Meetings and Events Around Town

There are a couple upcoming meetings the civic-minded among you might want to attend.

• The City Council will hold a goal-setting workshop this Saturday beginning at 9am.  Come on out and tell the council what you think our top priorities should be:
  
  (from the City's website):
  Council Workshop
  9:00 AM
  City Council Chambers
  225 W. Second Street
  Claremont
  (909) 399-5460
  
  The City council will meet to discuss projects and priorities to allow staff to draft a work plan. This workshop is open to the public.
  
  
  
• On December 6, the California Public Utilities Commission pays a visit to Claremont's Taylor Hall to hear public comment on Golden State Water Co.'s application for a rate increase.  There will be an afternoon and an evening session:
  

  Public Hearing on Water Rate Increase on December 6

  The California Public Utilities Commission will hold a Public Hearing on the Golden State Water Company proposed rate increase on December 6 at 2pm and 6pm at Taylor Hall. An Administrative law judge will preside over the hearing and all comments will be included in the General Rate Case.
  
  Golden State Water has filed for a 27% rate increase for 2012 with smaller increases in 2013, and 2014. The public may comment or protest the rate increase at the public hearing, by e-mail, or writing to the Public Advisor's Office. All public comments are provided to the CPUC Commissioners and Administrative Law Judge assigned to the proceedings.

  
  Please send all comments to:
  
  Public Advisor's Office
  320 West 4th St. Ste. 500
  Los Angeles, CA 90013
  or via e-mail to public.advisor.la@cpuc.ca.gov
  
  Visit the Golden State Water Website
  
  
  
• The first weekend in December brings us Claremont's annual Christmas Holiday Promenade and Tree Lighting:
  
  Holiday Promenade & Tree Lighting 2011
  
  The City of Claremont invites you to an evening filled with live music, festive storefronts, a magnificent tree lighting ceremony and more. The Claremont Village, the area's ultimate shopping destination, will transform into a holiday wonderland where the young and young at heart can enjoy the festivities. The Holiday Promenade will include live entertainment throughout the Village as well as an opportunity to take a photo with Santa Claus.

  
  

  You won't want to miss this magical Claremont event. Please join us Friday, December 2nd, from 5-8 p.m. at the Claremont Village Holiday Promenade and Tree Lighting. Enjoy the festive atmosphere and remember to shop Claremont this holiday season.

  
  

  For more information please contact us at (909) 399-5490 or visit us at www.ci.claremont.ca.us.
  
  
  
• And, also in December, the Gypsies Sisters Art Show, having found a new home, will hold their December sale the same weekend as the tree lighting:
  
  THE GYPSY SISTERS ART SHOW has finally found a home and will be pulling up and parking at the UCC church on Harrison and Harvard Aves. in Claremont. The 31 Gypsies complete with their wonderfully creative art will be settling in down in the basement which faces Harrison Ave. on Friday, December 2 from 4-9, on Saturday, December 3 from 10-8 and on Sunday, December 4 from 10-5. Their wide variety of arts and crafts include quilts, weavings, dolls, clothing, ceramics, jewelry, glass, paintings, handmade books, collages, photographs, prints, purses, metal sculptures, paper sculpture, artistic boxes and bowls and a psychic.  The Gypsy Sisters and their brothers have been coming to Claremont twice a year for more than 18 years.  Please join them for a relaxing visit and some exciting shopping.
  

Saturday Mailbag

We received an email from a reader who was concerned that the City of Claremont's Winter 2012 recreation and activities guide has a cover with some of Claremont's children throwing down gang signs:

DATE: Wednesday, November 9, 2011 4:45 AM
SUBJECT: Are those gang symbols?
TO:  Claremont Buzz

Sorry for my ignorance on the matter, but looking at the cover of the recently arrived in the mails Recreation & Activities Guide from the City of Claremont...

Are the girls in the cover photo, in the back row, right side trying to communicate something?

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1ui7a/ClaremontHumanServic/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=

--

Here's the cover:

Well, it turns out the kids are communicating something, but it's nothing sinister.  The hand signs are called "chuckin' the deuce" or "chuckin up deuces."  It's origins are attributed to hip-hop star Chris Brown.  Here's how the website rapgenius.com defines the term:

“Chuckin' the deuce” is a term that originated in the Southern part of the United States. It’s what someone does when they’re just passing by, or leaving. People used to say “peace” instead of goodbye, now they just do it with their hand signals

(cf. Chris Brown’s “Deuces”)

* * * * *

And we got this note from a former Claremont who read our post about the planned expansion of the Wilderness Park/Thompson Creek Trail parking lots:

SUBJECT: RE: Claremont Insider
DATE: Friday, November 11, 2011 4:04 AM
TO: Claremont Insider

I feel sorry for the Meyers Family. Are you Stealing their land, TOO ???

So much Government intrusion in Claremont since the days that I grew up there. I truly feel sorry for the citizens of Claremont who are now being bamboozled by a bunch of corrupt council members, and city politicians. They (they City Council), should ALL be put down like a pack of rabid Coyotes !!!

Let's see if THIS letter makes it to print? LOL !!!! I SERIOUSLY doubt it!

Upcoming Events

Some of the events happening this week in our fair city:

THURSDAY NIGHT WATERWORKS

Speaking of cartels, Claremont's water supplier, Golden State Water Co., is holding an open house tomorrow evening at the new Claremont University Consortium Administrative Campus Center.   Here's your chance to hear the latest GSWC propaganda in support of their most recently requested rate hikes.   You can get an earful about how all that extra money you're paying for water is going straight into the pockets of water company shareholders improving Claremont's water supply infrastructure.

Here's what the City's website has to say about the event:

Golden State Water Family Open House (Nov 1, 2011)

Golden State Water will host an open house on November 3, 2011 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Claremont University Consortium Administrative Campus Center. This is your opportunity to learn more about your water provider's plans for your area. Golden State Watr employees will staff booths about its general rate case application, water use efficiency, planned improvements, water costs, and water quality. The Campus Center is located a 101 South Mills Avenue.

WEEKEND BOTANIC GARDEN PLANT SALE

The Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden is holding its fall plant sale this weekend.  Saturday morning until 11am is reserved for RSABG members.  After that, anyone can get in.

RSABG is located at 1500 N. College Ave. in Claremont.  That's on the north side of Foothill Blvd. between Indian Hill and Mills Ave.  Here's what RSABG's website has to say:

Fall Plant Sale

November 5 and 6

Join us for this spectacular annual event featuring the largest and most exciting collection of California native and California appropriate plants around!

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden's 33nd annual Fall Plant Sale on Saturday and Sunday, November 5 and 6, 2011. Autumn is the best time to plant California native perennials, shrubs, bulbs and wildflower seeds. Shop thousands of beautiful plants and water-wise solutions for your home landscape and get the expert advice you’d expect from California’s native garden.

Members-only

Saturday, November 5, 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. Memberships (starting at $45 individual and $75 family) may be purchased at the sale. For information, contact our membership team at (909) 625-8767 ext 222.

VETERANS DAY

The annual Veterans Day observance in Memorial Park will be a week from Friday.  Again, from the City's website:

Veterans Day Ceremony at Memorial Park (Nov 1, 2011)

The City of Claremont and American Legion Post 78 proudly announce the annual Veterans Day Ceremony in Memorial Park (840 N. Indian Hill Blvd), on Friday, November 11 at 11 a.m. This ceremony honors veterans of all wars including living, deceased, killed in combat, prisoners of war (POW's), and missing in action (MIA's).

The ceremony will include comments from members of American Legion Post 78, Mayor Pro Tem Larry Schroeder, and various community members. The ceremony will also feature Taps performed by the El Roble Marching Band.

For more information about the City of Claremont's Veterans Day Ceremony, log onto the City website at www.ci.claremont.ca.us or call (909) 399-5490.

At the Ath

M.M.C Athenaeum

385 E. 8th St.

Claremont, CA 91711-6420

(909) 621-8244

Fax: (909) 621-8579

athenaeum@claremontmckenna.edu

If you're looking for something to do during the week, the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum at Claremont McKenna College usually offers up interesting, thought-provoking speakers on a wide range of topics.

Here's what the Ath is offering up in the next two weeks:

Monday, October 31	John Bradley, author, Behind the Veil of Vice: The Business and Culture of Sex in the Middle East (2010) and Inside Egypt: The Land of the Pharaohs on the Brink of a Revolution (2008); "Debunking Five Myths About the Arab Spring"
Tuesday, November 1	Ananda Ganguly, Marcos Massoud Associate Professor of Accounting and George R. Roberts Fellow, CMC; co-author, Assurer Reputation for Competence in a Multi-Service Context (2007) and The Riskiness of Large Audit Firm Client Portfolios and Changes in Audit Liability Regimes: Evidence from the U.S. Audit Market (2004); "How an Accountant, Or Even You, Might Make Business Decisions: Some Evidence from the Laboratory"
Wednesday, November 2	Martha Wheelock, director, co-producer and writer of California Women Win the Vote (2011); teacher of American literature, ethics, and women's studies, Harvard Westlake School, Los Angeles;  Diana Selig, associate professor of history, CMC; author, Americans All: The Cultural Gifts Movement (2008);  Lily Geismer, assistant professor of history, CMC;  "California Women Win the Vote: Film Viewing and Discussion"
Thursday, November 3	Daniel Kahneham, Nobel laureate in economic sciences (2002); Eugene Higgins Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Princeton University;  and Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Public Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; auhor, Thinking, Fast and Slow (2011) and co-editor, Heuristics and Biases: The Psychology of Intuitive Judgment (2002); "Thinking, Fast and Slow"
Friday, November 4	Glenn Greenwald, author, With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful (2011) and Great American Hypocrites: Topping the Big Myths of Republican Politics (2008); "With Liberty and Justice for Some" (12:00 p.m.)
Monday, November 7	Leslie Bonci, director of sports nutrition, University of Pittsburg; co-author, Run Your Butt Off: A Breakthrough Plan to Lose Weight and Start Running (No Experience Necessary!) (2011) and author, Sports Nutrition for Coaches (2009) (12:00 p.m.)
Tuesday, November 8	Richard Haass, president, Council on Foreign Relations; author, War of Necessity, War of Choice: A Memoir of Two Iraq Wars (2009) and The Opportunity: America's Moment to Alter History's Course (2006)
Wednesday, November 9	Hao Huang, associate professor of music, Scripps College; "Liszt Bicentennial Concert"
Thursday, November 10	Davis Campbell, senior research fellow, Center for Applied Policy in Education (CAP-Ed), U.C. Davis; Dean Vogel, president, California Teachers Association; Jed Wallace, president and CEO, California Charter Schools Association; Julia Brownley, State Assemblywoman (CA-41st District); Jeff Stark, vice president, Claremont Unified School District Board of Education; David Abel '68, chairman and managing director, VERDEXCHANGE Institute; "Is California K-12 Education in Crisis? If So, What Do We Do about It?"

CGU Exhibit Opening in November

The King James Bible was published in 1611, and to mark that quartercentenary Claremont Graduate University will host a three-month exhibition beginning in November at Honnald/Mudd Library. Here's what CGU has to say:

Claremont Graduate University to host exhibition celebrating 400th anniversary of the King James Bible

Claremont Graduate University (CGU) and the Claremont Colleges’ Honnold/Mudd Library will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the first printing of the King James Bible by hosting a traveling exhibition examining the immeasurable impact the book has had on secular and religious culture.

Manifold Greatness: The Creation and Afterlife of the King James Bible opens on Nov. 10 and runs through Jan. 6.

The traveling exhibit was organized by the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C., and the American Library Association Public Programs Office. It is based on an exhibition of the same name developed by the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, with assistance from the Harry Ransom Center of the University of Texas. The traveling exhibition was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Highlighting the exhibit will be a first edition of the King James Bible from 1611.

The story behind the King James Bible remains surprisingly little known, despite the book’s enormous fame. Translated over several years by six committees of England’s top scholars, and first printed in 1611, the King James Bible became the most influential English translation of the Bible and one of the most widely read books in the world.

For many years, it was the predominant English-language Bible in the United States, where it is still widely read today. Even many of those whose lives have been affected by the King James Bible may not realize that less than a century before it was produced, the very idea of the Bible translated into English was considered dangerous and even criminal.

Equally compelling is the story of the book’s afterlife—its reception in the years, decades, and centuries that followed its first printing, and how it came to be so ubiquitous. Essential to this story is the profound influence that it has had on personal lives and local communities.

The King James Bible has influenced everything from literature (Moby Dick, Shakespeare, comic books) to music (early American psalters, Handel's Messiah; contemporary reggae) to media culture (the recitation of Genesis 1:1 by the crew of the Apollo 13 spacecraft; the ending of "A Charlie Brown Christmas").

The traveling exhibition consists of high-quality reproductions of rare and historic books, manuscripts, and works of art from the Folger and Bodleian collections, combined with interpretive text and related images. The Claremont Colleges' Honnold/Mudd Library will supplement the traveling exhibit with rare artifacts and treasures from its Special Collections.

"Claremont Graduate University is delighted to have been selected to host this exhibition," said Lori Anne Ferrell, professor of early modern literature and history in CGU’s School of Arts and Humanities. "The King James Bible – both in Britain, its country of origin, and in America, where it has exerted greatest influence – is a work of historic importance, enduring inspiration, and ongoing fascination. This exhibition will document its remarkable religious, educational, literary, political, and cultural impact over four centuries."

The exhibition is free and open to the public. CGU and the Honnold/Mudd Library are sponsoring free programs and other events for the public in connection with the exhibition.

About Claremont Graduate University

Founded in 1925, Claremont Graduate University, the graduate institution of the Claremont Colleges Consortium, is one of the top graduate schools in the United States. Our nine academic schools conduct leading-edge research and award masters and doctoral degrees in 22 disciplines. Because the world’s problems are not simple nor easily defined, diverse faculty and students research and study across the traditional discipline boundaries to create new and practical solutions for the major problems plaguing our world. A Southern California based graduate school devoted entirely to graduate research and study, CGU boasts a low student-to-faculty ratio.

Venturing Out

The Claremont Chamber of Commerce, currently presided over by former our Assistant City Manager Bridget Healy, will hold its 30th Annual Village Venture Arts & Crafts Faire tomorrow from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.   Claremont's environmental mindfulness will take an eight-hour break to allow vendors to flood the Claremont Village with tchochkes of every ilk.  Get there early before the best ones are gone.

Here's what the Chamber's website tells us:

Directions to Village Venture

Claremont Chamber of Commerce ( Village Venture HQ)
205 Yale Ave., Claremont CA 91711
909-624-1681

Click here to go to Google Maps and get directions from your location to Village Venture

---

Village Venture

has become THE annual event where family, friends & neighbors meet to wander The Claremont Village, which is filled with over 450 arts & crafts booths including photography, pottery, jewelry, clothing, and garden knick – knacks. Don’t forget to stop by the village businesses on both sides of Indian Hill that will be open all day. This is the place to kick off your one stop holiday shopping, you’ll find something unique for everyone on your list! Sit and relax at one of our sidewalk cafes, or enjoy the international cuisine located on First Street. Well over 20, 000 visitors attended Village Venture 2010 to enjoy not only this one-day event, but also the wonderful shops and restaurants that are located in our city.  

The following streets are closed:

Bonita, Second and First between Indian Hill and College
Yale and Harvard from Fourth ( Fourth is not closed)

This is the place to be every year on the fourth Saturday in October - mark your calendar - Saturday October 22nd, 2011.  

Click to Enlarge

Around Town

NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING

The city of Claremont is holding a neighborhood meeting tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 in the Blaisdell Center. Two members of the city council will be there to talk to the community. The City's website has the information on the forum:

City Council Neighborhood Forum - Blaisdell Community Center

6:30 - 8:30 PM
440 S. College Ave.
Claremont
(909) 399-5460

Council Members are also hosting a series of Neighborhood Forums. Neighborhood Forums give residents from different neighborhoods the opportunity to talk with City Council Members in a relaxed and informal setting. Neighborhoods can discuss issues that are important to them, air concerns, share ideas, ask questions and get the latest information about topics and projects that are specific to each neighborhood. Although forums are scheduled for specific neighborhoods, you do not have to live in that immediate area to attend.

TRICKS OR TREATS

Also, don't forget Claremont's annual Halloween Spooktacular.  Bring the kids on down to the Claremont Village on Halloween for a safe, fun trick-or-treating environment:

Halloween Spooktacular October 31 (Oct 13, 2011) 

Everyone is invited to Claremont's Annual Halloween Spooktacular in the Claremont Village on Monday, October 31. The annual event is co-sponsored by the City of Claremont, Claremont Chamber Village Marketing Group,& local businesses. Children will enjoy trick-or-treating as well as free games and entertainment in a safe environment.

Over 40 Village businesses, marked with balloons and a special poster, will be handing out free goodies to trick-or-treaters from 3-5 p.m. Maps listing all participating locations will be available at the Claremont Depot (200 W First St) and City Hall (207 Harvard Ave).

The Claremont Depot will have free games and entertainment from 4-7 p.m. Festivities at the Depot include a dog costume contest sponsored by the Zoom Room at 5pm, a wildlife presentation at 5:30 p.m. and a children's costume contest at 6:30 p.m

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Lastly, if you're interested in moving into one of the Courier Place affordable housing units, the builder, Jamboree Housing, is taking applications. We don't know how many of the 74 units are still available.  If you're interested, there is this from City Hall:

Courier Place Affordable Housing Now Leasing (Sep 7, 2011)

Construction is moving rapidly on the Courier Place Affordable Housing Project on College Avenue. Completion is scheduled for November, 2011 with residents moving in shortly thereafter. Jamboree Housing and The John Stewart Company have begun sending out applications to interested renters and will continue to accept applications until all the units are occupied. Courier Place is open to low income households that earn $17,940 to $52,950. Rents will range from $480 to $1,110 depending on income, household size, and the size of the apartment selected.

Courier Place, located at 111 South College Avenue, is conveniently located in downtown Claremont with easy access to the Metrolink. Courier Place is an intergenerational community with one senior building housing 38 one bedroom apartments and two family buildings, with 36 two and three bedroom units. Seniors must be 62 years of age or older. Children in the family units will attend Oakmont Elementary School. The site will feature a community swimming pool, covered parking, laundry facilities, tot-lot, barbeque area, community building with computer lab, as well as on-site resident services.

Jamboree Housing has set up a leasing office at:

Temporary Leasing Office
219 N Indian Hill Suite 100
Claremont, CA 91711
(909) 624-8589 

To receive an application please contact the Temporary Leasing Office or call (909)624-8589

• Courier Place Leasing Information (Adobe Acrobat, 74KB)
• Application (Adobe Acrobat, 44KB)

Debate Tonight

This evening the League of Women Voters of the Claremont Area (mostly just Claremont, not so much Area) will hold a forum for candidates running for the Claremont Unified School District Board of Education and Citrus College Board of Governors.

The LWV will hold the forum in the Padua Room of the Alexander Hughes Community Center at 1700 N. Danbury Rd. The forum starts at 7pm.

If you can't make the LWV forum, you can download and watch video of Active Claremont's September 22 CUSD candidate forum.  You'll find the file here.  To start the download, just click on the time or file size columns. It'll take a while, even with a fast Internet connection.

Film Talk

Claremont Community College, the folk(s) who gave us the 5 Second Film Festival, kick off their speaker series this afternoon at 2pm:

DATE: Friday, October 14, 2011 2:53 PM
SUBJECT: Directions to Film Lecture Sunday 2 pm
FROM: Vincent Turner

We are so happy to be presenting Nathan Wang film composer as our first speaker in this year's film lecture series.

The event will be held this Sunday at 2 pm. Please join us at the Claremont University Consortium Administrative Center, 101 N. Mills Avenue, Claremont

Directions to the Claremont University Consortium Administrative Center

Google Maps Link:

http://g.co/maps/ythkx

The CUC Administrative Center is located at 101 N. Mills Avenue in Claremont. Google Maps will correctly locate this address.

From the 10 Freeway

Exit at Indian Hill Blvd. Proceed north on Indian Hill. Continue for about a mile. Turn right on to First Street. Continue east on First Street for about 7/10 of a mile. You will pass the Metrolink Parking Lot on the right. The Administrative Center is just east of the lot.

From the 210 Freeway

Exit at Towne Avenue. Proceed south on Towne for about a mile. Turn left onto Foothill Blvd and continue for about a mile. Turn right onto Indian Hill Blvd and continue for about a mile. Turn left onto First Street. Continue east on First Street for about 7/10 of a mile. You will pass the Metrolink Parking Lot on the right. The Administrative Center is just east of the lot.

This Weekend in Claremont

BEER FEST II

If you thought Claremont would spend the weekend drying out from Wednesday's downpour, think again.  The Claremont Beer Fest returns to town for its second go-round tomorrow, October 8, from 12:30pm to 5:00pm in the Claremont Village. The CBF website has all the details:

Claremont, CA - October 8, 2011

The California Beer Festival (CBF) is coming back to the city of Claremont! With over 60 craft brews on tap, four live bands, and mouth watering food. CBF will be the event of the year for any beer enthusiast! CBF's main goal is to shine a light on the craft beer movement and celebrate great beer!

Proceeds will benefitGen Giammanco Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides financial support to student athletes to assist in their pursuit of both scholastic and athletic success in the city Claremont.

Tickets are $40 for general admission or $25 for designated drivers.

As you can see, the money goes to a good cause.   And nothing says "athletics" like an ice cold brew.  Apropos of which, where are the donuts?  We're missing out on the chance to have the first beer and donut fest, a Beer-athlon.

In the meantime, you can get your tickets for this year's beer fest at:

• Eureka Burger
  580 W. First St.
  Claremont, CA 91711
  (909) 445-8875
  
  
• Rhino Records
  235 Yale Ave
  Claremont, CA 91711-4725
  (909) 626-7774
  
  
• or online here

Spelling Bee Today

Besides meeting the Claremont City Council at the Farmers' Market today or attending the Japan Day fundraiser at the Claremont Colleges this afternoon, you can also check out the 6th Annual Friends of the Claremont Library Spelling Bee at Taylor Hall in Claremont's Cahuilla Park.

The Bee begins at 2pm, and there will be plenty of familiar faces on hand. The Friends of the Library have a new website with details about the event, as well as photo albums from years past. We borrowed a couple, courtesy of our friends The Friends:

City News

GOLD LINE WORKSHOP APRIL 11

The Metro Gold Line Extension environmental review continues apace. You can learn more and provide input on the Claremont station proposal at a workshop on Monday, April 11, from 6pm to 8pm in the Padua Room of the Alexander Hughes Community Center. Here's the information from the City's website:

Gold Line Extension Public Meeting

The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority (Construction Authority), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the City of Claremont invite you to a workshop on the proposed Claremont Gold Line station, which is part of a proposed 12.6-mile extension of the Metro Gold Line from Azusa to Montclair currently under environmental review. The workshop is an opportunity to learn more about the proposed station plan and provide feedback on ways to make it even better.

Gold Line station planning requirements and the proposed Claremont station location will be reviewed, followed by a discussion in which you can provide feedback to be considered in the planning process.

Station Planning Workshop in Claremont:

Monday, April 11, 2011 6 to 8 pm
Alexander Hughes Community Center, Padua Room
1700 Danbury Rd., Claremont, CA 91711

Additional workshops are being hosted in the cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona and Montclair.

To learn about all of the workshops and the environmental review process underway, visit www.foothillextension.org or call the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority (626) 471-9050.

Take a Tour of the Metro Gold Line:

In the coming months, the Construction Authority will host tours of the Metro Gold Line light rail line between Pasadena and Los Angeles. Tours provide an opportunity to experience how light rail interacts within communities, the design of stations and street crossings and the various train sounds. Contact Sylvia Beltran at sbeltran@foothillextension.org or (626) 305-7012 if interested in a tour.

Image courtesy of loscalifornios.org

PADUA HILLS COMMUNITY EVENTS

If your non-profit organization is looking for a place to host a community event, you might consider the Padua Hills Theatre. Through its lease agreement with Arteco Partners, the company that renovated the theatre, the City reserves a few dates each year for community use. The City still has some open dates. You have until May 5 to submit an event planning form. Here's the relevant info:

Community Use Dates Available For Padua Hills Theatre

The Padua Hills Theatre Community Use Program reserves dates each year for non-profit organizations interested in hosting community events at substantially reduced rates. The Padua Hills Theatre Community Use Committee is now accepting applications for events that will take place between January 1 and December 31, 2012. Non-profits interested in submitting an application may download an Event Planning Form and Community Use Addendum on the City website at www.ci.claremont.ca.us. All applications are subject to the review and approval of the Community Use Committee and must be submitted to the Alexander Hughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Rd., by Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. for priority consideration. An optional meeting will be conducted at the Padua Hills Theatre on April 6, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. to tour the site and field any questions. Please RSVP to Kristin Turner at (909) 399-5356 if you plan to attend.

DIAL A RIDE REGISTRATION

The City is also requiring residents who use the Dial A Ride program to register for the program:

Dial A Ride Registration

To Register:

By mail: Mail the completed form to:

City of Claremont
Alexander Hughes Community Center
1700 Danbury Road Claremont, CA 91711

By fax: Fax the completed form to 909-625-3184

By phone: Beginning March 23, 2011, if you are over the age of 18, you can register by phone between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday by calling: 909-399-5495

In person: Beginning March 23, 2011, you can register in person between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1700 Danbury Road Claremont, CA 91711. Users under the age of 18 will need a parent or guardian's signature.

An identification card and unique identification number will be mailed to riders after they complete the registration process.

Registration Flyer

Raveler Fundraiser Tickets

The Ravelers want you to remember to hurry up and order tickets for the Campfire fundraiser in Ontario on Saturday:

Hey Now!

You need to get your tickets NOW, by Monday March 28...get your friends together TODAY!

We know that many of you gals were involved with Campfire girls growing up. This event will help rekindle some fond memories, provide an opportunity for you to give back to the organization for young girls, and make for a fun evening with your friends.

We highly suggest getting together those friends of yours who love a great dinner, fine wine, bidding at auctions, and musical fun. This is a great chance to gather those friends you always plan on going out with, but just never seem to find the time. This 4-course dinner event includes a sommelier, who will be presenting wines with each course and providing an education for choosing wines. Ayres Boutique Suites is also providing a special package if you want to make it a local get away and spend the night on the romantic side...

And you won't have to clean up!

This is pretty cool...If you gather a total of 8 people for a table, one ticket is free!

• Saturday, April 2- Wine Lovers Dinner fundraiser for Campfire Girls!!!
  
  Ontario Convention Center
  2000 East Convention Center Way
  Ontario, California 91764
  
  This event starts at 5:30 pm and goes until 11:00pm. 4-course dinner with sommelier, silent and live auctions, musical fun! Tickets are $75 per person, but bring a total of 8 people and get one ticket for FREE!
  
  Call Carole at 909.466.5878, ext. 222 for the details.
  
  The web site for complete details: http://www.campfiretoday.org/Events

We hope to see you there!

All the Best from your pals...

Hai, Pat, Martie, Rob
The Ravelers

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ravelers/266682436238

(Click to Enlarge)

Quick Hits

Click to Enlarge
There's more information on that counter demonstration set for next Saturday in response to the planned National Socialist Movement's rally and march on Foothill Blvd. and an as-yet unnamed cross street. The anti-Nazis are being organized by a group calling itself Claremont Peace.

The Claremont Peace rally will take place in Memorial Park. Click here to read more.

Claremont Peace has a Facebook page set up if you're interested in getting more information. If everyone who has signed up to attend actually shows up, the NSMers are going to be greatly outnumbered.

The NSM rally is supposed to run from noon to 1pm. The anti-rally starts at 10am and goes until 6pm.

* * * * *

Tony Krickl has the official vote count from last week's municipal election. Nothing really changed. And one of our readers wrote in to comment on the low voter turnout (about 25%):

Date: Sat, March 12, 2011 9:45:52 AM
Subject: election results
From:
To: claremontbuzz@yahoo.com

The voters who bothered to vote on the 8th (only 5,483 out of 21,731 eligible voters) have made the decision for the rest of Claremont. One wonders what the other 16,248 thought about the election and what kept them from voting. Perhaps it was because they had to choose from a less than stellar field of candidates. Perhaps the negative campaigning by the supporters of Pedroza, Haulman and Lyons kept them away. Or perhaps, like more than a few people I have talked to over the years, they believe that it does not matter who is on the City Council as they all drink the Kool-Aid eventually and only care about themselves and getting re-elected.

Whatever the reason, 25% of the voters in Claremont chose who will govern us for the next 4 years. We can thank the other 75% for giving us Dumb (Pedroza) and Dumber (Lyons). Yet another time that so many have done so little for their city.

More on That NSM Rally

We're still trying to figure how the National Socialist Movement came to pick Claremont as the place to hold a rally targeting illegal immigrants. A blurb popped up on the City's website announcing that the City was aware of the NSM plans for the March 19 rally and march in Claremont on Foothill Blvd. and a cross street to be named later.

(We're also waiting for Bob Gerecke and the Concerned Claremont Citizens, opportunists that they are, to tell us which one of the incoming City Council members and his supporters are responsible for the NSM's visit. We're sure Gerecke would love to find some way to pin it on the Kenyan guy - damn immigrant! A word of caution: craziness can come from the Left as well as the Right.)

The NSM event on the 19th is scheduled to run from noon to 1:00pm. A counter demonstration is also scheduled. The Daily Bulletin's Wes Woods II has a report with more details on the event and its organizers.

The NSM website has a press release announcing the event. It makes reference to the group's marches to "Reclaim the Southwest." There's also an obnoxious video:



(It occurred to us while listening to the audio of the clip above that the words, with little change, could have been uttered by a 19th-Century North American Indigenous Person Activist bemoaning the coming of the European invaders. This then reminded us that the swastika had been a symbol generally of good things in native-American cultures--as well as many cultures around the world--until it was appropriated by the German National Socialists and took on the associations of hate, totalitarianism, and death. Our lead image is a memento of those somewhat more innocent times.)

Looks like the NSM wants to piggyback its own agenda onto anti-illegal immigration sentiments being pushed by other more mainstream groups. Watching the NSM members parading around in their brown shirts would be amusing except that the German NSM, wasn't taken too seriously when they were getting started. So before you start laughing too hard, remember folks, there but for the grace of God go we.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks these sorts of groups, has a dossier on the NSM. Turns out they have a chapter in Riverside, so it's not like they have to travel too far. Anyway, here's what the SPLC has to say about the NSM:

NSM ideology mirrors that of the original American Nazi Party. The group openly idolizes Adolf Hitler, described in NSM propaganda as, “Our Fuhrer, the beloved Holy Father of our age … a visionary in every respect.” NSM says only heterosexual “pure-blood whites” should be allowed U.S. citizenship and that all nonwhites should be deported, regardless of legal status. As [NSM leader Jeff] Schoep put it: “The Constitution was written by white men alone. Therefore, it was intended for whites alone.”

The NSM is probably best known for carefully staged protests, carried out in full-blown Nazi uniforms and swastika armbands, that have managed to win substantial news coverage for the group. The best example of the NSM’s provocative rallies came on Dec. 10, 2005, when the group made international news after a planned march through a black neighborhood in Toledo, Ohio, sparked rioting by residents and counter-protesters. The riots cost the city more than $336,000, though the NSM members escaped the violence and were not liable for any of the destruction. “The Negro beasts proved our point for us,” Schoep crowed after the rally....

The NSM has had its share of movement scandal. In July 2006, it was rocked by revelations that co-founder and chairman emeritus Cliff Herrington’s wife was the “High Priestess” of the Joy of Satan Ministry, and that her satanic church shared an address with the Tulsa, Okla., NSM chapter....

A growing number of the NSM’s protests have targeted immigrants recently. On June 19, 2010, NSM members J.T. Ready, Jeff Hall and about eight other individuals (some of whom were not NSM members) congregated in Arizona’s Vekol Valley. Hall described the goal of their operation as to “fight the [Mexican drug] cartels and reclaim the land.” Armed with pistols and high-powered rifles, the group led patrols through the desert and “secured” an abandoned building. They claimed to have apprehended three illegal immigrants attempting a border crossing, although this has not been independently confirmed.

We're wondering how much the CPD presence is going to cost, and can we send the bill to Jeff Schoep at the group's headquarters in Detroit?

Town Calendar

Now that the city election is over, the Claremont 400 have slunk back to their burrows to lick their wounds and heal up until their next opportunity to make fools of themselves. In the meantime, the rest of us can settle back into our regular lives and enjoy some of the finer things in town:


BILL GATES IS IN THE HOUSE

If your PC crashed recently, taking with it that bloviating blog post you slaved away at all night, you can voice your frustrations directly to the man whose company gave us MS-DOS and Windows. Bill Gates comes to the campuses of Harvey Mudd College and Pomona College today.

Gates will meet with groups of students during the day and will speak at Bridges Auditorium at 5pm. The Pomona College website has all the details:

In "A Conversation with Bill Gates," he will discuss a wide range of subjects with Maria Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College, and then take questions from students. This event is co-sponsored by the Harvey Mudd College Annenberg Speakers Series and the Pomona College Distinguished Speakers Series.

Tickets for Pomona College students, faculty and staff (one ticket per ID) are now sold out from Bridges Box Office, which is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Limited general admission tickets may be available to the general public, from the Bridges Auditorium Box Office, as of March 1. There is no cost to attend the event, which will also be streamed live on Pomona’s web.

You can watch the webcast here.


FRIDAY FILMS

Vince Turner over at Claremont Community College has invited the community over to his newest event, Friday Night Flicks in the Claremont Village Expansion:

Date: Wed, March 9, 2011 11:32:49 AM
Subject: Friday Night Flicks
From: Vincent Turner

Friday Night! 7 pm!

Flicks!

We're starting Friday night flicks at The Center!

We are beginning with four interesting video lectures showing advancements in technology and how they will affect film making.

If you like watching cool stuff, this is for you. We'll have the chance to discuss these.

Come enjoy yourselves!

101 North Indian Hill Blvd
Building C2 Suite 203

We don't hand out degrees! Because the learning never stops!

--
Vince Turner
(909) 477-1747

FAREWELLS AND NEW BEGINNINGS

Claremont Mayor Linda Elderkin (photo, right) chose to not run for reelection this year, and the City will bid her a fond farewell Thursday, March 17.

That evening, at 6:30pm in the City Council chambers at 225 W. Second St., Elderkin will step down and the three winning candidates from Tuesday's election - Sam Pedroza, Opanyi Nasiali, and Joseph Lyons - will be sworn in. Expect Pedroza to be named mayor and council member Larry Schroeder to be named mayor pro tem.

Come on out on the 17th and see how you like your new council.


AN EARLY 4TH OF JULY

Plenty of fireworks will be on display Saturday, March 19, when the National Socialist Movement (yes, those guys) arrive in Claremont's Memorial Park for a rally and march of some sort. A counter demonstration is also planned.

Here's what the City's website says:

City Response to March 19 Demonstrations

The City of Claremont is aware of the rally and march being planned by the National Socialist Movement and counter rally at Memorial Park scheduled for March 19, 2011. The Claremont Police Department has prepared a tactical plan and is in contact with the organizers. The Claremont Police Department has scheduled additional officers for the day and will be assisted by neighboring police agencies if necessary.

The City of Claremont is respectful of every organization's right to demonstrate and encourages the peaceful expression of differing viewpoints.

The City has a Committee on Human Relations to address and respond to citizen's concerns on issues of diversity. Citizens wishing to contact the Committee on Human Relations to may call (909) 399-5356.

Smogdance Film Fest at the Fox

We almost forgot, but the Smogdance Film Society is holding their annual film festival today at the Pomona Fox Theatre beginning at noon. Tickets are $5.

The Smogdance fest returns to the Fox after using the Claremont Laemmle for last year's event. You may recall there was a bit of power struggle connected to Smogdance. Pomona's dA Center for the Arts accused former festival director Charlotte Cousins of hijacking the event.

Cousins is out of the picture now, and the dA is back in charge.

Around Town (and Pomona, too)

COUNCIL MEET-AND-GREET


The Claremont City Council will hold another neighborhood forum Tuesday night in the Claremont Public Library. We're not quite sure which two members will represent the council. Since it's the Village, we'll go out on a limb and guess Linda Elderkin and Sam Pedroza.

Here's the info listed on the City's website:

City Council Neighborhood Forum - Claremont Public Library

6:30 - 8:00 PM
208 Harvard Avenue
Claremont
(909) 399-5460

Council Members are also hosting a series of Neighborhood Forums. Neighborhood Forums give residents from different neighborhoods the opportunity to talk with City Council Members in a relaxed and informal setting. Neighborhoods can discuss issues that are important to them, air concerns, share ideas, ask questions and get the latest information about topics and projects that are specific to each neighborhood. Although forums are scheduled for specific neighborhoods, you do not have to live in that immediate area to attend.

PARKS RULES CHANGES

The Parks and Facilities Committee of the City's Community Services Commission will meet 6:00pm Wednesday, February 15, for a special meeting at the Community Services Department at 1616 N. Monte Vista Ave.

According to the agenda The committee will discuss a recommendation to the Community Services Commission to amend the City's Municipal Code to allow police to enforce park closures and to allow on-lease dog walking on the Padua Park trail.

Let's hope this doesn't lead to the sort of brouhaha at Padua Park that has happened in the past at the Pooch Park off College Ave.


AFTERNOON AT THE OPERA

If you're an opera buff, you can catch Pomona's Repertory Opera Company this afternoon at the First Christian Church at 1751 N. Park Ave., where they are staging a production of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. Admission is $30.

Click here for more information.




POMONA ART WALK TONIGHT

Also, don't forget that it's the second Saturday of the month, which means it's time for the Pomona Art Walk from 6:00pm to 9:00pm in the Pomona Arts Colony.

Around Claremont and Beyond

CCF Gallery Show

The Claremont Community Foundation Gallery's featured artist for February is Ward McAfee. CCF is holding a reception tonight from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. The CCF Gallery is located at 205 Yale Ave. in the Claremont Village (that's also the Claremont Chamber of Commerce office, if you were wondering).

For more information, call (909) 626-0222.

We were sorry we missed last month's artist, photographer Micki McAulay. There was a reception and lecture by McAulay on January 28. The event was hosted by Foothill Financial Advisors and the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation, which provides aid to single mothers with children who are stricken by catastrophic illnesses. Realtor Laura Dandoy and Wine Styles also provided support for the event.


CAN YOU GIVE THEM A SECOND?



If you're looking for something to do tonight, head on down to the Claremont Village for the Friday Art Walk. Our friends at Claremont Community College, who sponsor the 5 Second Film Festival, sent us a reminder that they'll be represented at the Art Walk and that they also have an office in the Village Expansion.

The Third Annual 5 Second Festival is currently accepting submissions, if you're so inclined. The festival comes to town Thursday, April 28, at the Claremont 5 Laemmle Theatres. Claremont, home of the long-winded, including yours truly, is woefully lacking in brevity, so we'll take as much as we can get, if that makes any sense.

Here's the note from CCC:

DATE: Thu, February 3, 2011 10:31:27 AM
SUBJECT: Friday Night Artwalk
FROM: Claremont Community College
TO: Claremont Buzz

While in Claremont enjoying this Friday evening, please stop by our center to participate in fun (lots) and food (a little bit!)

We are participating in First Friday ArtWalk along with other happening venues. Stop by anytime starting at 5:30.

Come see the going-ons for the 5 Second Film Festival.

You know where we are. (Upstairs next to Chico's)

You can view all of the venues at www.artwalkclaremont.com.

RAVELERS HIT THE ROAD

If you're around the central coast on Presidents Day weekend and are feeling a little homesick, go on over to the Cambria Pines Lodge. The Ravelers will play at the Cambria Pines Lodge's lounge on February 20:

Hey Now!

The Ravelers figure you might be wondering what to do for President's Day weekend coming up in a few weeks.

Well now...Cindy is having her 50th birthday party at the Cambria Pines Lodge, and she is having The Ravelers play in the lounge. It just so happens that it is drummer Rob's b-day, too...so he gets to have his "birthday gig" in paradise! The Ravelers have played at the Cambria Pines Lodge a few times over the years, and we absolutely love the central coast of California this time of year.

We highly suggest getting a room with your love interest at one of the really romantic hotels nearby and joining us on Sunday for some fun. Monday is President's Day, so hopefully you can take advantage of a long weekend on the beautiful central coast of California.

• Sunday, February 20- Birthday Party in Cambria, come on up!!!
  
  Cambria Pines Lodge
  2905 Burton Dr
  Cambria, CA 93428
  (800)445-6868
  
  The Ravelers play at 8:30 pm.
  

Cambria Pine Lodge web site: http://www.cambriapineslodge.com/
Other local hotels: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g32148-Cambria_California-Hotels.html

You can see some photos from our previous roadtrips to Cambria on our Facebook site, just click here.

We love shopping in Downtown Cambria...


















All the Best from your pals...

Hai, Pat, Martie, Rob

Coming Attractions

Some items of interest from the City's website:

CPD CHECKPOINT SUNDAY

The Claremont PD will be out tomorrow night conducting another DUI checkpoint beginning at 6pm.

DUI / License Checkpoint

Claremont, CA – On Sunday, January 23rd, 2011 the Claremont Police Department will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint at an undisclosed location within the City. The checkpoint will start at 6:00 p.m. and conclude at 2:00 a.m. Drivers will be stopped long enough to ensure they are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Officers will also ensure that drivers are wearing their seatbelts and possess valid driver licenses. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

WALKABOUT

If your New Year's resolutions included getting fit and losing weight, you might want to take advantage of the City's Generation Fit series of intergenerational walks:

Generation Fit Walking Program

The teens at the TRACKS Activity Center (TAC) will be challenging the Claremont adult community to a series of four walking excursions. "Generation Fit" will run four weeks on Tuesdays from January 25 through February 15, from 2:30-4:00 p.m. Both teens and adults will form a unified team in front of the Joslyn Center, 660 North Mountain Avenue, and walk a series of planned routes through the Claremont community to raise heartbeats, health awareness, and increase intergenerational socialization. Walking routes will average 1-2 miles each day. For more information, please call (909) 399-5488.

I CAN HAZMAT?

And if you've been stockpiling old batteries, cans of oil or paint, TVs or computer monitors, you can off load that stuff in two weeks when the City and the County of Los Angeles hold their next local hazardous waste roundup:

Household Hazardous Waste Roundup

Claremont and other Los Angeles County residents can dispose of household hazardous waste including unused pharmaceuticals, antifreeze, car batteries, used motor oil, paint, pesticides, and universal waste including household batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, and electronic waste (e-waste) such as TVs and monitors, computers, VCRs, stereos, and cell phones at the next free Countywide Household Hazardous Waste Roundup. It will be held in Claremont at the Claremont Corporate Yard, 1616 Monte Vista Avenue, on Saturday, February 5, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Residents can bring up to 15 gallons or 125 pounds of household hazardous waste per vehicle to the Roundup.