October 2011 Archives

The Claremont Chamber of Commerce's 30th annual Village Venture Arts & Crafts Faire takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the downtown Claremont Village Saturday.

More than 20,000 people are expected to attend the event, which features more than 450 arts and crafts booths with jewelry, photography, clothing, pottery, and more.

Streets that are closed off for the event are Bonita Avenue, Second and First Streets between Indian Hill Boulevard and College Avenue. Also closed is Yale and Harvard Avenues from Fourth Street but Fourth is not closed.

The event is free and runs rain or shine, according to a news release.

For more information, contact 909-624-1681 or www.claremontchamber.org.

Claremont's annual Halloween Spooktacular in the downtown Claremont Village starts at 3 p.m. Oct. 31.

The City of Claremont, Claremont Chamber Village Marketing Group, and local businesses sponsor the event. 

Children, in a safe environment, can participate in trick-or-treating, entertainment and free games, according to a news release. 

More than 40 Village businesses will have a special poster and balloons to identify them. The businesses give free goodies to trick-or-treaters from 3 to 5 p.m.

Maps with the locations are available at the Claremont Depot, 200 W. First St., and City Hall, 207 Harvard Ave.

The Claremont Depot will feature entertainment and free games from 4 to 7 p.m. including a Zoom Room sponsored dog costume contest at 5 p.m., a wildlife presentation at 5:30 p.m. and a children's costume contest at 6:30 p.m., according to the release.

For more information, contact 909-399-5460 or go to www.ci.claremont.ca.us/update.cfm?resID=247849

The Drug Enforcement Administration and government, community, public health and law enforcement will offer National Prescription Drug Take Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Claremont Police Department.

The day lets the public "prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous prescription drugs," according to a news release.

The service is free and anonymous with no questions asked. No appointment is necessary.

Unwanted pills can be placed inside the front lobby of the police department at 570 W. Bonita Ave.

If any questions, call the police department at 909 399-5411 or go to http://www.ci.claremont.ca.us/topics.cfm#record247845

A free flu shot and information fair for seniors will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 10 at Taylor Hall.

Interested vendors can call the Joslyn Senior Center at 909-399-5488.

Taylor Hall is at 1775 N. Indian Hill Blvd.

For more information, contact www.ci.claremont.ca.us/topics.cfm?resID=246626

Pomona College faculty members will defend their individual academic departments with the last professor standing winning the competition, according to a news release. 

The event will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, in Pomona College's Edmunds Ballroom, 170 E. 

Sixth St.

The professors and departments are as follows: 

Karl Johnson - Neuroscience and Biology

Lenny Seligman - Biology 

Ken Wolf - History 

Joti Rockwell - Music

Susan McWilliams - Politics 

Colin Beck - Sociology 

Colleen Rosenfeld - English 

Ami Radunskaya- Math

Rick Hazlett - Geology/Environmental Analysis

For more information, contact, kmg02009@mymail.pomona.edu.

Pomona College and Harvey Mudd College received a $546,273 National Science Foundation grant for a new field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), according to a Pomona College news release on Oct. 12. 

The microscope can image analyze minerals, cells, fibers, new materials and particles at size scales ranging from inches to nanometers, corresponding to magnifications from 10 times to one million times according to the news release.

The microscope is significantly better than any traditional optical microscope and will be available to students and faculty throughout the Claremont Colleges, according to the release.

The new microscope will be installed on the Pomona campus before the end of the spring semester, according to the release.

"Students will spend much more of their time collecting data than setting up the instrument," said Pomona College physics professor David Tanenbaum who led the collaborative grant proposal in a news release.

Leading Age Magazine's October issue cited Pilgrim Place as one of four senior communities nationwide for its efforts to bring culture change to the skilled nursing facility, according to a news release.

Pilgrim Place, founded in 1915, is a center for people who are called to careers in religious and charitable nonprofits. 

Leading Age is a American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging publication.

According to the news release, culture change means an evolution from the traditional medical model of care to a more person-first approach. 

"The essence of culture change is person-first care," said Bill Cunitz, president and CEO of Pilgrim Place. "We are creating neighborhoods within our facility, where residents and staff have autonomy about menus, activities and the things they want in their area. The goal is for every day to be a good day for these residents, the most frail members of our community, but still capable of contributing so much."

Pilgrim Place is at 625 Mayflower Road.

For more information, call 909-399-5500 or visit www.pilgrimplace.org. 

The piece on Pilgrim Place can be found here: http://www.leadingage.org/magazine/Feature.aspx?id=3208http://www.leadingage.org/magazine/default.aspx?id=3139

The Friends of the Petterson Museum present a piano concert with Laurana Mitchelmore, choral accompanist for the American Church in Paris, on Sunday.

The concert takes place at 3:30 p.m. at Decker Hall at Pilgrim Place, 730 Plymouth Rd.

Mitchelmore has been accompanist for more than 30 years and she has a master series endowed fund at Texas Christian University.

The concert will feature works from Schubert, Chopin, Bach and more.

A reception will be at the nearby Napier Common Room afterward.

For more information, contact 909-399-5573 or www.pilgrimplace.org 

The League of Women Voters of the Claremont Area is hosting a candidates forum with Claremont Unified School District candidates and Citrus College Board of Governors this Monday.

The election will take place Nov. 8. Candidates at the event will present their positions responding to written questions from the audience, according to the news release.

The forum takes place at 7 p.m. Monday inside the Padua Room at the Alexander Hughes Community Center, 1700 N. Danbury Rd.

For more information, contact 909-626-2858.

Magician Dave Skale, or Dave The Silly Vampire, will perform at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Claremont Public Library.

The comical magic show is for children and families, according to a news release. 

The Friends of the Claremont Library is sponsoring the free event.

The library is at 208 N. Harvard Ave.

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

- The Claremont High School Chamber Singers, ranked in the top 5 percent of high school choirs in the nation, were selected as one of three high school choirs to represent the U.S. at the International Choral festival in March.

This is the first time the group has competed in an international festival, said CHS choir director Joel Wilson, and the group will be able to interact and perform with students from around the world. Students can also attend workshops with some of the best choral professionals around, Wilson said. 

- The CHS Speech and Debate team won the California State University Long Beach Invitational Speech and Debate Tournament on Oct. 1 and 2, said principal Brett O'Connor.

CHS took 46 student competitors and outstanding individual performances included Adam Cusic, Joe Hurley, Kahler Verrill, Storm Dowd-Lukesh, Andrew Lopez, Mira Begovic and Sharon Musa, O'Connor said. 

CHS was awarded the overall first place team sweepstakes, the school's best ever finish at the Long Beach competition, O'Connor said.

The high school is at 1601 N. Indian Hill Blvd.

Pitzer Art Galleries in collaboration with Pomona College will present Los Angeles artist Joel Kyack today at Pomona College.

Kyack will give a lecture from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Wednesday at Lebus Court 113 at Pomona College, 145 E. Bonita Ave. 

The lecture is part of Pitzer College's exhibition Synthetic Ritual.

According to the news release (at http://www.pitzer.edu/galleries/), Synthetic Ritual uses Los Angeles and international contemporary artists who work in the areas of performance, video and installation. The artists "explore the idea of ritual as a faith-based activity that can be validated only within certain contexts--for example sport, religion and artistic practice--and cannot be rationally proven or substantiated," according to the release.

The curators for the exhibition are international curator and Milan based art critic Gabi Scardi and director/curator of Pitizer Art Galleries at Pitzer College Ciara Ennis.

The Synthetic Ritual gallery runs from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Fridays at Pitzer College, 1050 North Mills Ave.

Energy Star is a joint program with the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that was started in 1992 as a voluntary program to promote energy efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to the district's information packet found here: http://www.cusd.claremont.edu/boe/agendas/pdfs/agenda_items/100611/XI_B-2_10-6-11.pdf

There is an international standard for energy efficient services and products and the E.P.A. designates organizations that receive an average rating of 75 or better throughout all of its buildings as the Energy Star Top Performer, according to the district's information. Less than 25 percent of the buildings in the program receive the distinction.

Officials at the meeting said the district was one of five in the state of California to receive the honor.

Ralph Patterson, energy education specialist for the district, was pleased with the announcement.

"Thank you to all the staff in helping us with energy conservation," Patterson said. "We're one of the top performers in the state."

 

The program's mission is to make the White House "accessible to future leaders around the nation and to prepare those devoted to public service for future leadership opportunities," according to a news release.

Interns work in one of several White House departments including: "the Office of Cabinet Affairs, the Office of the Chief of Staff, the Office of Scheduling and Advance, the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, the Office of Legislative Affairs, the Office of Management and Administration, the Office of the White House Counsel, the National Economic Council, the Office of Presidential Correspondence, the Presidential Personnel Office, the Office of Communications, the Domestic Policy Council, the Office of the First Lady, the Office of White House Fellows, the Office of Digital Strategy, and the Office of the Vice President," according to the news release.

Bill McKibben, author of "Earth: Making a Life on a Tough Planet," will speak in a pre-conference address at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at Bridges Auditorium as part of the Pomona College Distinguished Lecture Series.

The event is free and open to the public but a ticket is required and are available at the auditorium box office, 450 N. College Way.

For more information on the address, contact the Bridges Auditorium box office at 909-621-8032.

A Progressive Christians Uniting two-day conference titled Brave New Planet with McKibben will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 28 and Oct. 29 at Claremont Presbyterian Church, 1111 N. Mountain Ave.

The conference will feature current research on global warming and how to cope with climate change with more than 45 breakout session with national and local presenters, according to a news release. 

For more information, contact www.pcu-la.org/bnp

The Claremont Club Marketplace will feature arts and crafts, business information and raffles.

The free event takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at 1777 Monte Vista Ave.

Those interested can join the Claremont Club on Saturday for $25.

For more information, contact www.claremontclub.com or 909-625-6791.

The California Beer Festival takes place from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at the Claremont Packing House, 532 W. First St.

The event features more than 60 craft beers on tap, four live bands and food.

Attendees must be age 21 or older with a valid ID to enter the event.

Admission to the event is $40 for a souvenir tasting cup to sample the beer and enjoy the live entertainment or $25 for a designated driver ticket which includes entry, a free meal and non-alcohol drink.

Proceeds benefit the Gen Giammanco Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides financial support to student athletes to help them obtain scholastic and athletic success in Claremont, according to a news release.

Space is limited. To purchase tickets online, head to http://ticketderby.com/event/the-california-beer-festival-claremont-general-admission-id-5810.

For more information, head to www.californiabeerfestival.com/claremont.html#anchor

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:

Here are administrative items passed at last Tuesday's city council meeting:

- The city approved an agreement with Shorebreak Energy Developers, LLC for installation of photovoltaic solar systems at the Claremont City Yard, 1616 Monte Vista Ave. 

- The city approved staff initiation of the Public Employees' Retirement System two years service credit implementation process for certain job classifications and told city staff to come back with a PERS resolution to the council on Oct. 11 for final benefit approval and implementation. 

- The city terminated the contract for the Indian Hill Accessibility and Resurfacing Project with Silvia Construction, Inc. of Rancho Cucamonga and told city staff to repackage and re-bid the work as two separate projects.

New restaurant to be on Casa Flores site

Union on Yale, a new restaurant, is under construction where florist Casa Flores, 232 Yale Ave., used to be, according to the city manager's report. 

No date is listed for construction completion but the restaurant will have an Italian theme and offer food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

The owner of the Back Abby will operate the establishment, which will have outdoor water feature seating and a bocce ball court at the heart of the outdoor seating area. 

For more information, go here: http://www.ci.claremont.ca.us/download.cfm?ID=27685

McCandless will present the scholarship to physic major Paul Riggins inside the Galileo Edwards Lecture Hall at Harvey Mudd College.

 

The photo below is of Rick Sontag, who graduated Harvey Mudd College in 1964, and Susan Sontag, who graduated Pomona College in 1964, with Carol Sontag, the wife of the long-time Professor of philosophy Frederick Sontag.

The photo below is of Pomona College president David W. Oxtoby (who is standing), Susan Sontag, Carol Sontag, Rick Sontag and 1995 Pomona College graduate Cindy Sontag Hudgins.

The photo below is of Sontag Hall. 

Frederick and Susan Sontag made a $7.5 million gift for Sontag Hall in honor of their ties to the college. Thanks to Cynthia Peters of Pomona College for the great photos.