Friday column preview

Claremont has a trolley, or at least a trolley-like conveyance, which began service Thursday after a dedication ceremony. Yours truly was there. So were city officials, each of whom made remarks. Councilman Corey Calaycay kept his brief.

"To mirror the words of William Mulholland when he opened the Los Angeles Aqueduct, 'There it is. Ride it,'" Calaycay quipped.

Calaycay voted against the trolley, worried about the cost, but told me his attitude is, now that we've made the investment, Claremont should get the most of it.

In her own remarks, Councilwoman Linda Elderkin said the service's virtues are that it's both "an important economic development tool" and "incredibly cute." Not even the $700 billion bailout can make both those claims.

I talk about the "trolley" in Friday's column. Side note: Apparently the vehicle makes all four stops automatically, but there is also a bell cord, which can be pulled to indicate a stop. But it's suspended near the roof and can't be reached without standing. What's the deal with that?