Bill Gates Video

If you weren't able to catch Bill Gates at Bridges Auditorium last week, Pomona College has posted a video of Gates' talk with Harvey Mudd College president Maria Klawe. It's almost an hour, so, if you're going to watch it, you may want to grab some popcorn before you settle in and start the video:

Bill Gates at Pomona College from Pomona College on Vimeo.

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.

Upcoming Meetings

DRAWING THE LINE(S)


Former Claremont mayor Peter Yao and the California's Citizens Redistricting Commission are coming to town this month for its first public meeting. The City's website explains:

Citizens Redistricting Commission Will Hold Public Meetings In Claremont

The Citizens Redistricting Commission will hold its first public meeting in Claremont at the Claremont Colleges from February 9 to February 13, 2011. The 14 member Commission must draw the state's districts in conformity with strict nonpartisan lines designed to create districts equal in population taht will provide fair representation for all Californians. The 14-member Commission is made up of five Republicans, five Democrats, and 4 not affiliated with either of those two parties but registered with another party or as decline-to-state. The Commission must hold public hearings and accept public comment. After hearing from the public and drawing the maps for the House of Representatives districts, 40 Senate districts, 80 Assembly districts, and four Board of Equalization districts, the Commission must vote on the new maps to be used for the next decade.

You can read more about the CRC, watch videos of its meetings and review meeting agendas on the CRC website.



PLANNING COMMISSION MEETS TONIGHT

Harvey Mudd's amended master plan is on the agenda for tonight's Planning Commission meeting. HMC's north parcel, which used to be part of the Bernard Field Station, gets a very small mention in the amended plan.

Harvey Mudd Master Plan Amendment Review

Residents are invited to attend the upcoming Planning Commission meeting regarding an amendment to the ten-year campus master plan for Harvey Mudd College The Planning Commission will discuss the item at its meeting on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the City Council Chamber, 225 W. Second Street, Claremont. All persons interested in the master plan amendment are invited to attend the meeting and provide comments.

The proposed master plan amendment is based on a maximum student population of 800 (currently 734), 335 faculty/staff (currently 307), and 297 assembly seats (currently 604). This is an increase of 66 students and 28 faculty/staff, and a decrease of 307 assembly seats. The master plan amendment proposes the following:

• no change in the maximum number of students permitted under the existing master plan (800),
• minor revisions to the design guidelines for the campus,
• new policies and guidelines emphasizing the sustainability of the campus,
• the incorporation of recently completed construction projects into the master plan,
• revisions to the campus parking plan to reflect recent changes to the campus, new ampus parking policies and City zoning code,
• deletion of previously approved yet unconstructed projects, and
• addition of new/revised buildings, most notably a new Teaching and Learning Building, which is proposed for the current site of the Thomas Garrett Building.

The Planning Commission is the final decision-making body on this matter.

City staff has completed a detailed environmental review of this master plan amendment and drafted an addendum to the environmental documentation for the original master plan, a mitigated negative declaration, to reflect the changes contained in the proposed master plan amendment.

Click Image to Enlarge

Questions regarding the project may be directed to Senior Planner Christopher Veirs, at (909) 399-5470. Written comments may also be submitted to Mr. Veirs at P.O. Box 880, Claremont, CA 91711.

* View Master Plan Amendment Documents

TREE SUMMIT

Also, the City is having a special tree committee meeting at 6pm tonight at the in the offices of the Community Services Department at 1616 N. Monte Vista Ave. We're not sure which is special, the trees, the meeting or the committee. They'll be talking about the City's tree replacement program.

Claremont Colleges 2010 Commencement Calendar

The academic year has wound down, and next weekend we say goodbye to another group of graduates from the Claremont Colleges. May they recall their bright college days in Claremont with fondness.




Here's the slate of speakers for next week's commencement ceremonies:


Friday, May 14th

• Baccalaureate Ceremony
  The Claremont Colleges
  3:30pm - 4:30pm
  Bridges Hall of Music, Pomona College
  150 East Fourth Street, Pomona College
  Please contact the Office of the Chaplains for questions regarding this event.
  
  Speaker:
  Jacqueline Powers Doud, Ph.D., President, Mount St. Mary's College, Los Angeles
  Alumna, Claremont Graduate University
  
  

Saturday, May 15th

• Claremont Graduate University Commencement
  9:00am
  Mudd Quadrangle
  Harvey Mudd College
  E. 10th St. and Dartmouth Ave.
  (909) 607-3305
  
  Commencement speaker:
  Heidi Hartmann, president and founder of the Institute for Women's Policy Research and research professor at George Washington University.
  
  
  
• Pitzer College's 46th Annual Commencement
  10:00am
  Commencement Pavilion
  Pitzer College
  1050 North Mills Avenue
  (909) 607-2690
  
  Commencement speaker: The Honorable Cory A. Booker, mayor of Newark, New Jersey.
  
  
  
• Keck Graduate Institute Commencement
  11:00am
  East lawn
  Keck Graduate Institute
  535 Watson Dr.
  (909) 607-0389
  
  Commencement speaker:
  David R. Walt, Robinson professor of chemistry and professor of biomedical engineering at Tufts University.
  
  
  
• Claremont McKenna College
  2:00pm
  Pritzlaff Field
  Claremont McKenna College
  South of 9th St. and Claremont Blvd.
  (909) 621-8117
  
  Commencement Speaker:
  Henry Kravis '67; founding partner of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and CMC Trustee.

Sunday, May 16th

• Pomona College Commencement
  10:00am
  Marston Quad
  Pomona College
  College Ave., between 4th and 6th Streets
  (909) 621-8131
  
  Commencement speaker:
  Janet Napolitano, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, former Arizona governor, former Arizona Attorney General
  
  
  
• Scripps College
  10:00am
  Elm Tree Lawn
  Scripps College
  345 E. 9th St.
  (909) 607-1870
  
  Commencement Speaker:
  Speakers: Sue Monk Kidd, New York Times best-selling author, The Secret Life of Bees,; and her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor, co-author, Traveling With Pomegranates.
  
  
  
• Harvey Mudd College Commencement
  1:30pm
  Harvey S. Mudd Quadrangle
  Claremont University Consortium
  East Tenth Street and Dartmouth Avenue
  Claremont, 91711
  (909) 621-8125
  
  Speaker: Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, longtime president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and advocate for promoting education within underrepresented groups.

Tuesday, May 18

• Claremont School of Theology Commencement
  8:30am
  Kresge Chapel Green
  Claremont School of Theology
  1325 N. College Avenue
  (909) 447-2552
  
  Service presided by President Jerry Campbell.

Art Auction Next Week at HMC

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (RFB&D) will hold its annual silent art auction at Harvey Mudd's Galileo Hall next Sunday, June 7, from 2-4:30pm. The charity is a national non-profit that helps students of all ages who have vision or learning disabilities. RFB&D's website says the organization provides students, from kindergarten through post-graduate studies, with "textbooks and education materials in accessible formats."

The June 7 event has been renamed this year in honor of the late Milford Zornes. There's always plenty of good art to be had, as well as refreshments, and the money gets put to good use.

Milford Zornes Memorial Art Event 2009

In memory of world-renowned California style watercolor artist Milford Zornes, and thanks to devoted supporters Nancy Arce, John Faranda, Ruby Leavitt and Steve Siegel, more than 70 professional artists will contribute a variety of art pieces to the silent auction. Join us for this low cost, highly anticipated fun and enriching annual event!

The date is Sunday, June 7, 2:00 - 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 which includes admission, wine, punch, and hors d'oeuvres. The location is Galileo Hall, Harvey Mudd College. Contact kberry@rfbd.org or call Katie at 323-664-5525 x106.

HMC Gets a Big Gift

Harvey Mudd College received a nice gift this past week, courtesy of one of its trustees, as the LA Times reported Monday:

Harvey Mudd College, the science and engineering-focused school in Claremont, has received a $25-million donation, the largest in its 53-year history, officials announced Monday. The donors are R. Michael Shanahan, a Harvey Mudd trustee and mutual funds executive, and his wife, Mary.