February 2011 Archives

The city of Claremont and the Trust for Public Land secured a Wildlands Conservance grant for more than $2.4 million Thursday to help acquire the Cuevas property land in the Claremont Wilderness Park, according to a city news release.

The property is about 150 acres and abuts Sycamore Canyon Park to the south, Claremont Wilderness Park to the north and Johnson's Pasture to the West, according to the release.

In the news release, Claremont mayor Linda Elderkin said: "I am thrilled with the grant funding from the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and the Wildlands Conservancy which will allow the City to expand our Wilderness Park and secure the future of our open space."

Escrow will open and close in May 2011 with funding approval complete.

The Friday Noon Concert Series at Scripps College's Balch Auditorium starts at 12:15 p.m.
Unfortunately, there is not a definitive answer why the series starts later than noon.

"In the early years we didn't put a time on programs on posters. I imagine people kept coming in late and it was moved to 12:15. Students always ask the same question," said Pomona College music professor and director of music programming and facilities Graydon Beeks.

The series' later start time could have been made to give attendees a chance to eat lunch beforehand, Beeks said.

"They're trying to squeeze in lunch as well. I think that may have been for that gap. So people could grab a quick sandwich."

Beeks has been around since the series began in September 1983 and has performed or helped to organize musical performances for it.

"It was a created as a joint concert series between the Pomona (College) music department and the Scripps (College) music department. And I was on the Pomona faculty," Beeks said.

Beeks said an early series performer was the now deceased Kalman Bloch, a Pomona College clarinet instructor from 1953 until 1990 and Los Angeles Philharmonic principal clarinet player for decades.

"When we started it we were hoping it would involve collaborations between the Pomona faculty and Scripps faculty in chamber music," Beeks said. "And that has turned out to be more difficult than we envisioned because of people's schedules."

The string quartet Quartet Euphoria is unique because it features faculty from both schools and performs every semester, Beeks said.

The next free performance is at 12:15 March 4 before the series goes on hiatus until April 1 because of spring break.

Scripps College's Balch Auditorium is at 1030 Columbia Ave. on the corner of Tenth Street.

At a Feb. 18 performance, Pomona College visiting assistant professor of music Tony Perman played the mbira and performed music from Zimbabwe.

"Hopefully it will trigger an interest in exploring music in ways they haven't come across," Perman said of his performance.

Perman, 37, said he learned the mbira in the 1990's while he studied in London after becoming friends with Chartwell Dutiro.

"He still lives in Britain and performs there," Perman said.

At the Feb. 18 performance, Perman played six different versions of the mbira.

"It's the same instrument but different tunings," Perman said. "They're all hand made. I still play the ones I had back then. All are the same but each one is a single key. If I want to change keys I change instruments."

Pomona College music department concert production manager Elizabeth Champion said the program is created to split the number of concerts equally between Pomona and Scripps faculty.

In earlier years, Claremont Graduate University also sponsored the series but they backed out after another performing facility became available, Beeks said.

Nonetheless, there is never a shortage of performers available, Champion and Beeks said.
"Between two colleges there is such a wealth of faculty performers. We have not run short of having excellent programs to offer," Champion said.

The series provides a pathway to discovering different forms of music, Champion said.
"It's a wonderful opportunity to get a new introduction to something they may not have the opportunity to hear or know about," Champion said.

At right: Jacob Cohen of Pomona College and Takako Mino of Claremont McKenna College

A Tip-A-Cop fundraiser will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. Feb. 24 at Buca di Beppo.

The fundraiser will benefit House of Ruth. All tips donated to the police servers will be donated.

According to a news release, House of Ruth has provided for 33 years high quality services to women and children victimized by domestic violence.

Buca di Beppo is at 505 W. Foothill Blvd.

For more information, contact  909-623-4354.

The Martha Graham Dance Company will give a free performance at 8 p.m. March 1 at Bridges Auditorium at Pomona College.

The dance company is one of the most celebrated contemporary dance companies in America and will be in residency at Pomona College from Feb. 27 to March 1, according to a Pomona College news release.

Bridges Auditorium is at 450 N. College Way.

Included in the program will be 1920's and 1930's dance works using multimedia with 26 Claremont college students performing Graham's 1935 work Panorama. 

Tickets should be picked up at the Bridges box office or reserved through will call at 909-621-8032.

The American Cancer Society will host a luncheon for cancer survivors and caregivers from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 26 inside the Padua Room at the Alexander Hughes Community Center.

The luncheon is a kick-off to the Relay for Life event on April 2 and will feature gifts, music and guest speakers who will share their survival stories. The center is at 1700 Danbury Rd.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Sue Keavney at
suekeavney@yahoo.com.

The American Cancer Association sponsored Claremont/La Verne Relay for Life will explore the theme "Relay through the Ages" for its 24-hour walk or run at 9 a.m. April 2.

The walk is held at Claremont High School, 1601 N. Indian Hill Blvd., and the area features games, music, sponsors, cancer survivors, people who know or used to know others with cancer and caregivers on the high school track.

The relay helps to raise awareness and funds for cancer education and research and is now in its 14th year in Claremont.

Almost six million walkers have raised more than $400 million for the America Cancer Society since 1993.

People are encouraged to raise money, be sponsors, create teams and donate to the cause, according to a news release.

For more information, contact Evan Saito, Relay for Life manager at 818-338-2529.

A family bird fest will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Santa Ana Botanic Garden.

The festival will feature displays of bird life, identification tips, birding exhibitors, drop-in family activities and Native American storytelling among other activities.

From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. storytelling will be held at the Tongva Village Site and attendees can help with a National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology science project called "Great Backyard Bird Count."

Last year, 28 bird species were counted which included black phoebe, mourning dove and hermit thrush, according to a garden news release.

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. except national holidays at 1500 N. College Ave.

Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and students and $4 for youths age 3 to 12 while RSABG members get in for free.

For more information, call 909-625-8767 or www.rsabg.org

- The Friends of the Claremont Library will present Dream Shapers: Jungle Drum Circle at 2 p.m. Saturday Feb. 19 at the Claremont Public Library.

African and Latin percussionist Chazz Ross will use 20 Djembe drums to present an interactive drum-circle at the library, 208 N. Harvard Ave. Ross will also give a talk on exotic instruments to children and families, who will get to sing and play rhythms together.

- Eloise Klein Healy and Frances McConnel's poetry will be featured at 2 p.m. Feb. 27 at the library. The Friends of the Claremont Library Poetry Reading will feature Healy's work, which includes here recent work "The Islands Project: Poems for Sappho." While Healy has published six books of poetry, McConnel has published two: "Gathering Light" and "The Direction of Longing." McConnel also co-chairs the Library Poetry Series.

For more information, contact 909-621-4902 or www.colapublib.org.

The Claremont High School baseball program will hold an alumni game with a home-run derby afterward Saturday Feb. 19 at Claremont High School. The school is at 1601 N. Indian Hill Blvd.

The game, part of opening day ceremonies, will start at 10 a.m. Alumni game participants should be at the varsity baseball field at 9 a.m. The game will feature the school's varsity baseball team competing against former players. A family barbecue will also take place.

At 3 p.m. Friday, there will also be opening day ceremonies and the junior varsity and freshman teams will play at the high school.

For more information, go to the Claremont High baseball Web site at www.claremonthighbaseball.com.

Former CHS baseball players interested in participating should contact Sid Robinson at 909-227-9589 or sid.robinson@verizon.net.

The Scripps College Friday Noon Concert series takes place at 12:15 p.m. Friday inside Balch Auditorium at Scripps College. The auditorium address is 1030 N. Columbia Ave.

- The Friends of the Claremont Library will present Dream Shapers: Jungle Drum Circle at 2 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Claremont Public Library.

African and Latin percussionist Chazz Ross will use 20 Djembe drums to present an interactive drum-circle at the library, 208 N. Harvard Ave. 

Ross will also give a talk on exotic instruments to children and families, who will get to sing and play rhythms together.

- People can sign up for a free practice SAT test from 1 to 5:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at the library. 

The Princeton Review will administer the full-length practice test, which gives takers an opportunity to see what their score might be for the real test. 

Afterward, students will get a detailed score report including showing what areas can be improved and performance breakdown during an SAT Scoresback Session. 

The space is limited to 30 students and registration is required.

- Eloise Klein Healy and Frances McConnel's poetry will be featured at 2 p.m. Feb. 27 at the library. 

The Friends of the Claremont Library Poetry Reading will feature Healy's work, which includes here recent work "The Islands Project: Poems for Sappho." 

While Healy has published six books of poetry, McConnel has published two: "Gathering Light" and "The Direction of Longing." McConnel also co-chairs the Library Poetry Series.

For more information, contact 909-621-4902 or www.colapublib.org.

The Claremont High School baseball program will hold an alumni game with a home-run derby afterward Feb. 19 at Claremont High School. The school is at 1601 N. Indian Hill Blvd.

The game, part of opening day ceremonies, will start at 10 a.m. Alumni game participants should be at the varsity baseball field at 9 a.m. The game will feature the school's varsity baseball team competing against former players. A family barbecue will also take place.

At 3 p.m. Feb. 18, there will also be opening day ceremonies and the junior varsity and freshman teams will play at the high school.

For more information, go to the Claremont High baseball Web site at www.claremonthighbaseball.com.

Former CHS baseball players interested in participating should contact Sid Robinson at 909-227-9589 or sid.robinson@verizon.net.

- The Committee for Safe and Healthy Housing will host a Claremont City Council candidates forum from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 13 at Vista Del Valle Elementary School. Vista school is at 550 Vista Drive.

- The League of Women Voters of the Claremont Area will host a forum at 7 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Alexander Hughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Rd. For more information, contact www.claremont.ca.lwvnet.org or 909-624-9457.

- Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church will host a forum from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 20. The church is at 435 Berkeley Ave. According to the church's website at www.olaclaremont.org, The moderated event will include opening and closing statements by each of the candidates, as well as questions from the audience. For more information, contact 909-626-3596.