comprised of a series of reflectivephotovoltaic cells, which absorb the suns energy. Theenergy absorbed is then transmitted through a wire to aninverter box within the building, which converts that en-ergy to make it compatible with household appliances.

Claremonts branch is one of 4 southern California USBanks jumping on the solar bandwagon. In addition toClaremont, installations have begun in Downey, LosAlamitos and Rancho Cucamonga. The bank hopes tohave 9 banks fitted with solar panels by the end of April

as part of its effort to cut back on energy costs.

Banks use of solar panels part of ongoing movement

COURIER photo/Steven FelschundneRobert Franco of Champion Electric installs solar panels on a new covered parking area Tuesday at the US Ban

branch on the corner of Foothill and Indian Hill boulevards in Claremont. The bank leased the panels from Slar City as a way to offset their energy costs and create green power.

ASSAULT WEAPONS BA

continues on the next pag

SOLAR PANELScontinues on page 12


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Claremont COURIER/Friday, March 15, 2013CITY NEWS

Friday, March 8A resident of the 100 block of Sun-flower Place is probably wishing theyhad been a little more watchful over apurse left in their car, in plain sight,overnight, according to LieutenantShelly Vander Veen. A burglar performeda series of smash-and-grabs in the Sun-flower Place neighborhood Thursdaynight and claimed the purse as their own.Inside the purse was $1000 in cash.

Saturday, March 9An unsuspecting Chevron/McDonalds

patron left the lot Saturday evening with-out $20 and with no Big Mac or Sham-rock Shake to show for it. Unknowingly,

the customer had been dealt a fraudulent$20 bill. The cashier spotted it immedi-ately and called police, but the customerwas released when it was determinedthat they really were none-the-wiser asto the counterfeit money. Police left withthe fake money, while the patron leftempty-handed.

Sunday, March 10One persons potential pocket dial

ended up being anothers misfortune.The accidental call lead police right toVail Park, 2454 Grand Ave., where aClaremont man was hoping to stay offthe polices grid. Twenty-one-year-oldChristopher Bloomberg, wanted for anoutstanding warrant for vandalism, hap-pened to be hanging out at the park at themoment police arrived. He was arrested

with $50,000 bail.

Monday, March 11A sandwich is nothing to cry about, es-

pecially when you are out in public andtrying to keep a low profile in the firstplace. Twenty-four-year-old AngeloGonzalez of Claremont was allegedlycausing such a scenecussing andyelling at his mom for supposedly tak-ing too long at Subway, according to thepolice logsthat a security guard atClaremonts Super King market wasmoved to call the cops. Police met upwith Mr. Gonzalez in the parking lotwhere he refused to calm down, causinga struggle before officers were able to

successfully take him into custody, ac-cording to Lt. Vander Veen. He waswanted for an outstanding warrant forvandalism.

Wednesday, March 13Just 2 weeks after Inka Trails Peruvian

Restaurant and the Shell Gas Stationwere targeted in early-morning burgla-ries, the north Claremont business bur-glars are back at it.

Two more establishments were tar-geted in an early Wednesday morningspree in the Vons Shopping Center, lo-cated at 546 E. Base Line Road. Policeresponded to Euro Cafe, another Peru-vian eatery, after the burglary alarm wasactivated around 2 a.m. The front glassdoor was found smashed and the registermissing. The story was similar over at

Rincon Azteca across the complex: frontglass door smashed, register gone. Totalloss is estimated at over $3000 includingdamages.

Burglars were back at it later that day,but this time on the other side of town.

Two subjects kicked in the front door ofLuscious Nails and Spa (446 Auto Cen-ter Dr.) and stole cash and equipmentfrom the store. The suspects thensmashed a hole in the wall to enter theadjacent business, the M.W. SmokeShop, located at 444 Auto Center Dr.Once inside, the suspects removed cashand merchandise. The burglars are de-scribed as 2 black males, who were seendriving a tan SUV with chrome rims. It isunknown if they are connected to theother crimes.

Police are requesting the publics helpin locating the crooks involved in any ofthese cases. Any information should bereported to the Claremont Police Depart-ment at 399-5411.

* * * *Claremont police put a 32-year-old

Pomona man behind bars after he wfound with a 14-year-old runaway froUtah early Wednesday morning. DonnWade faces criminal charges of lewd acwith a child as well as communicatinwith a minor with the intent of commi

ting an offense, according to Lt. VandVeen.The teenager had been missing for

days before police caught up with her othe roof of the parking structure at FirStreet and Claremont Boulevard. Thteen had been linked to Mr. Wades homand several local hotels before she wfound. Police were able to locate her btracking her computer usage.

Police say Mr. Wade and the juvenihad met through online chat rooms oMeetme.com. Mr. Wade successfulpersuaded the girl to come out to Clarmont, buying her a ticket on the Greyhound on March 8. Mr. Wade is beinheld for $100,000 bail. His arraignmewas held yesterday, March 14.


POLICE BLOTTEROn Thursday, March 7, the claim that

his truck had run out of gas wasntenough to justify 53-year-old EddiePazs decision to change his mode oftransport to a stolen bike, especiallywhen it turns out the truck was stolen tobegin with.

Police caught up with Mr. Paz at theKeck Science Center where they foundhim, bolt cutters in hand, putting the bike

into the back of the stolen pickup.

While police werent able to nab thman for the stolen bike because it wasnregistered, they didnt need help findina slew of other charges to file against thBloomington resident. Mr. Paz was arested for the stolen car, possession omethamphetamine and possession odrug paraphernalia.

Police catch man with slew of outstanding charges

appropriate is for a special interest pres-sure group to ask this council to adopt aConstitution-hostile resolution, whichwould presume to speak for all ofClaremont on the national issue, anissue over which this council has no ju-risdiction.

Others begged to differ.

People here can get killed like inNewtown, Colorado, Utah, Arizona oranywhere else, said Claremont resi-dent Robert Smith.

The Claremont City Counciladopted a set of best practicesto refrain from taking a pol-icy stance on all mattersclearly unrelated to the local

jurisdiction. That practicehas become muddled of lateas residents question what isand is not the responsibility oflocal government. Over thepast year, the council hasadopted resolutions in favor oflast elections Prop 30, ap-proving a quarter-cent rise insales tax over the next 4 yearsto provide funding to Califor-nias public schools, as well asone in favor of fair bankingpractices.

Best practices were called into ques-tion once again with this latest resolu-tion request. At the councils February26 meeting, residents came before the

council in public comment to request apolicy on gun control be adopted. Atthe same time, Mayor Larry Schroedertold the council that he had been askedto sign a position by the MayorsAgainst Illegal Guns Coalition, but didnot feel it was right for him to do so asmayor of Claremont until he receivedcouncil approval.

After examining council policy, cityadministrators went ahead with sug-gesting the resolution in part because

they believed City Manager TonyRamos position on the Public SafetyCommittee for the League of CaliforniaCities put council within its right to

adopt a supportive stance.However, others feel the city needs

to steer clear of wide-sweeping issueslike immigration and global warmingand instead focus on important localmatters, like concerns with WildernessPark safety and overcrowding and thecitys continued fiscal health.

Your real issues are local, saidNick Quackenbos, addressing the coun-cil. Parks, trees, affordable housing,streets, good business climate.

Mayor Pro Tem Opanyi Nasiali andCorey Calaycay felt the city should nobe voting for or against an issue onwhich the community is clearly so di-vided. Mayor Larry Schroeder and JoLyons voiced support on the matter. MPedroza will be in the hot seat nextweek as opinions voiced by councilmembers at the meeting are as split asthose of the audience. Beth Hartne

[email protected]

ASSAULT WEAPONS BANcontinued from the previous page

COURIER photo/Steven FelschundneffA resident who only identified himself as David because he is concerned abouthis safety displays one of the targets he uses for sport shooting. Residentsvoiced a wide array of opinions about the issue of gun control during the publiccomment session of Tuesday nights city council meeting.

Claremont resident Douglas Lyon adresses the Claremont City Councwhile fellow resident Karl Hilgert waifor his turn on Tuesday as the councconsiders the symbolic assault bameasure. Mr. Lyons was against thmeasure while Mr. Hilgert was in favo


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Kids are slipping through the cracks inthe Claremont Unified School District,Lynette Lucas asserted at the Thursday,March 7 school board meeting.

You have the power to save a commu-nity of children that is essentially dying,she told the school board during a publichearing for the Embracing the WholeChild Arts and Technology Academy.

Ms. Lucas assured the board and com-munity members that her proposed charterschoolwhich she emphasized wouldfeature a rigorous, Common Core-basedcurriculum and meaningful interven-tionsis not aimed at students who arethriving within CUSD schools.

Instead, the academy would focus onseverely socio-economically disadvan-taged (SED) kids, such as those living inmobile homes and residential hotels likethe American Inn, located along FoothillBoulevard.

Though the neighborhoods she cited arein Pomona, they are in an area of CUSDknown as the Wedge, which includes theregion from Towne to Garey on the north-bound side as well as a small portion southof Garey on Foothill.

Many of these kids, though they belongto CUSD, arent enrolled in schools hereand are, instead, scattered to the winds,Ms. Lucas said.

Those who do attend district schoolsface significant challenges, including fam-ilies so poor they may not even have a carand insufficient wardrobes that may draw

jeers and foster low self-esteem.Most significantly, Claremonts SED

students have an 18 to 25 percent deficitin their state testing scores as compared toClaremonts higher-income students, shenoted.

While any CUSD student could be ableto apply for the academy, which wouldoffer hands-on arts and technology expe-riences, SED students would have enroll-ment priority.

We want to serve homeless kids, fosterkidskids who are behind 2 years ormore or who are being a problem in yourclasses, Ms. Lucas said. Often, despair isdisguised as bad behavior.

An earlier petition filed by Ms. Lucas,executive director of the Oxnard-basedEmbracing the Whole Child Foundation(EWCF), and EWCF president JulieThompson, a Montclair resident, was re-

jected in June of 2012.The board listed several reasons for its

rejection of the Embracing the WholeChild Academy, including concern overthe soundness of the proposed schools ed-ucational program and doubt as to EWCFstaffers ability to implement their concept.

The boards concerns were echoed byJeffrey DesCombes, owner of the Clare-mont-based company Sprocket Digital.He worried that if a charter school were tobe created without the proper organiza-tional structure, the students would be atrisk should the school fail.

Mr. DesCombes took to the podiumagain Thursday, saying that the questionsraised by the first petition were left unan-swered by the second petition. Accordingto Mr. DesCombes, his research revealedno foundation website, no record of anyboard meeting and a group of organizersthat seemed to largely hail from outside thedistrict.

Mr. DesCombes also expressed concernthat Ms. Lucas and her team at EWCFwere not striving to create a relationshipwith Claremonters and meet-and-greets,etc.

They dont seem to have the inherentstructure to make it successful, Mr. De-sCombes said.

Ms. Lucas, who has cited more than 20years in the education field as her qualifi-cation for this endeavor, says the EWCFhas undertaken significant outreach ef-forts, including tutoring services and aThanksgiving dinner for residents of the

American Inn.The board for the proposed school,

which would intitially serve63 students, has met, she

added, but since they areonly a foundation at this point and not aschool, they havent been legally requiredto post their minutes.

Ms. Lucas has notably served as ateacher in the Rio School District in Ox-nard. In spring of 2012, she launched a re-call drive, petitioning to remove EleanorTorres, Henrietta Macias and Ramon Ro-driguez from their positions on the RioSchool District Board of Directors, citingfinancial mismanagement.

In 2010, Ms. Lucas challenged the RioSchool District Teachers Union, for whatshe claimed was a poorly run union thatshirked rules and left teachers in the darkabout union finances and governance, ac-cording to the Ventura County Reporter.

Ms. Lucas lodged complaints of dis-honesty and financial mismanagementwith police, the Fair Political PracticesCommission, the Public Employee Rela-tions Board (PERB) and the Internal Rev-enue Service.

Though the recall effort was unsuccess-ful, Ms. Lucas said her complaints aboutthe union were later corroborated by thePERB, among others.

With her focus shifted to Claremont,Ms. Lucas said she feels passionate abouthelping the most vulnerable of the citysstudents.

She cited a recent conversation with aCUSD third grader who was unable toread and cried when they spoke, saying hewanted to learn.

While it is up to the board to ponderwhether or not to approve Ms. Lucas pe-tition, Mike Bateman, assistant superin-tendent of student services and thedistricts homeless liaison, said the charterschools goals may represent a duplicationof services.

Every school in the district has programs in place to aid SED students, hnoted. Student services staff visit sites likthe American Inn at least twice a year, h

said, making sure families there are awaof and enrolled in Claremont schools.Ms. Lucas said that the district wou

have to visit a site like the American Inat least once a month to make a meaningful impact, because families are not alowed to stay in the regions residentimotels for more than 30 days at a time.

CUSD also makes a concerted effort make sure its SED pupils have the propsupplies and support, Mr. Bateman continued. When they need it, the districtpoorest families are referred to suppoprograms ranging from Tri-City MentHealth Services to Claremont Connect, aonline database connecting the communito government, nonprofit and pro-bono scial services .

We educate all kids in Claremont, rgardless of what status you come from anwhere you live, Mr. Bateman said. Oschools go out and really work with thefamilies.

Ms. Lucas pointed out that, considerinthat the districts lowest-income studendont have access to computers, they aunable to benefit from the citys online rsources. Her proposed charter schoowhich aims to put a tablet computer each students hands, would address thtechnology deficit head-on, she said. Nsource of funding for such techonologynoted in the charter school proposal.

In these tough economic times, evedistrict in the country has more need thathey can reasonably address, Ms. Lucsaid, but the Whole School Academy Arts and Technology, represents a start addressing the problem.

Sarah Torrib

storribio@claremont-couri

CUSD

NEWS

EDUCATION Claremont COURIER/Friday, March 15, 2013

Passionate presentation still may not convinceboard to support charter school

Fundraiser for Ruth Bobo

at Walters Restaurant

W

alters Restaurant will host a

fundraiser to benefit Ruth M. Bobo, retired Claremont High School Eng-lish and creative writing teacher, on Saturday,March 16.

Anyone who stops by for lunch between 11 a.m. and 3 p.mon that daywhich happens to be Mrs. Bobos 75th birth-dayneeds only to mention her name and Walters will do-nate 15 percent of their purchase to the Ruth M. Bobo Fund.

The Save Mrs. Bobo campaign was organized by formerstudents and friends to help the beloved CHS teacher stay inher Claremont home in the face of mounting medical ex-penses.

Walters Restaurant is located at 310 N. Yale Ave. in Claremont. For more information on the popular village eatery, ca624-4914 or visit www.waltersrestaurant.com.

If you are interested in contributing to the Save Mrs. Bobo

campaign via a cash donation or by organizing a fundraisingevent, visit http://ruthmbobofund.com.

CHS Theatre Renovationnears completion, commu-nity celebration planned

The Claremont Unified School District Boardof Education and the Claremont High School The-atre Renovation Committee invite the public to the

opening of the newly renovated Don F. FruechteTheatre for the Performing Arts.

Recognizing that schedules are busy, there areseveral opportunities to join in the celebration. OnThursday, March 28 at 3:30 p.m. a dedication cer-emony and ribbon-cutting will be held with guidedtours. The ribbon-cutting and dedication will berepeated on Saturday, March 30 at 1 p.m.

Also on Saturday, March 30, a Claremont HighSchool Alumni performance has been scheduledat 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the performance are re-quired and can be purchased through the Clare-mont High School ASB website.

The Theatre Renovation Project was made pos-sible by a $1.5 million career and technical edu-cation grant from the state, which was matchedthrough donations from CUSD, hundreds of com-

munity members, CHS alumni, current studentsand their families, estates and foundations.

Breakfast fundraiser for CHSClass of 2016

The Class of 2016 is hosting a breakfast

fundraiser tomorrow, Saturday, March 16, from 8to 11 a.m. at Taylor Hall in Claremont (1775 N.Indian Hill Blvd.) Tickets are on sale now for $5each, cost at the door is $7. The community is in-vited to attend.

Celebrate spring at RSABGThe Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden invites

the public to take part in Free Admission Day nextSaturday, March 23, in honor of springs arrival.

Celebrate the seasons bounty as March 23marks the beginning of the gardens WeekendWildflower walks, which will continue throughJune 9. The guided walking tours take place at 11a.m. and 1 p.m.

In addition to free admission, garden visitors areinvited to enjoy complimentary refreshments at 11

a.m. and prize drawings at the California GardenGift Shop. For information, visit www.rsabg.org.

OUR TOWN


6/40

Two weeks ago, it was warmenough on Friday afternoon for meto take off my shirt and just wear

my overalls. Whats more, I could sit andread out in my backyard.

Not bad for March 1. And it was yet another reason,or perhaps the reason, we love it here in southern Cal-ifornia. We have all heard the stories about people call-ing their relatives or friends in the frigid Midwest andgloating or of people getting up on snow-bound NewYears Days and turning on the television to watch theRose Parade in impossibly sunny, balmy Pasadena (andhow many then move here?).

But it was still winter. Even as I enjoyed getting anearly start on my tan, I knew that winter wasnt overand that it would be cold and wet in a few days. Sureenough, a couple storms came through last week.

That, as I learned when reading an article in theLosAngeles Times late last month, didnt stop Los Angelesfrom closing its Westside winter shelter for the home-less on March 1 for the season. Never mind that thenext week was forecast to be wet and cold. Never mind

that, even now, the season isnt over for anotherweek. And never mind that, even in sunny, funnySoCal, the first month or so of spring can bring rain andchilly weather (after all, April showers bring Mayflowers).

And what about the summer heat and smog? Nevermind giving the homeless shelter from that.

The article I was reading was about a storage trailermade available in a pilot program in Venice Beachwhere the homeless could keep their stuff not allowedat the overnight shelter. The unit was accessible for twohours each afternoon and was, like the shelter, slated toclose down on March 1.

Were going to bag and tag [their items], said LosAngeles Councilman Bill Rosendahl, who representsVenice. We want to make it inconvenient but withinthe law."

How convenientor inconvenientwill Claremontmake it for the homeless on its streets? Will we put upwith them until a certain random date, no matter howcold or how wet or how hot it is, and then thats it, wekick them out...to where (theyre already on the street)?

Ive been wondering about this as Claremont hasbeen discovering its homeless in the last year or so.Thats rightdiscoveringfor, after declaring thatthere were 3 homeless people in Claremont, the city,with the assistance of people involved in Occupy Clare-mont, saw that it was off by a factor of 10 and that thereare thirty people at least living on Claremonts streets.

Not only that, but the city has been discovering thatit has to do something about the homeless, other thanthrow them out (to Pomona, to Ontario, to LAs skidrow, if we really want to answer the to where ques-tion). Back when the city presumably thought that therewere 3 homeless people in Claremont, it passed an or-dinance outlawing public camping and sleeping, es-

sentially banning the homeless, but there was a courtruling saying that such a law is unconstitutional.Since then, there has been another court ruling, stem-

ming from Los Angeles, decreeing that a homeless per-sons items, left unattended, cannot be discarded. LosAngeles has been wrestling with this, recently request-ing an appeal, and it appears that the storage trailer inVenice was an answer.

Another answer in Los Angeles has been somethingcalled SHARE, in which a small group of homelesspeople live in a house, made available by its owner andwith rules, where they get the services they need to re-gain or gain stability in their lives.

Maybe one of these houses can be in Claremont. TheClaremont City Council has recently decided to makethe homeless a priority, and as it ponders what to dowith them (other than kick them out), is there a reason

why there cant be a house like this here?Or will the focus be on getting the homeless out ofClaremont? Will the city do everything it can to deterthe homeless, certainly not to attract them, and not toreach out to those who are here and try to help them?

There are those who argue that offering services at-

tracts the homeless. Yes, beware the Ides may webe good advice, but compassion and charity are alsknown for good results. Making the homeless more

a problem may well only make the homless more of a problem.

Something like this happened about teyears ago when LA County came up wia proposal to have five regional servic

centers for the homeless rather than having so many the homeless funnel into Skid Row in L.A. Howevethere was so much of a NIMBY outcry that the idea wshelved, and now Skid Row has become even more a sinkhole, with, probably as a result, a rare strain TB being the latest problem.

I wonder if such a service center or a S.H.A.Rhouse here is even possible when there was a commentary in these pages last week stating that manneighbors are vehemently against hospice, assisted living and community group houses in northern Clarmont. The worry is that these residential homes for thdying, the elderly and other challenged individualregulated and monitored by the state, are a threat to "otreasured neighborhoods.

Dying people. Foster kids. People in wheelchairs.threat? Really?

And this is the homeless were talking about herWere not talking about convicted sex offenders whhave completed their prison terms and are listed in public registry and who are trying to be constructivmembers of society. They are being driven out even LA, where small pocket parks are being put in. Yeits good that some areas are finally getting parks, eveif they are only a swing set and a bench on a patch ograss. But, as was pointed out in a recentLos AngelTimes article, these new parks also have another, pehaps primary purpose: Convicted sex offenders canlive within 2000 feet from parks, as well as schools another such places.

Being cautious and on guard is all well and good, the Ides of March remind us. But I wonder if the upcoming season of renewed life and hope, of newfounfreedom and peace, has a message for us as we cosider how to deal with the others in our midst.


observerobserver

Do we beware the ides, and others, too much?by John Pixley

Theres a picture of me from the mid-1980s and Im looking pretty chic ina pair of black leggings and an over-

sized silk shirt. I wore this pairing to workand felt, in the parlance of my then fashioncopywriting job, that it could go from 9 to5 and after, from the desk to dinner, fromthe boardroom to happy hour.

The other day, I found myself in a somewhat similaroutfit before heading out to eatelastic-waist bottomsand extra large shirt (albeit more tee-shirty than silky)when my husband looked at me and said, Are yougoing out in your mom clothes?

First of all, yesbecause when Im going out fordinner, elastic waist pants always seem like a good idea(in terms of comfort and capacity), and second of all,yesbecause thats about what fits me in my closetright now (especially if I want to sit down at the restau-rant and not risk ricocheting a button throughout the es-tablishment and potentially shooting someones eyeout). What are mom clothes anyway? It had the tinge

of political-incorrectness to it.If my husband puts on a T-shirt and jeans, thats his

outfit. If I try to sport the same look (add some Lycrastretch), thats mom clothes!

I really did try in the beginning, when the kids firstarrived. But how many times did I make an effort, onlyto be soiled in some vile manner? Short of wearing arain slicker year-round, or inventing the mom-bib(theres an idea for some Esty-minded entrepreneur), Ioften had no choice but to don what could reasonablyweather the detritus of childhood (or what the policedescribe as spatter patterns).

The sheer litany of stains Ive endured (as have mostother parents) is mind-boggling and their occurrenceseemed to fall in direct relation to my state of dress, forexample: a good silk blouse on mom equals a kiss onthe shoulder from a child after hes eaten a slightlymelted chocolate candy bar.

Ive learned how to remove bubble gumIm sorry it just fell out of my mouth, sawhichever child left that on my jeansbputting the garment in the freezer for a whil

And how to take out grease stains made bthose french fry-oiled fingers that reach out use your sleeve as a napkin (dish soap!).

For all other incidents, Im basically the mowith the stain stick product on a keychain (make suryour kids can read before you start carrying this arounthough, so they dont try to use it as lip balmjust saying).

In the end, I did change my outfit so that I wasnwearing mom clothes on the date night with my huband. But in the restaurant, as I ripped the corner ofpackage of soy sauce, I suffered a little PTSD (potraumatic stain disorder) flashing back to the times Ibeen accidentally squirted by packet juice of all sor(ketchup, mustard, taco sauce), proving once and foall, that you can take the woman out of mom clothesbut you should never take the mini stain stick off youkey chain.

Rockin my mom clothesby Debbie Carini


7/40

Hikers at the Claremont HillsWilderness Park started up thetrail to enjoy last Saturdays sun-

shine only to receive an unpleasant sur-prise at the end of the loop. About 30parking tickets were issued to WildernessPark visitors on March 9 as no parking

signs went up on Mills Avenue and Mt.Baldy Road in anticipation of the newlyexpanded north lot.

However, it appears officers may havebeen a little too eager. On Monday yellowplastic bags had been placed over the noparking signs located along Mills Avenue.Later that evening, city officials informed

the public that parking along Mills wouldnot be restricted until the new lot opens,which is not expected for another coupleweeks. The tickets were mistakenly is-sued and will be voided, according toClaremont Chief of Police Paul Cooper.

The signs were supposed to be cov-

ered until the lot was open, Chief Coopersaid. Someone in engineering put upsome no parking signs in areas that aregoing to be enforced once the new park-ing lot opens, and that wasnt communi-cated to us.

Officers were simply doing their job,Chief Cooper continues, as the police de-partment gets complaints all the time

about illegally parked cars [at the Wilder-ness Park].

Those who received a ticket for parkingwithin the newly restricted areas at theWilderness Park over the weekend will becontacted by the police and advised thatthe citations will be voided, according to

Chief Cooper. However, while the newestparking restrictions will not go into effectuntil the parking lots opening, it wasnoted that all previous restrictions willcontinue to be enforced.

City staff will be available to answerquestions at the Wilderness Park entrancethis Saturday and Sunday, March 16 and17. Information on the new parking re-strictions will be available. Questions mayalso be directed to the Claremont PoliceDepartment at 399-5411.

City preps for parking lot openingAfter months of construction, the

newly expanded parking lot is expectedto make its debut on Friday, March 22.

However, in order to prepare for the opeing, the Wilderness Park will have to clofirst. The city will shut off access to thpark entirely on Wednesday and Thurday, March 20 and 21 as construction finalized. In addition to park closurMills Road north of Mt. Baldy and th

Wilderness Parks south lot at Mills anMt. Baldy will also be closed to traffic.Parking restrictions on Mills and M

Baldy along with enforcement of the neparking lot permits and metered parkinwill begin on April 1, according to thcity. Annual permits are now available Claremont City Hall and the AlexandHughes Community Center for $75 eacClaremont residents may obtain a maxmum of 2 free passes by presenting an or utility bill. City Hall is located at 20Harvard Ave. The Hughes Center is 1700 Danbury Rd. For more informatiocall the city at 399-5460.


AB1064 school funding[Editors note: The following letter wassent to Assemblyman Chris Holden, 41stDistrict, with a copy forwarded for publi-cation. KD]Dear Editor

While I appreciate [AssemblymanChris Holdens] good intentions for fund-ing schools, I do not think the proposal touse student enrollment is the appropriate

mechanism. As a former teacher for 37years, I offer the following input.Presently, the schools receive funds

based on student average daily attendance(ADA). This method incentivizes schooladministrators to enforce student atten-

dance. The proposed bill has the potentialto weaken this incentive unless it includesa provision to enforce student attendance.

If the bill should be passed, I suggest youinclude a provision which requires parentsto ensure students attendance when school

is in session. As it is, with existing ADA-based funding, parents pull their studentsfrom school before the school day ends.

I propose further strengthening of theADA-based funding by requiring that at-tendance is recorded at the end of the

school day rather than at the beginning, asis the case currently. Recording atten-dance at the end of the day will ensure thatstudents stay in classexcept in case ofemergencyfor the whole school day,and school administrators will have more

incentive to insist that parents do not taketheir students out of class before the endof the school day.

After all, the objective is to educate stu-dents, and that can be achieved only whenthe students are in class. Both parents and

school administrators have the responsbility to ensure that students are in thclassroom for the entire school daTherefore, while funding of schools is important, it should not be the sole objetive. The objective should always be educate students and that can only bachieved if the students are in school.

Thank you for the endeavour to improve our educational system. Neverthless, emphasis should be placed ohaving the students in the classroom annot merely sending money to schoolwhich seems to be the objective of thproposed bill.

Kathryn A. NasiaClaremo


READERS COMMENTS

City dismisses Wilderness Park citations, announces lot opening


8/40

Janet Virginia Jordan Tate died in hersleep in the early morning hours ofWednesday, March 6, 2013 at age 81.She had recently been in failing healthdue to multiple problems related to herheart and lungs.

Mrs. Tate was born on December 14,1931 in Birmingham, Alabama, the ninthchild and the youngest of 7 girls in afamily of 10 children. Hers was a musi-cal family. Her father was director for ahigh school marching band as well as fora community band and her motherplayed violin in the local symphony or-chestra. Each of Mrs. Tates siblingslearned to play various instruments. Sheplayed flute and piano, though she even-tually became primarily a vocalist.

When Mrs. Tate was 17, she studiedvoice with the Julliard faculty, learningthe Bel Canto technique she practicedthe rest of her life. She later studied atHoward College, now Samford Univer-

sity, in Birmingham, earning a bachelorsdegree in vocal music. While she wasthere, mutual friends introduced her to astudent at another local school, Birming-ham-Southern College, named JohnTate.

She and Mr. Tate had grown up livingless than a mile from one another. Theyhad even attended the same high school,where Mr. Tate had admired his futurewife, who was a year older, from afar. Hewas charmed by her singing voice,among other attributes.

The most attractive part of her washer smile, which was a magnet to herpersonality, he said.

They were married in Birmingham in

October of 1954 and lived in Sylacauga,Alabama for 3 years, where they bothtaught in the local school district. Theywelcomed their first child before movingto Texas. After Mr. Tate finished gradu-ate school at Southern Methodist Uni-

versity in Dallas, they lived for a time inSan Jose, where Mrs. Tate gave birth toa second son.

Mrs. Tate was a working mother,

teaching vocal music in public schools atthe primary and secondary levels in Dal-las and San Jose as well as previously inAlabama.

In 1964, the Tates settled in Clare-mont, where Mrs. Tate earned a mastersdegree in vocal music from ClaremontGraduate University and taught vocalmusic in the Alta Loma and Centralschool districts in Rancho Cucamonga.Later, she developed an interest in homeeconomics, particularly sewing, andtaught in that area until retiring in 1987.

Aside from her professional career,Mrs. Tate was known as a sopranosoloist in the southern California area.Her solo performance experience in-

cluded singing in the arena in Ephesus,Turkey where the apostle Paul preachedand singing on HCJB radio in Quito,Ecuador. Locally, she was a soloist withthe University of La Vernes Choir and

Orchestra (1984) as well as with theClaremont United Methodist ChurchChoir and the Pilgrim CongregationalChurch Choir in Pomona. Mrs. Tatesspecialty was performing solos in largeworks, such as the Verdi Requiem,

Mozart Requiem and Beethovens Massin C major.

One of Mrs. Tates favorite retirementpastimes was travel. She and her hus-band visited the British Isles, France,Germany, Spain, China, Russia and Aus-tria and, while in the latter, enjoyedsinging together with the Classical MusicSeminar participants in Eisenstadt. Oneof her favorite destinations, though, washome, by which she meant Alabamaand, more specifically, Birmingham.Much of her family stayed in that areaand raised their families, so it was alwaysa joy for Mrs. Tate to visit with her kin-folk.

Theres a saying, Once a Southerner,

always a Southerner. After a few yearsin California, Mrs. Tates Southern ac-cent faded until relatives insisted shesounded like a Yankee. She still identi-fied as a Southerner, however, and lovedto wear her GRITS hat: i.e. Girls Raisedin The South. And yes, she did oftencook grits for breakfast.

Most recently, the 2012 family re-union drew her, for the last time, to seeher homeland and to hug the peoplewho meant so much to her. Just after that,she and her husband flew to Missouri tosee their son, grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren, a visit that will be cher-ished by her family for many years.

Ms. Tate couldnt tell a jokeshe al-

ways started off with the punch-linebut she had a great sense of humor andloved to laugh, her husband said. Shewas a people person who made friendsquickly, an ability that was no more evi-dent than during her last years at Mt. San

Antonio Gardens, where she continualmade new friendships and renewed oones.

She was a loving wife, mother, granmother, great-grandmother and frienand will be sorely missed, family share

Mrs. Tate is survived by her husbanJohn Tate of Claremont; by her sons andaughters-in-law, Paul and Barbara Taof Wright City, Missouri and David anTammy Tate of Menifee, California; bher grandchildren, Lora (Tate) and JasoJacobson of Kahoka, Missouri, JohPaul and Sarah Tate of High Ridge, Misouri, Cheryl (Tate) and Ryan Hatch Chicago, Illinois and Gordon Tate Wright City, Missouri; and by 4 greagrandchildren, Lance Jacobson anWilliam, Kalina and Joshua Tate.

Mrs. Tate is also survived by 2 sisteIrene (Jordan) Caplan of Dalton, Masschusetts and Maude Ellen (JordaBrown of Valley Grande, Alabama, an

by one brother, David Jordan of Birmingham, Alabama. She was preceded death by 2 brothers, Eugene and Timthy Jordan; by 4 sisters, Martha (JordaStewart, Sara (Jordan) Coe, Caroly(Jordan) McCracken and JoAnn (JordaJohnston; by a number of nieces annephews and, most recently, by ongreat-grandchild, Sawyer Jacobson.

A memorial service for Mrs. Tate wbe held on Sunday, April 21 at 3 p.m. the Claremont United Methodist Churclocated at 211 W. Foothill Blvd. in Clarmont.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks thdonations be made to Cotty ColleFAIB, 1000 W. Austin Blvd., Nevad

MO 64772-2790, or to the Mt. San Atonio Gardens Homeship Fund, 900 Harrison Ave., Pomona CA 9176Please write In Memory of Janet Taton the memo line.


Janet TateTalented vocalist, loving wife, mother and grandmother

OBITUARIES


9/40


Lynn Tobin Jackson, a longtime Clare-mont resident, died on March 7, 2013.She was 77.

Ms. Jackson was born on February 19,1936 in Springfield, Illinois to Ruth Ash-more Tobin and J. Willard Tobin. She

earned a bachelors degree in Englishfrom the University of Illinois and taughtEnglish and history for some time, thenwent on to pursue a PhD in sociology atthe Claremont Graduate University.

Wherever Ms. Jackson went, she threwherself into community service. Begin-ning in 1962, she was an active and long-standing champion of the League ofWomen Voters. In 1979, she was electedto the Claremont Unified School DistrictBoard of Education, serving as boardpresident during her tenure.

Ms. Jackson made a significant impacton the district, according to fellow boardmember Jim Merrill. She instituted a tra-dition: During each board meeting, she

would make a point of circulating amongthe audience members so she could heartheir concerns.

She really believed strongly that weneeded to listen to what the parents andresidents were thinking about ourschools, Mr. Merrill said.

As a strong supporter of the arts, shefought for programs like the high schooltheater department. She was also a

staunch advocate of athletic opportunitiesfor girls, in an era when Title IX was in itsinfancy At the time, CHS had only onegymnasium, which was usually used forboys sports such as basketball and volley-

ball. When the district sold a parcel of theCHS campus to the Griswolds complex,Ms. Jackson was in the forefront of thecampaign to use the proceeds to build asecond gymnasium to accommodate girlssports. Her priorities showed great fore-sight, Mr. Merrill noted.

Claremonts been blessed with a lot ofbright women, and she was certainly oneof them, he said.

Ms. Jackson soon channeled her intel-

ligence in a new direction, returning toschool to pursue a law degree at LoyolaMarymount University. After becoming alawyer at age 50, she practiced law atLegal Aid in Compton for 20 years, andwas dedicated to the low-income com-

munity she served.Sandy Baldonado, a Claremont lawyer

who attended law school with Ms. Jack-son when she, too, was in her 40s, saysshe was a truly good and decent person.

Lynn was a brilliant lawyer who, in-stead of focusing on making money, ded-icated her legal abilities to the poor, Ms.Baldonado said.

Ms. Jacksons upbeat demeanor wasanother asset in her profession, accordingto another friend, Sue Keith.

I suspect her clients, the most vulner-able members of society, were comfortedby this strong, determined women whoseready smile and sunny personality couldturn despair into hope, Ms. Keith said.

Ms. Jackson subscribed to theCOURIER and theLos Angeles Times,reading both from cover-to-cover.

She would get all riled up and say,Can you believe this? her daughterCynthia recalled.

Politics were regularly discussed at thedinner table, but they werent confined toit. As a member of the Claremont UnitedMethodist Church, Ms. Jackson served asthe chair of the Status of the Role ofWomen Committee, was active in theSanctuary movement and was an advo-cate for CUMC becoming a Reconcilingchurch.

Whether she was advocating for thehungry and the homeless of this country

or for the political refugees of LatinAmerica, Ms. Jackson was always will-ing to take to the streets to protest, an ac-tivity that in more than one instance led to

her arrest.A steadfast champion of human right

Ms. Jackson also had a soft spot for anmals. Growing up, she loved spendintime on her familys farm, where shwould ride horses with her grandfathe

Horseback riding continued to bring MJackson joy throughout her life. She kehorses in Claremont for a time and spemany summers at the family cabin in NeMexico, horseback riding, hiking and e

joying the outdoors.Whatever she did, Ms. Jackson had th

support of her husband of 41 years, StevWhen I think of Lynn, I think of Lyn

and Steve together, good friends to eacother and to those of us who have knowthem well, Ms. Keith said. They sharea bond, a commitment to social justicand both put their principles into action

Ms. Jackson not only passed on hcommitment to social activism to her chdren and grandchildren. She inspired a

those around her to reach out and lendhand, said Clara Sota Ivey who, aftmeeting Ms. Jackson at the UniteMethodist Church, struck up a friendshthat lasted nearly 4 decades.

It was her gentleness and kindnethat warmed everyone, and her passiofor justice, Ms. Ivey said. When shsaw something that was not fair, shworked towards changing it. She did a lof good.

Ms. Jackson is survived by her husbanof 41 years, Steve Franklin Jackson; btheir 5 children; by her 6 grandchildreand by her sister, Ann Hart, and her family.

A memorial service for Ms. Jackso

will be held on Sunday, March 17 at p.m. at the Claremont United MethodiChurch, 211 W. Foothill Blvd., Clarmont.

Lynn Tobin JacksonCommunity activist, political advocate

OBITUARIE


10/40

In offering to purchase the water de-livery system from Golden StateWater Company for $54 million, the

city of Claremont has stated that it is

seeking fairness in water service andrates. These are reasonable goals. It isalso true that many other municipalitiessuccessfully administer their own water.Yet there are some difficult questions tobe asked.

First, is water expensive in Claremont? We are afamily of 3. We bathe every day, wash clothing anddishes, drink and do everything else that other peopledo with water. Our bill has been well under $30 permonth for the past 4 months, or around 33 cents perday per person. That doesnt strike me as extortion.

It has been raining, so recently there has been al-most no need for irrigation, but living in a semi-desertenvironment, sprinklers are a choice, not a necessity.One can landscape with plants that require almost no

water, and more and more residents do just that. Itseems reasonable that if you want a big lawn or aswimming pool that it should cost you more than 33cents per day. It is also worth asking whether makingwater any cheaper than it is would even be desirable,given the scarcity of water in southern California andthe environmental consequences of using it with littlethought to the cost.

Is service poor? As a 20-year resident of Clare-

mont, I have had access to potable water 24 hours aday, every day. I have never had or heard of a prob-lem in service delivery. Considering the billions ofpeople around the world who lack access to watereven undrinkable waterin their homes, it is hard tounderstand where the complaint about service comesin.

Are the rates unfair? We do pay somewhat morethan those in surrounding communities and if that isyour only measure of fairness, then the rates are un-fair. Yet if one stops to think that the median familyincome in Claremont is more than 50 percent higherthan in Pomona (where the unemployment rate isnearly double ours) one can be certain that our neigh-bors pay considerably more, in proportion to their in-come, than we do.

What is unfair and profoundly irresponsible aboutthe Golden State Water rate structure is that it pun-ishes conservation and awards waste: Those who con-sume the least (generally those with limitedresources) subsidize the most profligate. It isnt obvi-ous if you look at your bill, because the rates seem togo up as one consumes more water. But those whobelieve that are forgetting something. The water com-pany assesses a service charge just for providingwater. What it means in practice is that the first gallonof water costs us over $12. The last gallon, even forthe most extravagant of consumers, costs a fraction of

a penny. In effect, unless you are filling an Olympicsized pool, the more you waste the cheaper the totalamount of water you use becomesgallon for galloThis is regressive and wasteful.

If the citys offer is accepted, the city would pay thequivalent of more than $1500 per resident to buy

Golden State Water Company (there are only 35,000of us to put up the $54 million, the math is simple). Ithe purchase leads to lower ratesand of course it ispossible it will nothow long will it take to amortizthe investment? If my household bill were cut by onthird (which is a long shot if you look at the experi-ence of other cities that have taken over wateradministration), it would require 37 years to breakeven on the investment of $4500 for the 3 of usanthat is assuming zero inflation.

Finally, we must also ask, what else could we dowith $54 million? A lot. We could provide free daycare for all children under 5. We could offer the besthospice service in southern California. We could givour overworked teachers a break by paying for assistants. We could even give every household that getsrid of its lawn a few thousand dollars; for most peop

that would cut the average summer bill by half ormore, ultimately saving rate payers a lot more monethan the citys plan would. We could do many thingsIf the city gets its wish, however, the best we will beable to do is waste a precious resource with evengreater abandon.

Disclaimer, I dont work for Golden State Wateor know anyone who does. I have no financial ties tothe company, either.

Claremont COURIER/Friday, March 15, 2013 1

Is purchasing Golden State even worth it?by Tobias Hecht

VIEWPOINT


11/40

Eula Mae Maloney, a 40-year residentof Claremont, died on March 1, 2013. Shewas 91.

Mrs. Maloney was born on April 6, 1921in Spadra, California to Oscar and ZedaGlidewell. She attended Pomona High

School and Pomona Junior College.In 1943, she married William Maloney,

then a captain in the United States AirForce. Together, they had an amazing life,traveling the world and raising 4 daughters.

When Mr. Maloney retired in 1970,Mrs. Maloney began a 17-year career withthe Los Angeles County Fair, ultimately re-tiring as operations manager. She contin-ued working with the Fair Association as aconsultant as well as the director of com-munications for the Orange Show.

Mrs. Maloney was committed to com-munity service and served on many localboards, including United Way, Camp FireGirls, the Cable Airport Association,Women's International Bowling Congress,

Retired Officers Association Auxiliary,Red Hill Country Club, Friends of the Fairand the Military Officers Association ofAmerica.

She remained very active throughout herlife, whether traveling to visit her children,grandchildren and great-grand children allacross the country for special events or hol-idays or out on the town with her manyfriends attending lunches, dinners, partiesor entertainment events. She was alwayson the go and ready for a new adventure,according to family.

It is with great sorrow that we an-nounce the passing of our mother, grand-mother, great-grandmother and dear friend.We will all treasure the countless memo-

ries gathered over those many years, MrMaloneys family shared.

Mrs. Maloney was preceded in death bher sister Alma Glidewell, and her husbanof 64 years, William R. Maloney. She survived by her daughter Elizabeth; by hdaughters and sons-in-law, Cathleen anMarcel, Karen and Jim, and Debi anDean; and by 7 grandchildren and 5 greagrandchildren.

A Memorial Mass will be held at 10 a.mon April 6, 2013 at Our Lady of theAsumption Church in Claremont. Mrs. Maoney will be laid to rest in a famiceremony beside Mr. Maloney in Riveside National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, you may make a dnation to Wreaths Across America, PBox 249, Columbia Falls, ME 04624


Eula Mae MaloneyBeloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend


12/40

US Bank is committed to aligning ourbusiness practices and customer offeringswith sustainability goals, Ms. Garrison-Sprenger said. US Bank has long been aleader in renewable energy investing andwe are looking forward to having our ownsolar generation on-site.

Claremont businesses and commercialorganizations are joining an energy-sav-ing movement that has long since caughton in Claremont. In 2006, the city saw aslight jump in solar usage, coinciding withthe introduction of Sustainable Claremontinto the citys general plan. In 2007, num-bers doubled. In 2010 Sustainable Clare-mont introduced the Claremont HomeEnergy Retrofit Project (CHERP), a col-laboration of residents working with com-munity organizations, contractors andcities to promote sustainable buildingpractices and reduce fossil fuel use inClaremont and beyond.

Since the start of the CHERP Program,the numbers continue to increase. In 2012,Claremont property owners added solarpanels to 70 homes and 2 college build-ings. This represents 888,000 kilowatthours of additional renewable energy pro-duced in the city per year, according toChris Veirs, senior planner and sustain-ability coordinator. It is the citys largestsingle-year increase to date. Mr. Veirs at-tributes the jump to technological ad-vancements, lower costs and new fundingstrategies, like leasing the panels.

As more residents make the move,

businesses look to add their support.We hear our customers talking about

how they are using solar power and wewanted to follow suit, said Ryan Hibler,manager of the US Bank on Foothill. Notonly is it great for the environment, but itwill help us save money in the long run.The reaction has been very positive so far.

The local US banking branch isnt theonly local business heeding the residen-tial call to go solar. The Claremont UnitedChurch of Christ is also currently in theprocess of installing 200 panels as part of

a $190,000 solar project spearheaded by achurch solar committee. The church ex-pects to see a savings of $25,000 a yearon their energy bill with the use of solarpanels, according to Tom Helliwell,CUCC parishioner and chair of thechurchs solar committee. Part of the rea-son for the move stems from the churchsdesire to save money for use in program-ing and other important services.

We have to wean ourselves away fromfossil fuels, Mr. Helliwell said. We cantdo it all at once, but we can contribute,

using alternative means of energy whenever we can.

The CUCC solar committee has been work since December 2011, petitioning thcongregation to support the solar causParishioners answered the call heartilThough a portion of the $190,000 sum hbeen borrowed, the churchs congregatiohas provided most of the money.

The congregation been extremely suportive of this. Ive been very encourage

by both the moral and financial support this project.

The main problem with the introdution of solar remains in blending the newith the old. It isnt easy to meld the bulksolar panels with the historic architectuand character residents have come to epect in Claremont. The city is limited what it can do, says Mr. Veirs, as state laprohibits much meddling for aesthetreasons. While Mr. Veirs said he was intially concerned with adding the panelinto the US Bank, a beloved historicbuilding, he is grateful that the companhas worked with the city to ensure thpanels blend, adding shade structures anusing paint to match the existing structur

Continuing to make sure new technologies blend with Claremonts old-towcharm will be a work in progress for thcity as people embrace energy-efficient avancements. Its a challenge they take stride, pleased to see the sustainability goaof the city master plan moved into action

Its a work in progress, Mr. Veisaid. Beth Hartne

[email protected]


SOLAR PANELScontinued from page 3

COURIER photos/Steven FelschundneffCorey Fierro secures a solar panel to a steel infrastructure that will become cov-ered parking during construction on Tuesday at the US Bank branch in Claremont.


13/40

If we want to shrink the gender gap intodays media, life needs to intimate art,said Academy Award-winning actor

and womens advocate Geena Davis at Gar-

rison Theater last Thursday.Its a cause Ms. Davis works tirelessly for as thefounder of The Geena Davis Institute on Gender inMedia, as well as in her roles as chair of the CaliforniaCommission on the Status of Women and special envoyfor women and girls in the field of technology for theUnited Nations. Through her dedicated crusade, Ms.Davis hopes to change the way women are representedin the media, which she believes currently stands asstereotyped and underrepresented. The key lies in com-bating media with media, she says.

Its often found in medicine that the cure can comefrom the same source as the disease, and I think thatmedia itself can be the cure for the problem that its cre-ating, she said. We can create a different future bychanging what people are seeing. I always say if they cansee it, then they can be it.

Ms. Davis delivered her message to a standing room-only crowd, mostly women, as part of Scripps CollegesAlexa Fullerton Hampton Endowed Speakers Program.While peppering her talk with humor, showcasing hertrue talent as an entertainer, her message was serious:Something needs to give about the way women areviewed on the big screen. As a mother, that vision be-came clear.

What message are we sending to young boysand girls if the female characters are one-dimen-sional, sidelined, stereotyped, hyersexualized, orsimply not there at all? We are saying that womenand girls are less valuable to our society than menand boys, Ms. Davis said. We are saying thatwomen and girls dont take up half the space inthe room, and the message is sinking in. The morehours of television a girl watches, the fewer op-tions she feels she has in life, and the more a boywatches, the more sexist his views become.

Most of the time we do these things withouteven noticing, Ms. Davis suggests, like when werefer to a man as an actor and a woman as an ac-tress.

If you look at the dictionary, an actor is a per-son who acts. Its not a man who acts, she said.I think very soon, actress will sound as quaint asdoctress or poetess. People really use this. I con-sider myself a former waiter who became anactor.

As a young child growing up in a small town,Ms. Davis felt her options were endless, but hadher sights set on one particular goal from the verybeginning. At age 3, Ms. Davis told her parents that shewanted to be an actor. Where she got the idea, she has noclue, but her parents were always supportive. They wereeven unfazed, to her surprise, when she announced yearslater that she would be pursuing an acting degree atBoston University.

My family and I were so removed from anything thathad to do with show business that...they were like ohthats fine, as if Id mentioned a field where you can ac-tually expect to get a job, she joked. Either I had thisunshakeable faith or I was too dense to understand sim-ple percentages.

But the numbers turned out in her favor. After a briefstint as a fashion model, Ms. Davis was cast in her firstrole in 1982s Tootsie, starring Dustin Hoffman. Her ca-reer took off. In the decades that followed she brought tolife a number of memorable characters, including DottieHinson in A League of Their Own, Thelma in Thelma& Louise alongside Susan Sarandon, and Muriel Pritch-ett in The Accidental Tourist, for which she won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1988.

Known for her strong female portrayals, such as her

title role as the first female president in the televisiondrama Commander in Chief, for which she won aGolden Globe, Ms. Davis said she was always acutely

aware of how few great female roles existed.Of the parts that are there, many are not that interest-

ing. You are just the girlfriend or just the eye candy, sheexplained.

While admittedly taking on some roles that didnt jibewith her plan to empower womenshe jokes about her1988 film Earth Girls Are Easyshe says her part inThelma & Louise changed her life.

It really brought home to me, in a very personal way,how few opportunities we give women to feel like thatcoming out of a movie, to feel inspired and excited aboutthe female characters in the movies, she said.

From that time on, Ms. Davis says she dedicated her-self to liberating women by more carefully selecting theroles she accepted. It became increasingly important toselect roles with a character that sought to choose herown fate. She had no idea that her selectiveness would

lead to a more active role in advocacy for women inmedia.

Years later, Ms. Davis found herself at homwatching G-rated movies along with her then 2year-old daughter, Alizeh. All too familiar with thlack of great female roles, Ms. Davis started to taknotice of how few women were being representein the movies her daughter was watching. Shquestioned her friends, but no one had noticed. Shasked those in the film industry, and they declareto her that they were addressing the problem, b

she was skeptical.A self-exclaimed datahead, she took matters inher own hands. The data she found shocked heLike the fact that the ratio of male-to-female chaacters in movies has been exactly the same sin1946. Or the fact that one study concluded that we added women at the rate we have been to Cogress, we would achieve parity in 500 years. Aother study suggested women represent 17 perceacross sectors. The House of Representatives is 1percent female. So is the percentage of femamovie narrators, cardiac surgeons, tenured profesors, the animation guild and the number women who participated in the latest world ecnomic forum. The number of women who mak

up crowd scenes in movies? Also 17 percent.You think you almost have to go out of the way

pull that one, Ms. Davis said, but it got her thinkinWhat if the problem of gender equality is much, mucdeeper than we ever possibly imagined?

Ms. Davis hopes to start making up the differenthrough See Jane, an arm of her nonprofit that advocatfor gender balance in the shows or movies children viewUsing media could be the key to change. She further encourages parents to get involved in their childrens viewing experience, pointing out differences and engaginthem in discussion.

Lets say I wanted to be a role model as a nuclephysicist. It would take me countless years to study thand...become famous for being a nuclear physicist, bucan play one tomorrow, she said. Its that fast in mediIt just happens. In the world of endless possibilities thexist in Hollywood...life will imitate art. The art can lethe way for changing these societal barriers.


Geena Davis uses celebrity to crusade for womens rights

Claremont COURIER/Friday, March 15, 2013 1SPORTS

COURIER photos/Steven FelschundneAcademy Award-winning actor Geena Davis, 57, met with reporters following her speech, Gender Equality Modern Media on Thursday at Scripps College.

Ms. Davis meets with some of her fans while posing for photos fol-lowing her talk Thursday evening at Scripps College.


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Connie Q. Belmontes, a longtimeClaremont resident, died peacefully inher sleep at her daughters home in Up-land on February 15, 2013. She was 69.

Ms. Belmontes was born in Sanger,

California on January 23, 1944 to Henryand Hyacinth Quintanar, the oldestdaughter among 12 children. Her givenname, Consuelo, was shortened to Con-nie, which she would go by for the rest ofher life. Her family moved south whenMs. Belmontes was 2, settling in Chino,which had become a thriving agriculturalenclave.

As a young girl, Ms. Belmontespitched in to help her family, pickingcrops and working at local dairy farmsas well as helping to care for her youngersiblings. By the time she was a teen, shewas working as a fruit packer, boxing uporanges, lemons and grapefruit in the cit-rus industry that flourished throughout

the region.She had moved on to work as a salesassociate at Kmart when she was set upon a blind date with a co-workersbrother, Louie Belmontes. They fell inlove and were married soon after. In1969, Ms. Belmontes moved with hernew husband to Claremont, where theylived for the next 36 years, raising 3 chil-dren and becoming active parishionersof Our Lady of the Assumption CatholicChurch.

Ms. Belmontes worked for a numberof years in a sewing shop. Later, as ahomemaker, she took pride in sewing forher family. There are a number of pho-

tos featuring Ms. Belmontes and herdaughters in matching homemadedresses, with her son in a shirt of hermaking. She also loved cooking, andwas known for her savory tamales anddelicious biscuits. Not long ago, she vis-ited her great-granddaughters class-room, demonstrating for the studentshow to make homemade chicken soup.

Ms. Belmontes greatest loves wereher family and her faith. She enjoyedspending time with her grandchildrenand lending her soprano voice to thechoir at OLA. Those were not her onlyenthusiasms, though. Ms. Belmontesloved music, from country tunes to opera

to the retro crooning of Michael Bubl,and had tickets to see Barbara Streisandat the time of her death. She regularlytuned in to catch reruns of bandleaderLawrence Welks long-running TV show

and once had the chance to take a photo-graph with Mr. Welk, a piece of memo-rabilia she cherished.

A huge fan of sports, Ms. Belmontesalso delighted in heading to games toroot for her beloved Lakersparticu-larly Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasolaswell as the Dodgers, of whom Mike Pi-azza was her favorite. Ms. Belmontessometimes boasted about anothercelebrity encounter, the time she metDodgers manager Tommy Lasorda.

Between their mothers enthusiasmfor athletics and the fact that Mr. Bel-montes was a baseball coach, each oftheir kids participated in youth sports.Ms. Belmontes always made sure to be

there at games, cheering them on.She was a fun-loving, bubbly, peopleperson, according to family.

Ms. Belmontes would be the first toadmit she was a bit of a shop-aholic, buther purchases were most often madewith others in mind. She regularly pur-chased socks and blankets to donate tohomeless shelters or to the local dialysiscenter. She also bought countless giftsfor her children and her grandchildren.They came to expect sports-themed pres-ents, including Laker- and Dodger-themed items ranging from hats to visorsto purses and wallets.

Ms. Belmontes also enjoyed quiet mo-

ments, knitting or crotcheting, writing her daily journal, poring through bookof sewing patterns and reading religioumagazines.

Every single day, shed read abo

being Catholic. It meant so much to herMs. Belmontes daughter Irene said.She loved traveling with her husban

including trips to Washington, DC ancountry music haven Branson, Missouand was always involved in a new proect. Shortly before her death, she wenshopping to pick up some yarn for blanket she planned to knit in the coloof the Virgin Mary to be raffled off bher church.

She often did things like that. Shwas so into giving and helping peoplefamily said.

Ms. Belmontes final moments wein keeping with her life. She did somneedlework, said her prayers and ha

laid down for a nap when her goldeheart stopped beating, family shared.Ms. Belmontes is survived by h

mother, Hyacinth Quintanar of Chino; bher siblings, Ben, Frank, Lydia, Alicand Annie, all of Chino; by her childreRalph Chiappone and Grace Silva, boof Chino, and Irene Rena Chiapponof Upland; by 8 grandchildren and by great-grandchildren. She was precedein death by her husband, Louie Bemontes, who died in 2005.

Connie Q. BelmontesBeloved mother and grandmother, avid sports fan

OBITUARIES


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Some Crust Bakery is such a Clare-mont fixture, it seems like its beenhere forever. For all intents and pur-

poses it has, because this cozy bastion ofgood coffee and delectable baked goods has

a decidedly venerable history.When Larry and Sandy Feemster purchased the busi-

ness in 1997, Some Crust had already been a Villagestaple since 1978. In fact, the Yale Avenue shop hasbeen a bakery since 1916. Before that, it was a drygoods store founded in 1889. Those white-paintedwooden shelves behind the counter, which are so fa-miliar to the bakerys regulars, date back to the storesturn-of-the-century opening.

Upon assuming ownership,Mr. Feemster, who had servedfor almost 2 decades as the se-curity director for In-N-OutBurger, felt a responsibility touphold the shops longstand-ing reputation for quality. Ms.Feemster was already a skilled

baker, who was making specialty items for Some Cruston a part-time basis when then owner Dorothy Demkeapproached her to see if she was interested in buyingthe business. Not to be outdone, Mr. Feemster headedfor the International School of Baking in Bend, Oregonfor a crash course on artisan baking.

There, he acquired more than the ability to turn flour,milk and eggs into a bit of oven-warmed heaven. Mr.Feemster acquired a philosophy: If you focus on usingthe highest-quality ingredients available, and take thetime to perfect your recipes, the end product is boundto be outstanding.

While in recent times Some Crust has introduceddiet-conscious items like gluten-free cookies in re-sponse to customer requests, the bakery is no healthfood store. Their concoctions feature cream instead ofskim milk, and lots and lots of butter. It is, however, an

establishment with a fiercely loyal clientele and a de-cidedly continental flavor. A number of patrons haveremarked that Some Crust has the best pastries you canget outside of Europe, and that its croissants, in partic-ular, rival those made in France.

Were very busy, but were busy because we dontcut corners, Mr. Feemster said. It costs me a lot tomake things the way we do, but we dont want to turnoff our customers, so we ride out the price increases.

Mr. and Ms. Feemsters success is based on a win-ning formula. They kept the elements that originally

made Some Crust popular, like quality bread and fa-vorite offerings like chocolate chip cookies and snick-erdoodles, but they also introduced some much-neededchanges.

Ms. Demke operated the space next door to the bak-ery as a teashop, which wasnt actively frequented. TheFeemsters turned the teashop into a down-to-earth cafwhere customers could sit down and have a sandwichwith some soup or salad as well as opting for a sweet

treat. The caf has become a sort of headquarters formany Village regulars, including students and staff ofthe Claremont Colleges.

There are many professors who just about livethere, Mr. Feemster joked.

The Feemsters have also, over the years, introduceda greater level of business-mindedness and disciplineto their staff. While there are still many musicians andartists working behind the counters of Some Crust, ec-centrici

claremont courier 3.15.13

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