September 2011 Archives

Hikers will not have the hours at Claremont Hills Wilderness Park change.

The city council voted 4-0 at its regular meeting Tuesday night to keep the original hours of dusk to dawn and have city staff members bring back additional information to look at the issue from a different perspective.

The decision came after people packed City Hall at the meeting with multiple speakers who used the trail telling the council they were upset over the new hours.

City Council members had approved an ordinance for first reading on Sept. 13 to change the hours from dawn to dusk due to an increase in complaints from neighbors as well as to provide more clarity to park-goers. 

The park as well as its north and south parking lots were to be open from 7 a.m. to sunset starting in late October.

Claremont Police Department will enforce the dusk to dawn rule until the council reviews the item again, said City Manager Jeff Parker. Some signage designating the neighboring areas as "quiet zones" will also be put up, he said.

Council members on Sept. 1 voted to issue citations to 205 people for violating park hours. The recipients now have 60 days to determine if they want to pay a fine, have their case be decided through Los Angeles Superior Court in Pomona or use a local review process. 

A citation addressed in Pomona court will be about $229. 

The council also earlier this month decided another 105 people who were issued citations will have them processed locally. 

Their fine will be $35.

The Blind Boys of Alabama, with special guests Sara and Sean Watkins, will perform Saturday at Garrison Theater, Scripps College Performing Arts Center, 231 E. 10th St.

The group has won five Grammy Awards and the group's music was featured in the Coen Brother's film ""O Brother Where Art Thou."

Besides the concert, the "Movin' Mountains" benefit also features dinner and a silent auction. 

Funds raised from the tickets sales, dinner, and silent auction items will support KidCare's local food bank and other local programs for children.

The Fine Arts Foundation will host a Seal Court Mosaic Restoration Project presentation with wine and cheese reception Oct. 16.

The event takes place at 2 p.m. Oct. 16 on the Scripps Vita Nova Hall patio, at Scripps College, 231 E. Tenth Street. 

The mosaic murals, student created in 1942, decorate Seal Pond and "beautifully capture the Mediterranean ambiance of Scripps College," according to a news release. 

These murals need to be restored and donors wishing to support them are needed, according to the release.

Scripps alumna and Claremont artist Martha Underwood will discuss her years producing murals with Millard Sheets while architectural historian Jennifer Trotoux, Architectural will detail a brief presentation about the current project to restore the Seal Court mosaic murals.

The 63rd Annual Pilgrim Place festival will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 11 and 12.

A craft faire and bazaar with sculpture, collectibles, vintage clothing, plants and produce, international art, jewelry, dolls from around the world, pottery, painting, stamps, books, and more will be at the festival. 

There will also be a Thanksgiving show, food court with popcorn, cotton candy and lunch and rides for children including a Mayflower-on-Wheels, Massasoit Superchief rides, Wampanoag Indian Village, face painting and other crafts.

City Manager Jeff Parker issues a report online every week that details happenings in the city. Here is a quick round-up of his report:

- Vanilla Sunshine Cupcakery open

Vanilla Sunshine Cupcakery has opened at 1 N. Indian Hill Blvd, Suite 103, which is on the west side of the street and north of the railroad tracks.

The store, which has specialty flavored cupcakes, is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, contact 909-621-4400 or www.vanillasunshinecupcakery.com.http://www.ci.claremont.ca.us/ps.topics.cfm?ID=2363

Mariachi Mujer 2000, an all star female mariachi group, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Garrison Theater, Scripps College Performing Arts Center at 10th Street and Dartmouth Avenue.

The event is free and open to the public with a question and answer session afterward.

For more information contact http://www.scrippscollege.edu/campus/conferences/directions.php

A Claremont to Covina fun bike ride will take registrants at 9:30 a.m. 

Saturday to fill out paperwork at the Claremont Train Depot, 200 W. First St., according to a news release.

After the registration, participants can get their bike tuned-up from Jax Bicycle Center 217 W. First St.

The event starts at 10 a.m. Saturday after a short bike safety talk at Claremont Train Depot. Riders will travel 10 miles, mostly downhill and wrap up at 2 p.m.

Along the path, bike shepherds with spare tubes, radios and other maintenance equipment will be available. 

The ride will end at Nick's Taste of Texas, 545 North Citrus Ave. Covina, before riders return to Claremont.

There will also be a separate riding group headed north to Finkbiner Park, 160 N. Wabash Ave., Glendora for the town's Moving Planet Day celebration.

The Claremont Chamber of Commerce, The City of Claremont, the Tolkin Group and the Village Marketing Group sponsored Friday Nights Live! will continue from 6 to 9 p.m. Fridays through the end of October.

The all ages welcome concert series will have the jazz combo Ricky Brown Blues perform at the Public Plaza, 101 N. Indian Hill Blvd..

Meanwhile, group Saloon #12 will perform at the Chamber of Commerce, 205 Yale Ave.

Other bands this and future Fridays will play at City Hall, 207 Harvard Ave., The Chamber of Commerce or at The Public Plaza.

The future schedule is below:

- Sept. 30

The Dogs at The Public Plaza

Drowsy Maggie at City Hall

- Oct. 7 

Remember Then at The Public Plaza

Carl Schafer Quartet at the Chamber of Commerce

- Oct. 14

Dynamite Dawson at The Public Plaza

Squeakin' Wheels at City Hall

- Oct. 21

Mark Cross Band at City Hall

Hank's Cadillac at The Public Plaza 

- Oct. 28 

Polyhedra at The Public Plaza

Seth Greenburg Combo at the Chamber of Commerce

For more information, contact 909-624-1681 email contact@claremontchamber.org. or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friday-Nights-Live-in-The-Claremont-Village/100227206731307

The Los Angeles County Fair, besides holding Claremont Day at the Fair, also honors city humanitarians, volunteers, organizations, neighbors and students.

Festivities start at 4 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Millard Sheets Center at Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona.

A community parade takes place at 5 p.m. and a salute to heroes presentation will take place at 5:30 p.m. on the Building 4 Stage.

This year's Claremont Community Heroes are Jack Shih, Marilee Scaff and Randy Prout.

Youth hero Shih is a Claremont High School student with numerous accomplishments including being Associated Student Body Vice President; adult hero Prout is a local business owner who has served the community in various forms for 25 years; and senior hero Scaff is 95 and been involved in the community for more than 60 years and been a volunteer at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden for 25 years.

Active Claremont will sponsor a Claremont Unified School District candidate forum at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Candidates taking part include Joseph D. "Joe" Farrell, who helped organize opposition to the district's failed Measure CL in 2010; Samuel Mowbray, a district board member from 1993 to 2004 and incumbent incumbent Hilary LaConte.

The forum will take place inside the Padua Room of the Alexander Hughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Rd.

For more information, contact 909-626-2632.

A free admission with a donation of a new or slightly used book coupon for the day can be found at City Hall, 207 Harvard Ave. 

For more information on the fair, head to http://lacountyfair.com/2011/ or call 909-623-3111.

Fairplex is at 1101 W. McKinley Ave. Pomona, Ca 91768

The event is for people who live north of Base Line Road between Indian Hill Boulevard and Mountain Avenue. The meet and greet will feature a car show, BBQ hot dog bar, live music, face painting, vendor booths and speaker series. 

More, from the news release, is below:

Here are photos (courtesy of William Vasta) sent by CGU of the event:

Here is my original story that ran in Thursday's paper about the selection: http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_18898760?source=most_emailed

- Luis Urrea Brown Bag Lunch at 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 27 inside the Assembly Room at Mt. San Antonio Gardens, 900 E. Harrison Ave. Pomona.

Author Urrea will answer audience questions and discuss his book. The free event is open to the public but lunch is $10 with advanced reservation.

- "The Magnificent Seven" screening from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 1 inside the Padua Room at the Alexander Hughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Rd. Harvey Mudd College professor Isabel Balserio will lead the audience in a discussion afterward.

The free event is open to the public.

- A book discussion will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 8 inside the Community Room of the Claremont Public Library, 208 Harvard Ave. Friends of the Claremont Library members will host a community discussion. The free event is open to the public. 

- An essay contest winners reception will be held at 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 5 inside the Community Room at the Claremont Public Library. Recipients will be honored with cash awards and read their essays.

For more information on all the events, contact www.claremontlibrary.org or 909-621-4902.

The Roger Samuel conducted Claremont Young Musicians Orchestra and the Claremont Young Musicians Intermezzo Orchestra will hold auditions.

Young musicians ages 10 to 20 who perform percussion, string, brass or woodwind instruments are invited for the audition.

Members come from Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange Counties, according to a news release.

The audition schedule for the orchestras is as follows:

today: French horn

Saturday: String bass and cello

Sunday: percussion

Orchestra members, according to the release, annually perform at the Bridges Hall of Music, Disneyland and other performances. 

A special concerto competition and chamber music opportunities are offered to those interested. The CYMO has also performed in three European Concert Tours.

For more information, contact 909-624-3614 or cymo.org.

Cruise Night will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday along Second Street between Indian Hill Boulevard and Harvard Avenue.

The event will take place along Second Street between Indian Hill Blvd. and Harvard Avenue. 

The City worked with Sandy Coglietti, the event's owner/operator and the owner of Village Grille and merchants to put together the event and minimize the impact to the merchants on Yale Avenue, according to a news release. 

Second Street will close at 4 p.m. to set up and the classic cars will be parked on the north side of City Hall, at 207 Harvard Ave., and on Second Street. 

The classic cars can start arriving at 4 p.m. and should head to the Metrolink parking lot near 200 W. First Street. 

Besides the car display, a live DJ will play music, there will be a 50/50 raffle and trophies will be given to winners.

Cruise Night will next take place Oct. 8.

For more information, contact 909-626-8813 or http://villagegrille50sdiner.com/2011/07/cruise-nights/

Michele Lynn McNeill was appointed the Community and Human Services Director and started work Tuesday. 

McNeill, who has a degree in community recreation from Central Michigan Universeity, has more than 14 years of experience in municipal government and special districts, according to a news release from city manager Jeff Parker. The last five years she spent as community services director and acting human resources director for the city of West Covina.

McNeill will oversee a staff of 82 employees.

Mayor Sam Pedroza was hospitalized with serious injuries after an Aug. 30 cycling crash but has been transported home, officials said.

"He's home, he's doing better," said Claremont city manager Jeff Parker on Tuesday. "The swelling is down. He's getting rest. Obviously when you're home you're feeling more comfortable. He's thankful and extending his thanks to people for all their well wishes." 

Pedroza will head to an Emergency Medical Technician specialist today<NO1>tomorrow<NO> for updates on his nose, cheek and everything else, Parker said. 

Pedroza's crash occurred about 8:20 p.m. at 246 E. Arrow Highway. He was thrown from his bike after crashing into a parked utility truck. The mayor's head then hit the back of the truck's bed.

Pedroza sustained injuries including a fractured nose, a laceration across his nose and cheek and small fracture of the C4 vertebrae in his neck.

Parker said doctors had reset Pedroza's nose and stitched him up from across the bridge of his nose where he broke the bone.

"They reset it to the best of their ability," Parker said. "They will have to go back in and have a second nose surgery at some point." 

Parker said Pedroza told him that "he's still looking forward to going bike riding." 

The state of city address, originally scheduled for Sept. 8, will be pushed back to late October or November.

Pedroza's original doctor, Parker said, claimed it would be four to six weeks minimum for healing with Pedroza's wearing of a neck brace.

Cards and letters for Pedroza can be sent to City Hall, 207 Harvard Avenue, Claremont 91711.

All handicap ramps on Indian Hill boulevard from Harrison Avenue to Foothill Boulevard are getting an upgrade for current Americans with Disability Act standards. 

Also taking place is resurfacing of the streets and the project is scheduled to be completed in early Novemeber, according to a news release from city manager Jeff Parker. 

Some parts of the sidewalk are being replaced and removed while and arborist will oversee tree root inspections, according to the release. 

A larger sidewalk project of removing and upgrading all sidewalks to meet ADA standards was deferred to let the work occur during summer months, according to the release. Indian Hill will receive crack fill, street grinding, deep patch repair and an overlay with 1.5 inches of rubberized asphalt.

A gutter adjacent to the pavement will be replaced when needed to accommodate street resurfacing, according to the release.

Comedian Jann Karam, a comedian, actor, and writer who has appeared on the "Late Show with David Letterman," "The Tonight Show" and HBO's Young Comedians Show, will perform tonight and Saturday at Flappers Comedy Club.

Karam, who has played one of Jerry Seinfeld's girlfriends on "Seinfeld (The Switch)," will perform at 8 p.m. both days at the club, 532 W. First St., Unit 218 and inside the Packing House.

There is an intermission during the show. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and seating is first come first served with a two-item minimum.

Tickets are $15.

The club is currently dry, meaning no alcohol, but there are concessions ranging from $4 to $12 including popcorn, soft drinks, chips and cake. 

People who want an alcoholic beverage are recommended to go downstairs to Hip Kitty. 

- The Claremont Weekend Comedy Show, where comedians from the Claremont area perform, takes place at 10 p.m. today.

- The Inland Empire Comedy Contest takes place at 10 p.m. Saturday where comedians perform for an audience vote and a judges vote. 

Top comedians from each round continue until one comedian is left with cash prizes of $500 and a title of Inland Empire's funniest comedian, according to a release. 

For more information on any of the comedy events, contact 818-845-9721, info@flapperscomedy.com or www.flapperscomedy.com.