Courier Almanac 2015-16

8/20/2019 Courier Almanac 2015-16

1/83

almanac2015-16 Claremont COURIER

Cour er il remont

claremont-courier.com

Off the beaten

Rural lifestyle fits

unique Claremont

neighborhoods

BIRD’S EYE VIEW

High altitude view of the city

PATH


2/83


3/83


4/83


5/83


6/83


7/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 7

Doug McGoon built the Galaxy Project about eight years ago out of

rocks from his property. Here, Judy Ott-McGoon stands on an

observation platform near the sculpture which, according to Mr.

McGoon, can be easily seen from satellite photos on Google Maps.

The McGoons live on Abilene Way, one of the few unpaved streets

in the city limits.

Rural lifestyle still fits uniqueClaremont neighborhood

Off the beaten path...

Story by Angela Bailey • Photography by Steven Felschundneff


8/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 8

OFF THE BEATEN PATH/ continues on page 11

Nestled just north of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and the Bernard

Field Station, Abilene Way’s rural lifestyle is enhanced by the dirt roads

and the absence of streetlights.

COURIER photos/Steven FelschundneffA

neighborhood can have a profound impact

on one’s sense of place. At its best, it fos-ters a sense of community and encouragessocial interaction among neighbors. At its worst, itcan devolve into exclusivity or segregation.

Just south of Radcliffe Drive in the center of Claremont lies a lit-tle neighborhood that offers another option: the quiet luxury of minding your own business. It doesn’t get much attention. Andthat’s the way the residents like it.

Abilene Way, with its row of multi-colored mailboxes andnine-foot-wide dirt road, is the gateway to 10 acres of Shangri lafor more than a dozen residents who call it home.

“We’ve had guests to our house for events that say, ‘I’ve livedin Claremont since 1990 and I didn’t know this place was here,”says Abilene Way resident Douglas McGoon. “Most people thinkit belongs to the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden. It’s truly ahidden gem in Claremont.”

Abilene Way, together with the Bernard Biological Field Sta-tion to the south, the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden to thewest and the City of Pomona Water Company to the east, pro-vides a habitat for native mammals, birds, reptiles and insects.Zoned a Rural Residential District, the existing houses are rela-tively low in stature compared to many in urbanized Claremontand are devoid of fences that would create an artificial division.The free-range arrangement underscores the residents’ desire tolive collaboratively with the native environment.

There are no streetlights and no paved roads leading to theeight parcels that make up Abilene Way. Most property ownersstill rely on septic tanks and shared water. It’s a rural lifestylesmack dab in the middle of a city filled with modern conven-iences.A short history with little change

With their neighborhood’s zoning, Abilene Way residents be-

came concerned over future development of the area, so in June1989, they requested that the city consider setting developmentstandards over and above the existing standards to regulate it.The request came before the Architectural and Planning Com-missions in September that same year, who encouraged the prop-erty owners to work among themselves to reach a consensus andthen present a proposal to the city for consideration.


9/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 9

A row of mailboxes at the entrance of Abeline Way.


10/83


11/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 11

Residents returned to the com-mission in 1991 but remainedin disagreement over much of

the proposal, which featured a fewdozen areas residents hoped toaddress. The trouble was, they were atodds over almost every point. Somewanted to limit the footprints of hous-es, while others were more concerned

with the height of structures. Somepeople wanted the option to fence intheir property, while others pushed fora neighborhood without borders.

In response to the stalemate, the city managerand commission requested that city staff developan alternate proposal and held a study sessionwith property owners hoping to resolve their dif-ferences. At the conclusion of the study session,the commission felt all parties were close to a so-lution and recommended city staff develop an or-dinance incorporating all concerns.

In July 1992, the city initiated proceedings toredistrict the RRD to a new zoning designation,the Abilene Residential District (ARD). The pro-posed development standards, which would be

more restrictive under the zoning, were broughtbefore the city council for their consideration.

With one councilmember referring to the resi-dents’ request for new zoning as a “neighborhoodfeud,” the consensus was to direct city staff to fin-ish the process pertaining to Abilene Way in “thenear future,” and to “do it quickly.”

To date, Abilene Way remains a Rural Residen-tial District. That’s just fine with its current resi-dents, who work hard to live in harmony not onlywith the native landscape but with their neighborsas well.

Neighbors work togetherOf the eight parcels that make up the Abilene

Way neighborhood, seven have been developedthus far and not necessarily in a traditional way.Residents Douglas McGoon and Judy Ott-Mc-Goon moved to their little piece of paradise afterpurchasing their rural 1.2-acre lot in 2001, then

moved a Claremont Colleges schoolhouse to thesite to serve as their residence.The property had few amenities, only electric-

ity, and the McGoons were prepared to use a wa-ter tank, septic tank and propane to meet their ba-sic needs.

“This lot had been for sale and sold at leastthree times prior to us acquiring it, because therewere no easements,” Mr. McGoon explains. “No-body was going to want to move in without wa-ter. Three houses are currently on one meter andthey share it, which is not really practical, andthey weren’t going to do that for a fourth house.We beat them at their own game in that regard.”

The McGoons felt like they hit the lottery whenDr. Russell Martin, their former neighbor to theeast, was granted an easement from the city.

Given his home’s proximity to the Pomona watersource, septic was not an option for Dr. Martinand he was granted an exemption to connect tothe city’s sewer line. Three homeowners on Abi-lene Way, including the McGoons, bought intothat permanent easement from a house on Rad-cliff that goes right through their side yard.

“Russ came over and said, ‘You want to sharethis easement?’ and gave me the price. I couldn’t

reach for my wallet fast enough to write thatcheck!” Mr. McGoon says with a smile. “We es-sentially became symbiotic in that we plowedthrough the hostilities of the neighborhood. Peo-ple love their privacy back here, they love beingexclusive and they love not being developed.”

“The neighbors didn’t like us,” says Ms. Ott-McGoon. “They wanted it to stay primitive, but Idon’t think they knew that we wanted that too.”

With a mutual love for dirt and saving oldthings, the McGoons set out to create their ownlittle slice of heaven in the City of Trees.

In 2001, the couple purchased the Mary B. EyreChildren’s School and relocated the structure toAbilene Way. The school—originally located onwhat is now the parking lot on the west side of Steele Hall at Scripps College—was split downthe middle and transported to its new location andessentially reassembled.

“They had to cut it in half and this used to betwo bedrooms,” Ms. Ott-MsGoon says of thecouple’s upstairs retreat. “The architect said, ‘Justmake it one big bedroom because it’s only the

Doug McGoon heads into his orchard while per-

forming some morning chores recently on

Abilene Way in Claremont. The 1.2-acre piece of

land has many fruit trees, a vegetable garden,

beehives and grape vines, all of which take a fair

amount of maintenance.

COURIER photos/Steven Felschundneff

OFF THE BEATEN PATH/ continues on the next page


12/83

two of you and it didn’t have a bathroom so weadded the bathroom.”

Complete with a basement that serves as a wineand root cellar, the McGoons have retained asmuch of the original architecture of the Mary B.Eyre structure as possible. The windows, doorsand built-ins are as they were when constructed in1922 and the couple took great care in payinghomage to the little ones who roamed the halls—both past and present—with one unusual feature.

“We had four baby toilets that were original sowe moved one in there and created this little al-cove for the grandkids,” Ms. Ott-McGoon says of the miniature commode. “It’s just the cutestthing.”

A second structure was acquired and added tothe Abilene property in 2005.

“That’s the two-car garage for the Green andGreen on Eighth Street and College,” Mr. Mc-Goon says. “The new owner wanted a three-cargarage and wanted to demo it. Because the lot islarge enough, we are allowed to have a seconddwelling.”

The McGoons property is indeed large and theymake good use of the land. Fruit trees, vegetablesand herbs are grown throughout and are hand-wa-tered when needed. Mr. McGoon is building agreenhouse on the property, constructed of olddoors and windows.

“We try to recycle everything we can—nothinggoes to waste here,” says Ms. Ott-McGoon whoowns Foothill Kitchens LLC, a commercialkitchen in Upland. “We use the green waste fromthe commercial kitchen to not only feed the chick-ens but in the compost bins here at the house.”

The couple has five compost bins on the prop-erty—including one with earthworms—that are

used to enrich the soil.Two large beehives, recovered from a utility box

by Mr. McGoon himself, are located on the north-west portion of the property and provide honey-comb.

“I’ve lost three hives since I’ve been here,” Mr.McGoon explains as a swarm of bees swirls in theair. “When a beehive outgrows itself, they throwup another queen and those two queens go to bat-

tle. One or the other will have to leave and takes abunch of bees with her. so they are looking for anew home. They must have just thrown thatswarm off. I may get a call now, because peopleknow I’m looking for swarms.”

Ms. Ott-McGoon adds with a giggle, “He lovesthose bees, but they sting him anyway!”

While maintaining a property of this size may be

a challenge for many homeowners, the McGoonsfind joy in living a life they’ve created in a neigh-borhood of like-minded people.

“It’s tough, but working in the yard is a passionfor me. It’s my pleasure,” Mr. McGoon says of caring for his 52,000-square-foot property.

“Doug puts in a lot time,” says Ms. Ott-Mc-Goon, who concurs with her husband. “To dosomething like this it takes time, and we have twoor three jobs to be able to do it. It’s always goingto be primitive because you don’t have the sprin-klers and the lawn, but that’s what we like. Wehave the best of both worlds…We’re close to en-tertainment and conveniences, but we’re on a dirtroad. We have our own privacy. For us, it’s a realplus-plus.”

While Abilene Way is unlike most communitiesin Claremont, some things ring true as with anyneighborhood. Homes change ownership and thenext generation of residents breathes new life intothe neighborhood.

The McGoons have acquired new neighbors inAstrid Shell and Anne Scutt-Putney, who purchasedDr. Martin’s home in 2011. After looking at housesin the Village, the couple knew Abilene Way wastheir home the minute they laid eyes on it.

“We knew it was ours before we even got out of the car,” says Ms. Scutt-Putney. “Then, as wewere looking at the house, we met Doug and Judy.

They are really the heart of the neighborhood andwhat makes it special to us. Doug does things as agood neighbor, we share a lot meals together andthey’ve just become our extended family.”

Just goes to show, you don’t need good fencesfor good neighbors. —Angela Bailey

[email protected]

Mr. McGoon checks on his grape vines while performing morning chores recently at his Claremont home.

ALMANAC 2015-2016 12


13/83


14/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 14

9 1 7 1 1Bird’s Eye View:

Given this year’s Almanac is filled with unique aerial im-

ages, I thought it’s an appropriate time to make public what

some readers have already figured out.

I own a drone.

Yes, I’ve used one to shoot all these images. It’s taken

nine months and hundreds of flights to gain enough experi-

ence to comfortably photograph Claremont events and

other classic scenes, all within the city limits and with the

FAA’s blessing.

Now before you send me an email about Big Brother, pri-

vacy or just being freaky, please let me explain. Believe it

or not, it’s never really been about flying.

We know Claremont can be quite stunning visually, so

my goal has been to show readers first-ever pictures and

video footage of familiar scenes from the air.

The results include images of popular Claremont happen-

ings, places from angles high and, in some cases, not so

high. These pictures come to life in our three-minute video

that appears on the COURIER website at www.claremont-

courier.com.

See our extended photo gallery and video on claremont-courier.com

Written and photographed byPeter Weinberger

A unique aerial view of Claremont, California

BIRD’S EYE/page 16


15/83

Traffic on Indian HillIndian Hill Boulevard and First Street have been key traffic arteries to the Claremont Village for decades.HOW IT WAS SHOT: High-end drones with cameras allow the pilot to adjust shooting angles up and down. To move left and right, the droneneeds to be turned using a joystick.

Cruising hillside trailsThe Claremont Hills Wilderness Park has become a popular destination to enjoy the great outdoors.HOW IT WAS SHOT:This area is easier to navigate because the wide-open spaces pose few obstructions. Starting at the highestpoint of the park loop trail made it easy to find hikers and bikers enjoying the landscape. Flying low—under 75feet—was key to making sure the people walking were visible.


16/83

With all the bad publicity drones get, it’s important to notethat you can’t just show up at a city fireworks show, or theClaremont High School graduation, and launch a drone. Ittakes planning and communication with all involved so thateveryone feels comfortable with aerial photography. This hasincluded numerous demonstrations to show how our drone op-erates.

These images would not have happened without the help of Claremont’s city officials, police department, school district,Pomona College, Stephen McKenna from Drone World and

the many people on the ground who were not afraid to askquestions, while still demonstarting an understanding what Iwas trying to accomplish.

It’s also important to note that rapid advances in drone tech-nology have brought some excellent products to consumers. If you have visions of a 50-pound, four-foot-wide metal contrap-tion with eight propellers and a camera, you might be sur-prised. My drone weighs four pounds, uses four small plasticpropellers, runs 20 minutes on one battery, and comes with acamera that shoots 12 megapixel photos and HD video. Themajority of shoots are completed using only one battery, sincethey usually only lend themselves to one image and video clip.

You fly a drone using a controller with joysticks and aniPhone app to control the camera. I can see through thecamera when flying, plus I always keep an eye in the

air. Multitasking is critical. If the drone runs low on batteries orgoes out of sight, you can bring it home to land automatically.The drone uses a GPS mode via satellites, making it very stablein the air (even in a strong wind), and it will literally hover untilthe pilot decides to make a move. With the app, I see all sortsof data including height, speed, distance, location on a map andmore.

Made by the China-based company DJI, this model can flyup to one mile away with an unblocked signal, but neverleaves my sight in the air. Of course, purchasing a high-enddrone is not cheap. To get set up properly, it will cost $1,500-$2,000.

The FAA dictates where to fly drones, since they are liter-ally considered aircraft. A larger plane cannot simply ignore adrone, but must fly safely around it. My opinion of peoplewho obstruct planes in the air cannot be published in this fam-ily newspaper.

The FAA is also catching up to establish a more complete

set of rules that apply to consumer drones. There are currentlysome rules in effect, but enforcement is difficult. I believe hav-ing a person to register their device, or pass a test, should be

required. In the meantime, DJI will sell 400,000 drones world-wide in 2015.

For those of you concerned about privacy, this is not thetime to worry. Even though 400,000 may seem like a big num-ber, the potential consumer base is tiny compared to the cam-era market, for example. In an era with smartphones in everyhand, small GoPro cameras strapped to just about anything,video cameras at street corners, security cameras at work andhome, satellite image mapping—including street photos of

just about any business or home via a Google search—thereare billions of devices out there.

All this is why I choose to focus on the photography. Thereare so many great views of a Claremont parade, graduation orfireworks show that have not been photographed yet.

Aerial photography will continue to be a small part of ourCOURIER coverage in the future. It’s a tool of the trade, but

not one that will overwhelm our shooting style.In the meantime, enjoy this bird’s eye view of Claremont.

ALMANAC 2015-2016 17ALMANAC 2015-2016 16

9 1 7 1 1Bird’s Eye View:

Sun sets over baseball parksCommon sights around the Village are Amtrak trains and Little Leaguers.HOW IT WAS SHOT: The key to capturing this photo is patience. Pick thespot to photograph, and hover the drone until the train comes through.

Flag waversAmerican flags, large and small, were a big part ofClaremont’s July Fourth celebration.HOW IT WAS SHOT: Like the train image, the ability tohover and wait made shooting this photo possible.

On the moveThe Base Line Road off-ramp at the 210 freewaydoesn’t always look this traffic-free.HOW IT WAS SHOT: The goal was to photo-graph the sun setting over the freeway. When Iturned the camera around, this is what I found.

continued from page 15

Cool poolsEven with state water restrictions, local pools remainin full bloom during the hot summer.HOW IT WAS SHOT: Many people think you have togo to great heights to shoot aerials. That’s really notthe case. This photo was taken at around 200 feet.

BIRD’S EYE/page 18


17/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 18

See our extended photo gallery and video on claremont-courier.com

9 1 7 1 1Bird’s Eye View: Edge of Claremont

Homes have been built right to the edge of Los AngelesCounty looking east near Padua Park.HOW IT WAS SHOT: Even at just 120 feet, using a wide-anglelens covers a lot of territory.

Drone revealedThis DJI Phantom 3 has been vastly improvedsince the first version was released in 2013.HOW IT WAS SHOT: Once in GPS mode, the P3will hover, waiting for further instructions. Built-in software limits the drone to a height of 400feet to stay within FAA guidelines.

Class of 2015Graduates from the Pomona College class of 2015line up for a group photo just after commence-ment practice near College Avenue.HOW IT WAS SHOT: Sometimes luck helps themost in capturing compelling images. The dronewas already airborne once this gathering started.

continued from page 17


18/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 19

Lights, camera, action!The Laemmle’s movie theater sign marks the center of various shops and restaurants on the west side of the Village on Indian Hill Boulevard.HOW IT WAS SHOT: Low altitudes can make unique aerial photos, but also invite interest from people on the street nearby.

Moonrise over the collegesThe rising moon replaces the settingsun over the Claremont Colleges.HOW IT WAS SHOT: Because the expo-sure of the moon and the landscape canbe quite hard to match, using manualsettings is a must.


19/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 20

Lyndon McDow and his wife Mary raised twin boys on Drake Avenue in south Claremont. In the 25 years the couple has lived in the area,

they have seen a lot of changes including increased congestion on Indian Hill Boulevard. “The thing that really kills you is the traffic,” Mr.

McDow said, noting that a second exit point for Auto Center Drive would be a big benefit.

Residents of hidden neighborhoodproud to be ClaremontersStory and photography by Steven Felschundneff


20/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 21

T

he slender rectangle of land cut off fromthe rest of Claremont by the San

Bernardino Freeway is so obscure thatmany Claremont residents assume it’s part of Pomona.

The Rodney Dangerfield, “I can’t get no respect,” neighbor-hood has been given some unflattering nicknames over the years,Baja Claremont and Claremona among the most popular. Theyare names that undoubtedly make its residents scowl. Even theClaremont Summer Guide 2015, mailed to every household bythe city, includes two maps that unceremoniously cut the neigh-borhood in half.

It’s really no surprise that the people who actually live there de-scribe a mostly quiet community with friendly neighbors and safestreets. Driving the area you can’t miss the well-maintained yardsand obvious civic pride.

Built in the 1950s during a period of great expansion through-out southern California, the single-family homes line streets

named after elite east coast colleges such as Bryn Mawr Road,and Brown Drive. The population boom also brought a need formore efficient roadways, and so the San Bernardino Freeway cutthrough the region, severing every existing town along the way.

At first there may have been little to distinguish the neighbor-hood from the other nice homes in north Pomona. However, asPomona began to enter a state of decline in the 1970s and 1980s,Claremont was on the rise and soon the distinction was hard tomiss.

David Von Fleckles has lived in the area for years and has seenit grow and change. With his new bride Sharman Van Zandt, thecouple settled into their home just south of his bachelor pad onCollege Avenue.

He describes the appeal of the area: “Nice older homes built inthe ’50s, 90 percent owner-occupied. It’s been a really nice placeto live.”

Back then it was extremely quiet but, beginning in the early1990s, traffic problems started to increase. There was only a stopsign at Indian Hill Boulevard and American Drive, and there wasa big Costco just across the border in Pomona, but the currentmajor commercial developments had yet to come. Now Ameri-can Drive is a major thoroughfare providing access to both theSuper King shopping center and the freeway on-ramps, and thetraffic on Indian Hill during the commute can be unbearable.

“From 3 to 6 p.m. I don’t even try to go that way, I use Mills in-stead,” Mr. Von Fleckles said. Traffic regulations seem to be ig-nored—when turning left into the Starbucks, drivers just run thered light or even block the intersection, he added.

The location has also affected property values. “Move myhouse to the other side of the freeway and the price goes up$200,000, but that is how it goes,” he said.

That same relative affordability brought Heather and DarvinGomez to the neighborhood in 2012. The couple was renting near

Oakmont Outdoor School but wanted to buy a house and start afamily. They settled on Drake Avenue on the western edge of theresidential area. Over their back wall, the commercial develop-ment begins, including a large hotel.

The Gomez family praises the neighborhood as quiet and thepeople as friendly. However, their frustration with the traffic onthe Indian Hill corridor and some of the seedier elements associ-ated with the hotels frustrate them.

“They want to build another hotel, but can’t handle the one theyhave,” said Mr. Gomez

“We love Claremont, that is why we bought here. We do all of our shopping at Sprouts and Trader Joes. We go out in the Vil-lage, we even send our daughter to preschool in Claremont,” saidMs. Gomez.

Even so, they don’t understand why the city chooses to bendsome of the rules in their neighborhood, yet stands firm in other

areas.“This is kind of a forgotten area,” said Ms. Gomez. “It’s alsothe only place they allow drive-throughs. The exceptions to therules make it challenging for us to maintain our Claremontlifestyle.”

For example, Mr. Gomez points out the new electronic bill-board that was recently approved for Auto Center Drive even

Stately palms are bathed in the golden light of the setting sun recently on

American Avenue, which is the southern border of the city of Claremont.

Some residents of the slender rectangle of Claremont between American

and the San Bernardino Freeway feel cut off from the rest of the city.

COURIER photos/Steven Felschundneff HIDDEN NEIGHBORHOOD/ continues on the next page


21/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 22

though it is against city codes. But a billboard forthe retail development on Towne Avenue and BaseLine Road was defeated.

“There’s a freeway up there too. Iit would havebeen good for revenue,” he said.

Revenue is key because the businesses on AutoCenter Drive provide 32 percent of Claremont’ssales tax receipts.

“Norms is busy 24-7,” said Mr. Von Fleckles, re-

ferring to the popular eatery just off the freeway.Add to that three car dealerships, the ever-so-pop-ular Super King market and a host of smaller busi-nesses and one can imagine the congestion prob-lem.

“The thing that really kills you is the traffic. Theshopping center has done well and that is good,but they didn’t think it through. If everyone comesthrough the same side, of course it will back up,”said the Gomez’s neighbor Lyndon McDow. Hewould like to like an additional exit from AutoCenter Drive to the west to ease the traffic on In-dian Hill.

The noise and the congestion get to him some-times. “If it’s not the freeway, then it’s the hotel or

the planes from the airport,” he said“Seems like people are less respectful these

days,” said Mr. McDow, complaining about theloud parties that take place at the Motel 6 just overhis back wall. “I would never let my boys makethat kind of noise, and this is coming from adults.”

Mr. McDow didn’t report any direct issues withthe hotel’s clientele other than the occasional do-mestic disturbance. He did note that the police pa-

trol the parking lot frequently.The 58-year-old raised twins with his wife Mary

on Drake Avenue, where the couple still lives. Hehas been around long enough to know some of the“old timers,” the people who lived there when thehomes were new. One man had a job building thefreeway and he would just jump the fence to get towork. People moved away and others moved in,but it has remained a nice place to live.

A pedestrian tunnel off College Avenue thattravels under the freeway provided a small lifelineby connecting the neighborhood with the rest of the city.

“It was convenient to get to the rest of the citythrough the underpass at College, but in the ’90s

they started locking it after six and on the week-ends due to graffiti and crime. After that youcouldn’t get to the rest of the city and had to goaround,” according to Mr. Von Fleckles. This onlyfurthered the notion of being cut off from Clare-mont.

The Gomez family thinks the underpass shouldremain open, and Mr. Gomez even helped defeat aproposal to close it permanently by speaking in

front of city council. His wife noted that the cityhas been easy to work with.

“It’s a 20-minute walk to the Village and youavoid the traffic on Indian Hill,” said Mr. Gomez.

Mr. Von Fleckles’ greatest claim to fame may bethe name he gave his neighborhood when coiningthe phrase “Baja Claremont.”

In the ’80s, he commented to his then fiancéethat the city never ran the sweepers in their part of town, yet kept on building more businesses. “It’slike we’re in Baja California,” he quipped, “andthat just became Baja Claremont.”

—Steven Felschundneff

[email protected]

The San Bernardino Freeway

cuts a swath through south

Claremont, effectively isolat-

ing the small community of

1950s-era homes from the

rest of the city. Residents of

the area praise their neigh-

borhood, but do sometimes

feel they live in a forgotten

area.

COURIER photos/ Steven Felschundneff


22/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 23

the Almanac 2015 staffEditorial: Writing by Sarah Torribio, Angela Bailey, Steven Felschundneff, Collette Weinberger and KathrynDunn; Copy editing, Q&A by Amelie Cook; photography by Steven Felschundneff, Peter Weinberger and

Collette Weinberger.

Graphics: Ad design, real estate section by Jenelle Rensch; inside pages by Kathryn Dunn; cover and aer-

ial page design by Peter Weinberger.

Administration: Ad sales by Mary Rose and Jessica Gustin Pfahler; billing and accounting courtesy of

Dee Proffitt; office management and scheduling Vickie Rosenberg; delivery and distribution by Tom Smith.

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

(909) 621-4761 • claremont-courier.comOffice hours: Monday-Friday

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nellie Villanueva, a former Padua Hills Theatre performer who was born andraised in Arbol Verde, still lives in her home that was built in 1928. Ms.

Villanueva cherishes fond memories of her children playing on the dirt road in

front of her home, which is now Claremont Boulevard.The unique neighborhood of ArbolVerde, located southeast of Claremont, remains a historic piece of

land holding significant importance to thecommunity. Its rich heritage is one of manyreasons why it’s still home to families whohave lived here since the early 1900s.

Arbol Verde

The evolution of one of

Claremont’s founding

neighborhoodsStory and photography byCollette Weinberger

ARBOL VERDE/ continues on the next page


23/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 34

YOUTH SERVICES:

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OFPOMONA VALLEY1420 S. Garey Ave., PomonaMailing: P.O. Box 1149, Pomona, CA 91769623-8538 • www.bgcpv.org

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Pomona Valley pro-vides a safe place to learn and grow, foster ongoingrelationships with caring, adult professionals, andpartake in life-enhancing programs and character

developing experiences. Volunteers and staff workwith boys and girls in recreation, athletic programs,field trips, special events, arts and crafts, counseling

and tutoring. Volunteers with experience are neededin gymnastics, wrestling, cheerleading, youth busi-ness groups, drama, summer day camp and com-puters.

CAMP FIRE USA Mt. San Antonio Council9037 Arrow Route, Suite 140, Rancho Cucamonga466-5878 • www.campfiretoday.orgOffice hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to4:30 p.m.

Founded in 1910, Camp Fire USA is open toevery person in the community regardless of race,

religion, socioeconomic status, disability, sexualorientation or other aspect of diversity. Camp FireUSA’s programs are designed to reduce sex-role,

racial and cultural stereotypes and to foster positiveintercultural relationships. Its mission is to buildcaring, confident youth and future leaders.

CLAREMONT AMERICAN YOUTHSOCCER ORGANIZATION (AYSO)2058 Mills Ave., # 506www.claremontayso.org

As a nonprofit organization, AYSO organizes bal-anced teams of children ages 5 to 18; everyoneplays. Practice begins in August; season runs fromthe second week in September through December.Spring season runs from March until June. Gamesare held in any of eight Claremont parks.

CLAREMONT LITTLE LEAGUE

100 S. College Ave. • 525-7764www.claremontlittleleague.comTo be eligible, a child must be 5 to 15 years old.All Star games are scheduled to begin at the end of June. The Majors tournament in Claremont, is heldat College Park (south of the railroad tracks, east of College Avenue).

YOUTH activities


24/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 24

Longtime Arbol

Verde residents

have seen quite a

change over the decades,leaving an important ques-

tion to consider—how will

the neighborhood’s past

affect its future?From 1907 through 1927, Arbol

Verde was forming as Claremont’sfirst Mexican-American communityas families began to settle alongwhere Upland, Montclair and Clare-mont intersect today. These first pio-neers contributed immensely, asmany worked in the thriving citrus in-dustry and provided labor for the de-velopment of the Claremont Col-

leges.“Arbol Verde was a social enclave

and self-sufficient neighborhood,” Al-fonso Villanueva, chair of the ArbolVerde Preservation Committee and anArbol Verde native, noted. “They hadtheir own grocery store, meat mar-kets, laundry mat and barber shop.”

Between 1946 and 1960, Clare-mont’s population increased signifi-cantly from 3,542 to 12,633. Al-though the city was evolving incharacter, the population remainedfairly homogenous. The InterculturalCouncil wanted to challenge the sta-tus quo by creating housing for peo-

ple of various ethics backgrounds,particularly those of Mexican-Ameri-can descent.

The formation of the InterculturalCouncil had an incredible impact onArbol Verde. Led by progressive-minded Anglo university graduate

students and Mexican-American la-borers, the ICC’s ultimate goal was tointegrate residential communities andend racial segregation. This group of Claremonters first purchased a vacantblock of land between First Street,Brooks Avenue, Claremont Boule-vard and Harwood Place. It wouldlater be known as Arbol Verde.

Before World War II, Claremont’shousing was under strict covenantsthat ultimately caused segregationwithin various areas of the city. Al-though the Arbol Verde area was notunder covenants, the ICC still urgedcity council to lift restrictive housingcovenants that affected 75-80 percentof Claremont.

The Intercultural Council’s experi-ment for “intercultural living” beganin the late 1940s, as the council built

houses for “barrio” residents. Thegroup also raised money for loans tohelp purchase housing.

Nellie Villanueva, a former PaduaHills Theatre performer, 83, still livesin her Arbol Verde home that wasbuilt in 1928. Ms. Villanueva, the lastborn out of 10 siblings, was born andraised in a home right next to her cur-rent home on Claremont Boulevard.Ms. Villanueva recalls ClaremontBoulevard being nothing but a dirtroad, “a chaparral.”

“Ever since the road (ClaremontBoulevard) was built, there’s been abig change,” Ms. Villanueva stated.“We knew there was going to be aroad because it was predicted.” sheremembers how upset her childrenwere once the road was built becausethey were no longer able to fly kitesand play on what used to be a dirtroad.

El Barrio Park, an important land-

mark to the Arbol Verde community,sits on Claremont Boulevard as a re-minder of the neighborhood’s signifi-cance to Claremont. Mr. Villanueva,Albert Gutierrez and Ben Molinawere the neighborhood leaders thatorganized the construction of thepark.

Matt Garcia, a history professor atBrown University who grew up in thearea, was the keynote speaker at thepark’s re-dedication in 2007. Mr. Gar-cia wrote a book titled A World of itsOwn that explored the plight of theMexican-American community in

Claremont.Before the San Antonio dams were

built, flooding was a constant threatto the neighborhood, making the landundesirable to Caucasian residents of Claremont at the time. Mr. Garcia re-marked that the neighborhood sur-rounding the park was the worst areain Claremont to inhabit.

“This community is the product of segregation and restrictive covenantsthat didn’t allow Mexican people tobuy property in the center of Clare-mont,” Mr. Garcia said at the 2007

The Intercultural Council homes built between 1947 and 1952 in Arbol

Verde were added to the National Register of Historic Places as a historic

district in May of this year. Above, residents enjoy a summer afternoon at

El Barrio Park. The park was built in 1972 from the ground up by members

of the Mexican-American community in Claremont who wanted to have a

community center they could call their own.

COURIER photos/Collette Weinberger

ARBOL VERDE/ continues on the next


25/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 25

El Chisme, which means “the gossip,” was the center of social interaction in

Arbol Verde. Alfonso Villanueva, an longtime Arbol Verde resident, remem-

bers taking frequent trips to the market with friends for a soda on hot sum-

mer days. El Chisme is located on the corner of First Street and Claremont

Boulevard.


A way to distinguish the privately-owned homes from the homes owned by

Claremont McKenna College in Arbol Verde is by the presentation of house

numbers. The CMC-owned homes use tiles to display the numbers, while

the privately-owned homes typically have traditional metal plates.

dedication. “This area here [near the park] was unrestricted.Locals knew it as ‘Tierra de Nadie’ or ‘the Land of No One’at the time. This was one of the only places in Claremontwhere Mexican-Americans could live because no one elsewanted to live here.”

Mr. Villanueva fondly recalls the camaraderie during thedays of working to build the park.

“Arbol Verde residents jumped at the opportunity to helpbuild a park in their neighborhood,” Mr. Villanueva stated.

In the early 1970s, after enjoying a few beers at the oldMidway Inn on Foothill Boulevard with some buddies, Mr.Villanueva remembers discussing plans to strategize the cre-

ation of the park. “We had been trying to build a park heresince the 1930s,” Mr. Villanueva explained. “We had agolden opportunity.”

With help from Claremont High School students, Mr. Vil-lanueva, Mr. Guiterrez and Mr. Molina organized a studentmovement. “We crammed city hall and the city councilchambers with 500 to 600 people, with over 1,000 signa-tures and all kinds of petitions,” Mr. Villanueva noted. “Itbecame a reality.”

The battle to allow Arbol Verde to continue to thrive inClaremont wasn’t easy. In 1968, Claremont McKenna Col-lege and the city of Claremont announced they were plan-ning to build a road through the neighborhood to relieve thetraffic on Mills Avenue. Residents were upset about thenews, which led to a strained relationship between them andthe college that endured for over 40 years.

After mobilizing the Claremont community to preservethe neighborhood, the Arbol Verde Preservation Committeegained enough force to challenge the CMC expansion. Inthe summer of July 2011, about 70 Arbol Verde residentsand CMC officials met to compose a plan to work together.

“Now we have collaborative working relationship,” Mr.Villanueva noted. Claremont McKenna College was one of

ARBOL VERDE/ continues on the next page


26/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 26

the key contributors and advocates to add ArbolVerde to the National Register of Historic Placesin May 2015. The historic district joins fiveother Claremont sites on the National Registerincluding, the Russian Village, the originalScripps College campus, Padua Hills Theatre,

the Santa Fe Train Depot and the Pitzer House.The current CMC Master Plan, which lasts for

30 years, acts as an update of the older plan andimplements what was agreed upon in the 1990s.Belle Newman, principal planner of Claremont,noted that the Master Plan covers the entireCMC campus, plus the expansion east of Clare-mont Boulevard and the Arbol Verde blocks,south of Sixth Street and east of Mills Avenue.

Arbol Verde is split into two sections. Northof Harwood Place is owned by CMC and isstrictly institutional. The southern section ismaintained for residential purposes, and is thelocationof some longtime residents. After about10 years of negotiating, CMC and Arbol Verderesidents agreed to work together and preserve

the old historic sites.For their part, CMC agreed not to expand inthe southern portion of the neighborhood, whichMr. Villanueva noted is the traditional historicarea. The college will develop north of SixthStreet and build athletic facilities, which was

part of the deal with Arbol Verde PreservationCommittee in 2011.

Currently, the neighborhood continues toevolve with less Mexican-American influence,as the number of longtime residents declines.

Danny Gutierrez, Mr. Villanueva’s cousin and

Arbol Verde resident since 1958, noted how theneighborhood has seen a lot of change over theyears. “I don’t really get to know my neighborsanymore,” Mr. Gutierrez said, as many homeson Blanchard Place are CMC-owned and pri-marily rental properties for faculty. Mr. Gutier-rez’s father, Pete Gutierrez, moved their homein 1953.

Despite all the changes Arbol Verde has expe-rienced over the years, the rich heritage and his-toric sites remain. “Of all the communities inClaremont, Arbol Verde is the oldest, most con-tinuous and homogenous, considering peoplehave known each other for one hundred years,”Mr. Villanueva stated. “There’s no other com-munity in Claremont like it.”

Although sections of the neighborhood areprotected and considered historic sites, the next25 years are still hard to predict. “The future of Arbol Verde is really the question to be asked,”Mr. Villanueva noted.

—Collette Weinberger

Cheva Garcia, who was born and

raised in Arbol Verde, just recently

retired from CMC in fall of 2014 at 89

years old. Ms. Garcia worked in the

food services department for 63years, serving and cooking food for

the students.


Claremonters enjoy playing basketball and utliz-

ing the facilities at El Barrio Park located on

Claremont Boulevard. El Barrio Park was donat-

ed to the historic Arbol Verde neighborhood in

1972 by Claremont McKenna College andremains as an important landmark to the Arbol

Verde community.


27/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 27

Although many homes in Arbol Verde have been

rebuilt, there are still a few that stand in their

original state. The homes on Huntington Drive

are preserved for residential purposes.

At right, Al Villanueva poses with his mother

Nellie in front of their Claremont home in 1961.

GIVE A GIFT THAT LASTS ALL YEAR.

A one-year COURIER subscription is

$52 ($47 for seniors). We will send a

special card and greeting along with

your gift subscription. Call us today

at (909) 621-4761.

Claremont COURIER

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

Cour er il remont



28/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 28

Iam a dual citizen, making my home inPomona and working in Claremont.As I ponder my double life, I’m

reminded of the movie Pulp Fiction.There’s a scene where the protagonist Jules, played

with characteristic intensity by Samuel Jackson, de-

scribes a recent trip to Europe.What strikes him, he tells fellow hit-man Vince Vega,

is “the little differences.” You can find a McDonald’s inAmsterdam, but the menu holds some surprises. Youcan buy beer there, for instance, and instead of orderinga Big Mac, you ask for “Le Big Mac.”

So it goes between Pomona and Claremont.There are historic houses in P-town, just as there are

in the City of Trees. You’ll see Victorians festooned withbric-a-brac, red-roofed Spanish Colonial Revivals andlovingly designed Craftsman homes.

I myself live in a Craftsman, along with my parents,significant other and two children, ages 6 and 19months. It’s a lovely, rose-colored affair with a cobble-stone foundation, a sprawling porch and delightful de-tails like tulip cutouts on the eaves.

But while Pomona boasts many unique abodes, aswell as four historic districts, it has been less successfulthan Claremont in its preservation efforts. There arewide swaths of the city where venerable homes have noarchitectural protection. On my street, several century-old houses have been knocked down and replaced withapartments, and the process through which renovationsare requested and approved seems fairly laissez-faire.

A couple years ago, the people across the street de-cided to add onto their Craftsman house. The wrap-around porch posed an obstacle, but no matter. They cutaway half the porch, replacing the convex columns withwooden posts, and proceeded with their expansion. Thehouse is still pretty, but some character has been lost inthe translation.

Don’t get me started on stucco, that rough-and-readycoating promising homeowners they’ll never have topaint again. I’ve come up with an imaginary professionalwho targets the owners of historic Pomona homes:“Tired of your old-fashioned house? Call Mike Stucco.”

Five houses down, a once-stately Craftsman has beendenuded of all craftsmanship via a coating of stucco sorelentless it extends to the very columns. My dad re-cently marveled at the effects of this no-turn-back tex-tural treatment. “It’s strange. The house doesn’t lookold, but it doesn’t look new.”

Strange indeed.But perhaps the homes whose architectural integrity

has been left intact are all the more striking for their ex-ceptionality. When I see a stately home rising next to amore jury-rigged arrangement, I’m reminded of thewords of Shakespeare’s Romeo when he first spots his

Juliet at a crowded ball: “So shows a snowy dove troop-ing with crows.”

Between two worldsThere are other differences between Pomona and

Claremont, most of them demographic. Pomona hassome three times the population of Claremont. And

A tale of two citiesMy Clare-mona existenceStory by Sarah Torribio

DUAL CITIZEN/ continues on the next page

The Torribio/Hall family

gathers on the porch of

their Pomona home.

From left to right:

COURIER reporter

Sarah Torribio, her son

Alex, 6, her partner

Brian Hall, holding 19-month-old Savannah,

and her parents, Gerry

and Penelope Torribio.

COURIER photos/ Steven Felschundneff


29/83

while Claremont is an ethnically diverse city,Pomona is more so.

It’s no biggie for me. I grew up in southern Cali-fornia, and my partner’s family is Mexican. Hisextended family is like mine, but are more savvyabout tortillas—I’ve learned they taste better whentoasted over the stove burner as opposed to nukedin the microwave.

But in my Holt-adjacent neighborhood, I do occa-

sionally, with my pale half-Irish complexion, attractattention from passersby. For a few neighbors, Iseem to be a bit of unexpected local exotica, like thepeacocks you occasionally spot roaming in the Lin-coln Park district.

And Pomona’s irrepressibly ethnicity continues tobe exotic to me. An ice cream truck frequents ourneighborhood, its arrival weirdly announced by thestrains of a minstrel song, “The Camptown Races.”But there are also men who walk by pushing cartswith roasted corn you can slather with butter and

chile, and bags of pork rinds you can fill with hotsauce and shake around for an extra kick.

I’m a social studies nut, so I like the fact that onenight last year, during the moon festival, the Chinesekids across the street were running around behindtheir chain-link fence holding illuminated redlanterns. I like the fact that, when my son was study-ing Ethiopia in school, he and his dad strolled acrossthe way to the Brothers Afrik Mart and purchased

the ingredients for a traditional Ethiopian lentil stew.And though there’s a Walgreen’s around the cor-ner, I like the fact that—should I ever find myself cursed—I can find a dozen botanicas in Pomonaselling all the herbs, candles and religious objects Ineed to engage in some Santerilla-style folk medi-cine.

Let’s get to the elephant in the room. As theCOURIER police blotter reveals, Claremont ishardly Mayberry. But Pomona has a significantlyhigher crime rate, and so much gang violence that

some of our neighbors have planted yard signs not-ing, “We’re praying for Pomona.”

My family, too, is sending good vibes to our home

city. But we’re not constantly fretting about oursafety. After all, you can only be startled so manytimes by the occasional peal of sirens, whirring of police helicopters or distant gunfire.

Most Pomona residents want the same thingeveryone does, to get on peaceably with the busi-ness of living. It’s especially true in our family-heavy area, where so many mothers walk by ourstretch of Kingsley Avenue with young children intow that my mom calls it “the stroller highway.”

But even amid peace, things are just plain noisierin P-town. Call them patriots or pyromaniacs, myneighbors start shooting off fireworks in June andcontinue their incendiary revelry through the sum-mer. One person down the street hosts regular all-night parties, enlivened by banda music, while an-other throws weekly death metal concerts. On oneoccasion, both took place at the same time, makingfor a sonic symphony of joy and rage.

Money is the thingPomona also has a less robust per-capita income,

which can result in deferred maintenance. Pit bullsand Chihuahuas alike have a tendency to slipthrough ramshackle fences and roam the neighbor-hood. I’m afraid of strange, potentially fierce dogs,but once I’ve made it to my car, I feel safe as I goabout my business.

When I hit the 99-cent store nearest us on Holt,someone inevitably asks for money, but they are in-variably friendly. And who am I to judge? I live withmy parents, largely for economic reasons. Noteverybody has the luxury of a familial safety net.

Not everyone has the luxury of their children at-tending the school of their choice, either, and I amthankful to Claremont for its liberal transfer policy.

There are likely some pretty good Pomonaschools, but they don’t have the economic supportthe Claremont Unified School District does. Clare-mont schools still have art and music programs,thanks to the efforts of the Claremont EducationalFoundation. Pomona schools don’t. For this reason,I take my son with me as I migrate eastward everymorning, dropping him off at Vista del Valle Ele-mentary School before hitting the COURIER office.

Once in the City of Trees, I make a pretty goodClaremonter. Thanks to hours spent copyediting thenewspaper, I am more familiar with Claremont af-fairs—such and the ins and outs of the city’s upcom-ing water bond measure—than I am with Pomona

politics. I pay tribute to the many fine residentsthrough the obituaries I write, and I do my best tothoroughly cover the educational doings of thetown. I also enjoy my share of the small-town aes-thetic. When I head to local events like a Mondayconcert in Memorial Park, I generally spot severalacqaintances among the crowd.

And when I can afford it, I, too, like to “DiscoverClaremont.” A dream day in the City of Treesmight include a shopping jaunt at Barbara Cheat-ley’s and Rhino Records, followed by an intuitivereading at Kindred Spirits and a late lunch atUnion on Yale. During the latter visit, I would or-der the Mason Jar.

And then I would drive home to Pomona, whichis Claremont’s sister city in more ways than proxim-ity. I’m reminded of the two citites kinship everyday, as I work in a garden with the same rocky allu-vial soil, more hospitable to citrus trees than my cu-cumbers. And I’m reminded of it each fall, as wildparrots come to roost in both city’s trees, filling theair with a cacophony of screeching and chattering.

Yes, I lead a double life, and my days are all themore rich for my dual citizenship. —Sarah Torribio

[email protected]

ALMANAC 2015-2016 29

COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff


30/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 30

City of ClaremontThe Claremont Senior Program is a

vibrant, action-packed combination of a social gathering place, local fitnesscenter, learning environment, volun-teering headquarters, transportationhub and a tasty affordable dining des-tination. Programs offered are in-tended for a wide range of interestsand needs for those over 50 years of age. Popular offerings include walk-ing, bicycle and exercise groups, so-cial mixers for the newly-retired, edu-cational topics, course auditing at the

Claremont Colleges, trips throughoutSouthern California, computer learn-ing, an abundant array of resourcesand so much more. For informationabout the city’s classes, supportgroups and more, visit www.clare-montca.org or call (909) 399-5488.

You can also keep up with SeniorProgram news and announcementsby signing up to receive “TheClicks” e-newsletter. Visitwww.claremontca.org to register.

Joslyn Center660 N. Mountain Ave.Phone: (909) 399-5488Fax: (909) 621-7320Open Monday through Friday from

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Boutique hours from8 a.m. to noon; Lunch Served at11:30 a.m.

Blaisdell Community Center440 S. College Ave.Phone: (909) 399-5367Open Monday through Friday from

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Lunch served atnoon.

Lunch is ServedYou are invited for socializing, mu-

sic and lunch, Monday through Fri-day at the Blaisdell Center at noonand at the Joslyn Center at 11:30 a.m.Suggested donation for adults 60 andover is $2. This program is funded inpart by the Los Angeles County AreaAgency on Aging.

After WorkThese evening events are for work-

ing adults and recent (or not so re-cent) retirees. All programs include ashort reception and light refresh-ments.

CALL College Auditing ProgramThe FREE Claremont Avenues for

Lifelong Learning (CALL) Programis designed to permit those 60 yearsof age and older an opportunity to au-dit courses at the Claremont Colleges.Classes are filled on a first-come,first-served basis, with priority givento Claremont residents. Offerings willbe announced through The Clicksnewsletter.

Senior Computer ClubGet the most out of your personalcomputer and the software that goeswith it! Weekly information meetings

are held every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. atthe Hughes Community Center. TheComputer Workshop is open everyFriday from 1 to 4 p.m. in the JoslynAnnex for those requiring assistancefrom volunteer techies. Specializedclasses, including Introduction toComputers, Windows 7, ComputerGenealogy, Digital Photography, Mi-crosoft Word and Excel are availablethroughout the year. For information,visit www.cscclub.org.

Coffee TalkFree interactive discussions on a

variety of topics of interest to seniorsand their families. Topics are offeredmost Tuesdays at 10 a.m. at theJoslyn Center.

AARP Smart Driver CourseThis classroom-based course is de-

signed for persons 55 and older whoare seeking to sharpen their drivingskills. After eight hours of instruction,a DMV certificate will be issued enti-tling participants to a discount ontheir automobile insurance. A one-day

renewal course is available for thosewho previously completed the fulltwo-day course.

ExcursionsDay trips to various points of inter-

est throughout Southern Californiaare scheduled each month.

Dial-A-RideCurb-to-curb, shared ride cab serv-

ice that offers reliable transportationat a reasonable price. Whether youare visiting, shopping, going to med-ical appointments, or to and fromwork, Claremont Dial-a-Ride is avail-able to you. For more information orto reserve a ride, call (909) 623-0183.

Get About

Get About is a door-to-door trans-portation service for registered seniors(age 60 and older) and disabled per-sons of any age to any destinationwithin the four cities Get Aboutserves—Claremont, La Verne,Pomona and San Dimas—and to se-

SENIORS

SENIOR SERVICES/ next page


31/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 31

lected destinations in adjacent areas (e.g. Montclair

Plaza). For information or to register call (909) 621-9900. To reserve a ride, call (909) 596-5964.

Resource and Referral Service

The city of Claremont Human Services Depart-ment offers the following resources and referral in-

formation for residents of all ages at the JoslynCenter:

• Social Services provided at Joslyn Monday

through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.• Family and Senior Emergency Fund Assistance• Support Groups• Transportation Services for Seniors• Medicare Counseling Program• LA County Food Bank Distribution• Volunteer Opportunities

To find out more about the Claremont SeniorProgram, drop in to the Joslyn Center anytime,Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., visit

www.claremontseniors.org or call (909) 399-5488.

HOSPICE:INLAND HOSPICE VOLUNTEERS

233 W. Harrison Ave., Claremont • 399-3289Weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Volunteer opportunities available: estate sales,fundraising or Simple Gifts Program. Inland Hos-pice Volunteers also has several bereavement sup-port groups for adults and children and loans outsome home health equipment. Call the office for in-formation.

VNA HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE

of Southern California

150 W. First St., Ste. 270, Claremont624-3574 or (800) 969-4862 • vnasocal.com

The VNA Hospice and Palliative Care of South-ern California is a nonprofit, Medicare-certifiedhome health care and hospice organization basedin Claremont with offices in San Bernardino andthe upper desert. VNA’s multidisciplinary team of physicians, registered nurses, case managers, med-ical social workers, therapists, chaplains, homehealth aides, bereavement counselors and hospicevolunteers provides pain and symptom manage-ment, spiritual comfort, family education and emo-tional support for patients from Los Angeles,Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

OTHER SERVICES:COMMUNITY SENIOR SERVICES141 S. Spring St., Claremont621-9900 • fax 621-9914Senior Help Line: 625-4600www.communityseniorservices.com

A private nonprofit agency whose mission is topromote independence and enhance the quality of life for seniors and their families by providing ex-ceptional and affordable services. The followingprograms and services are offered: Senior HelpLine, Family Caregiver Support, The EnrichmentCenter Adult Day Care Program, REAL Connec-tions: Resources for Ageless Living, Get AboutTransportation, Foothill Communities RSVP, SeniorCompanion Program and Community Connections.

FREE LEGAL SERVICES

620-2324Free legal services available the first Wednesday

of every month at Palomares Senior Center, 499 E.Arrow Hwy., Pomona. Call for appointments.

RETIREMENTCOMMUNITIES:

CLAREMONT MANOR

650 W. Harrison Ave., Claremont626-1227 • claremontmanor.org

Situated on 15 acres, Claremont Manor provides203 independent and 45 assisted-living accommo-dations, as well as an on-site, 59-bed skilled nurs-

ing care center. As a continuing care community,the Manor enables seniors to live fulfilling and ac-tive lives while maintaining their independenceand financial security. A nonprofit corporation, theManor is accredited by the Continuing Care Ac-creditation Commission.

SENIOR SERVICES/ next page

SENIOR SERVICES

continued from the previous page


32/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 32

CLAREMONT PLACE

120 W. San Jose Ave., Claremont962-8491 • claremontplace.com

With a capacity for 93 residents, Claremont Placeoffers assisted living, memory care and activities thatmeet the needs of each resident. Known as the “PartyPlace,” volunteers are always needed to socialize,play games and assist with parties, dances and otherfunctions, as well as perform clerical duties.

COUNTRY VILLA

590 S. Indian Hill Blvd., Claremont624-4511 • countryvillahealth.com

Country Villa offers complex medical care, reha-bilitation and long-term skilled nursing care in its 99-bed facility. Country Villa needs volunteers to helpwith activities, assist with outings and special eventsand to share any special talents.

HILLCREST

2705 Mountain View Dr., La Verne, 91750(909) 392-4375 • www.LivingAtHillcrest.org

Engaging in a fulfilling lifestyle is so much morethan where you live. It's the people and opportunitiesthat surround you. Hillcrest is more than a seniorliving community that nurtures your mind, body andspirit. At Hillcrest, you'll find living arrangements di-verse as our residents. Set in the beautiful, tree-linedstreets of La Verne, Hillcrest is a distinct senior livingcommunity with residents who are active volunteers,students, thespians, athletes, woodworkers, artists andgardeners. Conveniently located, the campus is easilyaccessible and surrounded by recreational opportuni-ties, great services, and exceptional health care.

MT. SAN ANTONIO GARDENS900 E. Harrison Ave., Pomona624-5061 • (800) 734-0441www.msagardens.org

Located on the Claremont/Pomona border, the Gar-dens provides housing, amenities and care servicesfor more than 470 residents. The community offersthree levels of service: independent living, assistedliving and skilled nursing care. Serving older adultssince 1961, the Gardens is a nationally-accreditedLife Care Senior Community.

PILGRIM PLACE

625 Mayflower Rd., Claremont399-5500 • www.pilgrimplace.org

A community for retired church professionals,stressing maximum independence within the limitsof strength and health. The nonprofit facility offers188 homes and apartments with a full continuum of care, including independent and assisted living and a68-bed skilled nursing facility available to residentsof the Claremont and Pilgrim Place communities.

PILGRIM PLACE HEALTH CENTER

721 Harrison Ave., Claremont399-5523 • www.pilgrimplace.org

Provides restorative therapies, short- or long-termskilled nursing care and hospice-like services to Pil-grim Place and the wider community. A respite en-hancement program for those who are no longer in-dependent and need guided activities for stimulationand enjoyment is conducted Wednesday and Friday,9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

SUNRISE ASSISTED LIVING CENTER

2053 N. Towne Ave., Claremont398-4688 • fax 398-4687

With beds for 66 residents, Sunrise Assisted Livingoffers assisted living, Alzheimer’s care, nursing, rehab,hospice care and short-term stays. The center providesfor the social, spiritual, physical, cognitive and creative

needs of each resident, focusing on Alzheimer’s suf-ferers. Volunteers needed.

TRANSPORTATIONDIAL-A-RIDE

623-0183 or TDD 784-3658Pomona Valley Transportation Authority • 596-7664Claremont Community Services399-5431 • www.ci.claremont.ca.usMonday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday,7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Seniors, disabled persons and chil-dren under age 16 can travel 24 hours per day,seven days a week. General public $2.50; senior

(60-plus) and disabled $1.50; book of 10 tickets(seniors and disabled) $15; Book of 10 tickets(general public) $25; Pre-scheduled group (six-

plus service) cost per rider $1. Claremont Dial-a-Ride is open to everyone within the service area(children under 5 must be accompanied by anadult). Service is provided within Claremont andto the medical facilities in the Pomona ValleyMedical Center area, the Montclair Plaza andMontclair Transit Center. Dial-a-Ride offers trans-fers to Foothill Transit and to the Metrolink stationat the Claremont Depot. Call at least one hour be-fore desired pick-up time. Pick-ups will typically

SENIOR SERVICES

continued from the previous page

tSENIOR SERVICES/next page


33/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 33

be made within 45 minutes of request.Please allow 30 minutes of travel time since the

vehicle may pick up other passengers en route.Drivers cannot give change; please have exact farewhen boarding. Dial-a-Ride accepts Get Abouttickets. Get About 12-ride ticket books are avail-able for Claremont residents who are senior citi-zens aged 60 and up or disabled. Ticket books maybe purchased at City Hall, Joslyn Center, HughesCenter and the Blaisdell Community Building.

SENIOR SERVICES/next page

SENIOR SERVICES

continued from the previous page Elena Griza, manager of the Claremont

Village Green senior apartments, and 16-

year resident Jim Holden take the COURIERon a tour of the grounds in early 2015.

COURIER photo/

Steven Felschundneff


34/83

FOOTHILL TRANSITClaremont Depot, 200 W. First St.,Claremont(800) RIDE-INFO • www.foothill-transit.org

More than 30 different bus routesin the San Gabriel/Pomona Valley.Offers express service to downtownLos Angeles and Pasadena from

Claremont; service from theMetrolink station and from local

park-and-ride lots. Call for full infor-mation on routes and scheduling.Fees: Base fare is $1.25 for adultsand students, $.50 for seniors anddisabled, 5 and under free. A 31-daypass is $70 for adults, $22 for seniors62 and older, and disabledpeople,$33 for students through grade 12and for full-time college studentswith ID.

GET ABOUTTRANSPORTATION

2120 W. Foothill Blvd., Ste 116La Verne596-5964 • TDD 784-3658Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5p.m. Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.Does not run on major holidays.

Get About provides personal door-to-door transportation to seniors anddisabled residents of Pomona, Clare-

mont, La Verne and San Dimas, withdestinations including the MontclairPlaza and Doctor’s Hospital area.

The door-to-door service allows ac-cess to a full, normal range of activi-ties and life-supporting services andmay be used for shopping and socialactivities, as well as business andmedical trips. Those using the servicemust be registered with Get Aboutand must make reservations for serv-ice 24 hours in advance. Free trans-portation to and from senior centers;otherwise, the cost is $1 each way.

VETERANSGROUPS:

AMERICAN LEGIONThe American Legion Post 78Keith Powell, PO Box 128, Clare-mont, CA 91711 624-1510

Pomona - Post 30239 E. Holt Blvd., Pomona

Ontario - Post 112310 W. Emporia St., Ontario984-3811

California benefits and assistance

(800) 952-5626

Federal benefits and assistance(800) 827-1000

Los Angeles County1427 West Covina ParkwayWest Covina • (626) 813-3402

DISABLED AMERICANVETERANSOntario-Upland #271341 W. Fourth St., Ontario885-0731Meeting third Tuesday of the monthat 7 p.m.

ALMANAC 2015-2016 34

COURIER photo/Steven FelschundneffDressed in his pilgrim costume, David Held works at the coffee break booth during last year’s Pilgrim PlaceFestival. The festival is the main fundraiser the Pilgrims hold each year in November to support programs andservices.

SENIOR SERVICEScontinued from the previous page


35/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 35

design

SRS GENERALCONTRACTOR, INC.(909) 621-1559

Practical design, tastefully executed.

• Residential Remodel

• Restoration of Unique & Vintage homes

• Room additions

www.srsgeneralcontractor.com

architect

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

133 South Spring StreetClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 624-5095www.wheelerarchitects.com

Our family has been building a

better Claremont since 1888.

Law Office of

HERBERT HAFIFGreg Hafif, Michael Dawson

269 W. Bonita AvenueClaremont, CA 91711

www.hafif.com

(909) 624-1671Civil Litigation, Personal Injury

attorney

Kendall & Gkikas LLPAttorneys at Law

134 Harvard Avenue, 2nd FloorClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 482-1422

Specializing in Family Law in Claremont

since 1994: Divorce, Custody, Visitationwith Children, Property Division, Alimony,Child Support

attorney

MIKE F. O’BRIENAttorney at Law

212 Yale AvenueClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 626-9999Specialist in personal injury andwrongful death cases.Se habla español

attorney

TAYLOR, SIMONSON& WINTER, LLPKaren J. Simonson, Marc J. Winter,Bonnie F. Emadi, Michael A. VentimigliaMarshall W. Taylor (Senior Counsel)

144 N. Indian Hill BoulevardClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 625-4785 www.tsw-lawyers.comEstate and Corporate Tax PlanningFederal and State Tax Matters

attorney

BUXBAUM & CHAKMAKA Law Corporation

414 Yale Avenue, Suite KClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 621-4707

42 years experience in: Business Law,Probate, Family Law, Estate Planning,Real Estate Law, Civil Litigation.

attorney

tax preparation

HENDRICKS PHARMACY

Claremont Village Pharmacy137 N. Harvard AvenueClaremont, CA 91711

Vitamins • Herbs • Beauty AidsFirst Aid • Medical SuppliesGifts • 99¢ Greeting Cards

(909) 624-1611Free Local Prescription Delivery

pharmacy

WHEELER STEFFEN

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT1420 N. Claremont Blvd.Suite 205D, Claremont, CA 91711

(800) 606-9776Residential and CommercialManagement and Leasing Services.Common Interest DevelopmentManagement Services.

property management

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!

real estate

D. PROFFITT, E.A.Claremont, CA 91711

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

Income Tax Specialist since 1981

Payroll Service • Accounting

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

(909) 447-6802www.christiansenaccounting.com

We are a full service accounting firm.

accounting

SUZANNE H. CHRISTIANCERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®

Professional Securities offered through

LPL Financial

Member of FINRA/SIPC

419 Yale Ave. Claremont

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

financial consultantPAMELA J. ZEDICKCERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®Securities and advisory services offeredthrough National Planning Corporation.Member of FINRA/SIPC, a registeredinvestment advisor

393 W. Foothill Blvd, Suite 110Claremont, CA 91711

(909) 626-1947Intelligent solutions, Exceptional service

financial consultant

ANN M. JOHANNSEN, O.D.BRAD A. BAGGARLY, O.D.

OPTOMETRISTS695 W. Foothill Blvd., ClaremontIn Claremont since 1972

(909) 625-7861www.claremontoptometry.com

Spectera - VSP - MES - Medicare

optometryOptometric Vision Centerof Claremont

ANNA M. TORRES, O.D.“We examine more than your vision”

1420 N. Claremont Blvd. #209-B

Claremont, CA 91711

(909) 621-0057

optometry

COLLEGE ESCROW, INC.• RPM • First Rate

• Residential • Commercial • Business

1276 N. Yale AvenueClaremont, CA 91711

(909) 621-7855

www.collegeescrow.net

escrow

HARTMANBALDWINDESIGN/BUILD

100 West Foothill Blvd.Claremont, CA 91711

(909) 670-1344www.hartmanbaldwin.com

Since 1984Residential remodeling, historicrestorations, and custom home building

architect/construction

dentist

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.

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

chiropractor

PROF SSION L

SERVICE DIRECTORY


36/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 36

My goal at ElRoble’s careerday in May was to

drum up interest in newspa-per careers. The reality,however, was that I an-swered far more questionsabout my teenage sons.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy totalk about Garrett and Max and howhigh school is treating them and theirsummer plans. I learned quite a bit—Max is apparently hilarious on Twit-ter and Garrett really, really, reallydislikes PE.

But at last an eager, smart andthoughtful seventh-grader namedAmelie Cook approached the table.“Do you like the COURIER? I wantto do yearbook next year at CHS. Ilove writing! It must be so fun! I wantto be a journalist.” And there theywere, the magic words any newspapereditor wants to hear from a young per-son, “I want to be a journalist.”

My conversation with Amelie wasbrief. Once at CHS, I highly encour-aged her to join yearbook and theWolfpack staff. I told her to keep writ-ing, to read as much as she can and to

always pay attention to the worldaround her.

And then I offered the most criticalpiece of advice you can give a hope-ful journalist: “You have to do an in-ternship.” With that said, Amelie jumped at the chance to do what wecalled a Journalism Boot Camp at theCOURIER this summer. As prom-ised, Amelie emailed me her dates of

availability, showed up on time, metevery deadline I set for her, made

phone calls, edited pages and wrotestories. The entire staff agrees,Amelie may have been our best in-tern in years.

With the Almanac focus on neigh-borhoods, I got to thinking aboutClaremont’s schools. I attendedSumner, which was about as far frommy home as any school in the dis-trict. After the housing boom north of Base Line in the 1970s, Chaparralwas full, so all the kids in my neigh-borhood attended Sumner. Wewalked, rode our bikes and, for myfirst year at Sumner, caught the busnear La Puerta. I made a lot of goodfriends at Sumner, many of whom Istill call friends today.

By building parks and schools side-by-side, city planners made it possi-ble for kids to not only walk to schooltogether but to spend weekends play-ing in parks near their homes. Thisplanning created the neighborhoodswe know today. Although the schoolboundaries have gotten a little muddyover the years, the district still does a

pretty good job of assigning kids totheir nearest school.

Times shared with my elementaryschool friends shaped who I am to-day, but its the friendships forged atEl Roble that have become the mostimportant in my adult life. It’s been33 years since I was a student at ElRoble, but the girlfriends I made inthose days are still the ones who notonly keep me laughing but are alwaysthere to help me in a bind.

Residents sometimes express con-cern that El Roble is impacted andthat we need a second junior high. Ilike that our kids funnel together at

their most awkward and vulnerablestage in life. When Garrett and Maxattended El Roble, I saw some strik-ing differences from when I was astudent. An unwelcome sight but asign of the times was the installationof a big metal gate surrounding thecampus. Adults understand it’s tokeep unwanted visitors out but thekids, I learned, think it’s to cage themin. This helps tremendously with their“teenagers have no rights” campaign.

There are far fewer dances nowthen when I was a Panther. The oneor two that were held at El Roble lastyear included elaborate candy bars,rooms set up with Wii and X-box andinflatable obstacle courses on thegrassy area. In our day, we paid $3and danced the night away to a DJ inthe multi-purpose room. No candy,no electronics, no additional enter-tainment. Just some kids showing off the latest break-dancing moves on thelinoleum. Simple, perhaps, but thedances happened often and betweendramatic breakups and girls crying,

they were about the most fun a 12-year-old could have in Claremont.

I worry that adults organize toomuch for the kids. My sons are enter-ing their sophmore year at CHS andthe boosters are well underway withfundraising for the grad night party,which will certainly include candybars, X-box and magicians.

After meeting Amelie, I got curiousabout teens of today. Although I havetwo of my own, they’re boys, so get-ting more than a “Mom, I’m hungry”or “Do you have 10 bucks?” cansometimes be challenge.

Amelie was assigned a man on the

street for the Almanac. (But whensubmitted, she appropriately titled ita “ person on the street.” Go,Amelie!) She was tasked with learn-ing what a 2015 Claremont teenthinks of Claremont.

I remember Claremont as a littleboring, but we only had about fiverestaurants and the Village was com-pletely closed Sunday and Monday.We definitely didn’t have a movietheater. For many, Claremont’s allureis rooted part in memory and part inthe present. Checking in with youngpeople from time to time gives thegrown ups a chance to see how we’redoing. Today’s local kids undoubt-edly live in a livelier town but, I’vewondered, does that translate to morefun?

A heartfelt thank you to Amelie fortaking time from your summer toteach us all a little something aboutwhat Claremont is like from the eyesof a middle-schooler.

—Kathryn Dunn

[email protected]

Surviving El Roble after years at your neighborhood school


37/83

Amelie: What do you think are the boring or badparts of Claremont?

Merry: Probably the fact that there are only a cou-ple really good parks.

Amelie: What do you think are the good parts of Claremont?

Merry: I think that the Village is pedestrian-friendly and really clean.

Amelie: What is your favorite part of the Village?

Merry: Either the old part with the park that isunder construction, or the square near the theaterbecause both are nice places to sit and hang out.

Amelie: Do you think Claremont should havemore teen-focused activities?

Merry: Yes, I think adults and children get a lot of community involvement, but teens don’t feel com-fortable in either.

Amelie: What kinds of activities should there be?

Merry: Maybe something at the library wherepeople can talk about books.

Amelie: Do you ever feel like there are parts of Claremont that don’t meet your needs—for exam-ple, the library doesn’t have the book you want toread?

Merry: I think the library is pretty well set. Some-times it gets boring to go into the Village, becauseeverything is either food or clothing, and we haveonly one comic shop, so maybe something notfood or clothing-related.

Amelie: What about school? What are the good

parts and the bad parts?Merry: I surprisingly really enjoy school, andwouldn’t do much to change it. The only thing Iwas confused about was that I never saw a boy getdress coded, and there were so many rules againstgirls and not many against boys.

“Merry Aichele

““““

ALMANAC 2015-2016 37

My name is Amelie Cook. I goto El Roble IntermediateSchool and will be entering

the 8th grade this year. I’ve alwaysenjoyed reading and writing, and hopeto become a journalist when I grow up.

When I was 5 years old, my mom and I moved toClaremont and I started kindergarten at SycamoreElementary School. That’s where I met thesefriends who were kind enough to let me interviewthem. The purpose of these interviews was to seeClaremont through a different perspective: the eyes

of a middle school teenager.—Amelie Cook

““““

PERSON ON THE STREETcontinues on the next page


38/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 38

Amelie:What do you think are theboring or bad parts of Claremont?

Leila: There are not a lot of activitiesother than shopping.

Amelie: Do you think there areenough things for teens to do in Clare-mont?

Leila: I think that there isn’t a lot of teen-focused activities, so I definitelywould like to see more.

Amelie:What activities would youlike to see in Claremont?

Leila: I would like to see more sportyand artsy activities.

Amelie: Specifically, what types of activities for teens would you like tosee more of?

Leila: I enjoyed going to a jewelry-making shop in the Packing House,but it unfortunately went out of busi-ness. For sports, especially during thesummer, it would be great to see moreencouragement and availability forpeople to play sports at the courts inparks.

Amelie:What are your favorite partsof Claremont?

Leila:A lot of things you can do inClaremont are outside and you tend tosee a lot of the same people, so you get

to know them.

““““

Amelie:Do you feel that Claremont is friendlytowards skateboarders like yourself?

Fiona:Mostly. But some people get mad.

Amelie:How do you know they’re angry?

Fiona:Because they tell us and give us “thelook.”

Amelie:This is just from random people aroundtown?

Fiona:Yeah. But it isn’t very many people.

Amelie:What do you think are the boring or badparts about Claremont?

Fiona:Claremont isn’t boring at all. It’s great.

Amelie:What are your favorite parts of Clare-mont?

Fiona: My favorite part of Claremont is the Vil-lage.

Amelie:What about life in school? What are thegood parts and the bad parts?

Fiona: The good part about school is that I get tosee friends. The bad part is getting homework.

Amelie:Do you think there should be more ac-tivities for teenagers in Claremont?

Fiona: No. We have the Village and we havesports stuff.

“Fiona Henry

Walk the Town !

We need LOTS of volunteers to help usengage every community member in

Claremont.

Will you join us? Email us to find out more!

QU STIONS

[email protected]

“ Leila Sacks


39/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 39

“

““““

Amelie:What do you think are the goodparts of Claremont?

Ariel: The Village, all of the trees, thePacking House, the community and themusic school, CCSM.

Amelie:And what do you think are the bador boring parts of Claremont?

Ariel: I can’t think of any.

Amelie:Do you think that Claremont

should have more teen-focused activities?

Ariel: Yes. I think that Claremont shouldhave some activities such as maybe askateboarding park in the Village or acooking class for teens in the PackingHouse or an evening event with some fire-works.

Amelie:What do you think are the goodand bad parts of school?

Ariel:The good parts are that you can earnan education there, learn and catch up withyour friends, but the bad part is that some-times teachers can assign a lot of home-work.

Amelie:Do you think El Roble has enoughextracurricular activities?

Ariel:Yes. And I think that it’s done a re-ally good job of creating a lot of clubs andafter-school activities that can includeeverybody’s interests.

Ariel Benjamin

A GIFT THAT LASTS ALL YEAR

Give the gift that keeps your loved ones informed.

A one-year COURIER subscription is $52 ($47 for seniors).Just mail in this coupon with your payment and we will send a special

card and greeting along with your gift subscription.Or just call us at (909) 621-4761 and say you want a “gift subscription.”

Claremont COURIER

1420 N. Claremont Blvd.Suite 205B

Claremont, CA 91711

TO: FROM:

Cour er i

l remont


Address:

Email:

Thanks to all our readers who supported the COURIER in 2015!


40/83

ALMANAC 2015-2016 40

Claremont Art Walk takes place the firstSaturday of each month from 6 to 9 p.m.Galleries open their doors for a monthlyartist reception celebrating their new

featured exhibition with refreshments, live musicand other festivities.

Additionally, visit the Claremont Packing Housefor vendor booths and performance art. Check outclaremontartwalk.com for more information andfollow Claremont Art Walk on Facebook and In-stagram.

Claremont has been a lively arts communitysince the early 1930s, mainly due to the influencethat a young visionary, Millard Sheets, brought tothe fledgling art department at Scripps College in1932 when he was 25 years old. Inextricably

linked were the artists, craftspeople and architectsthat Sheets retained to teach, many who later madeClaremont home, thereby influencing generationsof artists and makers into the future.

In 1935, Sheets brought William Manker, a suc-cessful potter, to set up a ceramics department atScripps. In 1939, Albert Stewart, a prominentsculptor from New York, joined the faculty. In1940, Jean Goodwin Ames, an accomplished mu-ralist, began teaching design. In 1943, Sheetsadded Henry Lee McFee in painting and, in 1948,Richard Petterson in ceramics. Sheets also set up aprogram in weaving, first taught by Mary EastonGleason, then by Marion Stewart.

In 1950, Phil Dike, another leading SouthernCalifornia Regionalist painter, joined the faculty in

painting. Claremont also attracted other regionalistpainters, such as Milford Zornes, Rex Brandt andPhil Paradise, often as visiting artists. Other artists

who called Claremont home, many arriving afterWWII on the GI Bill included: Karl Benjamin,Paul Coates, Paul Darrow, Rupert Deese, JamesFuller, James Hueter, Roger Kuntz, Doug McClel-lan, Harrison McIntosh, David Scott, Paul Soldner,John Svenson, Robert E. Wood and many more.

Claremont became a veritable hotbed of

Courier Almanac 2015-16

Documents

Transcript of Courier Almanac 2015-16